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EH Smith Top Tip: Correct installation, mortar bed, subbase & grouting is key to porcelain paving that looks great & lasts.
Your Local Porcelain Paving Supplier
Porcelain paving slabs have become one of the most popular choices for UK gardens, and it is easy to see why. Incredibly durable, virtually non-porous and remarkably low maintenance, it offers a clean, considered finish that works beautifully across contemporary and traditional spaces alike. At EH Smith we stock a wide range of porcelain paving slabs in a variety of colours, textures and sizes, with expert advice available at every branch to help you find the right choice for your garden.
Our range covers everything from classic tones like our Milena Luna through to rich colour options like Amaretto Grigio and striking darker finishes like Station Black. We also stock feature porcelain paving slabs including our décor porcelain paving range and mosaic porcelain paving for those looking to add something a little more individual to their outdoor space. Available in a range of sizes and formats, our porcelain range is as versatile as it is beautiful.
Our exclusive Milena collection is sourced from Italian porcelain manufacturers and represents the very best of what the range has to offer. Available in a stunning variety of colourways, it is the collection our landscaping teams recommend most.
You can order online for delivery, click and collect from your nearest branch, or visit one of our branches across the Midlands and South East where our landscaping teams can talk you through the full range, arrange samples and help you find the right porcelain paving slabs for your project.
Why Choose EH Smith for Your Porcelain Paving?
Expert landscaping advice at every branch
Wide range of porcelain paving slabs in multiple colours, sizes and finishes
Exclusive Milena collection sourced from premium Italian porcelain
Your one-stop-shop for everything you need to get it laid, from sharp sand and primer to jointing compounds and drainage
Partnered with trusted suppliers to ensure premium quality of products
Convenient online ordering with delivery or click and collect
Landscaping displays in-store so you can see slabs in person before you buy to ensure no suprises
Advice from the EH Smith Landscaping Team
"My biggest tip for anyone laying porcelain is to make sure it goes down on a full wet sharp sand mortar bed, without any voids. It really does make all the difference to how the finished patio looks and how long it lasts. Get the installation right from the start and you will have a beautiful, low maintenance outdoor space for years to come. And if you are ever unsure, we are always here to help!"
Suzy | Landscaping Product Leader | EH Smith Cannock
Porcelain paving is highly resistant to fading and staining. Because it is non-porous, stains cannot penetrate the surface of the tile itself. Any discolouration is almost always residue sitting on top of the tile rather than within it. Haze or seepage on porcelain paving or around the joints is the most common issue customers encounter, and this is most often down to poor installation rather than porcelain itself.
Common causes include dot and dab laying rather than a full wet mortar bed, grout joints that are too narrow or not deep enough, and an insufficient MOT subbase that leads to movement in the bed beneath. All of these can be avoided by getting the installation right from the start.
Any haze that does occur can be often cleaned away using a dedicated porcelain paving cleaner or for tougher stains after installation our Azpects grout residue cleaner, but prevention is always better than cure. If you are unsure, speak to our landscaping team before you start laying.
In broad terms, yes. Our product images are as accurate as possible, however every slab will contain slightly different natural grain variations, and screen colours on computers and mobile devices can never be fully exact. We always recommend visiting your local EH Smith builders merchants to see slabs in person before committing. Our landscaping teams can also arrange cut samples for you to take home so you can see how a colour works in your own garden.
Once correctly installed, porcelain paving is extremely resistant to cracking, chipping and scratching thanks to its high density and hardness. The main risk of damage is during handling and cutting prior to installation rather than once it is laid. If cutting is required, we always recommend using a water-fed disc cutter, which keeps the blade cool and significantly reduces the risk of chipping at the cut edge. If a water-fed cutter is not available, a two-sided cut where both cuts meet in the middle is the next best approach. Once your porcelain is correctly laid on a full wet mortar bed with the right subbase beneath it, it should not chip, crack or scratch under normal use and with the right care should last a very long time. The key, as with so much of porcelain paving, comes back to correct installation and careful handling before it goes down.
All our porcelain paving slabs are rated R11 or above for slip resistance, meaning they have been tested on an inclined ramp of up to 27 degrees when oiled and with standard footwear. This is a high-performance rating that makes our porcelain suitable for use in outdoor environments, even around pools and in consistent wet conditions, giving you reliable grip underfoot all year round.
No. Porcelain should never be laid directly over existing paving. Doing so compromises the laying bed beneath, creates an uneven surface and will cause problems over time. Always start from a properly prepared subbase for the best and longest-lasting result.
