The days when the choice of material for your patio was just concrete paving slabs in red, buff, or grey are gone. But what is the best selection of slabs for your patio… well that is down to what you’re looking for with your outdoor garden design.
There are so many other choices, but manufactured paving is still an excellent option too. This article will look at the various ranges of patio slabs suitable for patios, including:
- Concrete paving slabs
- Block paving
- Natural stone paving
- Porcelain patio slabs
Concrete paving slabs
You would find it easier to find something more adaptable and versatile than concrete for a patio. With its time-tested recipe combination – a mixture of sand, cement, gravel and water… it offers even more options than brick.
Concrete can mould and conform to nearly any surface shape. Its durable and easy-to-maintain finish can be:
- Smooth
- Scored
- Stamped
- Decorated with inlays.
- Tinted or coloured.
- Painted
- Brushed
- Patterned
- Surfaced with other materials, including pebbles (aggregate)
Block Paving
They made brick in a kiln for many years by firing clay and other materials. It lasts a long time, is sturdy, and has a tidy, classic look that goes with many architectural and landscape styles.
It works for both rustic and formal hardscape or landscape features and homeowner styles. Brick can offer different looks. Popular patterns include herringbone, jack-on-jack, and running bond.
Natural stone paving
Earth produced the different colours in natural stone and not an artificial process, so the results are incredibly difficult to copy… this means everyone’s patio won’t look the same.
Natural stone is often considered a superior product to its concrete alternative for several reasons:
- It ages better with time.
- Simple to clean.
- The colours are more varied and subtle.
- More frost resistant than concrete.
- Has been known to add value to a property.
The four types of natural stone we see are:
- Sandstone Paving
- Limestone Paving
- Granite Paving
- Slate Paving
Each of the above natural stone paving slab materials has different properties, and it’s important to know the difference.
Porcelain patio slabs
Porcelain is going to be the only non-natural stone that is featured here. Currently, outdoor porcelain slabs are the only man-made product that we see.
Outdoor porcelain tiles are made by firing clay at extremely high temperatures using moulds… this results in identical slabs in the desired shape. Once these shaped tiles are completely dry, they are then wrapped in a veneer to add texture and pattern. The pattern can be absolutely anything – it can be veneered to look like deck boards and can even replicate natural stone!
They describe Porcelains as having an ultra-low maintenance solution because of many of its properties… this means that after installation, there’s not a lot you need to do with it.
Below is a short video showing our cleaning process:
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Written by Tracey Gilbey, Marketing and Admin Coordinator at Art of Clean.
For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901551 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge