We love to brag about our exquisite Italian porcelain. We’re not sure why its country of origin should make such a difference – perhaps it just sounds more extravagant. ‘Italian porcelain tiles’ sound like they’re found exclusively in the gardens of sun-kissed Mediterranean villas, where orange trees line the horizon and the paving slabs warm the soles of your bare feet when you walk around without socks on.
The irony is that, actually, our Italian porcelain products are perfectly suited to the British climate. The UK is hardly know for its sun-kissed holiday homes and orange groves; perform a Google Image search for ‘british weather’ and the top three results will invariably be photographs of torrential rain and/or flooding. If you want good results from your outdoor living space, you’ll have to either move to a hotter country or put a bit of thought into the products you use. British weather won’t be kind to inferior outdoor goods!
It seems a little strange that Italians, with their climate, should be behind a paving product that’s so good in bad weather, but we’re not complaining! Here’s a quick look at why porcelain paving is such a shrewd choice of outdoor flooring:
- It's not very absorbent. Natural stone has a very high porosity; this allows water to soak into the slabs, causing stains and moisture damage. Porcelain is far less porous, so there won’t be any stains – the slabs will stay fabulous for years!
- It's slip-resistant. Whether by water or by ice, British weather can result in some seriously slippery surfaces. Anyone who claims to be selling a non-slip surface is fibbing, but porcelain paving is much more slip-resistant than stone, at the very least. That’s part of why it’s so great for swimming pool surrounds.
- It's frostproof. Our Italian porcelain can cope with temperatures below zero degrees, so even the coldest environments won’t ruin your sumptuous slabs. Good news for Brits, and especially good news for Scots.
Autumn is just around the corner, and if you want a garden that can stand up to everything our weather will throw at it, porcelain paving is the perfect choice. Oh, and since we do occasionally get a bit of sunshine here in Blighty, it’s worth mentioning that our porcelain is also UV-resistant, so it won’t fade in the sunlight!
