Best Small Patio Ideas With Natural Stones
Mar 28, 2023
Constructing a building, designing its landscape like adding a garden, garden stepping stones, walkways, driveways etc can take a lot of space that sometimes patios are often neglected or not included at all in the landscape design.
Thankfully, even the tiniest of spaces can be improvised to make a patio. There are no hard and fast rules that stipulate the size of patios. Hence, there are effective small patio landscaping ideas that one can follow.
Another factor that can deter patio design is the money involved. People often think it would cost a fortune to get a patio done. However, if you search a little further, you’ll find small patio ideas on a budget that will not cut a hole in your pocket and still give you beautiful results especially if nature is brought into the equation.
In this article, we take a look at some of the best small patio ideas with natural stones. First, though, we go over a number of factors to have in mind before choosing natural stones for your patio design.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Natural Stones for Small Patio Design Ideas
Cost: You don’t necessarily have to spend your life savings because of a patio project. Some who opt for a small patio do so because of the money factor, therefore, when planning on the type of natural stone to use, find out about the cost first and compare with your budget.
Some stones can be very expensive probably because they are rare or their quality while some can be much more affordable.
Patio design theme: You must have searched for different outdoor patio design pictures to pick a particular theme or design for the patio of your choice. Do you want your patio to have a formal, traditional or classic look? Or do you want a polished, brushed, antiquated, flamed, leathered, honed, tumbled, or sand blasted finish? Then you need to choose the best type of natural stone that fits the criteria.
The style or design of your patio should also correspond with your outdoor living area. If you want your patio to have a rustic look, you may want to go with flagstones. Or if you opt for a formal patio design, go for pattern pavers.
Stone durability: Unless you have plans of using your patio for only a short while, which is not usually the case, you need to carefully consider if the natural stone you are going to use will last for a long period of time.
Stones like marble and limestone might not be the best choice for your patio construction especially the floorings since it will be exposed to heavy pressure. While stones like granite, quartz, slate, travertine etc will be able to withstand pressure.
The natural stones you choose for the construction and design of your patio should have the ability to withstand splitting, crumbling and cracking to last longer.
Stain resistance: Natural stones have a vast variety of colors, like pink, classic black and white, golden yellow, green, blue, grey, coral color, and some are even multicolored.
When choosing natural stones suitable for your small backyard patio ideas, look for stones with colors that are often less likely to attract stains since your patio is an outdoor building. For instance, darker stones are less prone to staining or discoloration or harder to discover, and for that reason, they don’t require frequent sealing.
However, when you use stones with lighter colors, you will have to seal more often since such colors easily show dust, water marks, or fingerprints.
Apart from stains and discoloration, there are certain colors that fit some areas and will not look good in other areas. For example, the color that fits your bathroom might look very bad for your outdoor patio.
Size and structure of your patio: After viewing different outdoor patio design pictures, you must have seen a circular, rectangular, square free-form patio or even one that consists of different shapes connected together.
Since patio designs don’t compulsorily have to be rigid or box-like like normal buildings, you have the freedom of designing your patio according to your liking. For square patios, you can use pavers while for a rectangular shaped patio, you can use cut stone or edging stone materials.
If you prefer a circular patio, you can also make use of pavers and bricks since they can be laid in circular patterns. For free form patios that consist of curves, angles and other shapes, you can make use of concrete, which can be molded into any shape or flagstone.
6 Best Small Patio Ideas with natural stones
1. Brick
Brick is a highly durable natural stone that can produce an antique, traditional, classic or timeless appearance. It is one of the hardest and most resilient materials for building, hence it can withstand high loads, making it convenient for patio flooring and stepping.
Bricks are good materials for small backyard patio designs since they can withstand sun and harsh weather conditions and still maintain their color over time without fading. In a case where the bricks used in construction are damaged, they can be easily replaced.
2. Bluestone
Bluestone is a type of natural stone that is also good for patios. They are obtained from quarries and then produced in block form or any size and shape of the user’s liking. There are types of bluestones like thermal bluestone, natural cleft bluestone, bluestone stair treads and cut bluestone.
The fact that the name is bluestone does not compulsorily mean that they are blue in color, there are different colors like blue, blue gray, brown, gray, orange, purple, yellow, brown, rust and green colors, all based on where they were harvested.
Bluestones are known to have a beautiful appearance that will produce a patio that is both elegant and eclectic. They are also tough and resistant to freeze-thaw cycles, making it a great choice for outdoor buildings like patios.
However, their porous nature makes them retain a large amount of water, and so end up spoiling the natural colors and beauty.
3. Flagstone
Flagstone, also known as irregular bluestone, appears in colors like light brown, red, and dark gray. It also appears in a natural blue-grey color when it is polished to a matte finish. They are made from a variety of different rocks, like sedimentary or sandstone.
It is durable and strong enough to withstand high pressure. It is also easy to install. Flagstones, since they can be irregularly shaped, can be used for squares, rectangles, or any shaped patios.
After constructing your patio with flagstone, you don’t need to spend a whole lot on maintenance as it is able to withstand heat, moisture and constant use.
4. Natural Stone Pavers
Natural stone pavers are another choice when searching for small patio ideas on a budget due to the fact that they are one of the most affordable and long lasting natural stones. If you’re looking for either a natural or formal look, you can opt for granite as one of the small patio landscaping ideas.
Granite, with its weather and slip resistant features, can be used as a construction material for patio steppings or pool patios. They require little maintenance and the damaged ones can be easily replaced, reused or recycled.
Pavers can come in different sizes, textures and shapes like square, square, rectangular, circular or an irregular shape.
5. Granite
Granite is an igneous rock, produced when magma from deep within the earth slowly cools down. It has a shiny look and when flamed, can produce a porous natural polish. Granite is a good choice when you are looking for the best small patio ideas with natural stone since it is hard, non porous, and stunningly beautiful.
They can also last for a very long time, saving you the cost of frequently replacing damaged materials. Granites are good as small backyard patio ideas because they can withstand the freeze-thaw cycle and other harsh elements.
To prevent stains, scratchings, water splashes, and wear and tear, ensure to properly seal your granites when installing. Also, clean the surface of the material with harsh or abrasive cleaning products, instead use the recommended stone cleaning guide to prevent ruining the granites.
Granites also require little maintenance and are known to be poor conductors of heat, making it easier for them to give off a cooling effect necessary for a patio.
6. Travertine
Travertine is a type of natural stone that is formed from minerals in spring or river water evaporates. It is a member of the limestone family. This natural stone comes in different colors from light brown, gold, cream to pale gray since it takes the color of the minerals present when it was forming.
Travertine gives off a cozy and warm feeling which is an excellent feature of a patio since it’s for relaxation and gatherings. When it is tumbled, brushed or honed, it produces a wind-worn, ancient look. It also makes it a non-slip, suitable for flooring.
Conclusion
If you had any earlier worries about getting small patio ideas on a budget, then this article has probably offered some relief by considering the best small patio ideas with natural stones. Once you find one that suits your budget and surroundings, then you can order natural stones from our collection for your project.
By choosing us, you get expert guidance with selecting stones and also enjoy a glitch-free installation experience. You will thus avoid a lot of mistakes that can cost you more money whether you choose natural stone pavers, bricks, granite, bluestone, flagstone, travertine or any other item from our collection.
