21 Cheap Patio Floor Ideas for Epic Outdoor Experience

If you clicked on this post, you know the healthy benefits of spending quality time in outdoor space. And since you understand how important your health is, it makes total sense that you improve your patio space with one of these cheap patio floor ideas.

Patio flooring is one of the popular home improvement ideas. Flooring your backyard, front yard, porch, pool pavement, and outdoor kitchen will make you, your family, and your friends love outdoor living.

Making your patio aesthetically pleasing automatically raises the value of your property. So, if you just want to improve your outdoor space to sell your property or to make it attractive to prospective tenants, you’re making a very prudent move.

Before we dive deep in, here are a few spoilers.

On average, square feet of the concrete slab will cost you $6. However, you may find it as low as $4 and as high as $8 per square foot.

What is the cheapest flooring possible?

Concrete slabs are still the cheapest and most durable flooring. If you don’t want to do anything with concrete slabs, I would suggest that you go for Vinyl flooring.

Sheet vinyl is, in some cases, relatively cheaper than concrete slabs. For example, you can find vinyl at around $2 per square foot or $6+ if you want luxurious vinyl.

However, vinyl will still come out expensive in the long run.

21 Cheap Patio Floor Ideas for Beautiful Patio Space

Here are some of the cheap patio floor ideas that will help you achieve a beautiful outdoor look.

1. Pea Gravel

Pea gravel_one of the Cheap Patio Floor Ideas for Epic Outdoor Experience
Source:@philly (Pinterest)

Let’s start with one of the most popular materials for patio flooring, pea gravel. This is a type of gravel that consists of small round stones in a mixture of brownish, blackish, greyish, and whitish colors.

They’re the best for decorating garden paths, garden dry rivers, and sidewalks. Pea gravel can also be used as decorative inorganic mulch for the backyard, front yard, and garden plants.

The main downside of pea gravel is that they’re porous which allows some plants to grow through it. As a result, it needs to be attended to frequently otherwise plants would take over.

2. Interlocking Deck Tiles

Interlocking patio flooring
Source:@Wood Insider (Pinterest)

The next greatly affordable patio floor materials are interlocking deck tiles. These are tiles that intertwine to form a sleek floor of tiles.

These interlocking deck tiles floor above the concrete. They can be installed on the pool pavement, on the garden path, on the porch, and around an outdoor fireplace.

Interlocking tiles are a great choice with only one tiny weak side. They’re not permanent flooring solutions. Unlike concrete flooring, interlocking is just a long-term but not a permanent solution.

3. Concrete Slab Patio Floor

concrete slabs for patio floor
Source:@Techo-Bloc (Pinterest)

Concrete slabs are another cheap patio floor idea. In fact, concrete slabs are the cheapest of every option you can try to go for.

Although it’s the cheapest, concrete slabs are not just long-lasting, but can also be the permanent patio flooring idea. You can use them with pea marble or white marble to create pavement along the backyard swimming pool, around the outdoor fireplace, or in the outdoor kitchen.

The main disadvantage of a concrete floor is that it’s boring to look at. This weakness can be overcome through some tiles or false carpets.

4. Outdoor Rugs

cheap rug for patio floor

Another cheap patio flooring idea is the outdoor rugs. These are carpets that are placed on the floor before putting outdoor chairs.

As you can guess, this is more of temporal flooring. You can keep them for a week or so and remove them after that. This means they’re easy mobile patio flooring solutions.

This is perfect for you can remove them during winter or rainy days, and replace them when the stay is awake.

5. Brick Pavers

brick pavers for a patio floor in the backyard
Source;@Gregs landscaping (Pinterest)

Brick pavers are the next great and cheap patio floor idea. These are building materials molded from clay, treated with heat, and made in similar sizes.

These brick pavers are great for outdoor spaces. You can use them to make an eye-catching pavement or path. And they can be used as a permanent flooring solution.

However, unlike concrete slabs or pavers, brick pavers easily chip or crack. And when exposed to runoff and direct sun, they weather very fast.

6. Artificial Grass

Artificial grass for patio floor
Source:@IKEA (Pinterest)

Do you want to through a party or you’ve got a particular event in your backyard? Well, you can get some interlocking artificial grass and decorate your porch or backyard space with them.

An event is just one option, but you can choose to keep them in your backyard forever. Just so you know, artificial turf can last up to 20 years when well cared for.

