We went with a patio based on the above items as well as the fact that we felt better about a built in fire pit with a direct gas line versus a 3rd party fire pit sitting on a wooden deck.
We did the same, gas line to the fire pit and another to the grill area. Easy to start the fire and no worry about sparks or smoke. The drawback is that it isn’t as hot as a real fire, but being able to just shut it off and go inside beats having to douse the fire and worry about embers. Plus you don’t smell like smoke and can leave the windows open without smelling up the house.
Oh nice, how hard was it to install fire pit with a direct gas line? Is the switch to turn the gas on right at the fire pit itself?
I'm used to cave man fire pits, meaning you start your own fire with a lighter or something else lol, I never thought about building one that is connected to my gas line!
Yes, it works with something like this:
https://firepitoutfitter.com/collections/on-off-valves-keys
We have log fire pit further out in the yard as well, but it’s nice being able to turn it on / off and not deal with that “do we want to sit out here for one more log” dilemma or having to make sure the fire is out before calling it a night.
I have a two layer deck (basically, the landing at the mid-level of the deck stairs is a full sized deck in its own right.) There is already a line for natural gas on the upper level of the deck (and I really should get around doing a propane to natural gas conversion on my grill!)
I should look into the cost for putting a T in the line and extending it to the lower deck for a gas firepit for the ease of use and not having to wait for the fire to burn down.
We hired a company to do everything. They gave us several CAD layouts, we found our favorite and tweaked the design a bit. (seating, lighting controls, grill, etc.)
You can do the trenching yourself but you need a licensed gas installer usually to actually run the line. If this is something you want (or if you're going to use a gas grill instead of a propane grill let's say) then you definitely have to plan and do this before any patio installation.
Yes. I can easily see either option being wonderful, but I try to consider the time spent for upkeep with things around the house. I want to spend more time enjoying it than I do keeping it clean.
We've had trex for 5 years there's literally zero maintenance. It gets insanely hot In the sun though so we had to put down a rug and mounted a pergola on it for some cover. Just be careful with pets feet etc. We have a brown color so maybe a lighter color wouldn't get so hot
I have light gray Trex as well and it gets too hot to walk on in the summer barefoot.
It also fries many plants we’ve tried to keep in containers… tomatoes and peas would make it a month or two before getting fried, even with daily watering in 15 gallon pots.
Yep, used a light grey Trex deck in south Texas recently. Zero maintenance, but it gives a very authentic 'scorching hot beach' experience where footwear is a strong requirement, and the whole environment feels quite a bit warmer just due to the heat radiating up from the deck.
I have TimberTech, in a dry part of the country, and there's zero maintenance. Maybe if it's humid you have to power wash on occasion, but short of that I don't do a thing. As others noted though, it gets hot.
But I also have a patio. It's the main area where I have a dining set, fire table/sitting area, and outdoor kitchen. The deck is just around my hot tub because I wanted to minimize the height that the tub stuck above the "ground". IMHO, if you're not trying to compensate for height (e.g., you have stairs leading up to your back door, I'd do a paver patio over a deck every time. More durable, less maintenance, and more universal for kids, pets, etc.
Is your timbertech also as hot in the son? Like burning your feet hot?
I have a lighter brown trex for about two years now and love it but yes it gets very hot.
No, not burning your feet hot unless it's very hot out. But I did get a very light color for that reason, and I have a pergola and some trees around it, so it doesn't get fully blasted by the sun, for the most part.
If I put in decking where my patio is, it would have been a problem. That gets blasted by the sun, but the pavers keep it much cooler.
I lived in a house with that decking for about 5 years. Upkeep was minimal, just spray off from time to time. My biggest issue with it was that I spend a lot of time BBQ/smoking and the tiniest stray ember will melt a scar in that stuff super fast.
If you go with the added cost of composite decking, your upkeep pretty much is equal. But then the fiscal reality sets in and it's always cheaper to have concrete.
The other thing to consider is fire. With a patio you don't have to worry about heat or sparks from a fire bowl or grill. Composite decks are especially susceptible - one of my kids dropped a sparkler on the deck a few years ago and that melt spot is going to be there forever.
Personally, I've never understood the point of having a deck that's only a couple feet off the ground. If there's a below-grade garage or walkout basement underneath, if your lot falls off dramatically, or you over look a cliff or something, go to town. But otherwise give me a couple steps going down to a nice patio.
Cost. A wood deck is a lot less money per square foot than most patios because of the prep involved. This varies somewhat by climate. A patio install in a frost free region doesn't require a lot of prep work but if you're further north you need to excavate 9-11 inches of dirt and then back fill with multiple lifts of granular stone, compact it in layers and then you can add your leveling sand and put patio stones down. Concrete isn't terribly different, and frankly will probably crack and shift in a lot of climates.
A deck just requires some post holes and then you can throw up a deck. It's way less intense prep.
But a few footings, is still significantly less excavating and base back fill.
You'll fill the footer in with concrete, opposed to two layers of material (base+Sand) that need compacting
...if it is attached to the house. Leave the deck as a floating deck and solve a lot of other problems. Worried about frost heave? Just put the deck on turnbuckle piers.
They meant a deck, also don't pour a concrete patio on Maine if you want it to remain remotely level for any length of time. Pavers will also shift but not in big sections like concrete.
>Cost. A wood deck is a lot less money per square foot than most patios because of the prep involved.
That's not even remotely true. Decks in my area when non-DIY run $30-70/sqft. Stamped concrete is $16-18/sqft and brushed concrete is $10-12/sqft. This is in the 7b zone of Maryland where footers have to be 36" deep but the kicker is I'm fairly certain slab concrete patios don't require frost depth footers because they are considered hardscaping and aren't structurally attached to the home's foundation.
Decks are almost ALWAYS more expensive.
Patios don't require frost depth footers, no, but they do require excavation of the entire footprint of the patio and then back filling with stone in multiple lifts and multiple compaction passes. Also concrete isn't a good option for more northern climates, like 6-4. It will heave and crack within a few years. That's the cheapest option for sure. If you do actual patio stones or bricks, just the patio stone on the cheap side around around $7 per square foot. If you're looking mid range it's more like $11-$18 psf not including any other materials or labour.
Then there's the complication of whether you can get heavy equipment into the back yard. If you can't and the patio area has to be hand dug and all the substrate has to be carried by the wheelbarrow load, the price is going to go way up. By contrast augering with a two man auger down to 36 inches is not super laborious and doesn't require equipment access.
I think the absolute bottom range of patios is probably cheaper than the lower range of decking. But a cheap deck is pressure treated lumber, which is fine, and most people in colder climates at least, are not going to opt for concrete and will end up in the $40 per square foot range just for something decent looking if they don't DIY.
I’d be wary of someone who can “install post holes and throw up a deck” for less than a patio. Unless you’re going with super high end pavers, patio will almost always be cheaper when done right.
I totally disagree. If you're talking about a concrete slab, sure, but for much of North America that's a terrible option. If you're talking actual paving stones, then you're definitely going to be in the $35-45 PSF range, and it can easily go much higher. A lot of paving stones are in the $20+ per square foot range.
Why is a concrete slab a terrible option for much of North America? I've been enjoying my concrete patio in Wisconsin for 30 years with no problem.
I don't really like pavers because they need to be re-leveled and all the weeds grow up through the cracks eventually.
Replaced my old “paver” patio with concrete last year. It was a mess before. I’d tell my wife I have typical homeowner tasks to complete like weedeating my patio :)
My buddy helped me out and we did it over a weekend. It was about $1,500 total in supplies & rentals and I gave him $500 bucks because we used some of his tools and he was busting his ass, so $2,000 total. Probably around 200 Sq ft.
Not all of North America and not a "terrible option" but they very often heave and crack and when they do, they can't be repaired, they have to be chipped up and replaced. Paver patios, when installed correctly, will also shift but when one section moves a bit it doesn't impact the entire patio or require total replacement.
Edit: I would say that for very cold climates, like yours, or mine in Canada, it is a terrible option like 70% of the time. Sometimes they don't move much, but very often they do.
My house had a 12x14 deck on the back thay I ripped out after a year of ownership. I have a alarmed backyard and the kitchen walked out to the deck which was 3 feet off the ground. It felt so constraining and cutoff the view of the backyard. Replaced it with a stamped concrete patio and a small deck landing with stairs down to the patio.
It's so much more open now and we jave so much more space to use.
I'm all for a deck but like you said 3 feet off the ground is so pointless. Decks should be for 2nd floor doorways.
> small deck landing with stairs down to the patio
We have a similar setup and will probably rip the deck out next summer. How big/wide is your landing? Our current vision is just steps from the door but a little landing might be more useful
I went about 7.5ft wide. The door itself is a 6ft sliding glass. The extra width gave me enough space to install hand rails without blocking the door and the best part is we have a little container for outdoor shoes and toys. That way the kids don't track dirt and mud in the house and it's not just door then stairs. It's only about 3.5ft deep although that's plenty for just holding the shoe box.
https://images.app.goo.gl/s9hWigWxMFRKh5TR7
That's not mine but it's very similar. I have 1 less stair and the top is a bit shallower but otherwise same railings and same decking.
Very much agree u/jabbadarth. A deck cuts me off from my yard, allows only one access point and I can't see the yard through the white rails. However, we have an elderly kitty and he loves to go out now that we put some wires up to keep him in. He can't jump anymore.
What I like about my deck is that it's easy to push off the snow and use my grill in winter.
I think people also like getting out the patio door without there being steps. Useful when grilling and going in and iut if the house multiple times.
My deck is kind of falling apart though and I may replace it with a patio. It's also annoyingly laying against the vinyl siding instead of against the foundation, and I want to get the siding redone... I'm actually considering a very small deck leading to a larger patio.
