If you stroll through any tile shop these days, you’ll see a staggering range of colors and styles of porcelain tiles. Modern digital printing techniques and equipment have made it possible to replicate the look of practically any surfacing or paving material that can be photographed with such outstanding tone, shade and color rendering, that it can be hard to distinguish the tile from the original material.
Stone Look Porcelain Pavers
With stone for example, no matter what type of stone takes your fancy, no matter how obscure, how limited in production, how difficult to source, how limited in size options or whether its technical characteristics might not be suitable for the intended application, a recreated porcelain version brings much needed consistency in availability, technical specifications, sizes and quality while faithfully maintaining the charm, features and beauty of the original material. Even the sparkle inherent in many types of stone can be reproduced by the inclusion of mica flakes in the printing process, while the surface can be textured to mimic the original stone surface.
No other decking material comes even close to porcelain in replicating the beauty of natural stone; the subtle variations in tone and shading, the depth and clarity of color, the highlights and sparkle and the exceptional color and style options available. No other decking material offers such a variety of sizes – from small 4” x 4” cobblestone blocks to massive 48” x 96” slabs. No other decking material matches the stain resistance, fade resistance and low maintenance of porcelain pavers.
To avoid repetition of identical pavers on the laid surface, manufacturers typically produce between four and ten ‘faces’ or different versions of the same basic stone, depending on the variability of features in the stone. The multiple faced pavers are randomly combined in the delivered product, allowing contractors to lay pavers in a manner which presents the most natural appearance.
Typically, manufacturers will promote a series of maybe three to six stone colors in a similar style or single colors in broad categories like slate, granite limestone, quartzite, travertine, as in the example below from the Archatrak Stonetek stone look range of around 30 colors.
But within a single stone type, like travertine, there can be a number of different color options, as the example from our travertine collection illustrates. And in this particular range, there’s a further differentiation with both crosscut and vein cut options.
Wood Look Porcelain Pavers
And a similar situation to stone look pavers applies with wood. Not only are there options mimicking newly cut lumber, but also lumber which has been subject to weathering, so the wood color is more subdued or even reduced to a light grey and resembling driftwood. Available options encompass an exceptionally broad range of wood species, displaying knots, veins, natural defects, pin holes etc. as well as planks with straight grain, clear of knots and other features.
As with stone look pavers, manufacturers typically produce between four and ten ‘faces’ or different versions of the same paver color, depending on the variability of features in the wood that is being replicated, which allow installers to avoid a repetitive look when pavers are being laid.
With natural lumber, you are generally restricted to specific widths and the wider the plank, the price becomes exponentially higher. Not so with porcelain. Our range includes planks of 8”, 12” and 16” wide as well as 24” x 24” slabs, with little variation in the cost per sq.ft. between different sizes.
The example below of 16” x 48” planks from the Archatrak Woodtek wood look paver collection of around 20 color options illustrates the wide color range available in wood look pavers.
Most pavers and planks feature a textured surface replicating the grain of natural timber. With current technology, the textured grain will not necessarily align with the grain displayed on the paver. However, this is really a small price to pay for the other benefits of porcelain pavers as an alternative to natural wood for decking – no staining, fading, twisting, warping, decay, scuffing, and most importantly, non-combustibility.
No other decking materials which attempt to replicate wood can offer these benefits; not concrete, not composite wood, not printed aluminum, not any plastic materials. No other decking material can be used to create such a seamless transition from the deck or balcony to the inside floor of a home. No other decking material requires so little maintenance and will look just as good years later as the day it was laid.
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Do you want to learn more about porcelain pavers or get quote? Contact our team today!
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