Landscaping is currently the latest trend in exterior home design. And paving is one of the most important parts of landscaping. Garden or yard pavements are a landscape investment. Beautifully paved driveways and patios can add elegance and create interest in your backyard or garden. Using the right paving material can make or break the look of your exteriors. Just like garden plants and water features, paving materials can also add color, texture, and pattern to your landscape. They are also the most used and permanent part of your garden. Hence, choosing the right paving material is often quite a challenge for most homeowners.

The choice of paving materials often depends on the reason for paving, the look, color, and texture you want, the durability of the material, etc. The availability of the material and local landscaping trends can also affect your decision. However, there are many different outdoor paving materials available today. Here are some of the most popular paving materials you can choose for your yard or patio.

Bricks

Bricks
Brick is one of the most popular paving materials because of its many benefits and characteristics. It is naturally slip-resistant, durable, eco-friendly, and more affordable than most other paving materials. It also has a great texture and color. Bricks come in many shapes and sizes and can be used to make different fun patterns like herringbone, etc. They also harmonize well with the garden plants and other paving materials. Moreover, they are quite easy to maintain and readily available. With their warm hues and inviting texture, bricks lend a rustic look and natural appeal to any garden landscape.

Concrete Pavers

Concrete pavers are one of the most used paving materials. They can be used as Pre-cast Concrete Pavers, Council Paving Slabs, or Poured Concrete. Concrete is the most customizable paving material with different textures, colors, and patterns available.Check out Paver Installer Las Vegas for more unique style and colors.

Poured concrete can be sculpted, or inlaid with other materials to create custom designs and patterns. Exposed aggregate concrete can even replicate the look of gravel paving. As pavers, concrete slabs or tiles are quite effective and budget-friendly.

They come in many shapes and sizes which you can also use to make different fun patterns. Plus, they are easy to install and maintain.

Natural Stone

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Natural stone pavers are the most luxurious and sought-after paving materials in residential and outdoor landscaping. There are many different types of stones available for paving. Some of the most popular stones in paving materials are travertine, sandstone, limestone, basalt, granite, slate, gravel, sett, bluestone, etc. These stones come in different colors and textures and give your garden a natural look. Plus, they are very durable and versatile. You can use them for the patio or the pool and they would look equally good in both designs. You can even add a rock garden or dry stream to your garden for that Zen look. However, this versatility of stones comes at a steep price. Mostly these stones are quite expensive to purchase and install. However, prices are often affordable for local stones. The choice for stone should depend on its availability, durability, and the function for which you need it.

Try Mixing Materials

Once you know which materials are the most suitable according to your budget and taste, the choice becomes much easier. However, it’s not necessary to go with a single material for paving. You can mix different materials to make creative patterns and bring visual interest to your boring yard or patio. There’s no need to be extremely innovative to create exciting designs. You can simply add a brick or granite border to a concrete driveway to create interest. Similarly, you can add insets of different materials or create a mosaic of colorful stones in the middle of a patio.
Try Mixing Materials
While mixing paving materials is great way to create visual interest, it can also have practical uses. You can use different paving materials to differentiate sections of the garden. For example, using one paving material for patios and another for driveways can easily distinguish seating places. Similarly, using contrasting colored pavers for borders or at elevation points can help visitors to easily navigate the garden.

Moreover, adding plants at intervals or on borders can work wonders to soften a paved patio or create a seamless natural look for the garden.