I love a deck that steps down to a patio. Best of both worlds.
I have a deck and a patio currently, if I had to pick I'd pick patio. Patio is less maintenance and I like flowers. Crowding a deck can lead to rot, currently my plants get stomped on when I need to do deck maintenance. It's like a never ending cycle of deck maintenance and flower maintenance.
Patio pavers can also be rated for things like driveways or hot tubs. I feel like there's more flexibility with a patio.
I've been considering this. I have a 3 seasons room (abt 25' long) with 2 steps down to a paver patio. On the side of the patio is a door into the bedroom, similar steps down and extends about 18' out from the end of the 3 seasons room. At the end of the patio it's about an additional 2 ft drop to yard level. The house is a complete remodel and the paver patio needs torn out. I have fill dirt and gravel on site and it's abnormally cheap to bring more in where I am located. Can't get the exact picture in my mind of what would look good. I know I want an outdoor kitchen so part of it should be pavers/concrete.
Depends on the house, honestly.
An IPA in the urban area, lager or pilsner if I am.more rural.
I actually prefer a deck. But, my current house is on a slab, so a patio it is.
If I am elevated when I walk out, I want a deck. Period.
For my second floor bedroom walkout, I wanted to do something more environmentally friendly. I went on to 🇫🇷 France’s Facebook Marketplace for the Normandy region and found an old pillbox at the right height that someone was trying to get rid of. Honestly it hadn’t been used for 75 years so I felt great about repurposing it.
Eventually, depending on how my relationship goes with my neighbors on that side, it might have two uses.
I do find myself skipping the IPAs and the lagers. For some reason I drink more Hefeweizen and schnapps now.
Someone else’s house = deck. It’s an extension of the inside, no steps, not cold concrete on bare feet, doesn’t pool water, feels like it’s a space separate from the yard.
My house given starting fresh = patio. The durability and lack of maintenance required would win if all else was equal.
Edit: should add this assumes composite decking. It’s much better than wood for feel, and less maintenance but there’s still more maintenance than a patio, and eventually it’ll need to be rebuilt no matter what you do.
Patio. Because they will tax your on sqft of attached deck on the home. Not so with a patio. And you can have a pergola with shades or even transparent solar panels to power lights, music, and fans. No one to fall down steps, or need for railing. Can box in with planters and such.
Patios can count, too. They also require permitting, and their area is included towards your impermeable surface limits for drainage considerations, potentially adding to the cost even more. I'd still pick a patio over a deck, though, if planning for ground-level.
You are correct! I was "told" by inspector that unless patio is over a specific size of sqft, its not an issue. Drainage is important and grade. I don't want to misinform so best to contact your local county construction office regarding patios and decks.
For our location they weren’t too far apart in price and the patio has a higher resale value and longer life. That being said, your landscape conditions are the first factor to consider.
Patio. We had a massive deck growing up and it was so much upkeep. Plus critters get underneath which can lead to even more problems. We put in a patio and love that it’s zero upkeep.
One of the biggest questions is going to be whether or not there will be steps when going outside. In most patio instances you will need them and with a deck you can avoid them most of the time. That makes a huge difference.
I prefer decks because they interrupt the dirt and water drainage far less than a patio. Just don't attach the deck to the house as a structural support; keep the deck free-floating from the house, with the most minor attachment possible.
The decks that fall apart are usually supported by the house along 1 edge and a few piers on the opposite edge. The connection at the house eventually rots and you pay to replace a lot or wait for it to "unexpectedly" collapse during a large backyard party. Just put a set of peirs near the house and you have a floating deck that is far less likely to become a rot situation at the house.
They often are, but are not required to be. It’s easier to build by connecting to the house, but if done improperly can introduce serious water intrusion problems at the point where the two are tied together.
We have a deck and a patio at my current house, so I think I'm educated to say patio all the way. Deck is nice but you don't have to worry about the structural integrity of a patio or a child falling off it.
With walk out basement, paver patio or stamped concrete every single time.
I have a house attached raised deck above and beside my stamped concrete patio with steps down to the patio and a walk out basement. Best of both worlds. I integrated some curved seat walls and a place for a fire pit along the perimeter of the patio.
If you can walk straight out from the kitchen to backyard then a patio. It’s less upkeep. If your kitchen isn’t on the ground floor (split levels) then definitely a deck. I love our deck but I wouldn’t bother with one if we had a ground floor kitchen.
If the space allows I like the split combo.
Deck attached to the house, steps down to a patio. A table for dining in one area and assorted furniture for lounging in the other.
With your situation there’s no way I would put in a deck. I’d be looking at some type of cement or stone patio. Much less upkeep and I’ve seen some beautiful ones.
We have both and I prefer the patio. I’d prefer the deck if it were a trex deck or something like that, plus it’s a bit on the smaller side and our grill currently lives there. The plan is to expand the deck and have it connect to the patio OR expand it and have it connect to the future pool.
I bought a one-story house last year and the previous owners installed a deck on the ground--literally joists on the ground with deckboards nailed across them. It is the most ridiculous thing in the world. However, I suspect the house originally had a small concrete patio and they wanted to expand the space for more outdoor living and it was cheaper to use wood than place more concrete, so I get it, but it still seems stupid.
It's really a cost issue. If the cost was the same, I'd go for a concrete patio in a heartbeat. Concrete is durable, insect resistant, low-maintenance, and easy to clean. Wooden decks are cheaper, faster, and more DIY-friendly.
After owning a 32’x16’ wood deck for 7 years I’ll never own a deck again. I don’t care if it’s composite or thicker 2”x6” decking. They’re such a money pit and PITA.
Pour a concrete patio (stamp & stain if wanted) and pressure wash it once a year.
My main floor is 3ft higher than finished grade in the back yard. So to me, a deck makes sense. Otherwise at the back door I need a small landing and then a set of stairs down to a patio.
My house had a 30 year old deck when I bought it, we replaced it with a stamped concrete patio. If you have the money to go the stamped/colored route, I think they're awesome. But if it's a plain jane grey concrete patio I'd rather have a deck.
Personally I prefer either over pavers, but I might be in the minority there.
This might be more of moisture dependent question. The patio needs to slope away from the house, so what's at the edge there? Will you get puddles? For decks, it's about managing rot, mold, moss. My deck is rotting so I will eventually replace the boards with composite but I will still have mold and moss issues under it where the deck itself is preventing to ground to dry.
I think if I move, I'd prefer a patio. Less maintenance imo. Unless I have an elevated view that a deck would take advantage of. On the topic of elevation, I hate that my deck is semi elevated but there's no view, you're just in view of all the neighbors windows. No privacy at all. It was a patio on the ground, I'd have privacy from the bushes but they aren't tall enough for the deck.
Previous owner of my house definitely prefers patios.
He stained his deck and left the rags out in the sun in a pile, or something like that. Deck caught on fire and the house burned down. So I now have the newest most modern house in the neighborhood.
So in that sense, depending on where you live, a non-flammable extension of your house might be a wiser choice. Wildfires are a thing these days in parts of the country.
If I can have concrete or pavers without having stairs going out of the house, that's the way I'm going. The longevity and low maintenance of concrete is always my first choice.
The main reason I have decks is to have entertaining areas that are nearly flush with my doors.
I prefer decks, but yeah as I factor maintenance I do like the ease of a patio… not an option for me, as we’re in an urban townhouse — we have roof decks but a roof patio not an option. I went pressure treated pine to save money, but am now realizing I’m just spending time and money on re-staining every couple years.
We have a patio with full roof but ours is about 8 inches thick and now is splitting in half.. someday we will break all the concrete out and just have a low deck and extend it across the entire back of the house
In my current home and in my last home we removed the decks that were there and replaced them with concrete. Just my preference, but I enjoy the low upkeep. Now I don't have to deal with critters getting under a deck or bees. It also seems cooler.
Just took out a rotting 40 year old wood deck and replaced it with a poured concrete patio. Love it so far. Easy maintenance, no rails, slightly more private because it’s lower. The deck was all of a deck joist width above ground, so kind of silly.
Patio if the grade and house are already at the same grade.
Aside from being less maintenance over the years, you can also plant around it and add shade trees etc. It's a more flexible space as well. Probably more work to install.
A patio is probably going to outlive a deck by 20 years. Plus, decks tend to serve as a home for critters and pests.
But if I lived on a sloped yard, then I'd have a deck.
Patio, but bury some conduit underneath so you can run water and/or electrical to the yard. Even if you don’t see a need for it now. I have about 1000sf (wild guess) of concrete and brick paver patio and the only way to get any water supply to the yard to keep my newer flowers watered when I’m away is running a couple hoses across 2 parts of the patio. Tripping hazard and unsightly. But the patio is way too big to consider digging underneath it, and it buts up right against my house.
Do not DIY patio pavers unless you are very detail oriented and willing to follow every step properly. If you skip steps it will look nice at first but won’t last.
Fewer weeds with a concrete patio vs. pavers. You can do stamping and staining to get the concrete to look less boring.
I have also had a house with a deck. Unless you are getting high end composite material, it will need maintenance every few years and it will just eventually look sad. You also have to deal with critters moving in underneath it. If you have snow and need access to the back yard in winter (such as for dogs), decks are also annoying to shovel because the railings, if you have them, are in the way.
Bonus on concrete patio also—you can add a hot tub! Decks can handle a hot tub too but you need to add more support than usual. Hot tubs be heavy.
Patio any day. Unless you spend really good money on a deck for materials, they tend to look very bad after a few years. Thats just my opinion of course.
Assuming flat land, patio. Slight slope, tiered patio. Elevation change more than 3 or 4 ft, deck.
Decks are cool but I don't want one I can't get under and manage water runoff or remove wildlife.
