This is PrimaPorcelain’s guide to installing a 'Loose Lay' stepping stone path in your garden. It is quick, easy and will enhance any outdoor space visually and practically, giving you year-round access to areas that may get muddy in the winter.

Your stepping stone garden path can be made using porcelain paving slabs you have left over from a bigger project, or you can order PrimaPorcelain paving specifically for this purpose – either way, it is easily achievable even for a novice and your finished path will be truly stunning.

What you’ll need:

• Straight edge spade
• Rubber mallet
• Straight edge or spirit level
• Brush
• Gloves (optional)
• Small bags of sharp sand

STEP ONE – Setting Out:

Plan your path before digging. Lay out your porcelain slabs to determine the ideal spacing and curve if needed.

STEP TWO – Digging Out:

Using the slab as a template, use the spade to cut around the slab.

The slabs are 20mm thick so you will need to cut down into the ground by around 50mm.  This will create a thin sand bed and will help ensure the slab sits slightly below the level of the grass to allow a lawn mower to pass over safely.   Please note: If laying the slabs in gravel or shingle, dig a shallower hole to allow the slab to sit slightly proud of the loose material.

STEP THREE – Laying Out:

Pour a thin bed of sharp sand into the hole making sure you spread it into all corners evenly, leaving a fairly flat surface.

Carefully place the slab in the hole, gently tap with the rubber mallet to ensure the slab is settled on the sand.  Then use a straight edge or spirit level to determine the slab is laid perfectly flat. Fill the gaps around the edges with sand, and finally brush the slab clear of sand. This process can be repeated if movement occurs once the path is finished.

STEP FOUR – Enjoyment and Maintenance:

Your pathway should be very low-maintenance but occasionally a slab may work its way loose, especially in areas of the garden that hold water, step three can be repeated here. 

Laying your path into a cement bed:

The PrimaPorcelain installation team recommend that if you want to lay these stepping stones into a cement bed you need to follow these steps but dig out approximately 50mm deeper to allow for the sand cement bed and use an SBR Bonding agent in the cement mix. They also recommend covering the back of the tile fully with the cement mix rather than the dot/dab method.

To view our range of porcelain paving, click here. Or if you’d like to speak to a member of our team about having a stepping stone path installed as part of your garden project, click here.

As Christmas approaches, we think its time to consider how you can decorate your indoor and outdoor spaces. This blog will inspire you to invest in some festive pieces to transform your home and garden for Christmas. 

Bring Nature Indoors

For centuries it has been a Christmas tradition to bring holly, ivy and evergreen trees into our homes for Christmas. Our 10mm Forest Walnut Tiles are ideal for giving you the look of real wood flooring, why not complement it with some of nature’s wintery gifts? Display pine cones, twigs of evergreen and chestnuts amongst your candles or around the base of your Christmas tree to create a beautiful festive look. (Just be careful if you have pets or little ones around!)

View our Forest Walnut Tiles here >

Dreaming of a White Christmas?

If you prefer to keep things a little more minimalist, why not adorn your home with delicate white and gold decorations, like the snowflakes pictured here? Gold, silver and white decorations perfectly complement our Tirolo Tiles and Paving range in white or cream, that can be installed both inside and outside. 

Tirolo Tiles and Paving range >

Merry and Bright

Adding lanterns to any indoor or outdoor area creates an ethereal atmosphere that’s perfect for Christmas. Our Stoneware Tiles in Greige are the perfect neutral backdrop for lanterns, giving a soft cosy glow to any room or outdoor space. There are lots of electric and solar-powered lanterns on the market that look lovely if you are cautious about using real candles.

See our Stoneware Tiles >

These are just a few ideas to inspire you to decorate your indoor and outdoor areas ready for the festive season. Of course, all of our porcelain tiles look gorgeous regardless of how you decide to decorate this Christmas. Take a look at our full range of products, you might even find the perfect paving gift.

Slate is an undeniably beautiful natural stone, but it does have some flaws that make it a problematic choice when tiling a large area. By understanding the different qualities of natural slate and porcelain slate tiles you can make a more educated choice about which tiles are right for your floor.

How is natural slate formed?

Slate is formed underground when minerals and sediments are compressed under intense heat and pressure; these sediments and minerals can be anything from chlorite to mica meaning that natural slate can have a lot of inconsistencies in its colour, quality, and porosity. No two natural slate tiles will be the same.

How are vitrified porcelain tiles made?

Vitrified porcelain tiles are made from clay and water that (much like slate) is put under immense heat and pressure to create a durable, aesthetically pleasing tile. The difference is that the components that make up vitrified porcelain tiles are controlled to ensure that the slate effect tiles have a more uniform appearance and are more structurally consistent.

Maintenance

Maintenance is often a factor that weighs heavily on people’s minds when they’re looking to choose the right material for their floors. Natural slate is quite a crumbly stone. This means that to keep natural slate floors looking their best you’ll need to regularly sweep and seal them– this can be time-consuming and costly. The brittle nature of slate also makes it prone to cracks and chips. These tiles can be hard to replace because the appearance of them is so varied.

