On the rainy side of the mountains, where sun breaks are more common than sunny days, we don’t take fair weather for granted.
When it is warm and sunny, we want to spend every waking second outside.
That’s why we need outdoor living spaces that are inviting, welcoming and functional.
Decks are popular, but professionally poured patios can cost half as much, sometimes even less.
And innovations in concrete technologies have come a long way, allowing homeowners to choose from a variety of styles and colors.
Here’s a look at some of the patio options available in Snohomish County.
Clean and seal
If you already have a patio or you’re looking for a quick face lift before putting your home on the market, cleaning and sealing can do wonders, said Jim Davison, owner of Davison Custom Concrete of Mill Creek.
“It brightens it up,” he said. “It makes it look new.”
Removing discoloration caused by moss, mold and dirt with power washing, followed by an acrylic seal, can make your patio easier to keep clean, too, Davison said.
Sealing your patio every two or three years can prolong the life of your concrete, said Scot Board, owner of NW Coatings & Concrete of Snohomish.
It costs about $1 per square foot.
Stained
You also can update your existing patio with various stains, which chemically react with the cement to create mottled, layered or patina-like looks with swirls of various colors.
“You can get a lot of depth,” Davison said. “You can get movement.”
Though the technique is commonly used on basement floors or in commercial settings — stained and polished Starbucks floors are a good example, Davison said — it can also be a good update for a tired-looking patio.
It costs about $3.50 per square foot to clean, stain and seal an existing patio.
Basic poured
If you have a fairly level site and no existing patio to remove, you can get a new basic patio starting at $3 or $4 per square foot. Adding colors and decorative borders costs extra.
If you have an old patio that needs to be removed, you’ll have to pay demolition and disposal costs, which start at about $2 per square foot.
Square footage prices vary by your contractor’s building technique and by how much site preparation is required. Site preparation can include removing top soil, roots and anything else that might rot and make the ground shift.
If the cement truck can’t get to your back yard, there can be extra charges to pump or haul the wet material.
On some sites, where drainage is a problem or irrigation is desired, you might want to bring in a landscape architect to help with your overall design.
Exposed aggregate
Exposed aggregate patios have a decorative pebble finish that is nonskid and can be used for any type of surface except steep driveways or sidewalks.
Board said exposed aggregate prices start at $4.50 per square foot, which does not include sealing. Davison, who includes sealing in the price, charges $6.25 to $7.25, depending on the finish.
Stamped
Stamped concrete, which is increasingly popular, imitates the look of pavers, bricks or even natural stone such as slate, flagstone or cobblestone.
It’s the most expensive poured option, starting about $9 a square foot. Prices can go up to more than $14 a square foot if you add numerous colors and decorative borders, Board said.
“It’s pretty popular,” he said. “We do it in the high-end homes. It’s a really neat look.”
Overlays
While it’s possible to add stamped concrete designs to an existing patio in need of a makeover, most of Board’s clients who are interested in resurfacing choose to go with the less expensive option of stenciled overlays, which cost about $7 per square foot.
Stencils and stains are used create the look of tiles, bricks or cobblestones, complete with grout lines in various colors.
Overlays are made of a thinner concrete material than stamped surfaces, typically less than ¼ inch thick. Sometimes they are reinforced with polymer resins and other additives to improve performance and appearance.
Overlays can be used to conceal patio cracks, but the existing surface must be in fairly good condition, Board said.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Resources
Concrete Network: Read about other modern concrete options and find a contractor in your area at www.concretenetwork.com.
NW Coatings & Concrete of Snohomish: Scot Board, www.nwcoatings.com, 425-737-3898.
Davison Custom Concrete of Mill Creek: Jim Davison, www.customconcrete.net, 425-487-1677.
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