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What is the best way to lay porcelain slabs?
Porcelain paving is a beautiful addition to any garden project. It’s hardwearing too, but care needs to be taken when installing the slabs
Porcelain paving is a beautiful addition to any garden project.
It’s hardwearing too, but care needs to be taken when installing the slabs.
Correct and careful installation makes the difference between a successful porcelain paving project and one which fails.
Best way to lay porcelain paving
Make a plan
Before you embark on the actual job of laying your porcelain paving you need to “design the space”.
Your plan must start with accurate measurements not only of the area where you will lay the pavers but also the thickness of the slabs.
Prepare the ground
Preliminary work also includes installation of a fall as part of the drainage scheme and the placing of pegs and string to mark out the area that you will be paving.
Assess the area to be paved for drainage.
Essentially, a patio should ideally drain away from the building at a fall of 1:80, that is for every 80 units of distance away from your home it should drop by one unit.
Lay a sub-base
For the best way to lay porcelain paving you then need to lay a sub-base.
This is a layer of aggregate material that will not only help to hold your paving slabs in place but also ensure they have longevity.
If you are looking at the best way to lay porcelain slabs, the type of sub-base you are using is important as it will give strength and stability to your paving project.
Apply slurry
Before you secure the porcelain pavers onto the base, a layer of slurry is essential.
Porcelain pavers are non-porous, which in day-to-day life is an asset as it makes them virtually nonslip and unlikely to stain.
However, it also means they won’t absorb moisture and will not adhere to the sub-base without slurry.
Grout the pavers
Once the pavers are in place, they need to be grouted.
It is possible to forgo the grouting stage for a more seamless look in areas that don’t get a lot of traffic and are not as exposed to the elements but mostly inadvisable.
Grout is important because it forms a barrier and protects the slabs from dirt and moisture which can damage the pavers.
It will also prevent weeds from sprouting up between each slab.
The easiest way to grout your porcelain paving project is to use a brush-in grout.
The finishing touch
Finally, any exposed edges can be covered up with turf, a border of flowers or for a more contemporary “finished” look by using porcelain paving edging.
You may want to match the colour and design of the paving itself or use a contrast trim as an eye-catching feature.
The choice is yours!
Want to know more about how to lay porcelain paving? Our long-form blog post is the place to start.
Porcelain paving from Forward Builders’ Supplies
And that in a nutshell is best way to lay porcelain slabs.
Of course, we recognise that embarking on a porcelain paving project can be daunting but at Forward Builders’ Supplies our team are always here to offer their expertise as well as a comprehensive range of porcelain pavers.
So why not get in touch to find out more.
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