What’s Right for Your Garden: A Stone Patio or Decking?

Whether you’re landscaping from scratch with a blank canvas or redesigning your existing garden space, you’re almost certainly going to want an area to include either a stone patio or wooden decking.

Patios and decking have increased in popularity in recent years. Both options provide a functional space where you can host a BBQ, entertain, relax in chairs and enjoy a sunny day, or just use the space when the lawn area is too wet or will get damaged.

I find myself discussing the pros and cons of both patios and decking options with people fairly often. It’s a decision that can really take some time to figure out, after all it’s going to form the main focus area of your garden. – it needs to be right.

The final decision often comes down to budget, personal preference, and most importantly what fits in with the vision of what you want in your garden and the style of your home. However, here is a look at the pros and cons to either a patio, or decking, to help you make an informed decision and hopefully help your decision a little easier.

Reasons Why a Patio Might Your Best Option

Here are some of the pros to having a patio:

• A good quality patio will last a long time, most likely not needing to be replaced in a lifetime unless you want to change the look of your garden.
• You have a good deal of choice when it comes to colors, shapes, patterns, etc, giving you some design flexibility.
• You can match up the paving with other features on your property, such as paths, walls, etc, giving your whole property a uniform look.
• Maintaining a patio is fairly easy, cleaning paving stones is quick with a power washing tool and with some care and attention, a patio can look like new for years.

Reasons Why Decking Might Your Best Option

Decking has been increasing in popularity faster than patios in recent years, mostly due to its modern appearance. There is more to decking than just the modern feel and look however, here are some of the pros to having decking built into your garden:

• It’s a lot easier and quicker to install decking than a patio and it’s easier to custom fit into specific areas.
• The natural wood look works really well in gardens with lots of plants and trees.
• Generally speaking, decking is less expensive than paving stones allowing you to cover a larger area for your budget.
• It’s easy to clean and maintain all year round and good quality decking will last years.

Does Your Property Style Suit One or the Other?

It’s all well and good knowing the pros of patios and decking, but ultimately your choice needs to fit in with the overall design of your garden and home for that aesthetically pleasing look.

Generally speaking, decking looks much more at home with modern housing or homes near the sea-front. There are a lot of choices for decking furniture and you can create a space that’s comfortable to relax in, or equally important, functional for large gatherings.

Patios on the other hand can be tailored to suit all types of homes and gardens, but typically look their best next to older, natural stone houses. You can add plants in or around a patio without it looking cluttered if you like a busy garden, and with a little design ingenuity, there are almost limitless possibilities for the look you can achieve.

I hope this article has opened your eyes to some of the reasons why people choose either decking or patios. Has helped to give you a starting point to narrow down your own options, and will give you some of the information you need to make a choice you will cherish.

It’s one of the most important design decisions you will make when designing your garden. My advice is always the same when I’m helping others; take your time, look at as many designs as possible, and never make a decision before sleeping on it. Good luck!

Author Bio: I’m Mike, my wife and myself are both DIY and gardening enthusiasts. We are always striving to learn more, and we share our experiences, tips, and advice on our blog at yardday.com.

Start Shopping for Outdoor Flooring!