Is Porcelain Paving Better Than Natural Stone?

If you’re considering undertaking a garden renovation now that the weather has turned and summer is right around the corner, one of the many options you have is to include a new patio. Whether you have an existing patio that needs redoing or you’re considering laying a new one entirely, patios provide a practical, stylish space where you can entertain yourself, the family and guests for years to come.

Deciding to add a patio to your garden, however, is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you’ll need to decide which type of patio slabs to install. Are you going to opt for traditional materials like natural stone or a more modern option such as porcelain?

In this blog, we take a closer look at the two popular patio materials to see which one comes out on top!

Porcelain Paving vs Natural Stones 

Traditionally, natural stone flooring products have been used within interior and exterior home renovations due to their stunning authentic appearance. Bringing a more natural aesthetic to a range of indoor and outdoor designs. However, natural stone does come with some drawbacks. These include being highly porous, difficult to maintain and diminishing performance over time. Things a more modern porcelain paving slab avoids and it’s for this reason why so many homeowners are now opting for porcelain.

So, let’s take a look at some of the major advantages your outdoor space can gain through installing porcelain paving slabs.

Advantages of choosing porcelain over natural stone

Fewer upkeep requirements and low-maintenance qualities are the first advantages that porcelain paving boasts over natural stone. Thanks to porcelain’s ingenious manufacture, the finished product offers extremely low levels of porosity, absorbing less than 0.05% of surface water. As a result, porcelain paving slabs never need to be sealed for them to be protected, unlike sandstone tiles for example. This provides long-lasting protection, as you’ll never have to worry about damage from excess moisture, perfect for any outdoor tile!

As well as high moisture resistance, porcelain tiles are very easy to maintain and never require deep cleaning. If they do, all it takes is a mop and soapy water and they’ll be looking good as new. Natural stone products, on the other hand, are far more strenuous when it comes to upkeep. Requiring regular sealing and cleaning.

More suitable for the outdoors 

The second advantage that porcelain offers over natural stone is its suitability for outdoor use. We’ve already talked about how porcelain offers higher resistance to moisture but thanks to its ability to be produced in a thicker profile of 20mm, porcelain paving is robust and far stronger than traditional natural stone. This allows homeowners to use porcelain paving in a variety of outdoor settings, whether it be for a new patio, a path or a driveway.

And another benefit that you get with thicker porcelain pavers is the ability to dry-install them! Here, you can lay porcelain slabs without using messy adhesives such as cement and mortar and instead, use innovative installation methods such as pedestals and frames. Perfect if you ever choose to relocate your patio!

More sustainable 

Are you someone who cares about their impact on the environment and wants to make more sustainable choices across different areas of your life? Well, with porcelain paving you can do just that! Outdoor porcelain tiles are created using raw materials with minimal waste. Any waste that is produced during the manufacturing process is recycled straight back into production. The finished product also contains zero resins, varnishes or waterproofing agents which can damage pollute the surrounding air.

On the other hand, natural stone flooring requires regular polishing and sealing which produces damaging gases when exposed to flame. So, for anyone looking to make better environmental choices when it comes to their outdoor paving, porcelain is definitely the way to go!

These are just three of the major reasons why porcelain paving is better than natural stone! We hope this blog has helped to make your outdoor flooring decision easier and good luck with any future outdoor renovations.