Patio Paver & Hardscape Contractors | Design and Installation
Trusted by countless Virginia residents, contractor Mark Shriner and his dedicated team of builders design and install custom patios across Northern Virginia each season. We take pride in installing custom paver and hardscaping elements that truly take outdoor spaces to the next level.
Our team can handle any project you have, from full-size patios to elaborate stone walkways and even custom retaining walls! Distinctive Deck Designs will help you achieve the patio of your dreams that functions the way you need it to and last for years to come.
Types of Patio Pavers
Choosing the right patio paver can be challenging for homeowners. Here’s a list of paver types and their attributes:
Stone Pavers
Types and Sizes: Engineered and Permeable; Available in sizes as small as a child’s hand to pieces as large as hardwood planks or large tiles
Applications: Use engineered patio pavers for driveway applications or areas with heavy traffic. Use permeable for lighter traffic walkways, flower beds, curbing, patio surfaces, and more.
Technology and Installation: Permeable pavers are custom designed to help improve water drainage by allowing any water buildup to pass through the stones to the underground structure. These pavers can be connected via interlocking pieces or with a neutral color mortar.
Color Options: Available in many colors (neutrals, grays, blues, etc.)
Color Consistency: Provides most uniform look with minimal color distinction when side by side.
Ideal for Northern Virginia? Yes. We recommend permeable pavers for Northern Virginia homeowners because they provide a preventative measure for our summer rains and heavy winter snowfalls. Both forms have the most uniform look with minimal color distinction when side by side.
Flagstone
Types and Sizes: Engineered and natural-made; Multiple Sizes and Color available.
Applications: Walkways, wall veneers, outdoor kitchen surfaces, outdoor fire pits and fireplace surroundings.
Technology and Installation: Often sourced as a naturally made product but can be bought in man-made forms. Installation is adhered with a neutral mortar connecting it with another surface. As a flooring surface, we pack the area beneath it for a strong surface and use cement or commercial-grade mortar to help secure pieces.
Color Options: They often range from grays, blues, tans, neutrals, and dark browns.
Color Consistency: Colors vary and will not be an exact match throughout your patio space.
Ideal for Northern Virginia? Not all flagstones are suitable for our climate and can crack in extreme temperatures. Let our patio contractors help you choose the right type that will withstand our winter temperatures.
Slate Pavers
Types and Sizes: Natural stone made with clay, silt and sedimentary rock particles; Can be cut to size.
Applications: Most ideal for patio surfaces, patio walls, outdoor fireplaces and retaining walls; other uses include fire pits and smaller walkways.
Technology and Installation: Often sourced in the Mid-Atlantic area. There are man-made options on market too. Installation is like flagstone with commercial-grade mortar or cement.
Color Options: Colors are often in grays and blues, but some browns and greens can be present.
Color Consistency: Slate is not consistent, and it is ideal to place complimentary colors adjacent to each other to create the illusion of a uniform look.
Ideal for Northern Virginia? Slate, like flagstone, does require routine sealing to protect the stone from environmental erosion. It can be susceptible to splitting or cracking.
Brick Pavers
Types and Sizes: Available in many forms and sizes
Applications: Best seen in uses for walkways, pathways or raised flower beds, patio surfaces, and more.
Technology and Installation: Brick products are often man-made with crushed concrete, granite, quartz, and other stone particles. Pieces can be installed side by side without a bonding agent. Other installations include interlocking pieces or bonding with commercial grade mortar or cement.
Color Options: Colors are often neutral tones but can be tinted or painted in different tones.
Color Consistency: Brick is the most uniform stone paver type because it is a mass-produced man-made product.
Ideal for Northern Virginia? We recommend this product as the "best value" because bricks are sold at lower price points than concrete paver products. They can withstand heavy traffic and extreme weather conditions when installed properly. Talk with our patio contractors to learn how to prevent weed growth with the use of polymeric and engineered sands and grouts.
Custom Hardscape Designs for Your Home
In addition to patio paver installation, Distinctive Deck Designs contractors provide options for other hardscape elements to enhance your outdoors.
Stone Walkways
Another beneficial use of pavers is stone walkway construction. The texture and colors of stone walkways help them harmoniously blend with the surrounding landscape. There is an almost endless variety of patterns and shapes that can be achieved for stone pathways.
Besides their elegant aesthetic appeal, stone walkways provide practical advantages. They are extremely durable, resistant to most weather conditions, easy to clean and require very little maintenance.
Retaining Wall Construction
A great way to highlight elevation changes is with the use of custom retaining walls. As a practical way to retain soil in sloped areas, retaining walls can also provide a functional sitting area. Terraced areas of your landscape surrounded by retaining walls can be utilized for flower beds and shrubs to help add beauty to your backyard. They can also be designed as an effective water management feature by adding drainage that redirects water away from vulnerable areas that would normally collect water.
Why Choose Distinctive Deck Designs?
Patio construction and paver installation can be daunting tasks for homeowners. Our in-house contractors have over 20 years of experience designing and installing patios and hardscape features for Northern Virgnia residents. We provide in-house consultations and accurate price quotes to avoid any surprises. We also handle all state and county permit processes and work directly with HOA’s for any approval needed.
We proudly serve the following Northern Virginia cities: