Finally! The Springs are here. And so is the time to revamp your patios. Well, there are plenty of choices available in the market to choose from. These choices generally depend on your perception of a solid, beautiful, and appealing space. After all, You never get a second chance to make a First Impression…!!!

A Variety of options are available for paving your outdoors. It depends on you whether you want it Organic – true to Nature, or you want it Structural. In other words, we are talking about the Natural Stone Pavers and the Porcelain Pavers, a confusion that is there in almost every homeowner’s mind before taking a final decision. Let us make this step smooth by discussing them in detail.  

Natural Stones

As the name suggests, these stones are formed naturally and have a natural beauty of their own. They have been a part of our commercial and private projects for a long. This way they talk about their natural beauty and durability. Visit SUI Inspirational Gallery to see some amazing layouts of Natural Stone Pavers.

Porcelain Pavers 

They are the man-made pavers that are becoming really popular these days. Made with kiln-fired clay and recycled materials, they are special paving pieces made of the highest-grade porcelain. They are luxurious pavers that combine engineered beauty with sustainability. Find the premium variety of Porcelain in our product list.

Porcelain Pavers vs Natural Stone Pavers

This is true that while planning for our landscaping projects, sometimes it becomes difficult to make a choice between Natural and Porcelain Pavers. Both have their own pros and cons. Where one represents beauty and grace, the other represents elegance. But let us study them in detail to know more about their benefits and drawbacks to decide which wins the race to be the most sustainable choice.

1.  Strength and Durability:

Natural Stones: A product of Nature, formed by the process of thousands of years, and is being used since the Times New Roman, Natural Stones talk about their durability and strength from this very fact. They are hard-wearing stones that last as long as the underlying structure lasts. They are basically crack-proof, strong, and flexible to bear heavy loads. So whatever amount of traffic our outdoors receives, the stone remains intact and stays for a longer period of time.

Porcelain Pavers: They are made up of dense natural clays including some more additives. Kiln-fired at a temperature of 760 degrees and made the stone withstand general pressure. This property of Porcelains makes them too to remain intact for a longer period of time.

2. Maintenance:

Natural Stones: Generally, we have seen that for outdoor, we give preference to a stone that is low on maintenance too. Therefore, the first choice of most people while paving Natural Stones is to seal them properly so as to save them from any sort of stains, moss, or algae. This is also to protect them from the excessive heat of the sun and thus sometimes often resealing them becomes important too.

Porcelain Pavers: Being a man-made product, the stone is made to be durable that fit all temperatures and other damages due to splashes. As a result, they do not experience water damage as well. They are non-porous, stain-resistant, frost, moss, and algae-free. Also, they are textured and sealed in a way that they do not require any additional sealers to lock their luster.

3. Cost

Natural Stones: Being dominant in the market for a long time, Natural Stones have been the more reliable, and affordable option when it comes to paving stones. They are the elegant budgeted options that fit each pocket. But one should keep in mind that maintaining Natural Stones can be a little add-on to your budget but then to preserve nature is also not an easy task. 

Porcelain Pavers: They were high-end products when they entered the market but because over the years their demand has risen to a great extent that their supply has also become easy. So over the years some of the Pavers have become really affordable. Also once sealed they are done for life, thus this way, they do not have higher maintenance costs either. 

4. Color & Variations:

Natural Stone: Being an organic product it comes with all-natural designs that range from soft to bold colors. Coming from the lap of nature, the stone depicts such variations where one block of the stone is different from the other. This is The beauty of this natural product that it enhances your outdoors with a plethora of designs from a single crate. 

Porcelain Pavers: Though they are the products of human efforts, they too come with a variety of designs to choose from. They might not give you an array of options to choose from but they have some of the superior colors and hues to choose from. They have a consistent look and do not show variation like natural stones. 

5. Finishes:

Natural Stone: Just like its colors, natural stones offer a variety of options to choose from when we talk about their finishing and textures. Apart from natural cut and saw cut, there are a variety of finishes available for natural stones. The most trending ones are as follows:

•   Riven (clefting) Surface: It is a hand-cut texture that gives a rustic or natural look to the stone and is often attained by splitting the stone apart along its layers. This type of surface finish resembles the rugged appearance of stone and has slip-resistant and low-maintenance qualities. These are more often done on sandstones. 
•   Flamed Surface: Flamed surface is the process of applying high temperature on the surface of the stone to give it a weathered or rough look. Here the surface layer is made to flake which in turn becomes non-slippery. But these stones need proper sealing especially if they are more exposed to all sorts of chemicals. 

Porcelain Pavers: They often come with a consistent and printed surface that imitates any texture. But on the surface, they remain smooth and finished. Because they are sealed with a sealant, their luster does not wither easily even in excessive heat. Some of their flat surfaces provide these tiles with a non-slip quality but they are not harsh on their surface. 

To Conclude:

When it comes to making a choice between Natural Stone pavers and Porcelain Pavers, it really becomes difficult to choose between the two. Where one has millions of trustworthy clients to its name, the other has garnered trust in a short span of time. Aesthetically, both are premium stone options for your commercial or private ventures. 

Natural Stones offers you an array of textures to choose from giving your projects a feel of old-world charm while Porcelain pavers take guarantee staying strong and long with you.

Therefore, both stones have their pros and cons attached to each one of them. But they never fail to surprise their admirers.