A riven surface is where the mason has hewn and then split the stone, which will leave small ridges on the surface (sandstone is the most common example). Explore our selection of riven natural stone patio paving to see how this looks.
Light riven follows the same process, but the surface ridges are smaller. Some stone types like limestone have inherently smaller ridges, but this finish can also be produced by processing the slabs in a tumbler to soften and “weather” the stone. Take a look at our light riven natural stone slabs.
A texture surface is achieved by machining the stone surface, leaving a granular or dimpled effect. This process provides a flatter surface with more grip, so is often used in higher foot-traffic areas and public spaces. We offer several different types of textured natural stone paving.
The fourth finish is a honed surface, where the stone is milled to create a flat, smooth surface. You’ll find examples of honed natural stone slabs on our site.
Hand-cut edges are exactly what the name suggests. The mason dresses the stone edge by hand to create the edge. These will be an inverted chamfer, with the widest point on the upper surface of the slab.
Tumbled edges are hand-cut edges which have then been “tumbled”, a process designed to mechanically age and weather the slab so it looks timeworn and antique in appearance, with softer, rounded finishes on the edge profile.
Sawn edges are the third type of edge that are generally available with natural stone. With this edge type, the slabs are table sawn in the factory to give them straight edges that are vertical. This allows sawn stone paving to be laid closer together than a hand-cut edge, so more contemporary narrow jointing (4-8 mm) is possible.
As porcelain paving is formed in moulds, surface textures that resemble riven sandstone, limestone orange-peel dimples and even granite’s granulation are possible. Porcelain also has the added advantage of anti-slip technology on its surface, offering better slip-resistance than other forms of paving.
Whilst there are some “antique” style porcelain slabs available, they are not as common and the choice of surface finishes is more limited than you’d find with concrete or natural stone patio paving. This is likely to change as porcelain manufacturers seek to provide a wider range of paving for more rustic and traditional properties.
Watch the video below to learn more about the variety of surface textures that are possible with Pavestone Dolomite Porcelain Patio Paving:
Unsure which type of material offers the texture and finish you’re after? Here, we’ve outlined the main differences between the three main patio paving materials:
Concrete offers the best range of choices when it comes to finish and texture. You can choose between a pressed, smooth finish or a wet-cast stone-effect finish – and this material can capture the effect of different stone types.
Natural stone can be engineered to offer a ridged or smooth surface, with straight or chamfered edges, depending on your preference. This tends to come at a price as they require additional production processes.
Porcelain offers a range of different surface textures to mimic different stone types, with excellent anti-slip performance. That said, if you’re looking for a weathered or antique effect, you may be better off choosing a different material.
Your new patio paving will last for years to come, so it’s worthwhile considering how your chosen material type will weather and age over time. If you’re keen on the idea of antique-style patio paving, you can also find pre-weathered concrete, stone, and porcelain slabs.
Concrete colours will tend to fade faster than natural stone – it is unlikely to appear like it did on the day you laid it five years down the line. You can slow this process by treating the slabs with an appropriate sealer that will help protect them from moisture and UV sunlight bleaching.
Decorative concrete mould designs are often specifically made so the slabs appear more rounded and aged, like antique flagstones. This means you can more easily achieve the look and feel of time-worn and weathered paving without waiting for nature to take its course or sourcing reclaimed antique flagstones.
Natural stone will age and weather over time. Like concrete, it is also porous, so this patio paving material is susceptible to environmental conditions. Certain stone types such as Black Limestone (Kadapha) are well-known for the speed at which they fade in UV light. You can easily fix this with a UV protecting sealant if you don’t want to go for the weathered appearance that many people are looking for.
Looking for a more time-worn look and feel? Tumbled stone processing will give the stone that aged appearance, with the edges and surface being softer and more rounded. Alternatively, you can source reclaimed flagstones (although this can be pricey).
PHOENIX PAVINGPorcelain is impervious to most environmental conditions and will not age or fade as stone or concrete might do. This is ideal if you’d prefer patio paving that will look similar to how it did when it was first installed in 10 years.
That said, if you are looking for something a bit more antique and distressed, it will need to already look like that when you install it! Look for “porcelain flagstones” or similar to find these antique-style slabs.
Looking to create a seamless transition between your patio and indoor space? You could choose to match your indoor flooring with your outdoor paving, producing one continuous surface that connects the inside of your home with your terrace or patio.
This contemporary indoor-outdoor living style is best achieved with either natural stone or porcelain slabs. We would not recommend looking at concrete paving slabs in this role. This is primarily due to the inherent thickness of the concrete slabs. This makes them unsuited to underfloor heating and their thickness is awkward in most cases as they require an extra 30-40 mm of depth over 10 mm interior stone or porcelain tiles.
Indoor-outdoor matching porcelain tiles and paving slabs are becoming more common, but be aware these are two different products with different specifications and surface finishes. Exterior porcelain has to be suitable and have an R11 anti-slip rating to be considered safe for exterior use (where surfaces will be wet), so anti-slip technology measures needed to counter this must be used. When selecting matching interior and exterior tiles and pavers, review the anti-slip ratings:
There are plenty of options when it comes to paving slab sizes, ranging from 100 x 100 mm right up to 2000 x 2000 mm to suit any preference.
The inherent strength of the material will determine how large you can make the paving slab. The stronger it is, the bigger the slab’s lengths and widths can be relative to its thickness.
The inherent strength of the material will determine how large you can make the paving slab. The stronger it is, the bigger the slab’s lengths and widths can be relative to its thickness.
Concrete slabs – rarely larger than 900 x 600 mm as the material is not strong enough (and these larger ones will tend to be pressed slabs with a 50 mm depth). With concrete, 600 x 600 mm is considered large.
Natural stone slabs – you’ll find a reasonable selection of sizes, ranging from 100 x 100 mm to 900 x 600 mm (and even 1200 x 600 mm in some cases, although these are rare).
Porcelain slabs – offers the widest range of possible paving slab sizes. This material is strong enough to support sizes of up to 2000 x 2000 mm, although 900 x 600 mm and 1000 x 500 mm are the most common sizes. Porcelain setts (100 x 100 mm and 200 x 100 mm) now becoming an industry standard too.
When it comes to picking out the right patio paving pattern, you first need to decide whether to go for a uniform, single-size format or mixed-size paving (with a selection of squares and rectangles):
If you’d like to create a consistent laying pattern, go for single-size slabs. A wider variety of patterns is sometimes possible with mixed-size slabs, although you’ll need to consult the laying patterns first.
All three types of patio paving material are available as single-size formats or as mixed-size. That said, mixed-size slabs are much less prevalent with porcelain paving at present, and you’ll most likely only encounter single size packs.
Below we’re placed single size paving next to a mixed size patio so you can see the difference between the uniform pattern of the former and the more irregular pattern of the latter.
Your choice of jointing style will also affect the appearance of your patio paving pattern. For a contemporary aesthetic, you may want to consider narrow-jointed paving (where the slabs are positioned close together). On the other hand, wide-jointed paving tends to offer a more traditional look.
All three types of paving can be narrow-jointed (contemporary) or wide-jointed (traditional), but narrow-jointing will require the paving to have a straight or sawn edge that’s not chamfered, so the slabs can be laid near together (3-5 mm).
