One of the things I want to get done around the house before I move in is paving. It would help to cover up the sand and dirt before I start moving things into the house or I'm going to have to spend alot of time dusting and vacuuming.
Firstly, I ruled out brick pavers because I don't like the idea of all those individual bricks/pavers laid out in a criss cross pattern. You get ants building their nests inbetween them, weeds and grass are able to grow between them, and the pavers can move/sag over time.
Now, to figure out what I do want.
My first choice was exposed aggregate, which is basically concrete that is combined with an aggregate material, such as pea gravel, and the top layer of concrete is washed away to expose the aggregate. I've seen some examples of exposed aggregate concrete and I love the look of it. But alas, the pricing I got starts at about $80 per square metre and is therefore out of my budget for the area I want to cover.
Next choice was liquid limestone, which is similar to concrete except that it is made from crushed limestone. The price was about $55-$60 per square metre but the tradesmen who came out to do quotes for me suggested that I opt for concrete instead.
Why?
The general consensus between them and from my own research was:
1. A limestone surface will not heat up as much as a concrete surface.
This is why limestone is so popular for use around a pool or where people will be walking around barefoot. I have to admit, I usually walk around the backyard barefoot because I'm either too lazy to find my shoes or I like the feel of the warm bricks beneath my feet.
2. Limestone is very porous so you need to apply a layer of sealer after installation and every one or two years from thereon. This will protect it from spills and stains.
You can do this yourself by purchasing the sealer from a hardware store and rolling it on like you would with paint. You can seal concrete too if you want. This will give it a deeper/darker colour than if it were unsealed. I've also read that it would be easier to clean (ie oil stains).
3. Limestone is a natural colour whereas with concrete I can choose from a large range of colours that they mix into the concrete.
Being a natural product, the colour of the limestone will vary and I didn't want my paving to look too light or on the grey side. With concrete I can choose a colour that will suit the house. I think you can add colour to liquid limestone too but then you may as well get concrete.
4. Concrete is cheaper than limestone.
There isn't much difference between the price of concrete and liquid limestone, but when you factor in having to seal the liquid limestone and the area that you want to cover, it can lead to a large difference in your final calculation.
So, after weighing these factors, I decided to go with concrete.
I have narrowed down my choice of colours to the three below. It's hard to say what it will look like in real life.
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