For many homeowners, the space outside the home can often become neglected in an unfortunate case of “out of sight, out of mind” – until the summer, at least.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, your garden could be a real showpiece of your property with a little imagination and touch of TLC.

Why not make the most of your outdoor space and give it a shot in the arm with a stunning porcelain makeover?

A few simple additions can make the world of difference - get ready bring the style with outdoor tiles and create an external design that’s truly divine!

Porcelain Pavers

When it comes to creating a beautiful outdoor tile design, few products can compare to the almighty power of porcelain paving.

Practical and low-maintenance, our pavers are built to last with superior thickness for durability. Best of all, they won’t fade or stain and are both frost-proof and slip resistant.

However, a good outdoor design isn’t just a case of pick a stick – there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing an outdoor paving tile.

Style and finish

From the wonderfully weathered charm of a wood-effect paver like a Forest Grey Larch to the dark and stormy statement of a Travertine Grey, a simple choice of tile can completely transform your outdoor design – so it’s important to get it right.

However, the actual finish can also have a dramatic effect on the overall presentation of your outdoor design. Most of our outdoor pavers come with a beautifully textured surface to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish that’s equally appealing underfoot.

Best of all, style and comfort comes with grip and traction, making for a fine tile that doesn’t lose its practicality, even in wet conditions.

Lawns

When it comes to incorporating paving slabs within an existing or prospective lawn, our pavers are more than up for the challenge. Porcelain paving slabs can make for a great garden path, adding a stylish pathway to your lawn - just think how good our Siena Basalt pavers, for example, could look on your grass - while also minimising the spread of mud and dirt through to the house.

Meanwhile, a porcelain patio can make for a fantastic complement to your lawn and make a great centrepiece for barbecues and parties under the stars. To give your tile design a well-rounded look, you may also want to incorporate borders or paver edging to separate your paved area from a lawn or plant bed.

Layout

While the majority of our tiles come in square or rectangular sizes, there’s no rule to say you can’t get creative with the layout. Uniform design does create a flawless finish that’s pleasing to the eye but a dose of creative flair can be equally as impressive.

Paving tiles can be used in a litany of ways to create a myriad of effects, patterns and shapes that will make your garden look truly special. A mix of rectangular and square tiles in varying alignment can look truly awesome once complete, while mixing and matching a set number of tiles can create a mosaic effect that’s mesmerising.

Meanwhile, strategic paver spacing complete with pebble-filled gaps can look even more impressive than tightly aligned tiles, while also making the most of the space you have. The limits to your outdoor design ideas are truly endless and certainly don’t stop with the parameters of a single tile.

Click the button below to explore our colourful range of outdoor tiles and order yourself some FREE samples!

Browse Outdoor Tiles

We all know that each PrimaPorcelain tile and paving slab is manufactured from the highest quality of porcelain, through a premium process of vitrification. But did you know that each and every one of our porcelain products is also rectified? 

What are rectified tiles?

Rectification is the process by which each one of our products' edges is mechanically cut to exact size with 90-degree angles, also known as edge treatment. This is just one form of edge treatment that enables a floor using these products to have a specific, more uniformed look. 

Why choose rectified tiles?

As a result of our porcelain tiles and paving being rectified, a number of great benefits occur. The biggest advantage of rectified products, however, is the control you gain over shrinkage. Like many materials, porcelain is susceptible to expansion and contraction during its manufacture when heated up and cooled down. With potential size variability based on just minute differences during firing temperatures. Therefore, ordinary products which are moulded, then fired but not rectified, will have slight differences in their dimensions that can affect how precisely and neatly they are laid out. Rectifying tiles and paving slabs creates a perfect product in terms of dimensions, resulting in a perfectly consistent floor.

Another benefit that rectified products offer is minimal grout joints. Finished floor made up of tiles and slabs that have not been rectified will consist of thicker grout lines in order to accommodate their oddly shaped nature. Something you do not want or need when looking to create a beautiful interior or exterior living space.

