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.
