When designing your home’s outdoor spaces, choosing the right materials is essential for creating your desired aesthetic as well as ensuring long-term durability and functionality. The materials that you eventually choose to use in your landscaping will affect its overall look, maintenance requirements and longevity. In this post, we take a closer look at two popular paver materials, concrete and sandstone, to help you make a decision on which is the better choice for your home’s outdoor spaces.

Factors to Consider

When choosing between concrete and sandstone pavers, here are some useful factors that you should consider:

Aesthetic Appeal

Concrete and sandstone are two materials with vastly different aesthetic appeals. While sandstone is known for its natural beauty and warmth, concrete generally exudes a more modern and clean look. Thus, sandstone pavers are generally more suitable if you are looking to create a rustic, earthy look. On the other hand, concrete might be the way to go for contemporary designs.

Durability and Strength

Compared to concrete, sandstone tends to be softer and more prone to damage. This is because it is porous in nature, making it more susceptible to wear and tear in the form of staining, weathering or even cracking when subject to significant force. On the other hand, concrete is widely known for its durability and its resistance to cracking and chipping. Thus, concrete is generally more suitable than sandstones for areas that tend to be subject to higher stresses such as driveways and frequently used walkways.

Cost

As a naturally occurring material, sandstone needs to be transported from their source and cut into pavers using specialised machinery. These additional steps that are involved in the manufacture of sandstone pavers lead to it generally having a higher cost as compared to concrete. While the cost difference per paver may be small, it can add up over larger projects, making concrete a more popular option among budget-conscious homeowners.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Because of its porous nature, sandstone tends to require more frequent cleaning and maintenance to keep it in good shape. It will also require regular sealing to protect it from stains and mould growth caused by moisture retention. In contrast, concrete is a generally low-maintenance material and only requires the occasional cleaning to get rid of debris. It can also usually be cleaned with a pressure washer or mild cleaning solution and does not require specialised cleaning solutions, unlike sandstone.

Get Your Pavers from Fulton Brickyard

Whether you eventually choose concrete, sandstone or another material for your pavers, getting them from a reputable supplier can help you ensure that you are getting the best quality pavers. Fulton Brickyard is the premier supplier and retailer of bricks and paving supplies in Melbourne, and our extensive catalogue includes Boral bricks, sandstone pavers and much more. Contact us today to find out more about the products that we offer or for a free estimate!

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