As well and thin grout lines, rectified tiles allow your grout line to be as clean and precise and your tile's edges. The perfectly straight edges and 90-degree angles allow you to create a floor that contains crisp, sharp grout lines, creating a strikingly classy finished look that everybody is guaranteed to notice. 

When looking for a rectified tile or paving slab, it is important to remember to purchase a product that has been fired, such as porcelain, and not natural stone. Natural stone products such as marble, travertine and granite are, by definition, already 'rectified' as they have been cut from larger blocks of stone. As mentioned above, our porcelain products have also been placed through a process known as vitrification. Their unique manufacture results in a much more robust and hard-wearing composition, in comparison to other types of tile such as ceramic. These two processes make our porcelain products the most superior on the market!

Click below to view our full collection of porcelain products and to order your FREE sample today!

View Our Porcelain Products >

For more information on our range of porcelain tiles, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our customer services today by calling 029 2080 3756 or emailing us at info@primaporcelain.co.uk - we'd be more than happy to help! 

If you are in the process of renovating your garden, or perhaps moving into somewhere new and have a blank canvas to work with, you may have pondered a decision that has split opinion and caused division since the dawn of time when it comes to your outdoor living area; deck or patio?

This is a particularly difficult decision for us as we believe our porcelain tiles and paving is the best option when it comes to choosing a new flooring option for your outdoor living space. However, decking can also be used to create truly breathtaking spaces. Especially if you match our porcelain products with an equally premium decking option such as composite decking boards. Ultimately, the decision between a patio or a deck can be decided by three factors, your garden's landscape, your practicality expectations and overall taste. We take a look at each of these a little closer to see whether a patio or deck comes out on top.

Landscape

You’re a bit stuck when it comes to the landscape of your property, and while the work to change it can be done, this can end up being costly! A huge benefit of composite decking is that because it is usually raised, construction can be a lot easier, speedier and cheaper! When laying a patio, more rigorous landscaping may need to be carried out in order to minimise any ground movement. Therefore if your outdoor living space requires a fair amount of landscaping, decking would be the most sensible option.

Winner = Decking 

Practicality 

If you're looking to design an outdoor space that offers the most practicality due to time or financial limitations, then a porcelain patio may be the choice for you. Our collection of porcelain products can be installed both inside and outside, meaning that if you already have porcelain tiles inside your home, you can then create a seamless transition leading outside. This can be particularly beneficial if you're looking to redesign both indoor and outdoor spaces at the same time as you can choose one porcelain product that you like and install it in both spaces at once. Composite decking, unfortunately, cannot be installed indoors so the possibility of a seamless transition is lost.

Winner = Patio

Taste

This last point is perhaps the most important as it should guide your final decision. Assuming you’re willing to make the investment in either porcelain tiles or composite decking, it’s how they look and fit in with the rest of your garden design that really counts! You may choose a patio for more traditional properties and a composite deck for modern ones, but both can work providing you put a bit of thought into the design. What's better is that both can be incorporated to create one, gorgeous, low maintenance living space that you can enjoy for years to come. To see an example of how you can combine composite deck boards and porcelain paving, take a look the case study from Windsor, England below! 

Winner = Both!

Deck/Patio Case Study >

If you have any questions that you would like to ask us regarding our collection of porcelain tiles or if you have any other general enquiries, then please do not hesitate to contact us today, where a member of our customer service team will be more than happy to help!

Unsure which porcelain paving range is right for you? We offer large and small porcelain tile samples so you can see the texture and design of our paving before making a purchase. Once you've picked your favourite porcelain paving, use our paving calculator to work out how many pavers you need & order directly through our website.

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 outdoor 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.

Did you know, we now offer large and small porcelain tile samples? Once you've picked your favourite porcelain paving, use our paving calculator to work out how many pavers you need & order directly through the website. We can't wait to help you transform your garden!

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 >