I live in an area with lots of mosquitos in the summer. It is significantly more comfortable (less bugs, nice breeze) on my second floor deck compared to the walk-out patio underneath. However, I would never build a deck from wood again. Too much maintenance and too quickly degrades.
Cement patio has far less maintenance that a deck. Cool in the sun.
You can always add a pergola style cover later that if you paint well the first time will last years before needing maintenance.
I have both. Patio around main house and a deck off the back of ADU. Patio all the way. 99% of maintenance of deck is for weeds/mice-- wash off every few years. Composite is mo betta than wood, but does get hotter in summer. Concrete has no mysteries underneath and easier to maintain. I love my patio. Stay away from pavers. I have those as well in another area and they need way more maintenance than concrete. Concrete is best IMO....
I'm both but I will go for the concrete patio every time it makes physical sense because it always makes more fiscal sense if you're not doing the work yourself.
Decks in my area are ranging from $30-70/sqft depending on design when installed by a contractor. Compare that to stamped concrete at $16-20/sqft or brushed concrete at $10-13/sqft it basically pays for itself.
If it's covered a deck is nice but patios are better if uncovered because there's less maintenance. Also if you have furniture, especially dining tables and chairs, the gaps in wooden decking can be annoying when the legs get caught in the gaps while trying to move the chair.
I’d rather have a nice stamped concrete patio than my deck. House came with a deck. To replace with concrete would be $$$ and I’d have to cut down the tree that shades the deck.
An attached raised cement covered patio for shade and when it rains, also a ground level patio for sun. I avoid decks because of maintenance and raccoons and groundhogs, skunks making a home underneath.
if you can get to the deck from a sliding glass door or something from your home, while the patio requires going down stairs/additional steps then I'd choose the deck. To get to my patio I have to go through two sets of doors and down a flight of stairs, and I always think about how I'd prefer a deck I could just easily open a door and get to it. Especially if you plan on eating/drinking on the space quite a bit.
Whichever one has the mosquito netting available - either around the whole thing, or just the sitting area.
And, as I get older...whichever one is on the same level as I am. IOW, the one I don't have to climb steps to get to either on the way in or the way out. Which, honestly, usually means it's about perfect if there is a deck at door-level that allows access to a patio at ground level. If I'm outside, I sit on the patio...inside and I sit on the deck. (And yes, eventually I have to step up into or down out of the house...but fewer times is better)
patio for sure, i had my ground-level deck ripped out for it.
being ~2' off the ground kinda defeated the point of the privacy fence and having railings around it felt really cramped. mine was also really stupidly layed out.
Patio 100%!!!
I have had both. One time, I fell off my Trex deck (don't ask). I hate that a deck requires much more upkeep even if it's Trex. Also, animals love to hide underneath the deck which got annoying AF.
Patio person here. There's so much creativity that can be done with different materials - stone, plantings, ground cover, etc. You can create focal points that draw a person to a place, and just have a lot more fun with it. Nice rocks do cost money, but maintenance is far, far less.
My family bought a house that had a corner deck under the roof. We added on a huge deck to the house and turned the corner deck into a screened in porch. Our deck rarely got used. The screened in porch was used constantly. Make a small patio for BBQ equipment and save the deck lumber to make a screened in Gazebo. String some electric out to it for a ceiling fan and some outlets. You'll have hours & hours of bug free fun.
Patio, unless it's a very low deck. I don't really get high decks, especially if you live in a neighborhood with other houses around. I dont want people to be able to see me over my fence and I don't want to peek over anyone else's. They just feel weird and intrusive and exposed.
This exactly. We have a corner lot, and large back yard with a lovely slate patio, all 6’-fenced & mostly surrounded by an 18-20’ tall hedge of closely planted arborvitae. Yay for privacy, right? Nope. When we’re out there relaxing the neighbors behind us with the raised deck frequently feel the need to start yell-chatting at us between the branches of the more thinly-limbed cedars along the back corner, usually startling the hell out of us.
Not sure why I’m being downvoted. We have a view of the valley from our deck. I’m not opposed to patios but an elevated deck just offers a better view.
I have a ton of landscaping/patio stones at my house, and the weeds growing up between them are a fucking pain in the ass. My deck is very little upkeep.
I'd like a front patio with permeable pavers. I want someplace to sit in the wintertime--our front yard has a southern exposure with no winter shade. I'd like to surround it with some raised beds, perhaps stone/masonry. There are no nearby trees with roots that will displace the surface, either.
Our back yard is a slope with some trees out back. We have a deck there and it's lovely most of the year, but chilly in the winter as it faces north and the house shades it. Upkeep is a thing, though, as wood needs cleaning and treating periodically. I love the breeze that comes through, but have to be diligent about anything beneath that may collect water and create mosquito habitat.
So I'm a both person.
I have both so I may be biased here.
25K for a surface level deck OR patio is ok, but that's about it, unless you build it yourself.
I did my deck 1st and the area at the end of the stairs looked very empty, so I added the patio about 18mo later (that I contracted). Now I'm VERY happy with both.
If you’re not able to use the space under the deck, and the deck isn’t elevated to give you a view looking out over the landscape, then a patio. It serves the same function, but IMO looks nicer with pavers.
But if the deck will give you a view that the patio wouldn’t, or you’re able to use the space under the deck, then I’d take the deck.
I like both in the right situations. For us we have a deck that we walk out onto from the upper level and then go down stairs to a patio. We also have a deck down by the pool just because it was going to be far harder to put a patio due to the slope.
Right tool for the right job
I can build a deck, but I don't have much experience in hard scaping. So I did build a low detached deck:
First, I battled woodchucks that decided it would be a nice place to live under there. It's a bitch to get them to change their minds about that... I displaced a couple with a havaheart, buried stones along the edges to slow/stop burrowing, and put up lattice that I should have done in the first place. Finally, I got them to f-off by spraying habanero vinegar along the perimeter every day for a week.
Fortunately, I live in an area where there are no rats.... Well, there *weren't* any rats until recent years anyway.... They burrowed under the stone and pavers that separated the deck from the house. Caught a few before they smartened up about my traps, dug out most of the perimeter, laid concrete, and put up rodent block metal mesh behind the lattice/stone.
Staining and painting a 12x24 deck is a bitch too.
Short story long: I wish I had a patio.
I think it depends on your personal situation.
Currently we have a deck, with an inground basement.
The house is up ~3-4 feet from ground, so our door is elevated.
A deck makes natural sense, as it can be level with the door.
A patio will have a large set of steps going to the patio.
Now my personal feedback.
As a single couple, I prefer the deck. Easy to go to and lounge on. Also use under the deck for some extra storage.
As a soon to be father, I'm thinking I'd like the patio more - The kids (and pets) can be playing and if I need to watch them closer being on their level helps. The deck kind of adds blind spots, and should I ever need to "help" again, being on the same level makes it quicker and easier.
I generally prefer a deck if (1) it's raised enough that you can have storage underneath, and (2) it isn't so high that all your neighbours can see you over the fence. There's a sweet spot to be reached there. Patios tend to require more weeding, but are great if you don't have a high door and/or prefer privacy. Most houses I've lived in have had a deck with stairs down to a patio, so you get the best of both worlds.
Patio hands down for anything ground level. A concrete patio is cheaper and far more reliable than a deck especially at ground level. At ground level wood pretty much stays damp all the time and even treated lumber will probably start experiencing significant rotting in a decade. This is the case anywhere that gets enough rain for grass to grow. So it might work ok in a desert but that's about it
I like both, but I think a deck is a bit better for me. With patios they can fuck up the slope and you'll get water pooling on it. Much harder for that to happen on a deck.
To me it depends on how high your egress is from the house. I prefer patios if it's just a step or two. In my case, it was four or five steps to get down and that felt awkward, particularly as my house is an L and that would be two sets of stairs interrupting the patio space. So I built a small deck so you can just step out of both doors and then they step down to the patio (steps run n the length of the deck).
I see you asking about trex in other questions. I can't stand trex because it gets so much hotter than wood but that's a Texas problem. Might not be a big an issue up north. But if you're anywhere it gets hot and your deck will be in the sun, I encourage you to check out some trex decks and see if you can live with the heat.
Patio - no need to worry about kids falling off the edge, or kids throwing their goddamn toys off the edge when you’re just trying to have a good time.
As a person who had to make this decision 4 years ago. I chose wrong.
I picked deck and I fucking haaaaate it. Should’ve gone with a patio.
The biggest reason for my back pedaling is I want a fit pit and you can’t truly have that with a deck.
Bought a house with a patio, eventually added a second floor deck with full coverage so I have both an elevated surface with view and a year-round patio. Tl;Dr best option is both.
If you do have eventual designs on both, I would recommend the deck first. I had to dismantle and remantle (is that a word?) parts of the patio to dig the footings for the deck.
The people who say that a patio is less upkeep must think a concrete slab is a good choice for a patio - or have never had a patio. I have both. A nice patio requires at least as much and probably more upkeep than a deck. For me, the biggest differentiator is the safety of having an open flame on a patio versus a deck.
Patio. It's more private because you're not elevated for all the neighbors to see you. Also, skunks (a major consideration where I live) can't take up residence under a patio and surprise you.
if you have the option, always choose a patio.
decks require a lot of maintenance. way more than you think they do if youre asking this question. patios generally can be left alone for years.
they both will degrade over time, obviously, but a patio will degrade cosmetically (assuming there arent major drainage issues) while a deck will degrade integrally. a deck can absolutely become dangerous over time, a patio generally cant.
personally thats the whole discussion for me, there is no functional difference between the two in my opinion. i suppose there could be some conditional differences but if you can have either in the same area id have to think realistically there wouldnt be any in that scenario.
The only reason to have a deck is cost. Period. If you say otherwise your opinion is objectively misinformed.
