Introduction
If you’re looking forward to upgrading your home and replacing old pavers, the market is full of interesting options. One of the dominant options is porcelain pavers. They bring a lot of advantages compared to other materials. To get your property paved, you can search for “paving companies near me” and hire professionals for the job. For now, let’s dive deeper and figure out what porcelain pavers bring to the table.
The Details
1. Durability – Porcelain is one of the most durable paving options on the market. Porcelain pavers are made by combining silica, quartz, feldspar, and other such elements with clay and heating them at blistering high temperatures to create a durable glass substrate throughout the body of the paver. This process is known as vitrification, and it renders the porcelain paver almost non-porous and makes it super strong.
Once laid on the surface and installed properly, these pavers are very sturdy and show exceptional resistance to damage. Unlike natural stone and concrete, porcelain pavers absorb little to no water and can resist both chemical and thermal shocks. They are so well engineered that they can easily withstand more than 2000 pounds of loads. Breakage and cracks are very unlikely once porcelain pavers are properly installed.
2. Heat and fire resistance – If you live in a hot region and you’re planning to replace the pavers or pave a new outdoor area, porcelain pavers are probably your best option. When pavers are exposed to the sun during the summer months, it gets very hot. Moreover, there are harsh UV rays that can affect all sorts of materials and their color.
When porcelain pavers are forged during the vitrification process, it is combined with minerals like mullite and kaolinite. The combination is then heated in a kiln to reach temperatures as high as1400 degrees Celsius. That’s when those minerals get vitrified to give porcelain its characteristic strength and translucent look.
Since porcelain is cooked at such high temperatures, it is incredibly resistant to heat and fire. That means the chances of a fire spreading due to porcelain pavers are non-existent. Moreover, the pavers are poor conductors of heat and don’t get too hot even in summer. You don’t have to worry about your kids or pets running on the pavers. The pavers are also resistant to harsh UV rays and won’t get discolored or faded easily.
3. Stain resistant – If you’re paving your driveway, garage, or some other such place where you need to worry about spilling a lot of chemicals and toxic oils, porcelain pavers are undoubtedly the best choice. That’s because porcelain pavers are almost perfectly non-porous. They have a porosity of less than 0.05 percent. That means they absorb less than 0.05 percent of the surface water or other liquids.
Since the gaps on porcelain surfaces are almost non-existent, liquids can’t get trapped in them and create discoloration or a stained appearance. Compare that with natural stone or concrete which are notorious for absorbing moisture, and you have a recognizably superior choice. Apart from being stain-resistant, low-porosity of porcelain pavers has a few other advantages. They are easy to clean, fade-resistant, and scratch resistant.
4. Cold resistance – Even if you live in a place that gets frigid cold during the winter, porcelain pavers are a better option than concrete or natural stone. During the cold winter months, both concrete and natural stone absorb a lot of water. As the absorbed water is frozen again, it expands and stresses the structure of the concrete and stone internally. When temperatures rise during the day, the water melts and then freezes again as the temperature drops.
This cycle of freezing and thawing chips away the durability and longevity of traditional pavers and makes them more prone to cracking. On the other hand, porcelain pavers absorb less than 0.05 percent of surface water and their internal structure is completely frost-free. Since water isn’t trapped inside the pavers the freezing and thawing cycle doesn’t affect it at all. Even if the temperatures fall as low as -60 degrees Fahrenheit, porcelain pavers remain frost-free.
This brings other advantages during the winter months. When the surface of the porcelain pavers is covered with thick snow and ice, you can use any de-icing salt without any worries. That’s simply not possible with concrete pavers since certain de-icing salts and agents can thaw and mix with the water and penetrate into the concrete to corrode it from the inside.
5. Non-slippery – If you’re looking forward to paving a pool deck or other such outdoor feature that gets wet too often, porcelain pavers are the usually preferred material. Due to the non-porous nature of porcelain pavers, they don’t retain a lot of water to become slippery. However, if the top surface is glossy, it can retain a meniscus-like layer of water at the top. To prevent that, manufacturers usually make a textured surface for outdoor pavers. Either way, porcelain pavers can be as slip-resistant as concrete pavers when manufactured the right way.
6. Cost-effective in the long term – Porcelain pavers have a higher upfront cost compared to most other paving materials. However, when you consider the high longevity, low maintenance, and easy repairability of porcelain pavers, they are very cost-effective in the long run. Heavy-duty porcelain pavers range from $5 to $15 per square foot.
While that may be a bit more expensive than concrete pavers, they are much cheaper than high-end natural stone pavers that cost as much as $30 per square foot. Moreover, it brings more advantages compared to natural stone pavers and can look as good as them. Repairs are also easy and inexpensive and keep recurring costs low.
Conclusion
Porcelain pavers have numerous advantages. From being highly durable and stain resistant to being easy to maintain and fireproof in case of emergencies. They may cost a bit more than traditional paving options. However, the advantages make up for it. You can search for “paving companies near me” and hire pros to replace your paving.