Base for pergola

[kissfan]

Hi all.

I'm thinking of adding a pergola to an I/P (not in immediate future) and was wondering whether to use pavers or stenciled concrete for the base. The stenciled concrete would work out cheaper (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) but I was worried about cracking in the future. Pavers, although more expensive are at least easier to replace if one gets broken etc.
Has anyone had experience with either?

Regards
Marty

 

[alwayscurious]

Concrete

Hi Marty, I've had experience with both, and they both have pro's / cons.

Concrete, if laid properly and stencilled looks Good. Even hairline cracks (common in fast dry concrete) don't matter too much if the stencil is a "confusing" pattern.

Alternatively you could tile it with outdoor tiles which would cover the cracks.

Possible solution: Use slower drying concrete.

Pavers look good too, but nearby plants can cause them to tip/ cause edges to raise.

Ants get in and remove all the sand, Grass can grow through the pavers, and they can be more prone to mould.

I'd go with the concrete myself.

 

[khangu]

I would go for stencilled concrete.

To avoid the slab cracking, compact the ground, and prepare the base properly.

You should get them to put in steel reinforcement, and well as have strip footing around the perimeter, and extra footing below the location where your posts will be placed.

It would be less maintainence than pavers. And over the long term, you can place pavers over the slab or tile it if you want a new look.

I find that it's harder to achieve a good result with pavers placed directly on compact ground with sand bedding than it is just to pour a slab.

 

[Sailesh Channan]

I would go for the concrete due to the reasons stated above.

However if you are worried about cracks I would let the concrete settle for a while.

All concrete develop minor cracks therefore you are better off getting stencil crete done after the initial settling period.

 

[plainsong]

We have brick pavers in the courtyard and they are a nightmare, the roots of plants lift them and we are forever pulling up bricks and levelling the wavy effect. when you hose them down the sand washes out and the weeds grow all the cracks.
I wish I had never seen the things!

 

[kissfan]

Thanks for that info guys.

Looks like the stenciled concrete gets the thumbs up.

Regards
Marty

 

[Olly]

One final thing; you could do the pergola in 2 stages, slab now - pergola later and bolt the posts on top of the concrete. If you go pavers you can't do that - you'd have to dig up some pavers and put the posts in the ground then re-lay the pavers around the posts.

Cheers
Olly

 

[duncan_m]

Kissfan,

There is 1, imho, BETTER alternative.. Stamped Concrete! Stencilled Concrete is more appropriate for tricking up old concrete.. if you're laying new concrete its much better to get it stamped.. the contractor wait until it starts to set, maybe an hour or 2 after its poured then they scatter a mix of coloured oxides then stamp it with special rubber mats that can make it look like cobble stone or slate..

I've got some at my house and it looks great, at a glance many people thinks its actually slate!

 

[kissfan]

Kissfan,

There is 1, imho, BETTER alternative.. Stamped Concrete! Stencilled Concrete is more appropriate for tricking up old concrete.. if you're laying new concrete its much better to get it stamped.. the contractor wait until it starts to set, maybe an hour or 2 after its poured then they scatter a mix of coloured oxides then stamp it with special rubber mats that can make it look like cobble stone or slate..

I've got some at my house and it looks great, at a glance many people thinks its actually slate!

Thanks Dunc,

will definately keep that one in mind.

And thanks again to all that replied.

Regards
Marty

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Just to clear things up, stencilled concrete is done when new concrete is placed, as is stamped. There is an alternative spray on stencil finish which can be applied to existing concrete. If you are laying new concrete then you may as well get it stencilled at the time.

Another option would be an on ground deck if it suits.


Regards

Adrian