Creating a new look for your patio can be very exciting. Choosing to get rid of old and chipped patio pavement or laying down a patio for the first time can leave you open to a ton of new ideas. However, with so many different materials out there, you want to ensure that you are selecting the type that will best suit your perfect patio, creating the backyard of your dreams. This not only means that you want an attractive patio material, but it also means that you should be mindful of how that material reacts to the climate that you live in, as well as how it will look after rainfall.
If you live in an area that’s humid and rainy, you want a material that can stand up to the elements while still maintaining its original look. Most stones and other patio materials have porous elements, which means they absorb water, affecting their look and color once they have been rained on. To make sure you’re happy with what your patio could look like wet, get a sample of your chosen patio paver and wet it to see what it looks like when rained on. It may not seem like such a big deal at first, but because it can take upwards of 24 hours for some patio materials to completely dry, you want to be sure that you like how your patio looks just as much as when it’s wet than when it’s dry.
Patio materials for wetter climates
If you have any concerns about how your patio flooring will deal with wet conditions, then it helps to know a little more about the material you’re using. Sandstone pavers are your best bet if you live in humid climates, especially near the ocean, where you must pick a material that won’t get worn down by salt water over time. This natural stone is easy to find, durable, and slip-resistant, and it’s more porous than some other stones, which allows water to quickly move through it. This also means that sandstone will take on a different shade when it is wet, but this isn’t necessarily a bad trait as the variation in color or tint may keep the look of your patio fresh and interesting as the weather changes.
Granite pavers are also ideal as they have non-slip properties in rainy conditions, and they retain their look well, even when wet. Another type of patio paver stone that does this well is limestone, which is highly resistant to water, allowing it to keep its original color even when it rains.