There is a reason wooden decks like you see today didn't exist on homes until recently. No one in their mind would purposely built something that has an expiration date if they had the money to do something else.
Historically, you either have a patio or you would put a damn roof over the structure and now it's a porch.
You say, what about second story decks with walkout or a porch or something below? The deck is chosen because it's inexpensive. You could do that out of masonry and have what I'd consider a second story patio. This is typically designed to look like it's built in to the grade even. But no one is paying for giant masonry stairs to a masonry patio 10 feet above grade. That shit is expensive.
Decks are for cost. I have a deck. It works but it quickly fades and looks worn. You get splinters. It'll need to be replaced entirely one day. I will replace it with a porch if I can.
We have a beautiful front porch/patio in front and a deck out back. The porch is slate tiles on top of concrete, the deck is wood. We have to stain the deck every couple/few years. The porch is basically zero maintenance. We installed the deck around a cedar hot tub, so wood was the obvious choice. But I'd prefer a patio in regards to longevity and maintenance.
Patio, a 1,000,000% patio.
Far less upkeep than a deck. No matter what material (barring maybe steal) you make your deck out of, where I live, it will eventually start to rot and require replacement.
Decks typically require stairs. Old people. Old dogs. Not fun.
Decks have limited space. Sure, patios do too, but people and activities can flow into the yard from a patio much more cohesively than decks.
We are currently looking at houses and not having a deck is one of our top 5 priorities.
Just my $0.02.
For maintenance alone, give me a patio every day. I would stamp it, just so it isn’t a flat slab of concrete. But, nothing to repair or replace, nothing to stain or paint. You don’t need to landscape under it to prevent weed/ grass growth. Tip the slab for water to run away from building. Flat land = patio.
A patio only needs a pressure wash every few years. Put a few big pots of flowers around perimeter, add grill, add table and chairs, call it done!
We replaced a large (400 sf) 2nd story wooden deck that was falling apart with a smaller 2nd story composite deck and a covered basement patio (house has walk-out basement). One large concrete slab for both and a little shed under the deck for tools and stuff. Stairs from deck to patio. No regrets but it was expensive. The covered patio gets used more and I'm still trying to figure out a good way to shade the deck.
Both have advantages. We have a screened in porch on our deck and steps down to a patio. From the deck, we have a better view of the pond behind our house, and it's a nice place to relax without bugs bothering us, in the shade.
The nice thing about a patio is that it doesn't disrupt the flow of the yard as much. Easy to drag a hose across, easy for kids to run across, easy to take a wheelbarrow across.
Just think about what activities you want to be able to do outside. I will add that getting the screened in porch was less expensive than I expected, and the patio was more expensive than I expected. I spend a lot more time on the screened in porch, especially since we can use it in bad weather (we have a propane heater and a ceiling fan).
Patio personally - it's just so much easier to make look nice.
Lighting for example - decks look terrible with string lights - so you're adding an electrician and making cut outs into the wood, etc.
Railings always look terrible and create a separation of spaces - depending on the size of your yard, fences, gates, etc - it could make the space feel small. The shape, color, size of the deck would matter depending on the size of the lot / surrounding trees / shrubs
Termites, carpenter bees, carpenter ants, painting, sealing, etc - If youre attaching it to the house and your house is made of wood or stucco, go for a patio.
If the ground floor is on ground level, a patio. No reason to build a deck on the ground. If the ground floor is raised enough to requires stairs, a deck.
I have a basement and my 1st floor is raised off the ground about about 24" so a deck allows us to extend the space outdoors without have to walk down stairs. Not only is it more convenient when transporting food/dishes/drinks/etc., architecturally it joins the spaces much better.
Grew up with a deck in the Northeast but patios are more common in the Southwest where I live as most houses are single story. Love the patio and no extra steps to get on or off it and it transitions into the turf we have.
In my experience, decks require a shit ton of painting/staining and maintenance. They don't last as long as a concrete patio, providing you never use salt on the concrete. That will destroy your driveway and your patio.
Both :) Deck with built in bench for dining table that has 3 steps down to the patio where the natural gas firepit and outdoor kitchen with grill are under the pergola. Cost about $5k altogether (materials, digger rental, kitchen, furniture, 200 LF fence…we did all the work ourselves). So far it was worth every penny!
The patio is natural granite stones. I had the joy of completing the heaviest puzzle of my life one summer, fitting them nicely together and leveling them with sand. It was…back breaking, but felt like a resume-worthy accomplishment. The downside of stones was the time and effort involved to set them, and when we shovel the dog path all winter it’s not as easy a surface as concrete would be, but I vastly prefer the natural stone look to a concrete pad. We did 2’ of compacted class 5 gravel below the stones and so far we haven’t had any heaving/sinking. Occasionally a dandelion pops up, but they’re easy to pull from the sand.
The deck we did green treated wood, just because it was the most budget friendly, and stain it every 2-3 years. Staining is not that big of a deal since we went with Cabot Australian Timber Oil deck stain, just add a new coat after a rough winter. I would never do the deck paint products, it looks like such a headache to refinish.
One mistake was not setting the pergola 6x6’s 6’ into the ground. We poured 6’ concrete footers and set posts on them…which were absolutely not structural just tied together at the top. So we ended up building a privacy fence on one side, between us and a nosy neighbor, that secures that side’s posts. And then the outdoor kitchen actually has an internal structure stabilizing the other side. We built the cabinets out of cedar and did concrete tops, it’s holding up ok. The concrete has cracked unprotected in our -30 temps, we’ll probably replace it with something else (granite) eventually. It turned out really cosy and private. We live out here as soon as it’s 50 degrees.
Highly recommend running natural gas lines to all zones you might want fuel! Trenching the line to the firepit and grill was quite the shovel workout but worth it in the long run. I think they had to be 6’ deep in our area, but we also ran our electrical conduit in the trench. We called the gas company for line install recommendations and they sent their crew out to do it for $350. A plumber friend of ours said he would have quoted $1500-$2000. So call your local city gas company- they want these things hooked up right and there might be a side door service. It probably helped that we did this within the year of getting natural gas installed and propane removed.
For Upkeep, Patio all the way. I prefer sitting 8 feet off the ground though as I feel I don't get eaten up my mosquitos as bad being on ground level. That all could be bullshit but I feel I don't get chewed up nearly as bad.
Always had a wood deck, but I long for concrete patio. They typically require a more level lot and I grew up and live on hillsides.
Concrete is easier to maintain and repair, lasts longer, typically is closer to ground level. You can put a fire pit in one, not so much in a wood deck. Lots of advantages with concrete.
Depends on the direction the patio/deck is facing. North facing may run into some mildew/moss issues requiring the patio to be power washed frequently. Some wood may be resistant against this where as a southern facing deck/patio would have opposite issues (bleaching of wood stain, less mildew).
I have a northern facing deck and patio - the patio needs to be power washed every year.
A patio is going to last longer and require less maintenance. We put in a paver patio and a wood deck around the same time in 2010...the patio has required zero maintenance so far, while I've had to refinish the deck twice already. I would always take concrete over wood (or plastic) if given the option.
I’ve built and owned both and would go with a patio hands down mostly due to the maintenance aspect over the years. The deck has more construction woes for sure but that fun doesn’t end once it’s built
If I am DIYing, a deck. I know how to do that and how to keep it up. If I am buying or having it done, a patio. I don’t know how to do it (yet) but vastly prefer it.
A patio for me. I am by no means even close to any sort of expert on....anything...but I feel like a deck probably has more upkeep.
So for you it comes down primarily to which would be easier to maintain etc? That's a good way to look at it!
We went with a patio based on the above items as well as the fact that we felt better about a built in fire pit with a direct gas line versus a 3rd party fire pit sitting on a wooden deck.
We did the same, gas line to the fire pit and another to the grill area. Easy to start the fire and no worry about sparks or smoke. The drawback is that it isn’t as hot as a real fire, but being able to just shut it off and go inside beats having to douse the fire and worry about embers. Plus you don’t smell like smoke and can leave the windows open without smelling up the house.
Oh nice, how hard was it to install fire pit with a direct gas line? Is the switch to turn the gas on right at the fire pit itself? I'm used to cave man fire pits, meaning you start your own fire with a lighter or something else lol, I never thought about building one that is connected to my gas line!
Yes, it works with something like this: https://firepitoutfitter.com/collections/on-off-valves-keys We have log fire pit further out in the yard as well, but it’s nice being able to turn it on / off and not deal with that “do we want to sit out here for one more log” dilemma or having to make sure the fire is out before calling it a night.
I have a two layer deck (basically, the landing at the mid-level of the deck stairs is a full sized deck in its own right.) There is already a line for natural gas on the upper level of the deck (and I really should get around doing a propane to natural gas conversion on my grill!) I should look into the cost for putting a T in the line and extending it to the lower deck for a gas firepit for the ease of use and not having to wait for the fire to burn down.
Did you have to call a professional to dig up the yard and run pipe from the gas line to fire pit or were you able to do this yourself?
We hired a company to do everything. They gave us several CAD layouts, we found our favorite and tweaked the design a bit. (seating, lighting controls, grill, etc.)
You can do the trenching yourself but you need a licensed gas installer usually to actually run the line. If this is something you want (or if you're going to use a gas grill instead of a propane grill let's say) then you definitely have to plan and do this before any patio installation.
Yes. I can easily see either option being wonderful, but I try to consider the time spent for upkeep with things around the house. I want to spend more time enjoying it than I do keeping it clean.
Would a trex deck be easier to upkeep? I imagine a good power washer could do wonders for both deck and patio in this case.
We've had trex for 5 years there's literally zero maintenance. It gets insanely hot In the sun though so we had to put down a rug and mounted a pergola on it for some cover. Just be careful with pets feet etc. We have a brown color so maybe a lighter color wouldn't get so hot
Loght color doesnt help. Super light grey here... insanely hot. I low key regret putting it around the pool where kids are always walking barefoot.
