Concrete tiles have long been a staple of outdoor design. From garden paths to patios, few tiles can boast the enduring appeal of the classic concrete paver.

Rather than lose its appeal over time, this fixture of flooring fashion has somehow managed to maintain its cool in the face of resounding competition. In fact, recent years have actually seen concrete make a stony resurgence in the home, proving once more that the persistent popularity of concrete paving is truly set in stone.

However, this is the 21^st century after all, and even a classic can reinvent itself and move with the times – which is exactly where our stone-look concrete pavers come in.

 

Concrete-look paving

Outdoor porcelain is the new breed of external paving tile. Blending the aesthetic style of a traditional concrete paver with the superior durability of modern materials, the modern incarnation of this enduring fixture brings porcelain powered practicality with all the visual effect of the original.

Concrete-look pavers offer a stylish, industrial look that has become increasingly popular in design circles as of late. Proving that cyclical fashion even extends to the world of exterior home design, what’s old is new again in the world of tiling and concrete-look pavers are once again a prominent fixture.

 

Benefits of porcelain pavers

Bringing the humble paving slab kicking and screaming into the modern day, porcelain pavers offer a myriad of benefits that not only match their original counterparts but supersede them in almost every way.

These benefits include:

• Extremely low-maintenance
• Stain, fade and scratch resistant
• Sturdy and hard-wearing
• Moisture and slip-resistant

 

Why choose porcelain?

If you think you have to sacrifice looks for low-maintenance upkeep, think again. Our porcelain tiles bring with them every bit of the visual allure of the real thing and our concrete-look range is no exception.

Forget the precast, mass-produced, stainable flooring of yesteryear; our faux-stone porcelain is the next evolution of the concrete paver and is not only visually more appealing and durable but also far easier to install.

Best of all, most of our outdoor tile designs can be coupled with our indoor tile ranges for a seamless transition from outdoor to indoor design.

Whether or not you choose to go complete concrete with your design, the fact remains: there truly is no substitute for porcelain if you want a flooring design that looks great year after year.

 

Concrete porcelain paving

At Prima Porcelain, we offer a wide range of porcelain pavers to ensure you’re not short on options, whatever your design preference.

We believe there’s a tile to suit any outdoor space and you won’t be short on selection. Here are three of our most popular concrete effect tiles:

 

Concrete Greige

Combining two of the most popular colours in outdoor paving, the Concrete Griege is a classy tile with contemporary style, offering a unique blend of grey and beige tones in one porcelain paver.

Providing a modern finish that’s built to last, this statement tile is the perfect addition to transform your external space into a beautiful outdoor living area.

 

Concrete Silver

If you’re looking to brighten up your external property with a lighter touch of concrete colour, our Concrete Silver paving could well be the paver for you.

Offering instant radiance to any outdoor space, this silvery slab will bring some shine to your outdoor design with stone-look style that lasts.

 

Concrete Grey

The darkest of our concrete-look range, these shady pavers bring an element of elegance and distinction to your outdoor design for a truly stunning finish.

Blending the natural beauty of an authentic concrete tile with porcelain powered practicality, the Concrete Grey has the ability to reinvent an outdoor space, without straying too far from its natural stony allure.

So, there you have it – concrete style with a modern twist! What are you waiting for? Head over to our outdoor paving pages and check out our concrete-look porcelain pavers. Click the button below for a free sample pack and see the power of porcelain for yourself!

Free Samples Pack >

Renovating your outdoor space can be an expensive endeavour, particularly if you run into unforeseen issues along the way.

If you’re looking to give your garden an underbudget overhaul, porcelain paving could be a surprisingly economical option that pays dividends for years to come. 

Order FREE Porcelain Paving Samples >

Don’t believe us? Let’s take a break from laying tiles and lay down the facts with this handy blog on just why porcelain may be the cheapest patio flooring for you long-term.

 

Outdoor flooring options

 

Okay, before we get into the nitty-gritty of our porcelain patio products, let’s take a quick look at the outdoor alternatives.

 

Decking

 

One of the most popular external flooring options outside of porcelain pavers is the equally popular outdoor favourite – decking.

A fantastic flooring option in its own right, decking has been a national favourite for decades. However, if you’re looking to create something other than a wood-effect design for your outside space, decking is very much going to be left out in the cold.

What’s more, modern composite decking can be expensive and, while it does have the edge over traditional decking in terms of upkeep, it probably won’t tick the box when it comes to budget solutions.

Conversely, cheaper decking options will require exponentially more time and money in maintenance, which defeats the object in terms of saving money.

 

Natural stone

 

Meanwhile, another hugely popular patio preference is another outdoor classic – stone.

Transcending trends and eternally enduring, natural stone tiling – such as granite, concrete, limestone and sandstone – has long been a go-to for outdoor design. It’s tried, it’s tested, it’s universally accepted – who are we to argue with centuries of popularity?

Luckily, we don’t have to, because the facts speak for themselves! Stone-look porcelain is far superior when it comes to both durability and practicality in the home, while the perks of low-maintenance make it surprisingly economical for both time and cost.

What’s more, natural stone isn’t particularly cheap either – from a purchasing perspective or an upkeep point of view – once again leaving it trailing behind in terms of cost-effective flooring options for your patio.

 

Cheap outdoor flooring

 

So, with decking and natural stone both off the table as far as cheap solutions to your outdoor flooring woes, what other options are available as affordable alternatives?

When it comes to cheap outdoor flooring, there are a few common materials that typically make the list. These include:

• Artificial grass
• Outdoor carpet
• Brick
• Vinyl
• Foam tiling

Sadly, cheap and cheerful isn’t always so cheery… or even that cheap when you take into account the need for maintenance and eventual replacement.

The above options, while initially economical, are highly unlikely to last any length of time without becoming worn, haggard or damaged. Worse still, these materials don’t actually fill the void of a genuine patio.

To truly be considered the real deal, a patio requires paving. When it comes to paving, there’s only one true king and it comes in the form of porcelain.

 

Save money with porcelain paving

 

If you’re looking to truly save money on your patio without economising on quality, investing in porcelain could pay off big time in the long run. Long-lasting with none of the upkeep you would get from an inferior product, porcelain is not only the most reliable option, but it may also be the most convenient.

The low-maintenance properties of our porcelain-powered pavers give them the edge over inferior materials. Built to last, you won’t have to replace them any time soon, nor will you have to spend time and money cleaning them during their stay. Once laid, your floor is there to stay and look great along the way.

In addition to the visual and practical benefits of our beautifully crafted yet extremely durable outdoor pavers, all of our products come with a 10-year warranty, giving you peace of mind should the unlikely occur.

 

With so many upsides to porcelain paving slabs, why not contact the PrimaPorcelain team to find out more?

Alternatively, click the link below to order a free sample and see for yourself! Our samples come in both small and large formats, allowing you to really see the details in each range before you make a decision.

Request a FREE Sample

Once you've decided on the perfect tiles for your project, you can use our paving calculator and order your paving directly through our website!

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! 

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!

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.