Brick Pavers

• Paving bricks are available in several different styles and sizes. With surfaces from smooth to highly textured, you can choose the feel you prefer underfoot. Because they are small and lightweight, many homeowners have little trouble handling them when installing a patio. Uniform shapes and sizes make planning and installation a straightforward project that leaves little waste. Bricks are graded on weather resistance. Choose bricks with a severe weather (SW) rating for your outdoor patio. Bricks with this rating can withstand high degrees of frost even when permeated with water, according to Purdue University.
  
  

Concrete Pavers

• Concrete pavers come in numerous shapes, sizes and colors. Many are made to interlock, which makes developing a pattern for your patio easier and prevents the pavers from shifting as well. You can set them directly on tightly compacted sand to form a patio, allowing for relatively quick installation by many homeowners. Additionally, you can dress up an old concrete patio by installing the pavers loosely over the surface and mortaring the perimeter pavers to hold everything in place.
  
  

Tile Pavers

• Patio tiles are a suitable option for transforming your bland concrete patio into a more colorful project. Available in several uniform shapes, you can create interesting patterns with little trouble fitting the pieces together. Prices vary widely depending on the tile you choose, but tiles are an economical alternative to replacing an entire concrete slab. Tiles with textured surfaces are more suitable for patios, since smooth surfaces become slick and dangerous from outside moisture. Mix and match shapes and colors for additional interest.
  
  

Natural Stone Pavers

• Natural stone pavers are available in both irregular and uniform shapes. Flagstone is often used as a more naturally shaped paver where the pieces fit together like a puzzle and are installed on top of a concrete pad with mortar or laid on a firm bed of sand. You can fill the gaps between the pavers with mortar or smooth objects embedded into mortar for a more casual-looking patio. Pavers of bluestone or slate are commonly available in varying sizes of uniformly shaped squares and rectangles and laid in interesting, yet formal patterns. The natural textures and colors mean no two pavers are identical and the surfaces are naturally slip-resistant.