Pavers have been a staple of the hardscape industry for many years. Concrete pavers have always been considered the best in many aspects. However, porcelain pavers have been rising in popularity and threatening the top position of concrete pavers. So, in the battle between porcelain vs concrete pavers, who leaves out victorious?
That promises to be a hard fought battle. In one corner, concrete pavers. The king of the industry. Resistant, versatile and durable.
In another corner, the relative newcomer, porcelain pavers. Presenting all the advantages of concrete pavers, maybe even better, but more expensive and difficult to work with.
If we put them head-to-head, can we finally reach a verdict and settle this battle once and for all?
That’s what we’ll try to do in this article. So let’s get right on it.
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Porcelain vs Concrete Pavers: Rules of Engagement
Before starting our comparison, we first need to know what exactly are the aspects we want to compare.
Pavers are known for presenting a lot of versatility. They can be incorporated in many different projects thanks to their sheer amount of options in colors and styles. So that’s a good start.
Also, resistance is a huge aspect of pavers. They are made to be used as a flooring option, and they need to be both shock and stain resistant. Another aspect we need to consider.
And speaking of stains, cleaning and maintenance also play a huge hole. The easier to clean a paver is and the fewer materials you need for it, the better it is. Also, the frequency with which it needs to be cleaned is important.
The durability, how long will the pavers last, is another big factor. That is a complicated category because it is really hard to assess how durable a paver will be without have more details of where exactly it is going to be installed.
And finally, perhaps the biggest factor, the price. Talking about price with pavers is complicated. The cheapest option is not always the best. The price of pavers needs to be thought of in a long term perspective.
Now that we know what we are comparing, we can create a simple table and give scores to each option, from 1 to 5:
1 – Bad
2 – Suboptimal
3 – Good
4 – Excellent
5 – Superior
| Concrete Pavers | Porcelain Pavers | |
|---|---|---|
| Versatility | ||
| Resistance | ||
| Maintenance | ||
| Durability | ||
| Price | ||
| Final Score |
At the end of this process, the paver with more points will be considered the best one in the Porcelain vs Concrete pavers battle.
So let’s start by analyzing the first contender.
Concrete Pavers
Brick pavers have been used for thousands of years over many cultures across the globe up until the mid-1940s, when concrete pavers started being produced.
Quickly they became a powerhouse in hardscape, combining the age-old segmented paver technique with the power of concrete.
Versatility – 4
Concrete pavers are fairly versatile. They are produced in many formats and colors, some can even simulate the look of natural stones.
However, the texture does not look the same and the colors rarely go out of the brown, gray and reddish hues.
Resistance – 4
From a shock resistant perspective, they are extremely resistant. It takes a lot of strength to damage a concrete paver that has been properly installed.
The same cannot be said for stains. Concrete pavers are porous, so they can easily absorb stains. They absolutely need to be sealed in order to prevent stains. Once they are sealed, though, they can be very resistant in this department as well.
Maintenance – 3
Maintenance is very important with concrete pavers. For starters, they need to be sealed, there’s no way around that. Sealing will help with further maintenance aspects and prevent stains. This sealing needs to be reapplied every two years.
Ideally, concrete pavers need to be kept free of leaves and debris and spills need to be cleaned right away. A thorough deep cleaning with specific products is required every four months or so.
Durability – 5
As long as they are properly installed and properly cared for, concrete pavers can last for years on end.
Price – 5
Concrete pavers usually stay between the $3 to $8 per square foot price range. That does not account for the installation costs, which are usually about $10 per square foot. So, in total, anything between $13 and $18 per square foot.
That is an excellent price when compared to other options in the market. Especially because it is an excellent price for how long concrete pavers can last. Again, always be thinking further ahead.
| Concrete Pavers | |
|---|---|
| Versatility | 4 |
| Resistance | 4 |
| Maintenance | 3 |
| Durability | 5 |
| Price | 5 |
| Final Score | 21 |
Porcelain Pavers
A relative newcomer to the hardscape business, it is only in recent years that porcelain pavers have been getting the popularity they deserve.
New technologies have allowed for wide production of the product with affordable costs, which made it more financially competitive.
Versatility – 4
The capacity of porcelain pavers to mimic other materials, both in looks and texture, is uncanny. Some of the best exemplars of the product are undisguisable from natural stone.
Also, porcelain can come in many textures and colors on its owns. The possibilities with porcelain are virtually endless.
Resistance – 5
Porcelain pavers are the hardest option in the hardscape industry at the moment. They are so resistant that they are the choice of flooring for factories and high traffic areas.
And even more impressive, porcelain pavers are non-porous, so they don’t need to be sealed to work optimally. They are naturally immune to stains.
Maintenance – 5
Since they don’t need to be sealed, maintenance with porcelain pavers is extremely easy and cheap. A simple regular sweep every week followed by a moping with dish soap and warm water every two months is already more than enough to keep it in pristine quality.
Durability – 5
Just as concrete pavers, porcelain pavers can last a lifetime when properly installed and cared for.
Price – 2
Porcelain pavers have a lot of benefits, but they come with a price.
Porcelain pavers can greatly vary in price, depending exactly on the model and the thickness of the paver (¾” thick and 2″ thick variation). They stay at a price range of $3 to $35 per square foot, with labor costing about $4 to $25 per square foot.
Labor cost is much more expensive because working with porcelain pavers is much harder due to their sheer size and weight.
Still, we are going to say it’s a good price because that amount really pays for itself in the long run. This salty upfront payment more than pays for itself with all the sealing and cleaning supplies you won’t need to spend.
| Porcelain Pavers | |
|---|---|
| Versatility | 4 |
| Resistance | 5 |
| Maintenance | 5 |
| Durability | 5 |
| Price | 2 |
| Final Score | 21 |
Porcelain vs Concrete Pavers: Final Score
| Concrete Pavers | Porcelain Pavers | |
|---|---|---|
| Versatility | 4 | 4 |
| Resistance | 4 | 5 |
| Maintenance | 3 | 5 |
| Durability | 5 | 5 |
| Price | 5 | 4 |
| Final Score | 21 | 21 |
As you could see, we have a tie. That goes to show that both are excellent competitors.
If you are willing to pay the hefty upfront price, porcelain pavers prove to be superior to concrete pavers when it comes to maintenance and long term value.
But the cost benefit of concrete is really attractive, and it doesn’t get too behind of concrete in many aspects.
In both cases, however, proper installation is really important. Don’t try to tackle it from a DIY perspective, especially porcelain, if you’re not confident on what you’re doing.
Here at JS Brick, over our 22 years of experience, we have seen many installations that could have gone great if only a professional have been worked on them. So get in contact with a professional hardscape contractor in your area to help you with your project.
And if you happen to be around our area of activity, the Sarasota and Manatee Counties in FL, why not give us a call to help you out? You can contact us anytime at +1 941 586 9140 or email us at [email protected]. We would be more than glad to hear from you!
