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!

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.