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The brief reply to the question is yes. However, if you are thinking of repainting your outdoor patio rather than replacing it you truly ought to not try to do this on a tight budget - which may seem counterintuitive but it will be counterproductive.

Top-quality acrylic based paints would certainly be best. However, you must understand that to provide resilience these paints will certainly require to be applied heavily and also in numerous coats with a brush or roller. Also, they should be allowed to completely dry normally for a couple of days, so please inspect the forecast prior to starting this course of action. These paints are often designed for warehouses for marking safety routes so the colour options may also be a little unnatural for a garden environment. 

With a painted patio - remember this is just a layer and will undergo table and chair bumps and scrapes. It may give a band-aid approach to boosting the look of your patio for a little while but once the paint starts to chip away attempting to overpaint once more will certainly not look great!

Of course, you can simply lay a paving piece on any surface area however you need to think about what will be completed effect. If you just intended to use a few slabs simply as a stepping rock then with a little sand and a little work with a spade you could level the ground to place a paver that can be stepped on without wobbling for a while. However, if you are intending on utilising chairs, tables, bar-b-ques you really should set your paving slabs into an effectively-prepared sub-base, which will certainly provide a strong, flat base for your pavers to then be fixed onto a mortar base. This will prevent weeds from showing up via paving joints and also ensure you do not have loose or unsteady paving stones.

Clearly, an installer who only does one of these will persuade you down that particular path. However, there are some scenarios where one may have the edge over the other. One of the main ones being the budget you are working with.

As a quick comparison - especially against wooden decking a patio made up from any of the slab options we have covered will be stronger, and as a result, last longer and require less maintenance. However, if you want to have a large single level social area and have a garden on a steep slope decking will offer a more cost-effective solution. The decking can be laid on a frame, which can simply be build up from the lower end of the slope. To do the same for a paved patio will require much more death moval and supporting walls to be constructed so will be more costly. 

Yes - certain types of paving can also be used for a driveway so you can have consistent paving from the front of your house down the sides and to your back garden patio. 

Not all pavers will be suitable but granite setts and driveway grade Indian stone would be perfectly good choices for this.

Clearly, this will depend on how dirty your patio is and whether or not staining has taken place.

For regular quick and easy cleaning simply mixing a cup of washing up liquid in a bucket of warm water and brushing this across your patio with a firm bristled brush is suitable for all types of pavers. 

Pressure washing can be used for most pavers but this can remove sealers - although thoroughly cleaning this way will be good preparation for re-sealing when dry. with a pressure washer you should be more careful near the joints as high pressure can damage and dislodge jointing. If this does happen it is best to apply some jointing compound to prevent this from becoming an area for weed and algae growth. There are many options on the market, many of which can simply be brushed into the gaps so no DIY skills requried.