When it comes to paving that is functional as well as beautiful, there are two options you can choose from. The first of these is natural stone pavers. The second is porcelain pavers. But what are the benefits and limitations of these two kinds of pavers?
What Should You Consider When Choosing Pavers?
When it comes to the flooring of your backyard, what should you consider? Here are some questions that you should think about:
Do you have a busy and active lifestyle?
What do you have in your backyard? Trees? A pool?
Is your pool an open pool or undercover?
Will you be using pavers around your pool?
What You Should Know About Porcelain Pavers
People tend to have some idea about what stone pavers are. But porcelain pavers, on the other hand, are new to the market. So people may have less knowledge about these generally. You may even be using the knowledge you have regarding porcelain tiles to gauge what porcelain pavers are like.
Porcelain pavers are made using clay that is structurally compressed. This clay needs to be so well compressed that there aren’t any fracture points. This means that porcelain pavers are very strong and also have a break load that is high. You can also opt for porcelain pavers that come with an embossed print. This print is designed to not wear off. Such porcelain pavers are available in various colours, patterns as well as textures. This means that you’ll be able to make your backyard look like it’s paved using natural stone.
The Difference Between Stone Pavers and Porcelain Pavers
There is a lot of difference between porcelain pavers as well as porcelain tiles that are for the outdoors. Porcelain pavers are strong, practical, and an efficient solution when it comes to outdoor paving. This kind of paver is specifically designed to withstand natural problems.
Since it’s a product that is man-made, you can choose between many different makes and models. This means that should you invest in porcelain pavers, they will be both durable and strong. However, you should still make it a point to find a product that is of good quality. Also, should you have questions that are technical, then remember to ask the professional you get your pavers from, all your questions about pavers.
Natural stone pavers on the other hand are a choice that is more classic. However, keep in mind that you may need to maintain your stone pavers. Depending on how you’ve designed the area around your pool, you may have problems keeping your pavers free from stains. Even stones that are dense and durable such as granite, can be difficult to keep free of stains. This means that maintaining natural stone pavers is more time-consuming. This is especially true should you have a lot of trees, kids or pets.
Take for example trees. They tend to drop their leaves all through the year. These leaves have a substance known as ‘tannin’ in them. Essentially, tannin is derived from gallic acid. This is found in barks, galls, as well as plant tissues. This tannin can end up staining natural stones. This means that keeping your pavers clean will be more tiresome with natural stones.
Stone Sealers And Preventing Stains
Ideally, using sealant to seal your stone pavers should ensure that they don’t get stained. However, this is not the case in real life. This is as substances, take for example tannin, tend to go through this sealant. It will then seep into the stone’s pores. Should the stone be less porous, however, then it’s less likely that this will happen.
To an extent, the sealant does protect the stone. A sealant can also reduce the amount of liquid that the stone paver absorbs. This gives you more time to get rid of these contaminants and clean them before they can cause stains. A stone sealer acts as a resistance barrier against stains. This provides you with time wherein you can clean up any messes.
Should you have used a product that was of Grade A, and where your stone was also sealed using good quality sealant, these can help you. However, keep in mind that acid doesn’t stop to choose where it goes through. This means it will attempt to go past your sealant, and create messes wherever possible.
This means that you should be ready to maintain your stone pavers at all times. Depending on the kind of stone paver you’ve had installed, as well as how long the acid has been on the stone, the mess can be difficult to clean. The quality of the stone sealant, the kind of stone paver you’ve chosen as well as how well you maintain your stone pavers are all important.
Porcelain pavers, on the other hand, don’t stain. They can also be laid on any substrate at all.
Key Differences Between Stone and Porcelain Pavers
Natural stone pavers, unlike porcelain pavers, are a more luxurious option. All the pieces in stone pavers are unique, but this isn’t the case for porcelain pavers. Stone pavers, however, are prone to staining, while porcelain pavers don’t get permanently stained. Stone pavers can also be sensitive to moisture. Porcelain pavers on the other hand aren’t sensitive to moisture.
Stone pavers are harder to maintain than porcelain pavers. They don’t have any chemical resistance either, which porcelain pavers do have. In general, it’s easier to maintain porcelain pavers over stone pavers.
There are several differences between stone and porcelain pavers. Use this guide to learn what they are.
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