[Latest Survey 2026] Concrete Ranks First for Exterior Paving Materials! Meanwhile, What is the 'Unexpected Dissatisfaction' Many Gravel Users Face?

Solar Partners Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Akihiro Nakajima), which operates "Gaikou Exterior Partners," an estimation site for exterior and landscaping work for detached properties, conducted a survey on "exterior paving materials" through its own service.

◆Survey Overview

・Target: Individuals who have previously registered for any service of Solar Partners Inc.

・Period: April 25, 2026 ~ April 29, 2026

・Number of respondents: 107

*When quoting this survey in web media, please cite the source and provide a link to Gaikou Exterior Partners (https://www.gaikouexterior-partners.jp/contents/28263).

What is the main paving material you use in your garden or exterior?

Concrete was the top choice for main paving material at 38.7% (41 cases), followed by gravel at 25.5% (27 cases). These two combined account for approximately 64% of the total, indicating that these two materials have become standard for residential gardens and exteriors. Meanwhile, options such as artificial turf (8.5%), weed control sheet + gravel (7.5%), and interlocking blocks (4.7%) also garnered a certain level of support.

What was your reason for choosing that paving material for your exterior?

Notably, "weed control" ranked high for all four major materials. However, for concrete, "parking/bicycle parking" was overwhelmingly the top reason, and for gravel, "cost" stood out, revealing clear differences in the context for choosing each material.

Please tell us your satisfaction level after actually installing that paving material in your exterior.

Comparing the percentage of "very satisfied + somewhat satisfied" for the four major materials, a clear difference in satisfaction levels emerged.

Artificial turf: Approximately 89% (8 out of 9 people)

Concrete: Approximately 68% (28 out of 41 people)

Gravel: Approximately 41% (11 out of 27 people)

Weed control sheet + gravel: Approximately 38% (3 out of 8 people)

Despite an adoption rate of only 8.5%, artificial turf showed high satisfaction. Conversely, weed control sheet + gravel, which is supposedly chosen as a decisive solution for weed control, had the lowest satisfaction among the four materials and the highest dissatisfaction rate, revealing a reversal phenomenon.

What were the good points about choosing that paving material? (Multiple answers)

Looking at the relationship between selection reasons and effects, concrete (parking/bicycle parking) and artificial turf (appearance) achieved their "intended effects." However, for gravel, "nothing in particular" ranked third, indicating a weak sense of effectiveness.

Do you have any regrets or dissatisfactions?

The most notable point here is that approximately 40% of gravel and weed control sheet + gravel users, who supposedly chose these materials for "weed control," reported "weeds growing." 10 out of 27 people (approx. 37%) for gravel and 3 out of 8 people (approx. 38%) for weed control sheet + gravel are troubled by weeds. This reveals the reality that laying sheets alone does not completely solve the weed problem over time.

On the other hand, concrete had the most responses for "no dissatisfaction" (18 cases), with its only weakness being "cracks, chips, and sinking" (7 cases). Deterioration due to long-term use emerged as an issue.

Summary

This survey highlighted the following three characteristics:

Concrete has high satisfaction and a high rate of no dissatisfaction, but "cracks, chips, and sinking" unique to concrete are issues.

The biggest motivation for choosing paving materials is "weed control," but gravel and weed control sheet + gravel users are troubled by weeds, suggesting that these measures may be insufficient.

Despite a low adoption rate, artificial turf has an outstanding satisfaction rate of approximately 90%, and is highly evaluated for both appearance and practicality.

It can be said that when choosing paving materials, considering not only "initial cost" and "appearance" but also long-term weed control effects and deterioration over time greatly influences final satisfaction.

About Gaikou Exterior Partners

We operate "Gaikou Exterior Partners," an estimation site for exterior and landscaping work.

The feature of this service is its "matching type" mechanism, where exterior planners are on staff to introduce optimal contractors by matching customer interview content with the strengths of affiliated stores. Since exterior construction is a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people, we have established a support system that allows first-time users to use our service with peace of mind.

Eight advisors with exterior planner qualifications are on staff to handle troublesome communications such as scheduling adjustments, price negotiations, and refusal notifications on your behalf.

We have high standards for screening affiliated contractors, and as of April 2026, we have over 600 affiliated stores nationwide. After affiliation, we continue to verify the personality of the person in charge and the atmosphere of the office through customer surveys and on-site visits.

For those who desire new exterior construction, we introduce contractors who can create design perspectives, and for those who desire renovation exterior construction, we match them with contractors suitable for the construction content.