--- title: What Is the Difference Between Stamped Concrete and Patio Pavers? description: Both stamped concrete and patio pavers can enhance the look of your outdoor space, but one is easier to fix and replace than the other. image: https://back40landscaping.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SRA_RES_BEL2013_Patios_CatalinaStoneSlate_003-1536x993-1-1.jpg --- 3 Min Read # What Is the Difference Between Stamped Concrete and Patio Pavers? Aug. 14, 2021 When thinking about installing a  patio, driveway, or pool deck homeowners like  you may be wondering what material you should use. Materials like stamped concrete and brick patio pavers can give you an outdoor living space to entertain on, and be functional for you and your family. The type of hardscape material you choose should be based on the usage of your space (Like how big your patio area is), and the look that you are hoping to achieve for your finished hardscape project. If we haven’t met before allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Back 40 Landscaping and our expertise is in retaining walls and hardscaping. We also like to bring education to those looking for retaining wall and hardscaping solutions. ## What Is Stamped Concrete? Stamped concrete is textured or patterned concrete that resembles brick, stone, tile and flagstone. It is commonly used for sidewalks, driveways, pool decks, and patio design. ## What Are Patio Pavers? Patio pavers are concrete paving stone that are made by pouring a mixture of concrete and coloring agent into a mold of a shape, and allowing it to set. Paving stones are commonly used to make driveways, roads, patios and paver walkways. ![patio-pavers](https://back40landscaping.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fragment-of-the-square-paved-of-a-large-granite-ti-2021-08-29-08-46-15-utc-1024x678-1.jpg?width=960&height=635&name=fragment-of-the-square-paved-of-a-large-granite-ti-2021-08-29-08-46-15-utc-1024x678-1.jpg) ## Patterns, Design, and Colors For Stamped Concrete and Patio Pavers Both stamped concrete and pavers come in a variety of colors and textures. Concrete pavers  can come in different sizes, and range from plain squares to more intricate designs, like flagstone. If color is something that is important to you, keep in mind that with stamped concrete you will not be able to see the color you are getting before the concrete slab is installed. This can be a problem if you want your hardscape materials such as stamped concrete patio, concrete driveway, or pool decks to have an exact color. Stamped concrete is prepared on site, and skill is required when mixing in the color. The colors of a stamped concrete design are added to the top of the slab, and are not integrated into the entire concrete slab, so the color can chip or wear off. Once the color is mixed, you are stuck with it. If you going for a specific coloring for your outdoor living space it can be tricky.  Brick pavers however, are a different story. When choosing what color of brick pavers you would like, you are able to see the exact color, texture, and style of paver you are buying, and the amount of paver patterns are endless. Concrete pavers also give you the added touch of being able to do a border around your hardscape project, and to have more than one color in the paving stones. Some paving stones look more like a natural stone while others look man made. For whatever patio installation that you are doing, you want to make sure that your patio are matches/compliments any hardscape that is in your outdoor living space.  ![](https://back40landscaping.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/the-backyard-of-the-house-2021-11-19-01-58-41-utc-1024x683.jpg?width=960&height=640&name=the-backyard-of-the-house-2021-11-19-01-58-41-utc-1024x683.jpg) ## What Is More Durable? Stamped Concrete or Concrete Pavers Brick pavers are significantly stronger than stamped concrete and can handle all outdoor living weather conditions, and traffic. For high foot and vehicle traffic areas, stamped concrete is not ideal because concrete cracks and breaks under pressure. In areas with heavy rain and cold winters ( like our Canadian winters!)  where the ground is prone to expanding and heaving, stamped concrete accelerates cracking. To help make stamped concrete more resistant to cracking it is constructed with control joints that are typically cut through the pattern on the concrete. This control joint detracts from the overall look of the finished product, and may make homeowners dislike the look of the finished hardscape project. ## Repair and Replacement In the unlikely event that your pave patio gets a crack, or cannot be cleaned, they are easily replaced by removing the individual pavers, adding base material if needed, a layer of sand, and putting in a new one. You can even DIY, if need be, and concrete pavers are easy to find in store, so this makes finding a color match much easier. This makes your outdoor living space useable again in a short amount of time, and because of how easy it is to replace the individual concrete pavers, is a low maintenance option for paver patio installations. Stamped concrete on the other hand is not as simple to fix. A contractor will need to come and patch the damaged area, or cut it out. Matching the existing concrete with a new patch or repair is hard because the concrete fades over time. Whatever option you choose, be sure that you keep all of these factors in mind when choosing which product to go with.  Hardscape projects of any kind can add richness and beauty to your outdoor living space and are definitely worth the investment. Interested in investing in a patio? read [how much does a paver patio cost?](https://www.back40landscaping.ca/how-much-does-a-paver-patio-cost/)  Tags: [Patios](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/tag/patios) ![back 40 landscaping retaining cost guide in abbotsford, bc (1)](https://back40landscaping.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Foundation%20Images/back%2040%20landscaping%20retaining%20cost%20guide%20in%20abbotsford%2c%20bc%20(1).png?width=400&height=400&name=back%2040%20landscaping%20retaining%20cost%20guide%20in%20abbotsford%2c%20bc%20(1).png) ## Planning Your Project? Get the Cost Insights You Need - Accurate price ranges for popular landscaping services - Tips to help you budget effectively and avoid surprises - Features and materials for your project [Access Your Cost Guide double_arrow ](https://back40landscaping.ca/landscaping-retaining-wall-cost-guide) ## Related Articles [![](https://back40landscaping.