Porcelain patio tiles - worth it?

[Greeper]

I am doing 80m2 of patio and am getting sold sold sold porcelain tiles at every builder's yard. They look rather lush but they. are. made. of. tea. cups and cost a fortune.
So anyone got these, do you rate them, are they worth the dosh and what do i need to know before i buy?

Come on this is total mumsnet territory bumpity bump x

Dunno but my in laws have them and they are indeed lush. Look amazing. And no algae or manky growth on them.

Won't they be a bit brittle? So without a very very very flat & stable bed, risk they might crack?

Yes - 3 years in here- looks as good as new.

They won't break because they are 2cm thick! Yes no algae no sealing, great choice of colours, but make sure whoever is doing the installation knows what they are doing it's no a diy job.

Its indeed tea cup material and wont be as strong and long lasting as the natural stone. 80 sqm is a large area, so i would say choose very carefully.

For my 30 sqm patio, i went for Indian sandstone and am happy with it after 5 years. Yes it a little bit of maintenance every couple of years to seal it but:

• It ages nicely and looks good
• Is most likely cheaper than Porcelain slabs.
• Readily available at many places, so in case you need replacement/additional slabs in future. Its easy to find the matching ones.
• If porcelain slab surface chips for some reason, you will see the ugly bits underneath. Whereas with natural stone thats not a problem.

Good luck with your decision

Don’t get light coloured ones!