Case Study: From Old Deck to a New Paver Patio

Something needed done about that ugly deck. The new Denver, PA homeowner couldn’t take it anymore.

The prior owner did what they could to make it presentable for the sale. They scrubbed it and slathered on another coat of paint where they could reach around the over-grown shrubs.

The first year the new owner was in this house, they tore out the crowding shrubs and trees in hopes to give better access to fixing the deck.

The cheapest option would have been to slap another Band-Aid on the situation by continually painting the deck, but that only would work for half a year until it would start to chip.

Should they tear out the old deck and build a new one? Pressure-treated lumber would only last for approximately 10-20 years. Even with maintenance, the fresh wood will become dirty, faded, and just need replaced eventually anyway.

This deck served its purpose. It was time to consider the replacement options.

Cost of a New Deck vs. Paver Patio

The new home owner considered the options. Paint the deck and get a few more years? No way.

The cheapest replacement alternative would be to build a new pressure-treated deck, but that seemed like a poor investment. A new deck would need staining or painting at some point anyway and they’d be right back to this rotten scenario.

The next viable alternative was to use composite decking materials. The homeowner had a few decking contractors bid on the project and was amazed at the costs coming in from $20,000-$25,000 for a new composite deck, not including a railing. The railing wasn’t even necessary because of the surface height, and seemed to box in the area.

Even in the case of composite decking, pressure-treated lumber is used for the structure underneath. This would mean more rot years later.

Since the old deck was close to grade, this homeowner wondered, “How much does a paver patio cost?” After meeting briefly with our landscape designer, the homeowner was amazed to learn that the cost of a basic paver patio was only slightly higher than the alternative of composite decking.

The choice was clear. Spend just a little bit more, and get a classier look that will last forever. Paver patios and retaining walls do not decay, and require far less maintenance than decks.

Materials Used for Paver Patio

The design process began, picking paver materials, wall block, patterns, and border materials.

This homeowner had a lot of experience with installing new trees and shrubs, so they elected to perform that part of the work themselves to keep the cost down.

After visiting a local showroom, Penn Stone, and looking over various manufacturer catalogs we provided, the homeowner decided to go with materials from E.P. Henry.

We decided together that the color blends should be warmer than the cold gray of the vinyl siding. For the patio surface, we used Bristol Stone (Golden Dakota) in a random pattern.

We tied in the color of the house’s trim with a border of charcoal Old Town Cobble and charcoal bullnose steps, to unite the grays of the house with the grays and tans of the patio. Coventry Wall Block in a similar color blend was also used as a backdrop for the grill and foundation for the steps.

Building a New Paver Patio

After the old wooden deck was removed, our crews began the preparation for the new patio. Soil was removed to make room for the new patio base. The foundation of 2A crushed modified stone was added and graded away from the home. This material was then tamped with a plate tamper to give a firm, yet porous base.

The landing outside of the back door was built first, along with the small seat wall which would serve as a backdrop to screen the back of the gas grill. Next, a thin layer of sand was evenly spread for pavers to be placed upon.

The remaining pavers were added and cut as needed, and edging material applied to keep them in place. The edging material was easily hidden by the surrounding mulch.

After all the pavers were in place, polymeric sand was swept into the joints to create an interlocking patio surface (polymeric sand only needs to be re-added every 3-5 years, and can typically be done by most homeowners).

Some new soil and seed were applied to areas disturbed by the construction. The homeowner then installed their new plantings and mulch beds and finished off the patio with a few new pieces of patio furniture and container gardens.

Landscape Design & Installation Success

This homeowner was thrilled with their new patio. When asked to comment, they had this to say:

“The designer listened to my suggestions and we worked together to find a practical solution. The construction phase was fantastic and only took a little over a week to complete. The crew members were polite, cleaned up each day, and communicated clearly with me along the way. Tomlinson Bomberger did an awesome job on our patio and I’ll be getting them to do more work in the years to come!”

If you’d like to see more pictures of the completed project, feel free to browse the images below. We also invite you to check out our galleries of various landscape design and installation projects we’ve done.

If you would like to talk about how we can help transform your property in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, or Dauphin counties, please don’t hesitate to contact us with the form below the gallery.

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