What makes porcelain different
Outdoor porcelain is fired at very high temperatures, so it absorbs almost no water. Durham's freeze-thaw winters can't break it down, and spills sit on the surface. Slabs are made to precise sizes, which allows slim, tidy joints.
Looks
There's a huge range: stone, slate, concrete and wood effects, in light, mid and dark tones. Lighter colours brighten a north-facing garden. Darker slabs warm up faster in the sun.
Laying porcelain properly
Every slab gets a bonding primer on its underside and goes onto a full mortar bed. Porcelain is very hard, so cuts are made with diamond blades. Joints are filled with a compound suited to porcelain.
Thresholds
If you'd like the patio to line up with an inside floor, we still need to keep below the damp-proof course. A step or a channel drain at the doors is the usual answer.
