By Metro Tiles & Flooring | Canada’s Trusted Tile & Flooring Experts
If you’ve started shopping for outdoor pavers, you’ve probably already noticed that the options are overwhelming. Concrete pavers alone come in dozens of shapes, colours, and textures. Then there’s brick, natural stone, porcelain, and everything in between. It’s easy to fall into analysis paralysis — especially when every option seems to have real merit.
The good news is that narrowing it down becomes a lot simpler once you’re clear on what you actually need from the material. Budget, maintenance expectations, climate performance, and aesthetic goals all point you toward different answers. Here’s an honest breakdown of the three main categories — concrete, brick, and natural stone — to help you make a confident decision for your specific outdoor space.
Concrete Pavers
Concrete pavers are the most widely used outdoor paving material in Ontario, and it’s not hard to understand why. They offer a strong combination of affordability, durability, design flexibility, and ease of installation that no other material quite matches at the same price point.
What they’re good at Concrete pavers handle Ontario’s freeze-thaw cycles reliably when properly installed on a well-compacted base. They’re manufactured to consistent dimensions, which makes installation straightforward and predictable. They come in an enormous range of colours, shapes, and surface textures — from simple rectangular formats to tumbled, aged-looking finishes that convincingly mimic natural stone. If a paver gets damaged, it can be replaced individually without disturbing the rest of the surface.
Modern concrete pavers have also come a long way aesthetically. The flat, slightly artificial look of older concrete paving products has largely been replaced by more sophisticated finishes — exposed aggregate, brushed surfaces, and multi-tonal blends that add genuine visual interest.
Where they fall short Concrete pavers can fade over time, particularly in colours at the darker end of the spectrum. The colour is throughout the paver rather than just on the surface, so fading is gradual rather than dramatic, but it is a factor to consider when choosing colour. In shaded, damp areas, concrete can also be prone to moss and algae growth — manageable with periodic cleaning but worth knowing about upfront.
Best for: Driveways, large patios, backyard entertaining areas, and any project where budget and ease of installation are primary considerations.
Brick Pavers
Clay brick pavers occupy a special place in outdoor design. They have a warmth, a depth of colour, and a sense of permanence that manufactured concrete products work hard to replicate but rarely quite achieve. A well-laid brick pathway or patio has a quality that reads as considered and lasting — it looks like it belongs.
What they’re good at The most compelling thing about brick is how it ages. Where concrete pavers can look tired or faded after a decade, brick develops a patina that genuinely improves its character over time. The natural clay pigments in brick are inherently colourfast — they don’t fade the way manufactured colour does. A brick patio laid twenty years ago, properly maintained, often looks better than it did new.
Brick is also exceptionally durable. Clay fired at high temperatures produces a dense, hard material that handles traffic, load, and weather without significant deterioration. In heritage neighbourhoods or homes with traditional architecture, brick paving has an authenticity that feels appropriate in a way that other materials sometimes don’t.
Where they fall short Brick pavers are more expensive than concrete, both in material cost and installation labour — the less standardised sizing of natural clay brick requires more care and skill to lay evenly. In very wet or shaded environments, brick can be susceptible to moss and can occasionally become slippery, though a sealant and periodic cleaning manage this effectively. Some brick products also have lower frost resistance than concrete, so it’s important to specify a brick rated for exterior use in a cold climate like Ontario’s.
Best for: Front walkways, entry areas, garden paths, heritage or traditional homes, and any space where the warmth and character of a natural material matters more than the lowest possible cost.
Natural Stone Pavers
Natural stone is in a category of its own. Limestone, granite, travertine, slate, sandstone, and flagstone all fall under this umbrella, and each has its own distinct character, performance profile, and price point. What they share is a quality that no manufactured product fully replicates — the depth, variation, and organic beauty of a material shaped by nature rather than a factory.
What they’re good at Natural stone is the premium choice for outdoor paving, and the visual results justify the investment. Each piece is unique — the colour variation, the veining, the texture — which means a natural stone installation has a richness and complexity that concrete and even brick can struggle to match. High-quality natural stone, properly installed and maintained, lasts essentially indefinitely. Granite setts used in European city streets have been walked on for centuries.
From a practical standpoint, many natural stones handle Ontario’s climate very well. Granite is extremely dense and virtually impervious to frost damage. Limestone and sandstone are softer and more porous and require more careful selection and sealing for cold-climate use. Travertine, properly sealed, performs well in most outdoor applications including pool surrounds.
Where they fall short Cost is the most obvious barrier. Natural stone is significantly more expensive than concrete and generally more expensive than brick, both in material and installation cost. The irregular sizing and surface variation of natural stone requires more skilled labour to install well, and the results of a poorly laid natural stone surface are more visually apparent than with more uniform materials.
Maintenance is also more involved than concrete. Most natural stone requires periodic sealing to protect against moisture, staining, and in some cases frost damage. Some stones — particularly softer limestone and travertine — are susceptible to etching from acidic substances and need to be kept clean.
Best for: Premium patios, pool surrounds, feature walkways, high-end home exteriors, and any project where natural beauty and longevity are the primary goals.
How to Choose Between Them
Once you understand what each material does well, the decision usually comes down to four questions.
What is your budget? If cost is a primary constraint, concrete pavers deliver excellent value without significant compromise on appearance or durability. If you have flexibility, brick and natural stone offer qualities worth paying for.
What does your home look like? The exterior architecture of your home is a strong guide. Traditional and heritage homes tend to suit brick and natural stone. Contemporary and modern homes often look best with large-format concrete or porcelain pavers, or with clean natural stone like granite or limestone. Transitional homes have the most flexibility.
How much maintenance are you willing to do? Concrete pavers are the lowest-maintenance option. Brick requires occasional cleaning and sealing in some environments. Natural stone requires the most consistent maintenance, particularly sealing. Be honest with yourself about how much upkeep you’ll actually follow through on.
How long are you planning to stay? If you’re planning to sell in a few years, a clean and well-installed concrete paver project delivers solid curb appeal at a reasonable cost. If this is a forever home, the investment in natural stone or quality brick pays dividends over decades — both in enjoyment and in property value.
You Don’t Have to Choose Just One
It’s worth remembering that mixing materials is entirely valid and often produces the most interesting results. A concrete paver driveway with a natural stone entry landing. A brick garden path feeding into a limestone patio. Porcelain pavers on the main entertaining area with tumbled stone edging. Combining materials — particularly when they share a common tone or finish quality — can add visual richness that a single material throughout can’t always achieve on its own.
Find the Right Paver at Metro Tiles & Flooring
At Metro Tiles & Flooring, we carry concrete pavers, natural stone, and outdoor porcelain across a wide range of styles, formats, and price points — all suited to Ontario’s climate and outdoor conditions. Whether you know exactly what you want or you’re still working through the options, our team is here to help you make a confident, informed decision. Come visit us in store and let’s find the right paver for your outdoor space.
🏪 Visit our showroom at 72 Devon Road, to touch and feel hundreds of porcelain and ceramic tile samples in every style imaginable.
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