Minnesota homeowners love to host events, enjoy people’s company, and relax in their yards. Concrete patios are one of the best ways to create an inviting backyard oasis. In addition to homes, commercial industries benefit from concrete patios.
Concrete is an attractive, durable, and low-maintenance material that allows people to create the patio of their dreams. Concrete patios are taking over popularity from wood decks and brick patios, and it’s easy to see why. Keep reading to discover all the fantastic ways a concrete patio can transform your backyard.
Create an Outdoor Entertainment Area
Why gather with family or host a party for friends indoors when you can do it outside? Concrete patios are sleek and inviting, and they make the perfect place to entertain guests. You can make food on the grill, set up yard games, and complement it all with a comfortable place for people to eat, talk, and gather.
Concrete patios are durable and withstand inclement weather conditions. Summer isn’t the only time you can utilize concrete patios. A concrete entertainment space is suitable for all four seasons. Sit around a fire pit in fall, watch the kids build snowmen in winter, and enjoy a glass of iced tea outdoors in spring.
There’s no better way to host tailgate parties, book clubs, graduation parties, or baby showers than with a stylish concrete patio.
Customize Your Design
Concrete is incredibly versatile, so you can create a patio that is unique to your home. Coloring techniques, stains, and stamping tools can add creative designs and colors to your concrete patio. Concrete stamping can be made to resemble other patio materials such as brick, natural stone, or wood.
Whether you want a rectangle, circle, or a unique pattern, concrete can be adapted and formed into any shape. This adaptability allows concrete patios to accommodate space restrictions in smaller backyards so that everyone can experience the benefits of concrete patios.
The smooth, flat surface of concrete allows homeowners to set up patio furniture and decorations, such as:
- Chairs
- Tables
- Firepits
- Grills
- Potted plants
- Fireplaces
- Pergolas
- Cocktail bars
- Space heaters
- Water features
Landscaping is another fantastic way to customize your concrete patio. Greenery along the edge of concrete is stylish. Try planting grass, bushes, and flowers in a garden along the edge of your patio for an inviting feel fit for a magazine.
Save Money and Increase Your Home’s Value
Concrete home patio installation is budget-friendly. Concrete costs less than brick, wood, or stone, making it one of the most affordable patio materials on the market. Additionally, labor costs are less than other materials because concrete is easy to install.
Concrete patios typically take one to three days to install. Concrete is transformative because it looks expensive, but installation costs don’t break the bank.
The sleek aesthetic appeal of a concrete patio dramatically increases the resale value of your home. Prospective buyers will be impressed with the attractive outdoor entertainment space that comes with your home, and they will be willing to pay for it.
Low Maintenance Upkeep
Concrete patios are perfect for busy families because concrete doesn’t require high maintenance. Wood decks constantly warp and need restaining. Stones, bricks, and pavers need care to stay in place and keep weeds from growing in between them. In contrast, concrete requires minimal labor.
The best concrete maintenance plan to follow is keeping foot traffic off the patio for the first week. After seven to ten days, the patio can handle foot traffic from people and pets, and furniture can be added.
For continued care, be sure to:
- Clean up spills right away
- Gently shovel snow
- Avoid salt; use sand or ice melt instead
- Apply a sealant every two to five years
Resealing your patio will help keep the concrete from chipping or cracking, and it will also preserve the color. Besides resealing, the only other regular maintenance required for concrete patios is sweeping to keep the surface free from debris.
In addition, concrete upkeep is environmentally friendly. Wood decks require lumber from cutting down trees and forests, and they need regular maintenance with solvent-based wood stains and sealers.
Concrete eliminates the need to cut down natural resources like trees because it is made from limestone, which is the most abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made from recycled materials from manufacturing facilities, power plants, and steel mills.
Only the amount of concrete needed for each project is produced, avoiding waste. The simple maintenance requirements also save resources like water, electricity, and gases. When it’s time to replace concrete, the material gets crushed and recycled into aggregate to use as new concrete pavement.
An Oasis That Lasts
Did you know that, on average, concrete lasts for 50 years before needing replacement? That is a long time to enjoy your backyard oasis! For comparison, wood decks typically last from 10 to 30 years.
Concrete boasts impressive longevity, so you and your family can rely on a concrete patio to last you through all four seasons for many years to come. On top of all the other fantastic benefits concrete patios have to offer, durability alone makes concrete patios a worthy investment.
Turn Your House Into a Home With a Concrete Patio
Installing a concrete patio is the best way to turn your backyard into a personal oasis. There is no better way to watch the kids grow up, gather with friends and family, or relax outdoors with a good book. You might be surprised at how much value and appeal a concrete patio adds to your home. With impressive longevity, low maintenance, environmentally friendly practices, and affordable installations, concrete patios are hard to resist.
Are you ready to take your backyard to the next level and install a concrete patio? No matter the dimensions or shape you have in mind, Richfield Concrete can help. With over 60 years of experience, you can trust us to install a beautiful concrete patio. Request a free quote today, and get started with your project right away!