Porcelain tiles are made from a mixture of white clay, sand and feldspar and fired at very high temperatures. That makes for a dense, hardwearing product that will take pretty much anything life throws at it. This is a material that is highly scratch resistant and can easily cope with high footfall too making it ideal for hallways and entrances as well as kitchen and dining areas and ideal for bathrooms. 

Unlike natural wood, marble or stone, which are all softer materials and more prone to marking, the high scratch resistance of porcelain also make this material a sound option for those of us with pets – think claws and pet bowls being dragged across the floor.

With an absorption rate of less than 0.5%, Porcelain is also perfect for outside. It is frost proof and fade resistant so come rain, snow or shine, this material remains very stable. Porcelain tiles are also available in different surface textures for additional slip resistance with antislip finishes  for external tiles with an R11 A+B+C rating the go-to for your patio area.    

Designer porcelain tiles are also available in different thicknesses, typically 20mm slabs are used for outside patio areas along with a thinner porcelain for internal areas. Internal tiles may be 8mm, 9mm or 10mm thick for example and in a matt or natural finish for example. Whereas the co-ordinating external tile is in an antislip finish and 2cm thickness. With collections also offering the same look tile for inside and out it is easier than ever before to create the same look and feel for your flooring from inside to outside creating continuity and linking lounge to lawn in style so you can tap right into the trend for outside living and create your dream outdoor space.

Outside porcelains should ideally be installed on a concrete bed, especially for larger areas, to ensure that beautiful seamless, flawless look is maintained for years to come.