4 Things Your San Antonio Concrete Patio Builder Must Do

Hiring a San Antonio concrete patio builder requires far more than an eye for style. From red tile roofs and Spanish stucco in Alamo Heights to sleek industrial architecture in The Pearl District, there’s no lack of design inspiration.

But does your patio contractor know how to build for San Antonio — not just look like it?

Allied Outdoor Solutions’ outdoor living design and contracting team brings nearly 2 decades and 25,000 projects’ worth of experience to your San Antonio concrete patio build. We know how to mitigate your shifting soil, protect against high UV radiation, and properly cure concrete in extreme humidity.

We build concrete patios San Antonio homeowners love — and ones they can trust to endure for decades. 

• Expansive clay soil and unpredictable rainfall are challenging. A solid concrete foundation and drainage plan are essential to creating a durable outdoor living space.
• San Antonio contractors must account for humidity and temperature fluctuations. Concrete has different curing properties in humid conditions. Our builders account for a growing number of freeze-thaw cycles in the San Antonio region.
• Protect your concrete patio from high UV radiation. San Antonio patios fight a constant battle against UV damage. A strong patio cover protects your materials, appliances and outdoor furniture.

4 Issues That Make San Antonio Concrete Patio Construction Unique

Building concrete patio spaces in San Antonio is unique to any other part of Texas. Our area has a unique blend of 4 climate and soil challenges that outdoor contractors must face:

1. Expansive clay soil
2. Unpredictable rainfall levels
3. Excessive humidity 
4. Extreme UV radiation

We’ve created stylish, durable patios from Shavano Park to Stone Oak and Olmos Park. Our expert local patio contractors provide real-world solutions to these geographic issues.

It’s all part of our exclusive 4-step design build process that’s earned the trust and respect of San Antonians for decades. 

Why Out-of-Town Outdoor Builders Struggle to Succeed in San Antonio

Our city was founded in 1718, and dates back even further. That’s over 300 years of history and tradition. Without deep roots in the community, it’s difficult to truly reflect what matters to the folks who live and work here.

San Antonio’s seen an influx of out-of-town outdoor contractors in the last decade. While many offer aesthetically pleasing outdoor living spaces, these builds don’t always solve local construction issues.

Allied Outdoor Solutions brings our San Antonio-based designers and contractors to every local project. Our teams live where they work. They understand the black clay issues east of I-35, and increased humidity along Salado Creek and the River Walk.

Black Clay Soil and Concrete Patio Foundations in San Antonio

Most of Texas sits on a bed of clay-rich soil. The black clay soil of San Antonio is particularly expansive — it shrinks and swells easily as it rains and dries out.

This “gumbo soil” is incredibly fertile, but it’s a real challenge for patio construction.

When local homeowners come to us for concrete patio renovation, we hear the same issues time and time again:

• “When my yard soil shifts, my patio starts to separate from the house.”
• “My patio heaves during rainy years and settles during dry ones.”
• “My slab wasn’t thick enough, and now my whole patio is tilted away from the house.”

Our Solution to Clay Soil Patio Construction

Our team of concrete patio installers uses a proven 3-step approach to build stable patios on San Antonio’s black clay soil:

Step 1: Proper Site Preparation

• We take extra care with proper subgrade compaction. High-quality aggregate is used to ensure proper load distribution on your patio.
• Subsurface drainage is critical in San Antonio patio foundations. Talk to our team about French drains and underground drainage pipes.
• Soil grading in north and northwest San Antonio is often needed to level out your patio space in these rolling, hilly areas.

Step 2: Reinforced Construction

• A thicker concrete slab is ideal in many San Antonio backyards. An enhanced patio slab offers greater crack resistance and prevents shifting and settling.
• Some local homeowners benefit from reinforced concrete slabs. Steel mesh and rebar offer increased protection against heaving and soil-related stress.
• Control joints work well in San Antonio. These joints allow space for expansion and contraction in controlled areas, rather than across your entire slab.

Step 3: Integrating Style with Function

• Concrete overlay materials like Carvestone offer the structural stability of modified concrete with a boundless amount of design flexibility.
• Utilize Carvestone to mimic your favorite local styles — like stamped concrete, faux brick and clay tiles.

Outdoor Concrete and San Antonio’s Unpredictable Rain

Locals know that there’s nothing predictable about rain in San Antonio. Groundwater experts here say average rainfall is “highly variable” — we saw 14” of rain in 2020 and almost 44” of rain in 2019.

Heavy rainfall is a threat to the stability of your concrete patio — but inconsistent rainfall is just as problematic. Our region’s black clay soil struggles to cope with intense fluctuations in moisture. Long, dry spells after rainfall lead to deep cracking underneath your patio.

Effective Patio Drainage in San Antonio

Over the last 15+ years, we’ve developed a two-stage patio drainage strategy to keep your foundation safe from heaving and cracking.

Subsurface drainage like French drains are an excellent defense against groundwater and moisture retention. These drains channel water away from your patio and towards the edges of your property.

A limestone aggregate sub-base retains just enough moisture to reduce cracking during dry seasons.

Surface drainage is crucial to the long-term stability of your concrete patio structure. Our designers strategically place catch basins and channel drains near doors and eaves to prevent pooling, mildew and surface moisture damage.