Porcelain must always be laid on a full wet mortar bed. Never dot and dab. The recommended build-up is a 4 inch MOT subbase, a 2 inch sharp sand bed and a mortar bed of at least 30mm, with a porcelain slurry primer applied to the back of each tile before laying.
Always use sharp sand rather than building sand, which can break down and wash away over time. Equally important is building in the correct fall. A minimum fall of 1:60 over 3 metres away from the house is required to ensure sufficient drainage once the porcelain is fully grouted. Because porcelain and the grout together create a fully waterproof, non-porous installation, water cannot drain through the surface and must be directed away effectively from the outset. Get these elements right and your porcelain paving will perform beautifully for years to come.
Yes, drainage for garden paving is essential, particualry for porcelain paving. Because porcelain is non-porous, water cannot drain through the surface and needs somewhere to go. Build in a minimum fall of 1:60 over 3 metres away from the house to prevent pooling. Also consider the position of any downpipes from your property and where water will naturally run to once the paving is in place.
Porcelain is one of the lowest maintenance paving options available, but that doesn’t mean it can be left without any on-going care. A regular clean with warm soapy water and a soft broom will keep it in great condition day to day. A dedicated porcelain paving cleaner, such as those in our Azpects range, used a couple of times a year will keep the surface looking its best. Porcelain is far easier to maintain than natural stone, but it is not entirely maintenance free.
Porcelain paving looks fantastic on its own, but there are a few simple additions that can really elevate the finished result. Porcelain edging tiles are a great starting point, sitting at the border, or just before, of your paved area to add a neat, tailored finish that frames the space beautifully. Our décor slabs and mosaic porcelain paving are another brilliant option, introducing pattern, texture or contrast into an otherwise clean, uniform surface. Even introducing just one or two décor tiles as a feature strip can completely change how a finished patio looks and feels. If you are unsure which combination works best with your chosen porcelain, our landscaping team are always on hand to help.
Porcelain Paving Installation Products
Getting your porcelain paving looking its best starts long before the first slab goes down. From your MOT subbase and sharp sand through to primer, mortar and jointing compounds, we stock everything you need to ensure a correct, long-lasting installation. Our landscaping teams are on hand to make sure you leave with the right products for the job.
There is no better inspiration than seeing porcelain paving in a real garden. Here is a selection of images shared by our customers, showing our porcelain range installed in homes across the UK. From contemporary patios to traditional garden spaces, see what is possible with EH Smith porcelain paving.
With how much content there is online pushing the latest and greatest in power tools, I went on a mission to find the tried & tested. The workhorses. The tools that those in the know reach for time after time.
We recently held a trade day at our Cannock branch, and I spent a good hour grilling the brilliant Makita team with exactly these questions. Our own team at EH Smith know a thing or two about tools as well, which tends to happen when the company has been around for 100 years. And of course, who better to ask than the people actually using them? We spoke to some of our long-standing trade customers about the power tools they grab day in day out. Not the flashiest, just the ones they can rely on.
All of those conversations boiled down to four tried and tested Makita power tools that we can wholeheartedly recommend, and that we know you can rely on.
If you have visited our Shirley branch recently, you may have noticed something a little unexpected in the entrance. Not a display of paving slabs or a stack of building materials, but a full size brick throne.
The throne was built over two days by TwinsBuild, the bricklaying duo behind one of the most talked about entries at the SuperTrowel Masters Competition 2026. Twin brothers Jonny and George McFarlane from Derbyshire, aged 22, both passionate about bricklaying and both very much responsible for the impressive structure now sitting at the entrance to EH Smith Shirley.
"We've been laying bricks for seven years now. We really enjoy bricklaying and more than anything we enjoy the detail work which is what inspires us to do builds like this."
~ Jonny McFarlane
We documented the entire build across the two days, from the first brick to the finished throne. Watch the full timelapse and hear from Jonny and George themselves in the video below, and if you want to follow their work, you can
If the first blog in this series got you thinking about your garden, this one is for those of us who have realised that not all outdoor spaces are created equal, and what works in one part of the garden does not necessarily work in another. This time around we are looking at ideas for gardens big and small, from making the most of a compact space to tackling larger gardens with a bit more ambition.
My garden is a good example. Behind the house we have a small private space. It is where I actually sit most, relax and pretend I am not going to spend the whole time thinking about what needs doing. Out the front, I have more space and considerably more sun, but if I am honest I have never really made the most of it. It is the space people see first, the one that gets the best of the day, and yet somehow it has always just been... there.
Sound familiar? I suspect it might.
The truth is, most of us have gardens that are a bit of both.
