Do you want to give a sleek look to the outdoor oasis? It is the right time to start up with the renovation project. Spruce up your outdoor flooring with the installation of natural stone pavers and porcelain pavers.
Now the question arises which stone to choose and why? Well, Stone Universe Inc – the outdoor flooring supplier in the U.S.A carry an exotic range of both natural stone pavers and porcelain pavers. Both these paving stones carry varied characteristics and properties.
DIFFERENCE IN FORMATION & COMPOSITION
Natural stone is extracted from the quarries and is 100% real stone. Sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks are buried under the earth’s crust for years and then came out as a hard-wearing material. Natural stone paver flooring carries rich minerals, calcium carbonate, and a mixture of organic substances which makes it an ideal option for laying outdoor flooring design ideas. Sandstone pavers being sedimentary rock composed of quartz grains. On the other hand, Porcelain Pavers are formed with a mixture of kiln-fired clay, ceramic material, and other mineral deposits. The top surface of the porcelain paver is inkjet to give it the desired look.
DIFFERENCE IN COLOR COLLECTION
Coming next to the color range, both natural stone pavers and porcelain paver flooring carry a vast range of color options. From light to dark and subtle to magnificent, one can avail every color. Natural stone pavers carry natural color tones with the essence of nature. Whereas, several artificial hues are mixed to present an appealing touch. Although, if compare closely, the colors of natural stone and porcelain look almost similar to each other with a slight variation of texture.
- DARK SHADES: Darks shade flooring stone always overwhelm the outdoor surroundings. In the range of natural stone paving, SUI offers antique black, basalt, lime black, Indian bluestone, and ebony black. One can also go with the Azul wave porcelain pavers for dignified outdoor flooring.
- EARTHEN SHADES: Earthen tones are no less than bright hues when it comes to paving the outdoor surfaces. Autumn brown, brown wave, autumn mist, and California gold natural stone paving gives a great appeal to the patio floor. Whereas canyon wood porcelain paver is an ideal choice for imparting a rustic look.
- SOFT SHADES: Neutral and soft shades are becoming people’s choice for paving outdoor oasis. Natural paving stone of grey mist color gives almost same resemblance just like steel grey porcelain pavers.
DIFFERENCE IN SIZE
When you are planning to revamp the outdoor flooring, the size of paving material is the one that needs to be taken care of. The outdoor area is exposed to regular wear and tear. Thus dimension and thickness of the stone paver matter a lot. Dealing in natural stone pavers, SUI carries varied small to the large size ranges from 8”x8” to 24”x36” respectively. Porcelain pavers are generally available in 12”x24” and 24”x24” dimensions. The difference also lies in paver thickness. Porcelain pavers are ¾”± thick. Natural paving stone comes with thickness 1” and 1¼”±. Due to the availability of different stone paver sizes, these can also be applied to the outdoor flooring in the form of patterns.
DIFFERENCE IN INSTALLATION PROCESS
After taking into account the color and size collection, the next step is to know about the installation process of both these paving stones. The installation process of natural stone pavers and porcelain pavers is different from each other. If you are dealing with natural floor stone, you need deep digging into the operational area. Afterward, a gravel base followed by sand bedding is required on the floor before laying natural stone paver flooring. It is recommended to apply sealers on the porous natural stone pavers for long-lasting beauty. The process of laying a porcelain paver includes all the steps similar to the natural stone paver installation. Only one needs to take special care of a primer coat that is done before placing the flooring paver. The slurry primer coat is enough for a good gripping.
DIFFERENCE IN VISUAL APPEAL
Comparing both the paving stones based on visual appeal, natural and porcelain pavers gives a great difference. Almost all the porcelain pavers showcase veins, textures and strike on the surface to give a presentable look. Natural paving stone carry natural beauty without many textures on the stone base.
Have a look on a couple of design options to get more clarification:
Here natural stone pavers are combined well in the form of interlocking patterns to give a graceful appeal. Different small and large dimensional pavers came up together in a set of 8-pattern. Deep and dark antique black showcase charcoal and black shades with a no to slight texture on the base.
This beautiful 24”x24” porcelain paver shows the neutral tan-brown background in perfect sync with wavy veins. A combination of a decent color palette and veins on the flooring base gather everyone’s attention.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAVING MATERIAL:
Well, there is no dilemma that natural stone pavers and porcelain pavers both serve as an ideal paving choice when it’s about exterior flooring. It merely depends upon the homeowner what to choose that suits best for the building project.
Last-Minute Tips:
- Choose the color that highly complements the existing surroundings.
- Opt for the size keeping in view the size of the operational area.