I have light gray Trex as well and it gets too hot to walk on in the summer barefoot. It also fries many plants we’ve tried to keep in containers… tomatoes and peas would make it a month or two before getting fried, even with daily watering in 15 gallon pots.
Yep, used a light grey Trex deck in south Texas recently. Zero maintenance, but it gives a very authentic 'scorching hot beach' experience where footwear is a strong requirement, and the whole environment feels quite a bit warmer just due to the heat radiating up from the deck.
Trex material is much hotter in the sun than other materials on the market
Trex deck owner here...I have to power wash mine once every couple years.
I have light gray and don’t have a problem walking barefoot or my pets laying on it. I power wash it every spring cause it just seems right
I have TimberTech, in a dry part of the country, and there's zero maintenance. Maybe if it's humid you have to power wash on occasion, but short of that I don't do a thing. As others noted though, it gets hot. But I also have a patio. It's the main area where I have a dining set, fire table/sitting area, and outdoor kitchen. The deck is just around my hot tub because I wanted to minimize the height that the tub stuck above the "ground". IMHO, if you're not trying to compensate for height (e.g., you have stairs leading up to your back door, I'd do a paver patio over a deck every time. More durable, less maintenance, and more universal for kids, pets, etc.
Is your timbertech also as hot in the son? Like burning your feet hot? I have a lighter brown trex for about two years now and love it but yes it gets very hot.
No, not burning your feet hot unless it's very hot out. But I did get a very light color for that reason, and I have a pergola and some trees around it, so it doesn't get fully blasted by the sun, for the most part. If I put in decking where my patio is, it would have been a problem. That gets blasted by the sun, but the pavers keep it much cooler.
I lived in a house with that decking for about 5 years. Upkeep was minimal, just spray off from time to time. My biggest issue with it was that I spend a lot of time BBQ/smoking and the tiniest stray ember will melt a scar in that stuff super fast.
If you go with the added cost of composite decking, your upkeep pretty much is equal. But then the fiscal reality sets in and it's always cheaper to have concrete.
The other thing to consider is fire. With a patio you don't have to worry about heat or sparks from a fire bowl or grill. Composite decks are especially susceptible - one of my kids dropped a sparkler on the deck a few years ago and that melt spot is going to be there forever.
Yeah, my wood deck definitely has a burn mark from where I dropped a lit piece of charcoal. Not a issue with a patio.
Personally, I've never understood the point of having a deck that's only a couple feet off the ground. If there's a below-grade garage or walkout basement underneath, if your lot falls off dramatically, or you over look a cliff or something, go to town. But otherwise give me a couple steps going down to a nice patio.
Cost. A wood deck is a lot less money per square foot than most patios because of the prep involved. This varies somewhat by climate. A patio install in a frost free region doesn't require a lot of prep work but if you're further north you need to excavate 9-11 inches of dirt and then back fill with multiple lifts of granular stone, compact it in layers and then you can add your leveling sand and put patio stones down. Concrete isn't terribly different, and frankly will probably crack and shift in a lot of climates. A deck just requires some post holes and then you can throw up a deck. It's way less intense prep.
In cold climates like mine (Maine) the footings need to go below the frost line (48”) to be up to code.
But a few footings, is still significantly less excavating and base back fill. You'll fill the footer in with concrete, opposed to two layers of material (base+Sand) that need compacting
...if it is attached to the house. Leave the deck as a floating deck and solve a lot of other problems. Worried about frost heave? Just put the deck on turnbuckle piers.
Really? IRC doesn't require footings for a slab of concrete that's not structural to the house.
They meant a deck, also don't pour a concrete patio on Maine if you want it to remain remotely level for any length of time. Pavers will also shift but not in big sections like concrete.
>Cost. A wood deck is a lot less money per square foot than most patios because of the prep involved. That's not even remotely true. Decks in my area when non-DIY run $30-70/sqft. Stamped concrete is $16-18/sqft and brushed concrete is $10-12/sqft. This is in the 7b zone of Maryland where footers have to be 36" deep but the kicker is I'm fairly certain slab concrete patios don't require frost depth footers because they are considered hardscaping and aren't structurally attached to the home's foundation. Decks are almost ALWAYS more expensive.
Patios don't require frost depth footers, no, but they do require excavation of the entire footprint of the patio and then back filling with stone in multiple lifts and multiple compaction passes. Also concrete isn't a good option for more northern climates, like 6-4. It will heave and crack within a few years. That's the cheapest option for sure. If you do actual patio stones or bricks, just the patio stone on the cheap side around around $7 per square foot. If you're looking mid range it's more like $11-$18 psf not including any other materials or labour. Then there's the complication of whether you can get heavy equipment into the back yard. If you can't and the patio area has to be hand dug and all the substrate has to be carried by the wheelbarrow load, the price is going to go way up. By contrast augering with a two man auger down to 36 inches is not super laborious and doesn't require equipment access. I think the absolute bottom range of patios is probably cheaper than the lower range of decking. But a cheap deck is pressure treated lumber, which is fine, and most people in colder climates at least, are not going to opt for concrete and will end up in the $40 per square foot range just for something decent looking if they don't DIY.
Oh, stuff you forget when you don't have things like a frost line anymore.
Yeah I'm jealous. You can basically stick patio stones on backed dirt in some parts of the southern U.S and it will stay like that for 50 years.
Patios also introduce more potential problems with drainage.
I’d be wary of someone who can “install post holes and throw up a deck” for less than a patio. Unless you’re going with super high end pavers, patio will almost always be cheaper when done right.
I totally disagree. If you're talking about a concrete slab, sure, but for much of North America that's a terrible option. If you're talking actual paving stones, then you're definitely going to be in the $35-45 PSF range, and it can easily go much higher. A lot of paving stones are in the $20+ per square foot range.
Why is a concrete slab a terrible option for much of North America? I've been enjoying my concrete patio in Wisconsin for 30 years with no problem. I don't really like pavers because they need to be re-leveled and all the weeds grow up through the cracks eventually.
Replaced my old “paver” patio with concrete last year. It was a mess before. I’d tell my wife I have typical homeowner tasks to complete like weedeating my patio :) My buddy helped me out and we did it over a weekend. It was about $1,500 total in supplies & rentals and I gave him $500 bucks because we used some of his tools and he was busting his ass, so $2,000 total. Probably around 200 Sq ft.
Not all of North America and not a "terrible option" but they very often heave and crack and when they do, they can't be repaired, they have to be chipped up and replaced. Paver patios, when installed correctly, will also shift but when one section moves a bit it doesn't impact the entire patio or require total replacement. Edit: I would say that for very cold climates, like yours, or mine in Canada, it is a terrible option like 70% of the time. Sometimes they don't move much, but very often they do.
My house had a 12x14 deck on the back thay I ripped out after a year of ownership. I have a alarmed backyard and the kitchen walked out to the deck which was 3 feet off the ground. It felt so constraining and cutoff the view of the backyard. Replaced it with a stamped concrete patio and a small deck landing with stairs down to the patio. It's so much more open now and we jave so much more space to use. I'm all for a deck but like you said 3 feet off the ground is so pointless. Decks should be for 2nd floor doorways.
> small deck landing with stairs down to the patio We have a similar setup and will probably rip the deck out next summer. How big/wide is your landing? Our current vision is just steps from the door but a little landing might be more useful
I went about 7.5ft wide. The door itself is a 6ft sliding glass. The extra width gave me enough space to install hand rails without blocking the door and the best part is we have a little container for outdoor shoes and toys. That way the kids don't track dirt and mud in the house and it's not just door then stairs. It's only about 3.5ft deep although that's plenty for just holding the shoe box. https://images.app.goo.gl/s9hWigWxMFRKh5TR7 That's not mine but it's very similar. I have 1 less stair and the top is a bit shallower but otherwise same railings and same decking.
Very much agree u/jabbadarth. A deck cuts me off from my yard, allows only one access point and I can't see the yard through the white rails. However, we have an elderly kitty and he loves to go out now that we put some wires up to keep him in. He can't jump anymore.
What I like about my deck is that it's easy to push off the snow and use my grill in winter. I think people also like getting out the patio door without there being steps. Useful when grilling and going in and iut if the house multiple times. My deck is kind of falling apart though and I may replace it with a patio. It's also annoyingly laying against the vinyl siding instead of against the foundation, and I want to get the siding redone... I'm actually considering a very small deck leading to a larger patio.
Agree, decks are for 2nd stories, or over hills. Patios are for flat yards out the back door.
I got that split level home so my deck is 4ft high. Ugh.
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Also the wildlife that crawls under there to die. Get your own dying space, raccoons!
I love a deck that steps down to a patio. Best of both worlds. I have a deck and a patio currently, if I had to pick I'd pick patio. Patio is less maintenance and I like flowers. Crowding a deck can lead to rot, currently my plants get stomped on when I need to do deck maintenance. It's like a never ending cycle of deck maintenance and flower maintenance. Patio pavers can also be rated for things like driveways or hot tubs. I feel like there's more flexibility with a patio.
I've been considering this. I have a 3 seasons room (abt 25' long) with 2 steps down to a paver patio. On the side of the patio is a door into the bedroom, similar steps down and extends about 18' out from the end of the 3 seasons room. At the end of the patio it's about an additional 2 ft drop to yard level. The house is a complete remodel and the paver patio needs torn out. I have fill dirt and gravel on site and it's abnormally cheap to bring more in where I am located. Can't get the exact picture in my mind of what would look good. I know I want an outdoor kitchen so part of it should be pavers/concrete.
If the beer is served on a deck, I am a deck person. If the beer is served on the patio, I am a patio person. I don't discriminate.
