Porcelain Paving Slabs: Understanding the Outdoor Material
Apr 13, 2023
The stonework you select to cover the patio space will serve as the background for your other design decisions. You can help your family build a beautiful patio area by picking from traditional motifs and modern Italian porcelain patterns. Due to its excellent quality and numerous advantages, premium porcelain paving slabs are now very popular.
For your garden patio, porcelain paving slabs are a high-performance, low-maintenance solution that is more attractive, sturdy, and long-lasting than genuine stone or concrete.
Let’s know more about it in detail in the sections below.
What is Porcelain Paving?
The uniform coloration and surface texture of Premium Porcelain Paving slabs result in elegant, sophisticated modern patterns. It is comparable to porcelain tiles, which may be used on many surfaces, including driveways, walkways, and garden areas. These slabs are 20–25 mm thicker than regular tiles.
Ground sand, feldspar, and excellent clays are combined to create porcelain paving slabs, which are then compacted under intense pressure and heated to temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Celsius. A substantial slab with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 per cent is created when the silica in the mixture transforms into a glass and seals off any air pockets.
The porcelain paving slabs are more durable and frost resistant than natural stone since they are more rigid and absorb less water. Due to their manufacturing technique, which yields relatively few sizes and shape variations, these slabs are very practical and can be installed easily.
You can choose from various porcelain paving options, such as classic or modern Italian porcelain designs. You may find many of these slabs on the market to help you make your final choice.
How to Lay Porcelain Paving Slabs?
The process of laying these slabs is different from that of laying natural stone paving. You can find a step-by-step guide to laying porcelain paving perfectly to answer your question: How to lay porcelain paving slabs?
Step 1: Create the base for laying the slabs as you do for different types of natural stones by checking the levels and digging the site.
Step 2: Lay a compressed scalping sub-base to create a solid and level foundation. It will aid in the free drainage that jointing compounds require.
Step 3: To ensure a good bond, make a mortar mix with a sand-to-cement ratio of 6:1.You should remember that paving this slab requires more accuracy than paving an ordinary natural stone patio.
Step 4: It is essential to create a bonding bridge between the slabs and the base due to the non-porous quality of porcelain paving slabs. Make sure to prime the rear surface of slabs before laying them at the base. Use the slurry mix to paint the reverse side of the slabs before laying.
Step 5: The specialists always advise professionals to set the porcelain pavers on a mortar bed that is 40 to 50 mm thick. As the slabs must have full mortar support, ensure no mortar dots or pads. There is a high chance of cracking on the slab if a single movement occurs below the slab after lying.
Step 6: One of the most crucial processes in the porcelain paving process is this one. To create a strong link between the slab and the mortar meeting point, carefully follow the tamping work. So be sure to tamp effectively to create a solid bond.
Step 7: Use spaces to get the grout joints between 5-8 mm and use good material for creating the pointing joint. Most experts recommend fine grain slurry grouting. Do not forget to clean excess grout before it dries.
How to Care for Porcelain Paving Slabs?
The advantages of porcelain paving over natural stones are its durability, density, and low moisture absorption rates. But still, some aspects need to be considered to maintain the paving correctly. The following are some methods that can help clean porcelain tiles and other slabs.
- Remove the dust and dirt by using a vacuum cleaner, or you can sweep the tiles.
- For a slightly deeper clean, you can use chemical cleaners. But it would be best if you remembered that the regular use of these chemicals might lead to the eroding of grout points.
- Use low concentration detergent powder for adequate cleaning. To remove the residue of detergent, you can use warm water after cleaning.
- A scrub brush can be used to get rid of stains.
Benefits of Porcelain Paving
Before selecting porcelain paving, it is essential to consider what distinguishes it from other paving techniques. You can find some reasons for choosing porcelain paving over alternative surfaces here.
- In contrast to natural stone or concrete pavers, these slabs never require the addition of sealer during the entire installation procedure to protect from water-based stains. Porcelain paving slabs are naturally non-porous and never soak up water.
- The non-porous property of these slabs is also helpful in resisting erosion beneath the slab’s surface.
- These tiles are made from naturally occurring materials and refined clay. High-tech production processes make it stronger and more resistant to weather, sticky stains, and errant plants and flora.
- Due to high-quality bedding, these tiles last for many decades, and you will never need to worry about them cracking.
- Porcelain’s non-slip surface makes walking even more comfortable for children and the elderly. These slabs can be used on walkways, swimming pools, and close to sprinklers.
- Porcelain pavers are chemical resistant and do not need to be secured too much. You need to do basic cleaning to maintain it.
- One factor that sets these slabs apart from other paving is their extremely difficult-to-scratch surface.
- Due to its non-porous nature, porcelain paving slabs’ beauty endures for a very long time.
- Porcelain does not deteriorate over time when exposed to sunshine as other materials do.
The Bottom Line
Even though porcelain paving is slightly more expensive than other building materials, you won’t ever regret selecting these slabs for your home. You can contact any professional paving contractor with good experience in their particular industry for installation purposes.