The benefits of porcelain paving.
Porcelain is increasingly becoming one of the most popular choices for paving in our gardens. Here’s our 5 reasons why and the benefits you will get from choosing Porcelain paving.
Durability
Because of the state-of-the-art manufacturing process, porcelain is incredibly strong and can easily withstand high levels of footfall. Porcelain is made from refined clay and naturally occurring materials, which are exposed to significant pressure and fired at high temperatures in a kiln. This process, known as the “vitrification process” creates an extremely strong and hard-wearing material, which absorbs very little water in its lifetime. Outdoor porcelain tiles will easily withstand any extreme or severe weather conditions without being damaged and are sure to provide a strong and sturdy base to any installation.
Maintenance
Due to the manufacturing process porcelain paving slabs are non-porous and will absorb little to no water. This stops any moisture from building up within the tiles and will help to prevent the growth of algae and mould, giving the Porcelain some of its low-maintenance benefits! This will also prevent any water from freezing inside the tiles which will mean that your porcelain won’t be susceptible to cracking during the winter.
To keep the newly-installed look of your patio, simply clean with hot soapy water, as you would your kitchen floor. It’s also important of course, like any paving option, to keep the area clear of any loose debris, such as leaves and to clean thoroughly around any garden pots or furniture to keep your tiles looking in perfect condition. There are also some great products that will help you to clean up the tiles with much better results than you could expect from a porous stone.
Design
As porcelain paving is man-made, there is a great deal of control over the colours and finishes which are printed onto the slab. This is something that you won’t get with natural stone paving as these will always feature variations. The wide range of colours and finishes also give much more opportunity to offer on-trend colours and styles and enable you to make your garden much more unique. The outdoor porcelain tiles are also impervious to fading and will stay true to their original colour, even when subjected to excessive heat and sunlight during the Summer months!
Price
Porcelain can often be thought of as a luxury or premium product when compared to other options. Whilst there are certainly a number of top of the range porcelain options there are also many products to suit all budgets, depending on the style and size of your installation. It’s also worth bearing in mind the aforementioned durability and longevity porcelain offers compared to other materials and as stated earlier you’ll spend less time having to clean it too!
Safety
Because of the way it looks Porcelain paving is often thought to be slippery but rest assured it is very safe. You can check the slipperiness of all tiles using the ‘slip skid rating’, which is measured in “R” values. Slip skid rating is measured from R9 through to R13, where R9 is for dry-only areas compared to R13 for areas which are consistently exposed to wet environments, such as swimming pools. All products we use are certified as R11, making them perfect for outdoor use where surfaces are prone to becoming occasionally wet due to the weather.
Get in Touch!
We hope you find the above information helpful but if you have any questions about your outdoor landscaping then get in touch to see how Stow Construction & Landscaping can help transform your outdoor living space.
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