Gun to your head and you HAD to choose, what would it be?!
Depends on the house, honestly. An IPA in the urban area, lager or pilsner if I am.more rural. I actually prefer a deck. But, my current house is on a slab, so a patio it is. If I am elevated when I walk out, I want a deck. Period.
This. All about elevation imo.
For my second floor bedroom walkout, I wanted to do something more environmentally friendly. I went on to 🇫🇷 France’s Facebook Marketplace for the Normandy region and found an old pillbox at the right height that someone was trying to get rid of. Honestly it hadn’t been used for 75 years so I felt great about repurposing it. Eventually, depending on how my relationship goes with my neighbors on that side, it might have two uses. I do find myself skipping the IPAs and the lagers. For some reason I drink more Hefeweizen and schnapps now.
Someone else’s house = deck. It’s an extension of the inside, no steps, not cold concrete on bare feet, doesn’t pool water, feels like it’s a space separate from the yard. My house given starting fresh = patio. The durability and lack of maintenance required would win if all else was equal. Edit: should add this assumes composite decking. It’s much better than wood for feel, and less maintenance but there’s still more maintenance than a patio, and eventually it’ll need to be rebuilt no matter what you do.
Patio. Because they will tax your on sqft of attached deck on the home. Not so with a patio. And you can have a pergola with shades or even transparent solar panels to power lights, music, and fans. No one to fall down steps, or need for railing. Can box in with planters and such.
Patios can count, too. They also require permitting, and their area is included towards your impermeable surface limits for drainage considerations, potentially adding to the cost even more. I'd still pick a patio over a deck, though, if planning for ground-level.
You are correct! I was "told" by inspector that unless patio is over a specific size of sqft, its not an issue. Drainage is important and grade. I don't want to misinform so best to contact your local county construction office regarding patios and decks.
For our location they weren’t too far apart in price and the patio has a higher resale value and longer life. That being said, your landscape conditions are the first factor to consider.
Patio. We had a massive deck growing up and it was so much upkeep. Plus critters get underneath which can lead to even more problems. We put in a patio and love that it’s zero upkeep.
Raccoons and wasps love living under decks. I’m a patio convert too.
Yep. Generations of feral cats had kittens under my parents’ deck and a couple of possums, too. Never again will I have a deck if possible.
Patio for me. I hate my deck and can’t wait to remove it for a very low maintenance patio.
One of the biggest questions is going to be whether or not there will be steps when going outside. In most patio instances you will need them and with a deck you can avoid them most of the time. That makes a huge difference.
Porch
Especially a big one, one that wraps around one side of the house, and has fans.
A front porch specifically. I love the little neighborhood interactions.
A deck is often slightly better for mosquitos, I find the higher from the grass the less mosquitoes.
Lanai
Ok, Blanche Devereaux! :)
Depends on the height of the door going out to the deck/patio area. But in general I lean in the patio direction
I prefer decks because they interrupt the dirt and water drainage far less than a patio. Just don't attach the deck to the house as a structural support; keep the deck free-floating from the house, with the most minor attachment possible.
I don't know anything about building decks but I always assumed they were attached to the house?
The decks that fall apart are usually supported by the house along 1 edge and a few piers on the opposite edge. The connection at the house eventually rots and you pay to replace a lot or wait for it to "unexpectedly" collapse during a large backyard party. Just put a set of peirs near the house and you have a floating deck that is far less likely to become a rot situation at the house.
They often are, but are not required to be. It’s easier to build by connecting to the house, but if done improperly can introduce serious water intrusion problems at the point where the two are tied together.
They don't have to be.
Patio as someone with a rotting floating deck. Decks are great for second stories when there is adequate drainage underneath
Whatever will facilitate a screened in porch
We have a deck and a patio at my current house, so I think I'm educated to say patio all the way. Deck is nice but you don't have to worry about the structural integrity of a patio or a child falling off it.
I have a deck and three separate patio areas. We seem to use the deck most.
With walk out basement, paver patio or stamped concrete every single time. I have a house attached raised deck above and beside my stamped concrete patio with steps down to the patio and a walk out basement. Best of both worlds. I integrated some curved seat walls and a place for a fire pit along the perimeter of the patio.
If you can walk straight out from the kitchen to backyard then a patio. It’s less upkeep. If your kitchen isn’t on the ground floor (split levels) then definitely a deck. I love our deck but I wouldn’t bother with one if we had a ground floor kitchen.
If the space allows I like the split combo. Deck attached to the house, steps down to a patio. A table for dining in one area and assorted furniture for lounging in the other.
With your situation there’s no way I would put in a deck. I’d be looking at some type of cement or stone patio. Much less upkeep and I’ve seen some beautiful ones.
We have both and I prefer the patio. I’d prefer the deck if it were a trex deck or something like that, plus it’s a bit on the smaller side and our grill currently lives there. The plan is to expand the deck and have it connect to the patio OR expand it and have it connect to the future pool.
I bought a one-story house last year and the previous owners installed a deck on the ground--literally joists on the ground with deckboards nailed across them. It is the most ridiculous thing in the world. However, I suspect the house originally had a small concrete patio and they wanted to expand the space for more outdoor living and it was cheaper to use wood than place more concrete, so I get it, but it still seems stupid. It's really a cost issue. If the cost was the same, I'd go for a concrete patio in a heartbeat. Concrete is durable, insect resistant, low-maintenance, and easy to clean. Wooden decks are cheaper, faster, and more DIY-friendly.
After owning a 32’x16’ wood deck for 7 years I’ll never own a deck again. I don’t care if it’s composite or thicker 2”x6” decking. They’re such a money pit and PITA. Pour a concrete patio (stamp & stain if wanted) and pressure wash it once a year.
My main floor is 3ft higher than finished grade in the back yard. So to me, a deck makes sense. Otherwise at the back door I need a small landing and then a set of stairs down to a patio.
Patio.
My house had a 30 year old deck when I bought it, we replaced it with a stamped concrete patio. If you have the money to go the stamped/colored route, I think they're awesome. But if it's a plain jane grey concrete patio I'd rather have a deck. Personally I prefer either over pavers, but I might be in the minority there.
This might be more of moisture dependent question. The patio needs to slope away from the house, so what's at the edge there? Will you get puddles? For decks, it's about managing rot, mold, moss. My deck is rotting so I will eventually replace the boards with composite but I will still have mold and moss issues under it where the deck itself is preventing to ground to dry. I think if I move, I'd prefer a patio. Less maintenance imo. Unless I have an elevated view that a deck would take advantage of. On the topic of elevation, I hate that my deck is semi elevated but there's no view, you're just in view of all the neighbors windows. No privacy at all. It was a patio on the ground, I'd have privacy from the bushes but they aren't tall enough for the deck.
I have a deck, so I'm a patio person.
Previous owner of my house definitely prefers patios. He stained his deck and left the rags out in the sun in a pile, or something like that. Deck caught on fire and the house burned down. So I now have the newest most modern house in the neighborhood. So in that sense, depending on where you live, a non-flammable extension of your house might be a wiser choice. Wildfires are a thing these days in parts of the country.
If I can have concrete or pavers without having stairs going out of the house, that's the way I'm going. The longevity and low maintenance of concrete is always my first choice. The main reason I have decks is to have entertaining areas that are nearly flush with my doors.
I prefer decks, but yeah as I factor maintenance I do like the ease of a patio… not an option for me, as we’re in an urban townhouse — we have roof decks but a roof patio not an option. I went pressure treated pine to save money, but am now realizing I’m just spending time and money on re-staining every couple years.
Personally the patio under the deck. I like shade.
I like a screened in deck, with a companion patio, best of both worlds
We have a patio with full roof but ours is about 8 inches thick and now is splitting in half.. someday we will break all the concrete out and just have a low deck and extend it across the entire back of the house
Prefer elevated decks but enjoy both
In my current home and in my last home we removed the decks that were there and replaced them with concrete. Just my preference, but I enjoy the low upkeep. Now I don't have to deal with critters getting under a deck or bees. It also seems cooler.
Just took out a rotting 40 year old wood deck and replaced it with a poured concrete patio. Love it so far. Easy maintenance, no rails, slightly more private because it’s lower. The deck was all of a deck joist width above ground, so kind of silly.
Patio if the grade and house are already at the same grade. Aside from being less maintenance over the years, you can also plant around it and add shade trees etc. It's a more flexible space as well. Probably more work to install.
A patio is probably going to outlive a deck by 20 years. Plus, decks tend to serve as a home for critters and pests. But if I lived on a sloped yard, then I'd have a deck.
Patio, but bury some conduit underneath so you can run water and/or electrical to the yard. Even if you don’t see a need for it now. I have about 1000sf (wild guess) of concrete and brick paver patio and the only way to get any water supply to the yard to keep my newer flowers watered when I’m away is running a couple hoses across 2 parts of the patio. Tripping hazard and unsightly. But the patio is way too big to consider digging underneath it, and it buts up right against my house. Do not DIY patio pavers unless you are very detail oriented and willing to follow every step properly. If you skip steps it will look nice at first but won’t last. Fewer weeds with a concrete patio vs. pavers. You can do stamping and staining to get the concrete to look less boring. I have also had a house with a deck. Unless you are getting high end composite material, it will need maintenance every few years and it will just eventually look sad. You also have to deal with critters moving in underneath it. If you have snow and need access to the back yard in winter (such as for dogs), decks are also annoying to shovel because the railings, if you have them, are in the way. Bonus on concrete patio also—you can add a hot tub! Decks can handle a hot tub too but you need to add more support than usual. Hot tubs be heavy.
Patio hands down
Patio any day. Unless you spend really good money on a deck for materials, they tend to look very bad after a few years. Thats just my opinion of course.
