What's The Difference? Porcelain Paving vs Natural Stone

Posted on 4th July 2025

Which is Best? Porcelain Paving vs Natural Stone

When it comes to garden landscaping projects, porcelain paving and natural stone slabs are two of the most popular choices. Natural stones such as sandstone, limestone and granite have been used for centuries. Known for their durability, it’s clear to see why they are such a popular option. 

However, man-made porcelain tiles are still relatively new, and popular because they replicate the characteristics of natural stone and wood. These slabs are very strong and can be seen as the new and improved alternative to natural stone.

To the naked eye, both materials look similar, but there are some notable differences between them. Let’s take a look at what sets porcelain paving apart from natural stone.

What to consider: Natural Stone

Whilst natural stone comes with the benefits of beauty, durability and versatility, you also need to consider some cons:

• Maintenance - Real stone can require lots of maintenance. For example, sandstone and limestone often need to be sealed and cleaned every few years. 

• Staining - Natural stone surfaces have tiny holes and other small imperfections that make it more susceptible to moisture and staining. This porosity means that you’ll need to use a premium sealant every couple of years, increasing costs and maintenance. 

• Installation difficulty - Stone has a texture and natural irregularities which can increase difficulty in installation. 

• Colour/texture inconsistencies - With natural stone, you will be able to notice the colour gradients and swirls in granite, slate, travertine, sandstone and limestone. This can lead to inconsistent textures and colours.

What to consider: Porcelain Paving

Porcelain paving maintains similar benefits to natural stone, but without some of the drawbacks:

• Lower maintenance - Porcelain tiles are frost resistant, stain resistant, UV resistant and crack, scratch, moss and algae resistant. This reduces the amount of maintenance required. 

• Easier installation - The consistency means laying porcelain paving is made easier by its uniform composition, which means you can use a consistent base depth.

• Consistent appearance - Porcelain paving is created using highly specialised inkjet printing technology, so each tile looks similar and creates a uniform pattern. 

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What type of paving is best for a patio?

For a patio, we’d recommend using porcelain paving. You can choose between coloured porcelain tiles or effect porcelain tiles to create the desired finish for your patio.

Porcelain tiles have the ability to transform the aesthetic of a space in the same way that natural stone can, with much easier installation and maintenance. 

Porcelain paving vs natural stone

Choosing between porcelain paving or natural stone involves considering the benefits and drawbacks of each option and assessing your budget:

Maintenance of porcelain paving vs natural stone

Porcelain tiles are manufactured to require minimal upkeep. Due to their durable composition, they are:

• UV-resistant
• Will not fade in direct sunlight
• Resistant to frost, cracks, scratches, abrasions, moss and algae

Meanwhile, real stone can require lots of maintenance. Sandstone and limestone often needs to be sealed and cleaned every few years, which is expensive and time consuming.

Installing porcelain paving vs natural stone

Installing natural stone isn’t always cheap. Stone slabs have natural irregularities in their composition that require a varying base depth due to the inconsistencies in the thickness, which can add to the cost of the labour needed for installation.

On the other hand, porcelain paving tiles are more consistent and easier to work with. Each slab is manufactured evenly with adequate calibration and a high level of precision, which makes for easier installation.

Appearance of porcelain paving vs natural stone

Natural stone is quarried, which provides the material with a unique finish and plenty of design variations.

This means that every natural stone tile is unique, and variation between the colours and textures of the slabs provides a traditional look.

‍In contrast, porcelain paving is manufactured to adhere to the highest quality standard present on the market. Our slabs are made from fine clay and sands and fired in a kiln at extremely high temperatures, which ensures consistency in appearance and high durability. 

Also, inkjet printing technology leads to a uniform finish across each tile, creating a satisfying and sleek aesthetic for your living space. 

Porcelain paving vs natural stone slip resistance

Some natural stone has rougher, riveted surfaces, which is good for slip resistance. However, types of stone such as slate are smoother, which means they are usually much more slippery when wet. As a result, you may need to maintain your stones, manually adding slip resistance. 

However, our porcelain paving slabs come with an R11 slip resistance rating by default. This makes them a much safer option than natural stone by default. 

Porcelain paving options

Granite effect porcelain tiles offer the unique timeless beauty and aesthetic versatility of natural granite combined with the durability, longevity and ease-of-installation we see with porcelain tiles. They’re also rated with an R11 slip resistance for added safety!

Quartzite effect porcelain tiles maintain the elegant and sophisticated look of natural quartzite, with the ability to transform your living space with a luxury touch. However, natural quartzite tiles can be very expensive, which is why porcelain alternatives are a great choice economically. 

Marble tiles are widely regarded to be one of the hardest types to maintain. Susceptible to etching, staining and scratching, you’d normally need to regularly seal natural marble, which can be expensive and time consuming. Marble effect porcelain tiles provide the classy and unique touch that comes with marble, without the hassle of tricky maintenance!

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Why choose porcelain paving over natural stone‍?

You should choose porcelain paving over natural stone because it offers the same aesthetic as any natural stone tile, with a number of benefits such as uniformity, slip resistance and frost resistance. 

Porcelain tiles offer a lower maintenance and easier solution to transforming your living space, and even in instances where the upfront cost of porcelain tiles is higher than natural stone, the upkeep and installation of difficulties of natural stone make them less cost effective. 

If you have any more questions about porcelain tiles, and whether they’re the right option for you, don’t hesitate to contact us.