Patio options

[timetochangeusername]

I've got a grim rotten small area of decking which needs replacing

I'm getting quotes for its replacement and can't decide what to do. I don't have the money yet - it will take me another year to save (at least)

Options quoted for so far:
*Indian sandstone - it's near trees and I get a lot of leafs so it will get marked
*composite decking - worried about rats (think they may already be in the garden ) so would get chicken wire put underneath, but is this enough...!! I think this is winning so far apart from the rat issue ...
*brick pavers - much more expensive and I've been looking at brick driveways and they all have weed/moss and that would irritate me. Porcelain is about same cost .

It's a really nice area and very visible from the house so I don't really want concrete pavers . But I am not flush and it will take me a long time to save for it so can't be too extravagant .

Please help!!

It's really down to Individual taste and budget but personally I hate decking. A lot of maintenance required to keep it looking ok. Gets really slippery when wet. We have always replaced decking with Indian sandstone and to me it looks so much nicer and lasts a lot longer than decking. So that would be my choice.

I'd go for porcelain tiles. It won't mark and fade like the sandstone and I also worry about vermin with decking.

I'm getting Indian sandstone and noone has mentioned to me it will get marked?

I use a product called "wet and forget" to clean other parts of the garden so I can recommend that for stone cleaning.

We’ve had our decking replaced with Bradstone Monksbridge blocks , we have a block paved drive and it doesn’t take much maintenance to keep it looking good . I think it works out at £24 per sq.m . We’ve done a path with them as well and it looks lovely .

Thanks for all the replies! @Floralnomad just looked those up and they do look lovely. That would cut £1k off the price of materials ...

I think porcelain is too modern for my, erm 'rustic' look out back !

I quite look the composite look but I'm not convinced it's a permanent solution

I like Indian sandstone but I worry about black spots - isn't that the issue? Although maybe it's all part of the aging of it. I do get a LOT of leaf fall on the deck.

All the friends and family I've asked just have concrete pavers !

I have Indian sandstone and am surrounded by trees. It needs a power wash annually. Black spots you just by a black spot remover from Amazon and it removes and they don’t come back, I had some on my Indian sandstone path but not the patio.

Ok maybe sandstone and just not be too precious about marks ?!! Might also take the furniture off it on at end of summer so I can be a bit more on top of leaf sweeping, it's pretty small area just has a little sofa thing.

Can use the saving to buy a power washer - do you use that to blast the car clean as well?!!

Concrete is a very 'ractical material for paving, and not all concrete slabs look as bad as each other. I was looking at these for ours, for similar reasons: natural stone can markor stain too easily, and porcelain is more expensive (and I'm not keen on the look around a period house):
www.pavingdirect.com/tanners-mill-grey-green-bekstone

@CasperGutman those are lovely I agree. My folks have concrete paving and they are covered in marks, so I'm not sure they necessarily fair better ?