Porcelain paving on driveway

[success1980]

Hi everyone,

I cam across this forum on recommendation and would like to ask a question regarding my new driveway.

I had someone quote for it and they mentioned that they use porcelain tiles on driveways now. He showed me some pictures and it looked really good. Only thing is that I can't find reviews anywhere when it comes to this application - there are many positive ones for patios but the loads are higher on driveways.

So I wanted to ask your experience. I would think to excavate and fill with concrete slab to get stable base and avoid sinking. Then to lay them into thickish mortar bed. Would compacted type 1 do as well?

Thanks for your advice

[dig dug dan]

They would have to be laid on a concrete base, and stuck down with a full bed. But I wouldn't entertain it on a driveway it's not thick enough

[Tony McC]

There *are* porcelain (or similar) pavings that can be used for driveways. The most common one is probably Geo-Ceramica from Brett, which is a porcelain tile pre-bonded to a concrete base. The idea is that these can then be laid on a screeded sand bed over a good sub-base and voila! A porcelain driveway.

I was originally highly skeptical (and a deal of that sketicism remains) but danged good contractors of my acquaintance have laid thousands of metres of this stuff and swear it's the bog's dollocks.

I'd be wanting to lay onto a mortar, or screeded sand/cement bed, at the very least, but they keep telling me the sand alone works fine, and that, as long as the sub-0base is sound, no need for a concrete base, either.


The alternative would be to lay the standard 20mm porcelain over a concrete base, preferably using outdoor-grade tile adhesive. Porcelain is far, far tougher than many of us would believe and as long as it is a quality product (and not some bargain crap from Turkey or India) it is more than capable of dealing with typical residential vehicles.

[success1980]

Thanks for your reply. In general reviews on porcelain are good although not used for driveways much yet. Block is definitely more popular. As I like the look of porcelain I may give it a go and see what happens, but would "over spec' with 15cm concrete slap instead of type 1 as a base and then lay the porcelain into mortar bed. This way there shouldn't be any movement at all and if layed fully into mortar there shouldn't be any danger of corners breaking off.

[PavingSuperstore]

We have a range of driveway thickness porcelain options here. They either have a backing such as the Georceramica or are extra thick at 30mm.

https://www.pavingsuperstore.co.uk/drivewa....de=list

Hope this helps.

George
Paving Superstore

[Tony McC]

If you lay ovre a concrete base/slab, then the best option is to use an outdoor grade tile adhesive rather than mortar. It includes the primer/adhesion improver you would need, and it is far stronger.