Outdoor Porcelain Tiles 101: What You Need to Know

Marshalls Plc Tuesday 13th September, 2022

Porcelain slabs are becoming an ever-more popular choice for our outdoor spaces. With that in mind, we’ve put together this porcelain paving 101 — you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions relating to this beautiful, versatile material.

What are outdoor porcelain tiles made of?

Porcelain is a man-made material consisting of:

●       Clay
●       Sand
●       Other raw materials, usually feldspar

Feldspar, for those who don’t know, is a very common material: it makes up around 50% of the rocks on Earth

How are outdoor porcelain slabs made?

Understanding how porcelain tiles are made gives you an insight into how the sought-after design features and technical benefits are delivered. We like to think of the porcelain tile manufacturing process a little like baking biscuits. It’s a seven-step process that results in hardwearing, beautiful tiles.

Step	Process
Mix	The mixture — known as ‘slurry’ — is made by crushing together clay, sand, other aggregates (usually feldspar), and water.
Remove water	The slurry is pumped into a dryer, where as much water as possible is removed to make sure we’ll create strong, hardwearing tiles.
Press	The mix is pressed into the desired tile body shape with the desired surface texture — almost like a biscuit — then dried once again before the printing stage.
Design	Marshalls porcelain tiles are printed with a single-colour background, followed by a high-quality photographic image using specialised inks and toners.
Glaze	We protect the design by glazing our tiles with a durable, long-lasting substance that hardens when fired in the kiln.
Fire	Our porcelain tiles are fired exceeding 1200 degrees celsius for around 1.5 hours, depending on the size of the tile, resulting in strong, durable units.
Rectify	We rectify all our tiles, which means we cut them to exactly the same size and shape for precise and beautiful final results.

How are porcelain tiles packaged?

All of our tiles are packaged into protective cardboard wraps, each with a batch code and relevant tracking information, ready to be sent to our warehouse and delivered to our customers.

How is porcelain paving different to other types of outdoor paving?

When it comes down to it, the key differences between porcelain slabs and other kinds of garden paving are as follows:

●       It’s a man-made material but uses natural ingredients
●       It has an exceptionally low water content
●       It benefits from digital-printing technology

Porcelain is manufactured in a way that eliminates almost all of the water within it. The density and lack of water in porcelain tiles result in a huge range of benefits.

It’s a man-made material that benefits from digital-printing technology

Ceramic vs porcelain floor tiles: what’s the difference?

Ceramic and porcelain have a lot of things in common: they’re both made from a clay mixture that’s fired in a kiln.

The main difference is how the two substances are treated during production:

● More water is removed from porcelain than ceramic, which has a higher clay content

● Porcelain is fired at higher temperatures, and for longer

The result?

Porcelain is a far denser and more durable material than ceramic, which is why it’s ideal for outdoor spaces.

What are the benefits of outdoor porcelain paving slabs?

Porcelain really is one of those materials that delivers on every front, and it has a wealth of advantages over other outdoor paving solutions.

Marshalls porcelain tiles are:

● Extremely durable: Due to their density and minimal water content, porcelain tiles are extremely durable.

● Frost resistant: Porcelain tiles won’t suffer during cold spells — you can expect no loss of strength, no cracking or popping, and no damage to the colour and surface design.

● Low maintenance: Unlike other flags, porcelain absorbs very little water. Stains tend to stay on the surface rather than absorbing into the paving material. This means a lot less maintenance than other materials — stains can often be removed with a damp cloth rather than jet-washing.

● Impact and abrasion-resistant: Porcelain outdoor tiles are extremely dense and hard to damage thanks to their protective glaze, so there’s no need to worry about scratching, denting or cracking.

● Fade-resistant: Glazed, surface-printed porcelain tiles are highly UV-resistant, even in strong sunlight — you can expect the design to stay perfect for years to come.

Porcelain Graphic

Is outdoor porcelain tile slippery when wet?

This is understandably one of the most frequently asked questions about outdoor porcelain tiles.

And the answer is no: all Marshalls porcelain paving is slip-resistant due to the slip-resistant finish. They’re R11 Slip-Skid rated, a universal standard for porcelain tiles, meaning they’re safe for both dry and wet environments.

Porcelain Graphic

How to clean outdoor porcelain tiles

If you’re wondering how to clean porcelain slabs, we’ve got good news for you.

Cleaning porcelain tiles couldn’t be easier — which is good news for both the maintenance needed for your outdoor tiles and their longevity.

Because of their extremely low water content, vitrified porcelain paving slabs are very resistant to liquid — whether that’s rain and snow, or the occasional glass of red wine on a sunny evening!

Spills should be spot-cleaned with a damp cloth, and you can add in a little mild detergent for anything sticky.

There’s no need for costly and time-consuming jet-washing; sweeping your porcelain outdoor tiles will deal with any natural debris like leaves and soil.

Discover outdoor porcelain tiles from Marshalls

Upgrade your patio with vitrified porcelain tiles from Marshalls. Once you have found your favourite porcelain paving, whether that be marble effect or wood effect, you can now purchase online!

If you need help finding the perfect outdoor porcelain garden tile for your home, get in touch with our friendly customer service team today.

Or, are you looking for advice on how to lay a porcelain patio? Find out more in our handy blog.