One of the best parts of living in Southern California is our weather. Entertaining outdoors is a year-round event in sunny SoCal. But is your patio up to it?

Sadly, many homeowners are stuck with old gray concrete slabs that barely hold a barbeque. Most patios are about 200 square feet. That’s the size of a bedroom! 

Have you ever looked out at your patio and wondered, can’t I make it any bigger? You know, big enough to accommodate a barbeque and a patio set? A party with more than four people? What about an outdoor kitchen? 

Happily, it is possible to make that patio big enough to host all your parties and barbeques. With the help of a licensed concrete contractor, you can transform that boring gray slab into a party paradise. 

How much does it cost to extend my patio in Los Angeles?

When working with concrete, the sky’s the limit when it comes to design options. When you’re looking to extend your patio, you can go pretty basic and add some extra slabs, or you can go all out and really turn that patio into a palace.

If you’re looking for a basic extension of your patio, it’s going to cost you about $10 to $14 per square foot. That’s for extensions of gray slabs. Add an extra 200 to 400 square feet and you’re looking at extra space for some patio furniture, maybe even a fire pit.

Gray slabs may seem a little boring, but with some modern finishes, you can bring your original slab to the present. You can resurface your original slab and add some finishing touches to your new slab to spruce up your space. What are some surfaces?

• Rock Salt Finish: Bring some understated elegance to your concrete with a rock salt finish. This finish leaves small pits in your concrete, giving it a weathered look. As an added bonus, this finish is slip-proof – a must-have if you have a backyard pool.

• Broom Finish: It’s a classic for a reason. This slip-proof finish adds texture to your concrete. The look is achieved by dragging a special concrete broom over the new surface as it dries. You can switch up the design by switching the direction of the broom lines to get some variation in design. 

• Stained and Stamped: I guarantee you’ve seen this look around your neighborhood. The great thing about concrete is that it can mimic the look and feel of almost any building material. Want a brick finish? You can do that with concrete. Want a slate or stone finish? Concrete can do that. 

While you can expect to pay about $10 - $14 per square foot for a basic gray slab, it can cost more if your existing concrete needs to be repaired. If you’re looking for the luxe look of stained and stamped concrete, you’re looking to spend about $15 to $20 per square foot. 

Should I extend or replace my patio in Los Angeles?

The simple answer is…it depends. In most cases, your licensed concrete contractor can easily add extra slabs to your original patio and install a new finishing layer. If your concrete is in good condition, with only very small cracks, it’s a good candidate for extension and resurfacing. 

However, there can be extenuating situations in which you will have to replace your entire patio. When do you need to replace your patio? It all comes down to the cracks in your pavement. Concrete is one of the strongest building materials, but it does settle and small cracks can appear. If the cracks are ¼ inch or smaller, you’re good. Your licensed concrete contractor can easily fill those cracks and move forward with your extension. 

When do you need to replace your patio? If your patio is buckling, has cracks wider than ¼ inch, or has chunks breaking off, it’s time to replace it. Chances are, there are structural problems that are causing the problems. What can cause a concrete patio to fail?

• Water: Yup, water. When one of the strongest building materials on Earth meets one of the most destructive forces on Earth, the results are not great. Concrete is poured on top of soil. If you have a water pipe leak under your patio, that soil is going to erode, causing your concrete patio to shift and possibly buckle.

• Too few joints: You know those straight lines you see in sidewalks? Those are called joints. You need joints in your concrete because your concrete needs room to expand when it’s hot. Not enough joints? The concrete has nowhere to go when it expands and it’s going to crack.

• Not enough reinforcement: If you live in an older home, your concrete was probably not installed with rebar. That rebar helps hold the concrete in place as it expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Newer concrete is generally installed with more reinforcement to keep it in place.  

• Improper installation: You may not have owned your home when the patio was installed. Just know that if your concrete is not mixed correctly, isn’t allowed to cure adequately, or the space wasn’t properly prepared, your concrete will crack. 

Still not sure whether to extend or replace your patio? Then it’s time to consult a licensed concrete contractor. A licensed concrete contractor has enough insight into concrete that they can determine the correct course of action to turn your backyard into an oasis. 

Extending walkways, driveways and porches in Los Angeles

Take a walk around the outside of your house. What else could be extended? 

• Driveway: Your driveway may have been built with homeowners only had one car. Maybe you want to widen your driveway to accommodate two or more cars.

• Walkways: How narrow is your walkway? You may want to widen it for safety reasons. A wider walkway is just plain safer. Not only that, but if you or someone you love has mobility issues, you may want a wider walkway to accommodate a walker or a wheelchair. You could even add an ADA compliant ramp to your front door. 

• Porches: Maybe you want the focal point of your front yard to be your porch? You can easily add to your porch with extra slabs of concrete. You could even install higher fences in your front yard, extend your porch and entertain from there!

Anyway you look at it, concrete is simply one of the more sturdy and versatile building materials on the market. Just ask the Ancient Romans. Their concrete is still standing 2,000 years later. Working with a licensed concrete contractor can ensure that your vision becomes a reality. Give us a call today for a free quote.