1. Profile Thickness
Until very recently, porcelain was only produced in a relatively thin profile (around 9-12mm thick). This meant that the tiles had to be installed onto an adhesive or mortar/cement base (depending on application type). However, manufacturers have recently succeeded in developing a thicker profile; at 2cm thick, porcelain can be used as a structural paving slab, allowing porcelain paving slabs to be ‘dry installed’ onto support pedestals without a mortar base. This has revolutionised the use of porcelain for outdoor flooring - from residential outdoor living areas to large commercial areas that are subjected to very heavy pedestrian foot traffic, porcelain can handle just about anything!
2. Indistinguishable from Natural Stone
The latest advances in porcelain manufacturing techniques have enabled the production of porcelain materials that are indistinguishable from natural stone. This technology allows us to emulate the characteristics of natural stone (colour shading, veining, fossilization, etc.) but with none of the drawbacks or maintenance requirements (see point 4 below). The high-quality reproduction is converted into numerous variations of each design to avoid the repetition that’s commonly seen in standard ceramic tiles.
3. Unrivalled Quality and Aesthetic Beauty
The materials used to create our porcelain products are of an exceptionally high quality, with an aesthetic beauty that’s indistinguishable from natural stone. Our products are made using state-of-the-art equipment, and they are supported by a research and development laboratory focused on pioneering new technological and aesthetic solutions.
4. No Maintenance
High porosity leads to dirt and staining. Our porcelain tiling and paving products have a porosity level of almost zero (< 0.05%). This means no sealer – and, therefore, no maintenance – is ever required. Our paving slabs and tiles do not stain because they do not allow moisture into the material, so all that’s required is a wash with warm soapy water once a year to remove any debris and organic matter (grass, soil, leaves, etc.) from the surface. If used indoors, your porcelain tiles should be mopped over on a weekly basis to keep them pristine.
5. Slip Resistant
Since porcelain is practically impervious to moisture, our tiles are extremely slip-resistant. Porcelain Outdoors provides a wide range of finishes, from polished or smooth (best for interiors), through fine textured (for either indoors or out) to textured or grip (primarily for outside use) to comfortably accommodate any application you require. Each product is awarded a GRIP FACTOR from 1 (low slip resistance) to 5 (best slip resistance).
6. Fade Resistant
Our porcelain materials resist colour fade caused by UV. As all the raw materials are cooked at 1,400°C, the materials change status and become one new material (porcelain), which cannot return to its original status, meaning that the raw materials cannot be divided or separated. Therefore, as the pigment is "locked" into the porcelain, it is not affected by the sun's UV or normal weathering and the colour will resist fading.
7. Stain Resistant
Because our porcelain paving is virtually non-porous, all spillages remain on the surface and do not soak into the product. All spillages can simply be mopped up, leaving no visible staining.
8. Scratch Resistant
Our porcelain products are made up of a very dense, hard material. In a deep abrasion resistance test (EN ISO 10545/6) that requires a result of less than 175mm3, our material achieved a pass at 139mm3. We have undertaken a variety of “tests”, dragging the corner of a porcelain paving slab across the surface of another slab and also dragging cast iron furniture over the surface of our tiles. Any marks can be easily brushed away and there is no visible scratching to the surface.
9. Frostproof
Porcelain is highly frost resistant. Porcelain can tolerate sub zero temperatures, and this important quality makes it an ideal solution for external applications such as patios, swimming pools and hard landscaping in cold climates.
10. Strong
Porcelain is denser in composition than standard ceramic tiles. Porcelain is a much tougher material due to the fact it is baked at 1400 degrees Celsius, causing 100% of the material to ‘vitrify’ – meaning all of the tile/paving material is converted into a very dense and hard wearing material. This produces a product that is hard wearing and tough; an eternal material, if you will.