If you're planning to pave your pool deck, patio, or walkway, you may be wondering what type of material to use. There are a variety of options available, but porcelain patio pavers are a great choice for many homeowners. That's why we wanted to discuss the benefits of porcelain pavers and why they may be the best option for your outdoor paradise.

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What are porcelain patio pavers?

Porcelain patio pavers are a luxurious type of paving material that is made from porcelain clay. They offer a number of benefits over other types of paving materials, such as concrete or asphalt. They’re a popular choice for patios and walkways because they are durable and easy to maintain.

Porcelain pavers come in a variety of colors and styles, making it easy for you to create a unique look for your home. At AquaBlu we are proud to offer top-of-the-line, luxurious porcelain pavers from US Porcelain Pavers.

Porcelain pavers for your pool deck

There are many different types of materials that can be used for a pool deck. However, porcelain pavers are becoming increasingly popular because of the many benefits they offer. Here are some reasons why porcelain is a great material for pool decks: 

1. Porcelain is very strong. In fact, porcelain patio pavers are by far the most durable compared to other materials. Unlike natural stone options, it is resistant to scratches, chipping, and staining. 

2. Porcelain is also a low-maintenance material. It does not require sealing or regular cleanings like other materials such as concrete or stone. You read that right, NO MORE SEALING! That means less work for you and more time enjoying your elegant outdoor space!

3. Every selection in our collection from US Porcelain Pavers has matching modern edge coping available, allowing for a stylish, seamless transition between the edge of your pool to your patio area. The Pillar Series is a great example of this. Popular for its angular pattern, this paver is a great choice when wanting to match your pavers to your coping. You can choose to lay them in the same direction or create a unique border around your pool by flipping it when installing your coping. 

4. Porcelain pavers are slip-resistant, making them a safe option for pool decks. In fact, all of our pavers are approved for commercial grade application. Now you never have to compromise the safety of your loved ones for a stylish space!

A popular choice for a pool deck is the Arkham collection. These beautiful pavers come in a range of colors including white, tan, gray and black, and come in a versatile square shape making it easy to design with. 

Stylish Design for Your Patio

Porcelain patio pavers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Our collection offers two different thickness sizes; 2CM and 3CM, allowing for even more design options to meet your desired aesthetic. 

Square pavers are the most common type of paver used for patios. They are available in many sizes, from small to large. Rectangular pavers are also popular for pool decks and patios. They are available in a variety of sizes and can be used to create different patterns.

There are many pattern arrangements that can be made when installing pavers, but they should only be attempted by experienced professionals. We encourage you to speak with your installer and plan out any intricate design ideas you may have.

Porcelain Patio Paver Installation Methods

The following information is intended as a basic guideline. If you have any questions regarding supplies, installation, site circumstances, or anything else beyond what is mentioned here, please contact a specialist contractor for assistance. Porcelain pavers should only be installed by someone with experience in working with this type of material.

Before you begin the installation process, there are a few things you need to consider. First, porcelain pavers are much heavier than traditional concrete or brick pavers, so you'll need to make sure your sub-base is up for the task. 

If you're starting from scratch, you'll need to prepare the ground for your new patio or deck. If you're installing them on bare ground, you'll need to excavate the area to a depth of at least eight inches and compact the soil before adding a gravel base. Once the gravel is in place, you can level it with sand and then install the porcelain pavers.

There are various ways to install porcelain pavers. These include:

• Mortar installation
• Dry installation on gravel
• Dry installation on grass
• Raised pedestal installation

 Each of these installation methods requires proper planning and we always recommend discussing all your options with a professional to help you decide the best one for your home. Each has its benefits, however, when planning to install porcelain pavers on a pool deck, we recommend going with a mortar installation.

This method of installation is trusted by many of the top luxury home builders in the US for its security and additional upkeep benefits. For instance, mortar installations can help prevent any pesky weeds or grass from popping up in between slabs. Furthermore, using an epoxy product like the Litoelastic EVO will ensure the upmost water resistance in a wet area. 

Once you've prepared the surface and chosen the right adhesive, you're ready to start installing porcelain patio pavers. Begin by spreading a layer of adhesive on the surface using a notched trowel. Then, starting at one corner of the patio, begin laying the porcelain pavers in place. Be sure to use a level to check that each paver is level as you go. Once all of the porcelain pavers are in place, allow the adhesive to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Tools and other considerations

Though it may be tempting to rush out and try to DIY your paver installation, there are a number of reasons why we would caution you against it. One of them being tools. Porcelain patio pavers, specifically those made by US Porcelain Pavers are built strong, so strong, in fact, that normal tools just won’t do to cut them down if needed. There is an arsenal of specialized tools needed to complete this type of installation.

In addition to the right tools, the right know-how is required. Depending on your geographical location and climate conditions, certain specifications must be adhered to when installing pavers to ensure their longevity and durability. Only a qualified professional would be familiar with the appropriately sized spacers, slopes, and other technical considerations for your specific area. 

Other benefits of porcelain pavers

One of the most important things to consider when choosing patio pavers is porosity. This refers to how much water the material can absorb. Pavers made from natural stone, like travertine or limestone, are substantially more porous than porcelain.

That might not seem like a big deal, but it can actually be quite important. If you live in an area with a lot of rain or snow, you’ll want to choose pavers that won’t absorb too much water. Otherwise, the pavers could crack or crumble over time. Porcelain patio pavers, on the other hand, are practically 100% waterproof. You need not worry about harsh weather or heavily used wet areas deteriorating your gorgeous deck!

This is also a benefit for those worried about upkeep and maintenance. A non-porous material like porcelain means there’s no tiny holes or crevices for dirt and grime to build up. Your deck or patio area will maintain its fresh and clean look with minimal effort.

Another benefit of choosing porcelain pavers by US Porcelain Pavers is that they are made 100% in the USA. Why is this important? Well, outside of supporting another local American business, it means the materials are already here in the states waiting to be shipped directly to your home.

You don’t need to worry about long lead times and the potential hiccups that arise from importing stone products into the US. In some cases, after shipping, import fees, distributors cuts and any other additional price considerations are added in, porcelain pavers are actually more affordable than traditional natural materials.

Porcelain pavers are a great choice for anyone looking to create a beautiful and durable outdoor space. With the help of a qualified professional, porcelain pavers will add value to your home and create an outdoor living space that you can enjoy for years to come.

WANKON are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

Contact our AquaPro’s today for more information and order a sample today! Reach out to us via , chat or . 

Author: Cristi Oramas 

Date: August 12,

10 Essential things you need to know before laying porcelain paving

You’ve heard the hype, but what is the truth and problems with porcelain paving? Lee Bestall gives you his personal opinion after trialing it at home.

1. Paving Choices

In addition to porcelain, there’s quite a few surfacing choices ranging from sandstone, granite, marble, limestone and concrete paving, decking, setts and gravel.  All have different levels of durability and aftercare requirements, but does porcelain offer the perfect solution trouble free paving?

Many people are keen to voice their experience of York and Indian/imported sandstone that can discolour quickly, absorb moisture, turn green and in turn become very slippery, but before you discount them as options for you, read this article on ‘which paving is best for me?‘

2. Once you’ve decided that porcelain is for you, what’s the truth and problems?

I’ve had a light ivory coloured porcelain patio for around 4 years now (it flows from inside the house). Last year, I installed an area of dark grey tiles in a different part of the garden so here are my thoughts on both.

Using porcelain is definitely a great design choice. However, it’s not right for every property due to the ‘clean cut’ contemporary aesthetic. If you’re after the ‘I’m on holiday somewhere warm’ look, it’s perfect.  I think it works really well in small modern courtyards, large terraces, around swimming pools and on roof gardens (using specially designed self adjustable plastic risers).

How easy is it to look after?

Like any internal or external surface, there’s always aftercare to be done.  I like to refer to it as outdoor housework, it seems to set the expectation that way.  You wouldn’t expect your car to stay clean for long if you left it out on the driveway, and you’d probably clean the floors inside your house at least once per week.  External floor space is much the same.  In fact, for a ‘chic hotel look’ you’ll need to sweep it every day to remove leaves & dust, blossom and general debris that blow around.

With the exception of surface debris such as leaves, porcelain tiles definitely stay cleaner for longer. It’s not as absorbent as other surfaces like sandstone, it doesn’t tend to green as quickly as sandstone. In fact, I generally only power wash the porcelain twice per year, once in March after the winter and once again in autumn once the leaves have fallen. During the lockdown year I’ll admit that I power washed every 3 months as we were using the garden more frequently, and I had more time.

3. Problems with porcelain paving

My porcelain tiles do still get dirty, in particular the lighter coloured ones.  Personally I wouldn’t recommend light cream ones for the UK. Mine are constantly discoloured by tannins from leaves, stained by berries and even petals. Even when I’ve cleaned the cream tiles, they are dirty again a week later if the weather is windy or particularly wet. I would, however, highly recommend a mid or dark grey (with a slight speckle) because (with the exception of bird poo, rust stains and leaf tannins), they need much less aftercare.

