Porcelain patios

Porcelain patios, laid the way porcelain has to be laid

Porcelain is the clean, contemporary, low-maintenance choice for a patio. The boards are dimensionally near-perfect, so the joints are crisp, and they resist stains and frost and never need sealing. The catch is the laying: porcelain is unforgiving, and laid badly it fails. We lay it the way it has to be laid, which is why we are happy to stand behind it.

The craft is in the bed

Porcelain has to go onto a full adhesive bed over a primed, slurried base, not spot-dabbed or thrown down on sand like some firms still do. Cutting it cleanly, around features and into mitred edges, takes the right tools and a steady hand. Get the bed, the primer and the cuts right and a porcelain patio is flawless and lasts; get them wrong and it lifts, rocks and cracks. It is precisely because porcelain is so often laid badly that many firms will not warranty slabs they did not lay. We will, because we lay it properly.

Where porcelain suits

Porcelain suits a contemporary house and anyone who wants a crisp, modern finish with almost no upkeep. Quality outdoor porcelain is made with an anti-slip finish and is often less slippery wet than natural stone. It comes in stone, timber and concrete looks, so it can sit with a period property too, though for a truly traditional setting we would often steer you to natural or local stone.

Laid to last, and drained right

As with any patio, the base and the falls decide the lifespan. We dig to firm ground, build the sub-base properly, and set the falls so water runs off and away from the house. On the clay vale around Chippenham that drainage detail matters most. Arrange a consultation and we will talk you through whether porcelain is the right surface for your garden.

• 01

  Indian sandstone patios

  Indian sandstone patios laid on a full mortar bed, with the riven character that suits a period garden.

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• 02

  Natural stone patios

  Natural stone patios in sandstone, limestone and Cotswold stone, laid to make the most of the stone's character.

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• 03

  Cotswold stone patios

  Patios in local Cotswold stone, so the new work sits as though it has always been there.

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• 04

  Pathways

  Garden paths in stone, gravel and porcelain that tie the garden together and last.

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• 05

  York stone patios

  York stone patios in genuine riven Yorkshire sandstone, a timeless, characterful surface that suits period and country property.

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• 06

  Limestone patios

  Limestone patios with a soft, natural finish that sits beautifully with the local stone and period property.

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• 01

  Patios and paving

  Porcelain, York stone, limestone and Cotswold-stone patios laid on a proper base, with the levels and drainage right.

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• 02

  Indian sandstone patios

  Indian sandstone patios laid on a full mortar bed, with the riven character that suits a period garden.

  Read
• 03

  Cotswold stone patios

  Patios in local Cotswold stone, so the new work sits as though it has always been there.

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Source: Gardenscape. Figures as of 2026-06-03.

Play

Tom Windle of Gardenscape demonstrates how to lay porcelain paving for a flawless, long-lasting patio.

• Why does porcelain cost more to lay than other paving?

  Because it has to go on a full adhesive bed over a primed, slurried base, and cutting it cleanly takes the right tools and skill. Laid wrong it fails, which is why many firms will not warranty porcelain they did not lay. We lay it properly and stand behind it.

• Is porcelain slippery when wet?

  Quality outdoor porcelain is made with an anti-slip rating and is often less slippery wet than natural stone. We specify outdoor-rated boards suited to a patio.

• Does porcelain need sealing?

  No. Porcelain is non-porous, so it resists stains and frost and never needs sealing, which is a large part of why it is so low-maintenance.

• Can porcelain suit a period property?

  It can, in the right tone and format, but for a truly traditional or conservation setting we will often steer you to natural or local Cotswold stone, which sits more naturally with older buildings.