The major disadvantage is that although it looks like one, it’s not living grass. This means you won’t experience fresh air like that of living grass.

7. Vinyl for Patio Flooring

vinyl patio flooring
Source:@Nimvo (Pinterest)

You might know vinyl as a material for making walls or constructing porch ceilings or bathroom ceilings, but it’s used as a flooring material. In case you don’t know vinyl, it’s a synthetic plastic made of a polymer like polyvinyl chloride.

Vinyl is a durable flooring material that is, of course, not permanent but lasts up to ten years. The main pro with the material is that it’s got some luxurious materials that make the patio floor elegant and expensive.

On the other hand, vinyl is disadvantageous because it’s got shorter lifespan than wooden floors or concrete. It’s not biodegradable making it a non-eco-friendly material.

8. Slate Tiles

slate tiles for backyard
Source:@installitdirect (Pinterest)

The next cheap patio floor idea is the slate tiles. Slate is a dark grey metamorphic rock that is usually formed under high pressure and heat.

Instead of going for artificially looking slate, go for natural-looking slate tiles. The natural-looking slates bring out the best patio appeal in your outdoor space.

Although the slate tiles are elegant with the gray color and are also affordable, they’re very brittle. This means that they can easily break when pressure is exerted on them.

9. Terrazzo Patio Flooring

Terrazzo tiles for backyard
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Terrazzo floor is another one that is great for a porch, pool pavement, around a fireplace, or along the patio path. Terrazzo looks really elegant and sleek for the patio, and it’s also very durable.

The impermeability of the terrazzo patio floor makes it great for constructing structures around outdoor plants and flowers, and steps. This multipurpose flooring material is must-have for a modern building.

Slipperiness is the only weakness I can think of. The impermeable state makes it hold fluids spilled on it which would make someone triple and fall. However, this is true with modern floors.

10. Wood Decking

wood decking for patio
Source:@balconyfloor (Pinterest)

The other patio flooring idea is wood decking. This involves fixing wooden panels or boards on the floor of the porch, pavement, or any outdoor space.

This works perfectly if you’ve got wood patio chairs as well. And if you’re wood-DIY savvy, you can do this in a small DIY project. You can repurpose furniture into pavement or porch or fireplace areas.

Wood decking is a great option if you’re living in an area where the wood is easily accessible. However, it can easily crack and get stretched and requires frequent maintenance.

11. Composite Wood

composite wood for patio froor
Source: Pinterest.com

While still on the topic of wood flooring, composite wood is another option for a patio floor. This is the mixture of several materials like wood, plastic, and straw to create flooring boards.

Composite wood boards are found in online stores like Amazon and Alibaba. In other ways, you can just order them and start installing them upon arrival. These wood boards are relatively tough and stronger than ordinary wood.

However, just like any material, it does have its downsides. Composite wood is understandably expensive. As Travelers notes, it can cost over 15 percent more than pressure-treated pine.

12. Rubber Tiles

rubber tiles for patio floor
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Rubber tiles are another great choice for patio flooring. If you’re looking for durable, eco-friendly, and easy-to-clean tiles for your patio, you should go for rubber tiles.

Just so you know, rubber tiles are tiles that consist of synthetic rubber molded under pressure and vulcanized at a very high temperature. They’re soft and flexible, yet durable and clean.

However, in the early days of their installation, rubber tiles produce an annoying smell that fades away with time. At the same time, they’re not easy to install like other types of tiles.

13. Quarry tiled patio floor

quarry tiled patio floor
Source:@terratile (Pinterest)

Another excellent option for patio flooring is the quarry-tiled patio floor. It’s so easy to think that quarry tiles as being made from broken stones. However, quarry tiles are made from clay just like bricks.

Unlike bricks, quarry tiles are usually thinner and are intentionally treated to be stronger and more durable than a mere brick. They’re great for patio flooring.

14. Polished Concrete

Polished concrete is another option that you can look into for a patio floor. This involves treating and polishing the surface of your concrete floor with chemicals.

This is a popular floor treatment for an interior room. However, it’s not so popular in the patio space.

The main reason why people don’t like a polished patio is that a polished floor is hyper-slippery. For an area that may be exposed to rain and cold weather like the patio, this is not an excellent idea.

15. Poured Concrete

Poured concrete refers to the mixture of quarry stones and cement that is poured on a certain place and it’s allowed to solidify. It usually forms the base of most floors.

