Decking or patio? Both are incredible upgrades to any garden space because they give you more room to live outdoors. They’re the perfect settings to place outdoor furniture and entertain your family or guests. The concept and purpose behind the two are the same – the only real difference is the way they look and the materials they use.
Both decking and patio will give you a home upgrade you don’t regret, yet one might be slightly better than the other. As the title reveals, there are three big reasons to consider picking decking over a patio.
1. Decking Is Cheaper
Installing a deck is cheaper than installing a patio due to a couple of factors: the cost of the materials involved and the cost of labour. Decking requires less preparation and isn’t as complicated to install, plus all of the materials are a lot cheaper than those used when adding a patio to your garden.
Analysis from Checkatrade backs this up and shows that the cost per metre of a deck can range from £4 to £25, depending on the specific material used. On the patio side of things, you’re looking at an average cost of between £30 to £45+ per square metre. All in all, decking is much more affordable.
2. Decking Is Easier To Maintain
Laying down patio stones means you then have to maintain the natural stone pavings. This isn’t always that difficult, though a patio is more prone to weed growth than decking. You can reduce your deck’s maintenance even further by opting for composite decking as your chosen material. Composite decking is resistant to rot, and you can clean it with a quick blast from a pressure washer.
You don’t need to slather your deck with special oils or sealants; it’s a simple case of laying it down and then brushing off leaves or giving it a pressure wash every couple of months.
3. Decking Provides More Value Overall
Patio and decking will both add value to your home because they improve your garden space. They also give you some external living space, which is almost like gaining an additional room for some home buyers. You’re probably going to add around 10% to your home’s overall value with either of these outdoor additions.
That’s excellent, but think about the overall return on investment. Decking is cheaper to install, so that 10% of added value only tells half the story. Some reports suggest that a deck gives you an 82.8% ROI, which is more than you get from installing a patio. So when it comes to the overall value for money, decking is king.
Make no mistake about it, decking and patio are both great additions to a garden that you’ll love spending time in. You honestly won’t be making a mistake by choosing one or the other – and there’s every chance you simply prefer the look of a patio. But if you’re looking at which option is an all-around better purchase in terms of costs, profit and maintenance, then decks reign supreme.