Our Moisture-Resistant Concrete Patio Strategies

The best defense against moisture damage on your concrete patio is a solid patio cover. Attached patio covers offer excellent protection from rain and moisture, and provide a seamless indoor-outdoor design flow with your house.

Gabled patio roofs don’t just add space and height to your covered patio. They create a natural sloped runoff for rain to flow away from your concrete and patio materials.

Talk to our contractors about the best concrete sealer for your patio. Natural stone and kiln-fired brick work well on covered patio supports — they match San Antonio’s aesthetics and offer heightened moisture resistance.

High Humidity Requires Specialized Concrete Installation

Did you know that concrete cures differently in high humidity? Humid conditions and concrete installation have a complex relationship — sometimes for good, sometimes for bad.

High humidity creates slower evaporation. This means your concrete receives more complete hydration, which benefits the curing process. It also creates a denser, less porous surface.

However, slower evaporation also means your concrete takes longer to cure. Impatient, inexperienced contractors often try to finish and seal patios too quickly — in humid conditions, this causes some real problems:

• Delayed finishing
• Surface weakness
• Mold and mildew growth

Our Concrete Installation Strategy in High Humidity

Installing a concrete patio in San Antonio requires a real understanding of local climate concerns. We specifically assign outdoor concrete projects to our most experienced San Antonio contractors for this reason. 

Our contractors know what works here. A little less water in the concrete mix reduces the effects of high humidity. Breathable curing membranes help stabilize hydration and create rock-solid, non-porous slabs.

Above all else, we know there’s no substitute for patience. You can’t jump the gun on finishing concrete in San Antonio’s humidity. We train our contractors to properly assess and monitor the curing stages of your patio concrete to ensure an outdoor living space that lasts decades.

Local UV Radiation Levels Threaten Your Patio

UV radiation is measured on a scale from 0 (very low) to 11+ (extreme). San Antonio’s UV index averages between 9 and 12 more than half the year, due to its low elevation and clear skies.

These average UV levels are higher than almost all of Texas. That doesn’t just burn your skin — it means local patios take a real beating.

Our patio contractors regularly see (x) ways that UV damages San Antonio patios:

1. Weakened sealants. UV rays break down the sealants and coatings on concrete.
2. Micro-cracking. Over time, UV radiation weakens concrete surfaces.
3. Fading and discoloration. Ultraviolet rays causes colors in decorative concrete and concrete overlays to fade, weather and stain.
4. Dusting. Ever notice a dusty, chalky texture on your outdoor concrete? This is caused by UV radiation making your concrete surfaces more brittle.

And that’s just your patio concrete. UV radiation also fades, cracks and weakens outdoor furniture, patio appliances, outdoor grills and ranges.

Our Protection Plan Against San Antonio UV Radiation

The most durable San Antonio concrete patios have built-in shade structures. Install a patio cover or pergola roof to divert direct sunlight exposure away from your concrete, furniture and appliances.

A solid roof provides the greatest protection against ultraviolet rays. If you still want a bit of sun, a louvered shade structure with adjustable slats may be right for you.

Ask your patio contractor about acrylic sealers and urethane coatings that are rated to protect your concrete from UV exposure. Seal concrete overlay materials like Carvestone every 2 years for optimal results.

Light colors perform well against UV: Lighter-colored concrete overlays and natural stone reflect sunlight and withstand UV damage better than darker materials.

Find Expert Concrete Patio Builders in San Antonio, TX

Every search for credible concrete patio builders starts with the Better Business Bureau. Look for companies with an A+ rating and active BBB accreditation, and read reviews to see how the business performs (and handles disputes).

Visit Allied Outdoor Solutions’ BBB profile and read about our service history in San Antonio.

Trustworthy outdoor living contractors proudly put their complete Google review history on their website. Our Featured Homeowner Reviews include over 2,500 reviews from patio clients in San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth.

San Antonio Homeowners Trust Allied Outdoor Solutions

Here’s what real Allied Outdoor Solutions clients say about our concrete patio services:

"Allied Outdoor Solutions did an outstanding job from start to finish! Their quality of work is excellent, and their communication throughout the process was top-notch. When a section of concrete was poured with a level spot that could have caused drainage issues, their own team caught it, removed the concrete, and re-poured it correctly without me even noticing the issue. That level of attention to detail is rare and so appreciated!” – Sarah M.

"Services provided by Allied include an outdoor kitchen, extended patio and Carvestone added to our existing and newly extended patio. They were excellent at leading the projects and keeping us informed as to the timing. They also worked well with us and responded quickly when we had questions and concerns. We are very happy with the outcome of our projects and recommend them." – Dawn B.

"Allied Outdoor Solutions did an incredible job on our new back patio. The work was high quality and they kept us informed throughout the entire process. They made recommendations and made sure to carefully review all of our options so that we knew exactly what we were getting. I would absolutely use them again." – Rachel H.

Patio Styles You’ll Love. Patio Durability You’ll Love Forever.

Allied Outdoor Solutions customers find us because of our beautiful concrete patios. They stay with us because our custom designs are built to last.

In San Antonio, that means patio foundations built to stabilize black clay soil, shade structures to reduce UV and moisture damage, and local experience with curing concrete in high humidity.

You deserve an outdoor living space with style you love, and the durability to last decades. Our San Antonio outdoor living designers are one free consultation away — let’s talk about your dreams.