In other words, before you start installing tiles or wood decking, you place concrete on the floor first. This provides a rock-solid ground to anchor your tiles.

The question is: can the poured concrete be used as a patio floor on its own? The answer is yes. However, it’s not as beautiful as the tiles that may come on top of it.

16. Colorful Mural

mural painted patio floor
Source:@mom2wil (Pinterest)

The next excellent patio floor idea is to install a colorful mural on the patio. Just you know, a mural is a large painting or picture that is executed on the wall.

You can execute a colorful mural right on your patio. This is particularly great for a kids’ patio.

The painting or the picture can be some animals, animated characters, or abstract things. Or you can paint black and white checks across the patio.

17. Pebble Mosaic Tiles

pebble mosaic patio floor
Source:@Cool Creativity (Pinterest)

These are one of the most beautiful tiles on the list. They consist of smooth small round stones arranged artistically to create a beautiful pattern on the floor.

You can choose pebbles of the same color to achieve uniform flooring. However, there is no harm in opting for a mixture of white, brown, and black or grey pebbles.

Pebble mosaic tiles are great for outdoor not only because they’re aesthetically pleasing but they’re durable and not slippery.

18. Granite Flooring Tiles

Granite tiles are one of the luxurious patio floor ideas. You may know granite wall tiles, but they can also be used as patio flooring tiles.

These are sparkling tiles that consist of feldspar and quartz. The looks of granite flooring tiles are great for a modern patio. You can install them on the garden path, on the pool pavement, around an outdoor fireplace, or on the porch.

Granite tiles are a premium tiling option that resists stains and scratches when sealed. However, the major disadvantage is its price tag. Being a luxurious material, it may be expensive for most people.

19. Natural Stone for patio flooring

Depending on where you’re located, the natural stone tiles may be one of the cheap patio floor ideas. For example, if your property is located on a rocky spot or if you’ve got a rocky hill within your property, installing the natural stone tiles on the patio will be so easy.

You can use natural rocks and cement to create the path through the garden, the fireplace, or the pool pavement. And it’s not always the large rocks that are used for flooring.

Sandstones, pebbles, marble stones, granite, and slate in various sizes may be used as a floor of a patio.

20. Soapstone Tiles

soapstone tiles
Source:Pinterest.com

Soapstone tiles are another excellent material for patio flooring. A soapstone is a soft natural stone that has a large amount of talc.

Tiles made from these rocks are very beautiful and perfect for a patio floor. One of the reasons why people like soapstone is because it’s not slippery when wet.

21. Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are those that are made by treating clay with heat into rectangular or square beveled-edged tablets. They’re durable and wonderful tiles for a patio.

If you’re looking for long-lasting, affordable, and beautiful patio flooring tiles, ceramic tiles are an excellent choice.

FAQs on Cheap Patio Floor ideas

Here are some of the commonly asked questions regarding cheap patio floor ideas and their corresponding answers. Peruse through if you’re looking for specific information.

What is the cheapest flooring on concrete?

There are tons of cheapest flooring on a concrete floor. Check out vinyl planks or vinyl flooring tiles, patio rugs or carpet flooring, or artificial grass if it’s on the patio.

Otherwise, wood decking, composite wood tiles, terrazzo, and many other tiles are placed on top of concrete.

How can I cover my floor tiles cheaply?

Whatever the situation is that requires you to cover tiles, there is a solution. You can cover your tiles without removing them with vinyl planks or tiles, patio rugs, or artificial grass.

What is the best DIY flooring?

Honestly, if you’re a DIY person, you can play with various kinds of flooring. You can start by learning how to construct poured concrete. On top, you can install composite wood, wood decking, interlocking tiles, and any kind of tiles or paint a mural on it.

Final Thoughts on Cheap Patio Floor Ideas

Whether you want to improve your outdoor floor to increase the value of the property to sell it at a better price or to rent it at a cool price, this post has provided you with enough ideas to achieve all these.

The cheap patio floor ideas above apply in most scenarios. Whether you want a permeant flooring solution or you just want a temporal solution, this post has provided it all.

If you’re still looking for home improvement ideas, here are some posts on this blog that may interest you:

17 Inexpensive Porch Ceiling Ideas for an Adorable Porch Experience

22 Bathroom Ceiling Ideas for Elegant Interior Look

Otherwise, I wish you all the best!

Xoxo!

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