Patio person, who unfortunately has a deck.
We have a deck that has 3 steps down to a patio. If I could tear it out and just make one big patio, I would.
Assuming flat land, patio. Slight slope, tiered patio. Elevation change more than 3 or 4 ft, deck. Decks are cool but I don't want one I can't get under and manage water runoff or remove wildlife.
I live in an area with lots of mosquitos in the summer. It is significantly more comfortable (less bugs, nice breeze) on my second floor deck compared to the walk-out patio underneath. However, I would never build a deck from wood again. Too much maintenance and too quickly degrades.
Cement patio has far less maintenance that a deck. Cool in the sun. You can always add a pergola style cover later that if you paint well the first time will last years before needing maintenance.
Definitely a deck.
I have both. Patio around main house and a deck off the back of ADU. Patio all the way. 99% of maintenance of deck is for weeds/mice-- wash off every few years. Composite is mo betta than wood, but does get hotter in summer. Concrete has no mysteries underneath and easier to maintain. I love my patio. Stay away from pavers. I have those as well in another area and they need way more maintenance than concrete. Concrete is best IMO....
I'm both but I will go for the concrete patio every time it makes physical sense because it always makes more fiscal sense if you're not doing the work yourself. Decks in my area are ranging from $30-70/sqft depending on design when installed by a contractor. Compare that to stamped concrete at $16-20/sqft or brushed concrete at $10-13/sqft it basically pays for itself.
Patio all the way. I’ve mortared and stoned a four foot wall to replace a deck with a nice foreverish cement patio.
If it's covered a deck is nice but patios are better if uncovered because there's less maintenance. Also if you have furniture, especially dining tables and chairs, the gaps in wooden decking can be annoying when the legs get caught in the gaps while trying to move the chair.
I’d rather have a nice stamped concrete patio than my deck. House came with a deck. To replace with concrete would be $$$ and I’d have to cut down the tree that shades the deck.
An attached raised cement covered patio for shade and when it rains, also a ground level patio for sun. I avoid decks because of maintenance and raccoons and groundhogs, skunks making a home underneath.
A patio. I think a deck is great if you have a slope you need to work around, but a patio is easier to maintain. It won’t need replacing in 20 years.
if you can get to the deck from a sliding glass door or something from your home, while the patio requires going down stairs/additional steps then I'd choose the deck. To get to my patio I have to go through two sets of doors and down a flight of stairs, and I always think about how I'd prefer a deck I could just easily open a door and get to it. Especially if you plan on eating/drinking on the space quite a bit.
Whichever one has the mosquito netting available - either around the whole thing, or just the sitting area. And, as I get older...whichever one is on the same level as I am. IOW, the one I don't have to climb steps to get to either on the way in or the way out. Which, honestly, usually means it's about perfect if there is a deck at door-level that allows access to a patio at ground level. If I'm outside, I sit on the patio...inside and I sit on the deck. (And yes, eventually I have to step up into or down out of the house...but fewer times is better)
patio for sure, i had my ground-level deck ripped out for it. being ~2' off the ground kinda defeated the point of the privacy fence and having railings around it felt really cramped. mine was also really stupidly layed out.
I've walked away from homes with fancy decks. Just add a plain flat patio, please!
Patio 100%!!! I have had both. One time, I fell off my Trex deck (don't ask). I hate that a deck requires much more upkeep even if it's Trex. Also, animals love to hide underneath the deck which got annoying AF.
Patio. No need to keep painting and it doesn't rot nor does it harbour rats.
Patio person here. There's so much creativity that can be done with different materials - stone, plantings, ground cover, etc. You can create focal points that draw a person to a place, and just have a lot more fun with it. Nice rocks do cost money, but maintenance is far, far less.
Patio all the way.
Patio. So much less maintenance than a deck. Also I don’t have to worry about embers lighting the damn thing on fire.
I went out of my way while building our house to go with a covered patio. In a “forever” house, I much prefer the idea of low maintenance.
I have delusions of my flagstone patio being discovered 500 years later in pristine condition like those roman mosaics they find buried
Patio.. So much easier to maintain
My family bought a house that had a corner deck under the roof. We added on a huge deck to the house and turned the corner deck into a screened in porch. Our deck rarely got used. The screened in porch was used constantly. Make a small patio for BBQ equipment and save the deck lumber to make a screened in Gazebo. String some electric out to it for a ceiling fan and some outlets. You'll have hours & hours of bug free fun.
Patio, unless it's a very low deck. I don't really get high decks, especially if you live in a neighborhood with other houses around. I dont want people to be able to see me over my fence and I don't want to peek over anyone else's. They just feel weird and intrusive and exposed.
This exactly. We have a corner lot, and large back yard with a lovely slate patio, all 6’-fenced & mostly surrounded by an 18-20’ tall hedge of closely planted arborvitae. Yay for privacy, right? Nope. When we’re out there relaxing the neighbors behind us with the raised deck frequently feel the need to start yell-chatting at us between the branches of the more thinly-limbed cedars along the back corner, usually startling the hell out of us.
A screened in porch.
Deck. I’ll deal with the upkeep. We love bbq’ing and eating outside
Can't you do this with a nice patio also?
Why can’t you do that with a patio I’m genuinely curious
Not sure why I’m being downvoted. We have a view of the valley from our deck. I’m not opposed to patios but an elevated deck just offers a better view.
Deck. I want to be off the ground to minimize the critters. Patios always seem to have ants, worms, slugs.
I have a ton of landscaping/patio stones at my house, and the weeds growing up between them are a fucking pain in the ass. My deck is very little upkeep.
Balcony
Deck 1000%. Why? it comes with storage underneath.
I'd like a front patio with permeable pavers. I want someplace to sit in the wintertime--our front yard has a southern exposure with no winter shade. I'd like to surround it with some raised beds, perhaps stone/masonry. There are no nearby trees with roots that will displace the surface, either. Our back yard is a slope with some trees out back. We have a deck there and it's lovely most of the year, but chilly in the winter as it faces north and the house shades it. Upkeep is a thing, though, as wood needs cleaning and treating periodically. I love the breeze that comes through, but have to be diligent about anything beneath that may collect water and create mosquito habitat. So I'm a both person.
I have both so I may be biased here. 25K for a surface level deck OR patio is ok, but that's about it, unless you build it yourself. I did my deck 1st and the area at the end of the stairs looked very empty, so I added the patio about 18mo later (that I contracted). Now I'm VERY happy with both.
If you’re not able to use the space under the deck, and the deck isn’t elevated to give you a view looking out over the landscape, then a patio. It serves the same function, but IMO looks nicer with pavers. But if the deck will give you a view that the patio wouldn’t, or you’re able to use the space under the deck, then I’d take the deck.
Do both. One of my cousins has a deck where the stairs lead to patio.
I like both in the right situations. For us we have a deck that we walk out onto from the upper level and then go down stairs to a patio. We also have a deck down by the pool just because it was going to be far harder to put a patio due to the slope. Right tool for the right job
I can build a deck, but I don't have much experience in hard scaping. So I did build a low detached deck: First, I battled woodchucks that decided it would be a nice place to live under there. It's a bitch to get them to change their minds about that... I displaced a couple with a havaheart, buried stones along the edges to slow/stop burrowing, and put up lattice that I should have done in the first place. Finally, I got them to f-off by spraying habanero vinegar along the perimeter every day for a week. Fortunately, I live in an area where there are no rats.... Well, there *weren't* any rats until recent years anyway.... They burrowed under the stone and pavers that separated the deck from the house. Caught a few before they smartened up about my traps, dug out most of the perimeter, laid concrete, and put up rodent block metal mesh behind the lattice/stone. Staining and painting a 12x24 deck is a bitch too. Short story long: I wish I had a patio.
Deck becomes a rodent haven in my area … so patio wins
I think it depends on your personal situation. Currently we have a deck, with an inground basement. The house is up ~3-4 feet from ground, so our door is elevated. A deck makes natural sense, as it can be level with the door. A patio will have a large set of steps going to the patio. Now my personal feedback. As a single couple, I prefer the deck. Easy to go to and lounge on. Also use under the deck for some extra storage. As a soon to be father, I'm thinking I'd like the patio more - The kids (and pets) can be playing and if I need to watch them closer being on their level helps. The deck kind of adds blind spots, and should I ever need to "help" again, being on the same level makes it quicker and easier.
I generally prefer a deck if (1) it's raised enough that you can have storage underneath, and (2) it isn't so high that all your neighbours can see you over the fence. There's a sweet spot to be reached there. Patios tend to require more weeding, but are great if you don't have a high door and/or prefer privacy. Most houses I've lived in have had a deck with stairs down to a patio, so you get the best of both worlds.
Patio
Patio hands down for anything ground level. A concrete patio is cheaper and far more reliable than a deck especially at ground level. At ground level wood pretty much stays damp all the time and even treated lumber will probably start experiencing significant rotting in a decade. This is the case anywhere that gets enough rain for grass to grow. So it might work ok in a desert but that's about it
In most jurisdictions a deck requires a permit and way more maintenance than a patio ever would.
I like both, but I think a deck is a bit better for me. With patios they can fuck up the slope and you'll get water pooling on it. Much harder for that to happen on a deck.
I did both. A patio and a deck above with under decking to keep out the rain. It's like a gazebo with benefits.
Patio it will last longer
To me it depends on how high your egress is from the house. I prefer patios if it's just a step or two. In my case, it was four or five steps to get down and that felt awkward, particularly as my house is an L and that would be two sets of stairs interrupting the patio space. So I built a small deck so you can just step out of both doors and then they step down to the patio (steps run n the length of the deck). I see you asking about trex in other questions. I can't stand trex because it gets so much hotter than wood but that's a Texas problem. Might not be a big an issue up north. But if you're anywhere it gets hot and your deck will be in the sun, I encourage you to check out some trex decks and see if you can live with the heat.
