Is Porcelain Paving Slippery When Wet or Icy?

For the most part, the UK has made pavings out of natural stones such as sandstone as a reliable option for outdoor surfaces, and it’s still, a very popular option that homeowners desire when installing a new patio or paving.

However, as we say everything has pros and cons tied to it, there are some downsides with sandstone (at least people think this way now with the rise of porcelain) such as porcelain is easier to keep clean compared to sandstone.

Also, sandstone prices are through the roof these days making it a no-brainer to choose between sandstone and porcelain for homeowners if they have no such attachment with sandstone (for some people porcelain has no place in gardens).

And if you’re here, it means you’re concerned about how those shiny porcelain slabs will respond to the weather in the UK which is wet for most of the year, you are not alone! With porcelain in tremendous fashion in recent times, one question that is continuously being asked is—Will it get slippy when it’s wet?

But the answer to this question is a little more than just yes or no! Like anything other in this trade, people have mixed opinions even on whether porcelain becomes slippery or not when wet or icy.

We have a porcelain patio, not sure what rating it is but it was called Hales Beige and it’s Italian (if that helps). It is slippy, I have a toddler and when we’ve had the paddling pool and hose out and the patio has got wet, he has slipped over on the patio a few time. It could well be because he’s a toddler having the time of his life running around that he’s slipped, but still, he’s slipped on it.

Charlotte – Rayleigh, UK

I used porcelain in some of my garden after doing a few jobs with it. I absolutely hate it, it’s constantly wet and slippery in winter. Shows every dirty footprint and went green within 4 months. Thought it would be nice for the kids to play on but it’s lethal. I’ll be taking it up next spring and putting sandstone down.

Nick – Kendal, UK

Why are some porcelain slabs less slippery than others?

It may be because they walk in a different way than the normal people.

Correct level for better falls

It’s very important to drain the water off of the paving, and this is aechieved by getting the falls right while laying the slabs.

Things that you must consider while buying outdoor porcelain

(knowing from the owners themselves, do they feel safe to walk on it when wet), Asking if they were concerned too when buying these slabs??

Also, what things that you must make sure when buying porcelain to make sure it is least slippery in wet weather.

Slip-resistance rating

All the porcelain slabs that are installed outdoors, should be slip-resistant and

R11 British standard, anything less now suitable outdoor

Just want to highlight the fact, that if the paving is slippery that your fault for not choosing the proper materials and not the installers.

While R11 now being the standard anti-slip rating across the industry for outdoor paving, some porcelain suppliers now even came up with R12, making them a little more slip-resistant than R11.

So while searching for the porcelain paving, if there is an option that is R12 rated similar to your desired look and finish you can go with it for a little extra grippiness, if you’re really that concerned about it.

Buying quality porcelain is worth it

Quality products are tested and approved to ensure that they perform best in terms of safety

You’ll definitely hear when you ask for buying recommendations that Italian and Spanish porcelain is that way to go as that’s where quality porcelain comes from.

Definitely, it’s going a bit

More texture, less slippery

Porcelain is definitely available in kind of slightly textured finish and it can do wonders in terms of slip resistance.

Doing a little bit research upfront, and don’t just go for the looks

Is there anything to make porcelain less slippery once installed?

What slip rating do you need for outdoor tiles?

How do I know my tiles are slip-resistant?

Tell them they should have researched the materials they chose and not just gone for what looks nice