Hardscaping is one way of making your home look elegant. It uses all non-living materials or elements. The main benefit of hardscaping is that it does not require maintenance. Where as, different shrubs and plants included in landscaping need regular maintenance. Retaining walls, patios, driveways, porches and so on are some of the hardscaping design ideas. Different materials are used for these elements. They include concrete, stone, brick, pavers and wood.
- Concrete is the most commonly used material as it is much durable and also relatively less expensive. It can be used to take on any shape. It can be textured and stained in such a way that it matches your requirements. It can be used for walkways, patio floor and retaining walls.
- Different kinds of stones such as sandstone, flagstone, slate and limestone can be used for hardscaping. Flagstone is the most popular stone used for patio flooring.
- Bricks are used to give the classic look to your hardscape. They are more expensive than concrete.
- Wood is the other hardscape material that turns your yard to a wooded landscape. It is used to make fences and decks. Certain wood chips can be used to make a walkway.
Apart from these materials, pavers are also used for hardscaping. However, these are not materials like the above ones. Pavers are the brick-sized units used for patio flooring and walls. Classic brick pavers are red in color. They are made of clay and assembled together with mortar. Concrete pavers are the other ones which can be formed into any shape. Based on the design and your preference for hardscaping, you need to select the type of material.
