Outdoor paving

What to consider

Surface heat

In UAE summer sun, paving gets very hot, and dark stone gets hotter than light stone. Where people walk barefoot, around pools or on roof terraces, lighter colours and shade generally help, but no stone stays cool in full sun.

Slip

Polished stone outdoors can be dangerously slippery when wet from irrigation, pool water, cleaning or morning dew, and sand on a smooth surface adds to the risk. Outdoor paving normally needs a textured finish chosen against the designer’s slip requirement.

Falls and drainage

Paving should shed water to drains or soft landscape, away from buildings. The falls are formed in the base, not by tilting individual tiles, and need to be agreed before the base is laid.

Installation build-up

Stone paving is commonly bedded on a concrete slab (a rigid build-up) or on compacted layers (a flexible build-up). The choice affects thickness, joints and movement joints, and it is for your installer or engineer to specify.

Loads

Paths and terraces carry people and furniture. Driveways, service routes and areas used by maintenance vehicles carry far higher loads and need an engineered design with thickness and base to suit.

Limitations and when to get technical advice

Driveways and any area used by vehicles must be designed by an engineer; do not assume a 20 mm or 30 mm tile will carry vehicle loads. Pool surrounds involve slip safety, pool chemicals and salt water, and need the designer’s input with test evidence. Dark Emperador marble is generally not recommended for outdoor paving because it weathers and is etched by acids, and our 15 mm porcelain slabs are not offered for outdoor paving. Black Marquina’s family is unconfirmed. Roof terraces add waterproofing and loading questions for the building’s engineer. Send any of these cases with drawings for technical review.

Finish

Finishes are not documented in our catalogue, so whether a textured finish such as flamed, bush-hammered or brushed is available for a given material must be confirmed in your quotation. Textured finishes generally give more grip than polished, though they also hold dirt and are harder to clean. Flaming usually lightens the colour and changes the look, so do not judge a flamed paver by a polished photograph. See our finishes guide.

Thickness

Our granite tiles are mostly 20 mm, with three 60 × 30 cm products in 30 mm; slabs are offered in 20 mm and 30 mm. For pedestrian areas on a rigid concrete base, stone in this range is commonly used. Flexible build-ups, larger pieces and any vehicle loading generally need thicker or specially designed paving. Your installer or engineer confirms the thickness for your build-up and use.

What to measure

Measure each paved area in metres and sketch its shape, marking drains, steps, planters and the pool edge if there is one. Edges and copings are best listed in linear metres.

• Paved area length (m)
• Paved area width (m)
• Total paved area (m²)
• Edges, borders or kerbs (lm)
• Number of steps or level changes
• Pool coping length (lm), if any

Give the paved area in square metres (m²), plus edges and copings in linear metres. Your installer will add an allowance for cutting waste, which depends on the shapes and the number of drains and curves to cut around. Ask them for the figure, and keep some spare pavers from the same lot for repairs.

What we supply

We supply tiles and slabs. The base, falls, drainage, bedding, jointing and laying are the work of your landscape contractor or installer. If you need pavers, copings or steps cut to size, ask in your request and we will confirm whether that can be arranged before quoting.

Site conditions to tell us

• Base type: existing concrete slab, new slab or compacted sub-base.
• Falls, drain positions and where water will discharge.
• Irrigation, planters and soil next to the paving.
• Sun and shade on the area, and whether people walk barefoot.
• Pool, fountain or water feature nearby.
• Access route for crates into the garden or terrace.

Natural variation

Outdoors, a paved area is seen as a whole, so shade differences between crates can show as patches. Ask for one lot, and lay tiles from several crates at once so they mix. A textured finish tends to soften differences in pattern, but it changes the colour, so compare like with like. See natural variation.

Technical documents

If your designer, consultant or client needs technical documents such as test reports, data sheets or certificates, list them in your request and we will tell you what can be provided for the materials you choose.

What affects the cost

• Finish: a textured finish may cost more than a standard one, where available.
• Format and thickness (20 mm or 30 mm tiles, or cut slab).
• Material and grade (meanings of Standard, Premium and Extra confirmed with your quotation).
• Area plus waste for curves, drains and edges.
• Edges, copings and steps in addition to field paving.
• Delivery into the site and the distance crates must be moved by hand.

Delivery preparation

Crates of paving are heavy and need firm ground and lifting equipment to offload. Plan where they can be set down without damaging lawns, irrigation or new concrete, and keep them off soil to avoid staining. Cover them against cement splashes. Delivery terms are confirmed in your quotation; see delivery preparation.

Samples and viewing

Ask whether a sample or a yard visit is possible. If you can get a piece in the intended finish, leave it in the sun at midday and wet it: it is a simple way to feel the heat and the grip, though it is not a substitute for a slip test.

Care

Sweep or rinse off sand regularly, since grit wears surfaces and fills textured finishes. Clean with water and a pH-neutral cleaner; avoid acid cleaners, which can damage stone and joints. White deposits (efflorescence) from new bedding usually need a suitable cleaner rather than acid. Check whether irrigation water leaves marks, and adjust sprinklers to keep them off the paving. See the granite care guide.

Alternatives

For barefoot areas, a lighter granite in a textured finish is generally more comfortable than dark stone. Manufactured outdoor porcelain pavers, typically thicker than our 15 mm porcelain slabs, are another option with published slip data from their makers; we do not supply them. For edges, copings and walls in gardens, see the landscape detailing page, and for steps, see the stair treads page.