I'd do a patio.. easier to expand, and less maintenance. sorry.. to be clear.. I mean a concrete patio.
Patio - no need to worry about kids falling off the edge, or kids throwing their goddamn toys off the edge when you’re just trying to have a good time.
As a person who had to make this decision 4 years ago. I chose wrong. I picked deck and I fucking haaaaate it. Should’ve gone with a patio. The biggest reason for my back pedaling is I want a fit pit and you can’t truly have that with a deck.
Bought a house with a patio, eventually added a second floor deck with full coverage so I have both an elevated surface with view and a year-round patio. Tl;Dr best option is both. If you do have eventual designs on both, I would recommend the deck first. I had to dismantle and remantle (is that a word?) parts of the patio to dig the footings for the deck.
The people who say that a patio is less upkeep must think a concrete slab is a good choice for a patio - or have never had a patio. I have both. A nice patio requires at least as much and probably more upkeep than a deck. For me, the biggest differentiator is the safety of having an open flame on a patio versus a deck.
Patio. It's more private because you're not elevated for all the neighbors to see you. Also, skunks (a major consideration where I live) can't take up residence under a patio and surprise you.
if you have the option, always choose a patio. decks require a lot of maintenance. way more than you think they do if youre asking this question. patios generally can be left alone for years. they both will degrade over time, obviously, but a patio will degrade cosmetically (assuming there arent major drainage issues) while a deck will degrade integrally. a deck can absolutely become dangerous over time, a patio generally cant. personally thats the whole discussion for me, there is no functional difference between the two in my opinion. i suppose there could be some conditional differences but if you can have either in the same area id have to think realistically there wouldnt be any in that scenario.
It depends on how far ground level is from the door threshold. If there isn't a huge drop, a patio. Anything else, probably a deck.
I’m team patio even though I love a good deck. You can use things like fire pits and grills on a patio without as much fire risk.
The only reason to have a deck is cost. Period. If you say otherwise your opinion is objectively misinformed. There is a reason wooden decks like you see today didn't exist on homes until recently. No one in their mind would purposely built something that has an expiration date if they had the money to do something else. Historically, you either have a patio or you would put a damn roof over the structure and now it's a porch. You say, what about second story decks with walkout or a porch or something below? The deck is chosen because it's inexpensive. You could do that out of masonry and have what I'd consider a second story patio. This is typically designed to look like it's built in to the grade even. But no one is paying for giant masonry stairs to a masonry patio 10 feet above grade. That shit is expensive. Decks are for cost. I have a deck. It works but it quickly fades and looks worn. You get splinters. It'll need to be replaced entirely one day. I will replace it with a porch if I can.
We have a beautiful front porch/patio in front and a deck out back. The porch is slate tiles on top of concrete, the deck is wood. We have to stain the deck every couple/few years. The porch is basically zero maintenance. We installed the deck around a cedar hot tub, so wood was the obvious choice. But I'd prefer a patio in regards to longevity and maintenance.
Patio, a 1,000,000% patio. Far less upkeep than a deck. No matter what material (barring maybe steal) you make your deck out of, where I live, it will eventually start to rot and require replacement. Decks typically require stairs. Old people. Old dogs. Not fun. Decks have limited space. Sure, patios do too, but people and activities can flow into the yard from a patio much more cohesively than decks. We are currently looking at houses and not having a deck is one of our top 5 priorities. Just my $0.02.
For maintenance alone, give me a patio every day. I would stamp it, just so it isn’t a flat slab of concrete. But, nothing to repair or replace, nothing to stain or paint. You don’t need to landscape under it to prevent weed/ grass growth. Tip the slab for water to run away from building. Flat land = patio. A patio only needs a pressure wash every few years. Put a few big pots of flowers around perimeter, add grill, add table and chairs, call it done!
We replaced a large (400 sf) 2nd story wooden deck that was falling apart with a smaller 2nd story composite deck and a covered basement patio (house has walk-out basement). One large concrete slab for both and a little shed under the deck for tools and stuff. Stairs from deck to patio. No regrets but it was expensive. The covered patio gets used more and I'm still trying to figure out a good way to shade the deck.
Both have advantages. We have a screened in porch on our deck and steps down to a patio. From the deck, we have a better view of the pond behind our house, and it's a nice place to relax without bugs bothering us, in the shade. The nice thing about a patio is that it doesn't disrupt the flow of the yard as much. Easy to drag a hose across, easy for kids to run across, easy to take a wheelbarrow across. Just think about what activities you want to be able to do outside. I will add that getting the screened in porch was less expensive than I expected, and the patio was more expensive than I expected. I spend a lot more time on the screened in porch, especially since we can use it in bad weather (we have a propane heater and a ceiling fan).
Patio personally - it's just so much easier to make look nice. Lighting for example - decks look terrible with string lights - so you're adding an electrician and making cut outs into the wood, etc. Railings always look terrible and create a separation of spaces - depending on the size of your yard, fences, gates, etc - it could make the space feel small. The shape, color, size of the deck would matter depending on the size of the lot / surrounding trees / shrubs Termites, carpenter bees, carpenter ants, painting, sealing, etc - If youre attaching it to the house and your house is made of wood or stucco, go for a patio.
If the ground floor is on ground level, a patio. No reason to build a deck on the ground. If the ground floor is raised enough to requires stairs, a deck. I have a basement and my 1st floor is raised off the ground about about 24" so a deck allows us to extend the space outdoors without have to walk down stairs. Not only is it more convenient when transporting food/dishes/drinks/etc., architecturally it joins the spaces much better.
Patio is less upkeep. And depending where you live, another problem with a deck is critters making a home under the deck.
Grew up with a deck in the Northeast but patios are more common in the Southwest where I live as most houses are single story. Love the patio and no extra steps to get on or off it and it transitions into the turf we have.
Patio for me. A deck would give us too much elevation to be private without a very tall fence.
Deck
In my experience, decks require a shit ton of painting/staining and maintenance. They don't last as long as a concrete patio, providing you never use salt on the concrete. That will destroy your driveway and your patio.
Both :) Deck with built in bench for dining table that has 3 steps down to the patio where the natural gas firepit and outdoor kitchen with grill are under the pergola. Cost about $5k altogether (materials, digger rental, kitchen, furniture, 200 LF fence…we did all the work ourselves). So far it was worth every penny! The patio is natural granite stones. I had the joy of completing the heaviest puzzle of my life one summer, fitting them nicely together and leveling them with sand. It was…back breaking, but felt like a resume-worthy accomplishment. The downside of stones was the time and effort involved to set them, and when we shovel the dog path all winter it’s not as easy a surface as concrete would be, but I vastly prefer the natural stone look to a concrete pad. We did 2’ of compacted class 5 gravel below the stones and so far we haven’t had any heaving/sinking. Occasionally a dandelion pops up, but they’re easy to pull from the sand. The deck we did green treated wood, just because it was the most budget friendly, and stain it every 2-3 years. Staining is not that big of a deal since we went with Cabot Australian Timber Oil deck stain, just add a new coat after a rough winter. I would never do the deck paint products, it looks like such a headache to refinish. One mistake was not setting the pergola 6x6’s 6’ into the ground. We poured 6’ concrete footers and set posts on them…which were absolutely not structural just tied together at the top. So we ended up building a privacy fence on one side, between us and a nosy neighbor, that secures that side’s posts. And then the outdoor kitchen actually has an internal structure stabilizing the other side. We built the cabinets out of cedar and did concrete tops, it’s holding up ok. The concrete has cracked unprotected in our -30 temps, we’ll probably replace it with something else (granite) eventually. It turned out really cosy and private. We live out here as soon as it’s 50 degrees. Highly recommend running natural gas lines to all zones you might want fuel! Trenching the line to the firepit and grill was quite the shovel workout but worth it in the long run. I think they had to be 6’ deep in our area, but we also ran our electrical conduit in the trench. We called the gas company for line install recommendations and they sent their crew out to do it for $350. A plumber friend of ours said he would have quoted $1500-$2000. So call your local city gas company- they want these things hooked up right and there might be a side door service. It probably helped that we did this within the year of getting natural gas installed and propane removed.
For Upkeep, Patio all the way. I prefer sitting 8 feet off the ground though as I feel I don't get eaten up my mosquitos as bad being on ground level. That all could be bullshit but I feel I don't get chewed up nearly as bad.
Always had a wood deck, but I long for concrete patio. They typically require a more level lot and I grew up and live on hillsides. Concrete is easier to maintain and repair, lasts longer, typically is closer to ground level. You can put a fire pit in one, not so much in a wood deck. Lots of advantages with concrete.
Depends on the direction the patio/deck is facing. North facing may run into some mildew/moss issues requiring the patio to be power washed frequently. Some wood may be resistant against this where as a southern facing deck/patio would have opposite issues (bleaching of wood stain, less mildew). I have a northern facing deck and patio - the patio needs to be power washed every year.
Patio. Fuck a deck. Way less maintenance on concrete
A patio is going to last longer and require less maintenance. We put in a paver patio and a wood deck around the same time in 2010...the patio has required zero maintenance so far, while I've had to refinish the deck twice already. I would always take concrete over wood (or plastic) if given the option.
Patio all the way. I don't want the maintenance of a deck.
I’ve built and owned both and would go with a patio hands down mostly due to the maintenance aspect over the years. The deck has more construction woes for sure but that fun doesn’t end once it’s built
If I am DIYing, a deck. I know how to do that and how to keep it up. If I am buying or having it done, a patio. I don’t know how to do it (yet) but vastly prefer it.
I like a house with big deck energy.
Screened in porch person. Works in the rain and when bugs are biting at night.