Porcelain vs Indian sandstone — a Cheshire guide
We lay both every year and we don't have a favourite — each one is right for a different garden. Here's how we help clients choose between porcelain and Indian sandstone, in plain language.
How each one behaves
Porcelain is a fired, vitrified tile — essentially a manufactured slab that doesn't absorb water, doesn't stain, and doesn't change colour. Indian sandstone is a natural sedimentary stone, quarried in Rajasthan, that weathers, greens slightly in damp corners, and deepens in tone as it ages.
Porcelain keeps its showroom face. Sandstone gets a face. Which you prefer is nine-tenths of the decision.
Maintenance, honestly
Porcelain needs a jet-wash and a grout-line brush once a year and that's it. Sandstone needs a wash and a coat of breathable sealer every two to three years if you want to hold its colour, or it can be left to weather. Neither is high maintenance compared to timber or gravel.
Where we specify which
Porcelain near pools and contemporary extensions. Sandstone for period houses, cottages and courtyards. Either one works in a family garden — we take our cue from the house.
At survey we bring weighted samples in both, wet one half and leave the other dry so you can see how each reads in your light. It's the fastest way to make the call.
