Is Decking Cheaper Than Paving? Which One Should You Use?

Beauty lies in the beholder, and while the root of all evil shouldn’t be a factor that anyone is forced to consider when they’re dreaming about and designing their ideal garden and yard, all of us are more than familiar with the wanton destruction that can be wrought on our plans by our financial circumstances. 

When it comes to creating your ideal outdoor space, money should be the last thing that you’re forced to think about, and in a perfect world, it would be.

But we don’t live in a perfect world, and the first thing that any of us need to think about when we’re about to embark on a large scale gardening project is how much it’s going to cost and whether or not we can actually afford to do it, 

Is Decking Cheaper Than Paving? Which One Should You Use?

That’s why you’ve probably tried doing the math, you’ve added the figures up and even though you know there’s a differential there, you still can’t make your mind up about whether or not you want to fit paving or install decking in your garden. It’s a tough call to make, and it isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. 

That’s why we’ve tried to take a little of the pain out of being forced to choose one or the other by putting together this easy-to-follow guide to the benefits, and drawbacks of both decking and paving.

So, with our help and the five or so minutes, it’ll take you to read this feature, hopefully, you’ll be able to finally stop putting the decking or paving decision off.

Money Makes The World Go Round 

We’re going to cut straight to the chase and tell you what you almost certainly already know. Paving is almost always cheaper, and easier to lay than decking is to install. In fact, if you’re following a simple design, you can probably lay the paving in your yard or your garden by yourself. 

But just because it’s cheaper, it doesn’t mean that it’s always the best economic solution to the problem, as decking can, and often does increase the value of your home. And sometimes, decking is the only way that you can effectively enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of your home. 

Granted, that probably wasn’t the answer that you were looking for, so to try and make things a little easier, we’re going to take a slightly more in-depth look at some of the positive and negative aspects of both decking and paving so that you can effectively and easily choose which option best suits your yard or garden and lifestyle.

Paving The Way

Humanity has been using stone and paving in our garden designs for thousands of years, and it’s almost become part and parcel of who we are, and how we define ourselves. And the only thing that limits the style and shape of paving (apart from the size of your bank balance) that you can fit in your yard is your imagination.

Paving Yays – Paving isn’t hard to fit if you’re just following a simple, straightforward design and if that’s the case,  you can probably lay it in a couple of days. But even if you do want to utilize a more complex design and need to employ a professional to lay it for you, it’ll take them less time to fit the paving than it would take a carpenter to build a deck in your yard. And less time means less labor and less labor means less cost.

There are rocks and stones on Earth that are more than four billion years old, so it stands to reason that your paving is going to last a while. In fact, it’ll probably outlast you, and even if a slab or tile does crack or break, it’s easy to replace or pay someone to replace it for you. It’ll last a lifetime and providing you keep it clean, it’ll always look as good as the day it was first laid. 

Paving Nays- Stone isn’t always cheap, and some paving can be just as expensive as, and can even cost more than, decking. If you are tempted to take the paving route, keep a close eye on the costs. 

Some types of stone can crack fairly easily, so find out as much about it and how much weight and pressure it can take before you fit it and discover that it won’t even support your garden furniture without breaking in two. 

Decked Out In Style 

In case you were wondering where decking gets its name from, it’s a hangover from the days when ships were made from wood and sailors used to walk on deck, and while it’s usually more expensive than paving, it does have a few advantages that paving doesn’t. 

Decking Do’s – The first decking thumbs up is that it always increases the value of your home, so should be looked at as a long-term investment that can be enjoyed almost immediately that will also bring an air of aesthetic pleasure to your yard. 

It doesn’t matter if your yard or garden isn’t level, you can still have decking installed and fitted and it WILL be level. You’re not limited by the size and shape of your garden if you choose to pursue the decking path. And contrary to popular belief, as long as it’s properly treated and maintained, decking, like paving can, and will last a lifetime. 

Decking Don’ts – Unless you’re a trained carpenter, you’re not going to be able to fit decking yourself, which means that you’ll have to employ the services of a carpenter and it won’t be cheap, and it will take more time to fit than paving will. 

Then there’s the planning permission. You’ll need to check whether or not you need planning permission to actually have a deck built, but any contractor that you call for a quote can, and will, be able to let you know whether or not you do need permission. 

Paving Or Decking? The Choice Is Yours

That’s just about everything that you need to know about both, and armed with all of the available information it’s up to you to choose which, decking or paving, suits you and your yard best. One last thing, when you do make your choice, use your head instead of your heart. Trust us, your pocketbook and bank balance will both thank you if you do.