On the contrary, slate effect porcelain tiles require almost no maintenance, simply give them the occasional wipe over and they’ll continue to look gorgeous for years to come. Porcelain is far more durable than slate meaning it is less prone to scratching or chipping and therefore, won't need replacing as often (if at all).

Porosity

As previously mentioned, slate tiles can range from incredibly porous to not very porous at all due to the way slate is formed. This does mean that some slate tiles are very prone to staining and others are not. This can make installing slate tiles in your kitchen or living room (where coffee and food spills are likely to occur) can be a risky move, but it really does depend on the qualities of the particular slate you’re installing. PrimaPorcelain’s slate tiles are notorious for their water-resistance, meaning they are far less likely to stain.

Can slate be installed outdoors?

Slate can be installed outdoors but can become very slippery when wet, a definite issue if you install them anywhere in the United Kingdom. PrimaPorcelain offers two thicknesses of slate porcelain tiles (10mm and 20mm) both of which offer excellent slip resistance making them the perfect choice for creating a visual flow from your inside to your outside space - a clever way to enhance the dimensions of your home.

PrimaPorcelain Slate Tiles:

• Consistent in colour and structure
• Incredibly easy to maintain
• Water-resistant
• Perform well indoors and outdoors
• Available in a range of colours

Do you think PrimaPorcelain slate tiles are the right option for you? If so, take a look at our slate range by clicking the button below:

View our Porcelain Slate Range here >

Our beautiful porcelain tiles and paving slabs can be used to transform the look of your balcony space completely. We have a gorgeous range of balcony flooring products that vary in both colour and style, all made from the same superior porcelain material. If you’re new to the concept of porcelain tiles then let us briefly guide you through their wondrous qualities, and why they’re a superior choice when it comes to balcony flooring and roof terraces alike.

Balcony Tiles & Paving >

The fine Italian porcelain we use for our balcony tiles outperforms all its rivals in every single way. Our tiles require no regular maintenance, so this means no time and labour is needed to keep your floor intact! The slabs we use also resist water, frost, fades, fire and slippages too; not to mention the fact they are strong and durable enough to be used for commercial use. What we are basically proposing to you is a material which looks as luxurious and appealing as natural stone, but comes with none of the drawbacks!

As our porcelain is such a fine performing outdoor material, it makes the perfect choice for those looking to revamp their balconies and roof terraces. Using pedestal supports, our balcony tiles can be dry installed – the beauty of this is you can create a level surface while also benefiting from acoustic and thermal insulation! Not only that, but this method of installation also allows for pipes, leads, and cables to be laid between the void.

You could even lay the tiles yourself, no adhesives or mortars are needed making it a relatively easy task for keen DIY enthusiasts. As nothing is sticking the tiles down they can also be removed easily – this is ideal should you need to lay wires, or remove them altogether.

One of the best things we think our tiles can offer your balcony is a complete makeover! If you have an outdoor space already that is a bit worn, weathered, and warped, realise its full potential through our sumptuous porcelain slabs. Made to look like some of the most exotic natural stone available – as well as also creating some new shades and finishes of our own – our tiles will transform your balcony into a pristine space that yearns to be used!

Browse through our gallery and case studies for visual evidence of the décor- dreams we realise; or why not get the ball rolling by ordering a FREE sample of our balcony tiles, so that you can have tangible evidence of its calibre.

If you have questions regarding our range of porcelain tiles & paving, do not hesitate to contact us today! 

    Contact Us >                             Order a FREE sample >

We have come to expect a lot of rain and snow throughout the autumn and winter months and many porous stone tiles emerge in spring looking a little worse for wear.

PrimaPorcelain products all come with a 10-year guarantee, are frost proof and have been given a unique slip resistance Grip Factor rating so you can purchase paving stones to withstand the many winters to come with confidence.

When you see this symbol on any of our products, it indicates the product has been awarded a Grip Factor of 5. This means the paving has a high-grip surface, reducing the likelihood of you having a fall in your garden this winter due to a slippery surface underfoot.

We have selected some of our favourite tiles that have a Grip Factor of 5, however many others also have this rating so be sure to look for this symbol when browsing tiles across the site.

Stoneware Tiles & Paving

Our Stoneware Collection combines the characteristics of real stone with PrimaPorcelain’s top-grade materials to ensure that these paving stones will look good and last all winter! Available in 4 colourways to suit any garden for years to come. Click below to shop the Stoneware Collection.

View Stoneware Collection >

Bolzano Tiles and Paving

These beautiful Bolzano tiles have a concrete effect that is perfect for indoor and outdoor flooring. They too are made of high-grade PrimaPorcelain that protects from frost and water damage. Click below to shop our Bolzano Tiles and Paving.

View Bolzano Collection >

If you have any questions regarding our tiles and paving, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling 02920 803 756 or send us an email at info@primaporcelain.co.uk. Remember, for a closer look at any of our tiles you can order 3 FREE SAMPLES today.