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SRA_COM_BEL2015_Patios_Pools_Moduline_005_LG-1536x1450-1.jpg?width=352&name=SRA_COM_BEL2015_Patios_Pools_Moduline_005_LG-1536x1450-1.jpg) ](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/the-best-patio-you-can-get) ### [The Best Patio You Can Get](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/the-best-patio-you-can-get) [Patios](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/tag/patios) After brewing your morning coffee, you step out onto your outdoor patio, and watch the sunrise. There is a faint smell of the fire you had in your new fire pit last night in... [![](https://back40landscaping.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/cost-patio-3--Nov-16-2024-08-12-18-0319-AM.png?width=352&name=cost-patio-3--Nov-16-2024-08-12-18-0319-AM.png) ](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/what-is-the-difference-between-a-raised-patio-and-a-ground-level-patio) ### [What Is the Difference Between A Raised Patio and A Ground Level Patio?](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/what-is-the-difference-between-a-raised-patio-and-a-ground-level-patio) [Patios](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/tag/patios) When it comes to designing your outdoor living space ( outdoor patio and outdoor dining space), one of the first things homeowners should consider is whether or not you want... [![Patio with landscaping](https://back40landscaping.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Foundation%20Images/Services/Patio%20Renovation%20Photos/Elevated%20patio%20with%20a%20small%20landscaped%20garden%20by%20Back%2040%20Landscaping%20in%20Abbotsford%2c%20BC.jpg?width=352&name=Elevated%20patio%20with%20a%20small%20landscaped%20garden%20by%20Back%2040%20Landscaping%20in%20Abbotsford%2c%20BC.jpg) ](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/how-to-landscape-around-a-paver-patio/) ### [How to Landscape Around a Paver Patio](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/how-to-landscape-around-a-paver-patio/) [Patios](https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/tag/patios) Paver patios add a beautiful spot for homeowners to enjoy their time spent in their backyard, but on their own concerete pavers ( or brick pavers) can look hard and... ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Natasha Maerz", "url" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/author/natasha" }, "dateModified" : "2024-11-28T11:39:32.995Z", "datePublished" : "2021-08-14T14:16:00.000Z", "headline" : "What Is the Difference Between Stamped Concrete and Patio Pavers?", "image" : [ "https://back40landscaping.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SRA_RES_BEL2013_Patios_CatalinaStoneSlate_003-1536x993-1-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/education-center/what-is-the-difference-between-stamped-concrete-and-patio-pavers", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/back-40-landscaping-logo-transparent-3.png" }, "name" : "Back 40 Landscaping" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/#back40landscaping", "@type" : "LocalBusiness", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "CA", "addressLocality" : "Abbotsford", "addressRegion" : "BC", "postalCode" : "V4X 1Y5", "streetAddress" : "30353 Sunset Cres" }, "image" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/hubfs/Logo/test/back-40-landscaping-logo-white-transparent.webp", "logo" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/hubfs/Logo/test/back-40-landscaping-logo-white-transparent.webp", "name" : "Back 40 Landscaping", "openingHoursSpecification" : [ { "@type" : "OpeningHoursSpecification", "closes" : "16:30", "dayOfWeek" : [ "Monday" ], "opens" : "08:00" }, { "@type" : "OpeningHoursSpecification", "closes" : "16:30", "dayOfWeek" : [ "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday" ], "opens" : "08:00" }, { "@type" : "OpeningHoursSpecification", "closes" : "12:00", "dayOfWeek" : "Saturday", "opens" : "09:00" } ], "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/back40landscaping.ca/", "https://www.instagram.com/back40landscaping.ca/", "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPBamgRYCxNTbnbCN1ehbGA", "https://www.google.com/search?q=back+40+landscaping&oq=back+40+landsca&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j69i57j46i175i199i512j69i61l3.3447j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x5485cb6c3c1abc6f:0x7093e643eeb29c6c,1,,," ], "telephone" : "(778) 808-6961", "url" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "areaServed" : [ { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Chilliwack" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Abbotsford" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Mission" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Langley" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Burnaby" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Maple Ridge" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Port Coquitlam" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Surrey" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "New West Minster" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Walnut Grove" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Crescent Beach" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Mt. Lehman Area (Abbotsford)" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Promontory (Chilliwack)" }, { "@type" : "Place", "name" : "Anmore (Port Moody)" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Review", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Springman" }, "itemReviewed" : { "@id" : "https://back40landscaping.ca/#back40landscaping" }, "reviewBody" : "Sam and his Back 40 team were amazing to work with on our retaining wall project. Very professional and upfront from the moment he came by to look at our old failing wall, and worked around a few tricky spots and provided an amazing final product. We would use them again in a heartbeat and easily recommend them to anyone looking for quality and efficiency." } ```