Some of the problems with porcelain tiles I’ve read about include tiles lifting or becoming loose, but this is generally because they were not laid on a full bed of mortar and/or slurry primed with a proprietary primer such as UltraScape ProPrime Slurry (extreme care should be taken not to get this on the face of the tile during application).  When applied to the rear of the tile prior to laying, this provides fantastic adhesion to the mortar bed, so make sure you fully research an experienced installer and get advice from the seller when you buy the tiles, as incorrect laying will probably affect any guarantee the tile suppliers offer.

Porcelain tiles shouldn’t crack if they are laid on a full bed of mortar.  I’ve had them laid for 4 years now and they’ve taken temperatures down to -6C and been under snow and ice for long periods, showing no signs of movement.

I pointed my cream coloured tiles with ‘Jasmine’ Mappi exterior tile grout, but there others on the market such as the one I’ve recently used on my dark grey paving: Flowpoint Fine: Rapid Set Flowable Grout.

4. Will my porcelain paving be slippery when wet?

In my experience, I’ve honestly never noticed.  Honestly, that’s the truth.  I’ve walked on ours daily, through extreme frosts, ice, snow and rain and not once have I felt unsafe, but I wonder if there’s some psychology going on here.  Maybe because I expect them to be more slippery than the normal paving I’m more mindful when walking on them, let’s face it, if there’s frozen ice on the paving, whichever type it is, it’s going to be slippery!

If you read the manufacturers brochure, it will give you details about the slip rating (the higher the slip rating, the less likely you are to slip).  When using porcelain outside, check the slip rating is at least R11 and always use 20mm thick (10mm matching tiles for indoor areas are often available for the ‘inside-outside’ look, but are not suitable for external use on the floor – they are however great for cladding walls etc).

5. Should I select a smooth or textured surface?

I’d definitely avoid a textured surface if you’re a neat freak like me.  Tiny bits of dirt and dust get trapped in the ‘pits’ and the tile can look very dirty very quickly (see picture above).  The grey ones I installed have a smoother finish and I use a traditional mop & bucket approach to clean them (its less noisy than the power washer and much less hassle).  I’ve started to mop the grey tiles in the courtyard weekly, because we’re using the space a lot more than we did pre covid19, and that’s the look I’m after (we have an outdoor rug and fire pit in this area so I will often sit on a cushion on the floor).

6. What colour grout should I choose?

Basically there are a couple of options, go the same as the paving eg. grey/black for darker tiles or lighter as a contrast.  Personally I’d go dark grey for grey or black tiles and either cream for lighter tiles (this will make the patio look larger) or a grey which will show more of the pattern.  You’d think that cream grout would get filthy outside, and as you can see from the picture it does, but it cleans up pretty well. Given a choice though, I’d go dark paving and dark (but slightly lighter or darker than the paving) external grout.  I love Flowpoint Fine for this and have just used this product at home.

7. What laying pattern should I choose?

Often you’ll find the most cost effective option is to select 600mm x 600mm tiles (they are generally cheaper than large format tiles as they dry quicker during the manufacturing process) and I like to specify a half bond pattern.  The half bond pattern is more forgiving if the tiles are not absolutely the same size (it often happens with cheaper tiles!).

If budget allows, select larger format tiles and even planks that can also be laid half bond (sometimes called brick bond), or 1/3 (ie divide the length of the tile between 3 and stagger the joints this way) or why not try herringbone, but be warned this this is much harder to lay and there will be increased cuts and wastage so it’s not very environmentally friendly either.

Generally 4mm spacers are used between the tiles externally, but if you’re trying to do the ‘inside-outside’ thing and align the tiles with those inside the house, be sure to use 4mm spacers internally too.

8. Should I seal the tiles?

Sealing the tiles will make them so much easier to clean.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that they won’t get dirty just because they are sealed … they will!  Expect to add a cost of around a pound per square metre for sealing if you’re doing it yourself using a product such as Tile Protector.

9. Is it safe to clean my tiles with household bleach?

I’ve used a mild diluted bleach solution in the past on my lighter tiles (I figured they’d get bleached in a bathroom) and if you regularly clean i’d suggest using a using a cleaner specifically designed for the job, but, if you let them get really dirty and you need a more intensive cleaner, there are products available for that too.

10. Can I use ceramic tiles outside?

I wouldn’t recommend it, not in the UK. Stick to 20mm thick porcelain tiles.  If you’re looking for tiles to add some detail, try the ever increasing range of patterned porcelain tiles.

So that’s it, the truth and problems with porcelain paving… well, my personal experience of the truth anyway!

Please note that all of the products I’ve mentioned in the article have been trialed by myself independently and I have not received any free or discounted incentives. They are all genuine recommendations based on my own experience. When using products, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Page updated July

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