When you’re building a rooftop deck, there are a number of different paver materials to choose from. Porcelain deck pavers are often used when constructing or resurfacing a rooftop deck, and while this material has its advantages, it can be difficult to work with, expensive, and hard to maintain. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of porcelain roof pavers and then explore some of the other options.
Pros Of Porcelain Roof Pavers
High-End Aesthetic
Porcelain deck tiles offer a high end aesthetic and can be used for upscale, luxury buildings. The deep, rich coloring of porcelain pavers lends itself well to high-end projects.
Easy To Clean And Maintain
Because porcelain is very dense and non-porous it is nearly impermeable to water. This means that porcelain deck tiles won’t need to be sealed or stained, which reduces the amount of maintenance you’ll have to perform over the life of the deck.
Since it’s not absorbing water, it is also more resistant to freeze/thaw cycles that can create cracks in the tile. Its non-porous nature also makes it easy to clean because it won’t absorb stains.
Can Mimic The Look Of Other Material
Porcelain deck tiles look like porcelain, but they can also be manufactured to mimic the look of natural stone and wood. In the case of wood, this has the advantage of creating a natural wood look without the maintenance that comes with wood deck tiles.
Available As Tiles Or Planks
Porcelain roof pavers are available in a variety of sizes and come as square tiles or planks. Square tiles are ideal to achieve the look of porcelain or natural stone while porcelain planks can mimic the look of wood boards.
Cons Of Porcelain Rooftop Pavers
Heavy
Porcelain and concrete deck tiles both weigh about 12 lbs. per square foot at a thickness of 1”. Porcelain tiles are thinner than concrete, so the tiles typically weigh less. However, they are still one of the heavier deck tile options. This means that the building may need additional structural support to hold their weight which will increase the total price of the project and need more time to complete.
Can Become Brittle
Porcelain is an incredibly hard and dense material, and while this results in a low rate of water absorption, it can also mean that the tiles are more brittle than concrete or composite materials and can break if dropped or chip if there are any raised edges left after installation. They also may break at some point during their life and need to be replaced, which results in added project costs and time.
Difficult To Install
Porcelain decking requires a pedestal installation on rooftop applications. To install a pedestal system, pedestals are placed at each corner of the porcelain decking tiles and then individually adjusted to create a level surface.
Because porcelain deck tile is so dense, it requires special methods to cut it to size, and cutting should be done by an experienced professional.
More Expensive Than Other Materials
Porcelain is one of the more expensive rooftop paver materials. Installation costs may also be higher because of the installation process. Some of this upfront cost may be offset by the lack of maintenance that porcelain deck tiles require, but because they can become brittle, there may also be a cost associated with periodically replacing tiles.
Aspire Pavers: A Superior Alternative To Porcelain Roof Pavers
Porcelain deck tiles can create a high end aesthetic and are highly durable, however composite pavers by Aspire provide a number of advantages that porcelain tiles don’t.
Lightweight And Easy To Install
Our composite pavers are ⅓ the weight of concrete pavers, which makes them easy to transport to the jobsite. Once at the site, they can be moved by one person without the need for special equipment as opposed to porcelain which, depending on the size, may require multiple people to move it into place.
We also use a patented grid system for installation which makes installation much easier and faster than pedestal installation systems — in fact, our pavers can be installed in less than 40% of the time it takes to install traditional concrete pavers.
Sustainable
While porcelain is made from natural materials, its manufacturing still depletes natural resources. Composite pavers on the other hand are made with up to 95% post-consumer recycled scrap rubber and plastics, and divert material that would otherwise end up in landfills.
Aspire Pavers are also recyclable and the scrap from construction can be recycled, to give new life to the excess material.
Durable And Low-Maintenance
With a 10-year limited warranty and a lifetime no-crack guarantee in residential applications, you can rest assured that your rooftop deck will stand the test of time. Our composite pavers are fade resistant, stain resistant, and scratch resistant, so you can use the deck without worrying about constant cleaning or replacing tiles.
Range Of Colors And Sizes
We offer composite pavers in four colors — Redwood, Olive, Waterwheel, and Boardwalk — and three sizes that allow you to create a deck that fits with the existing aesthetic. You can also create unique patterns with one color or incorporate multiple colors for a one-of-a-kind design.
Contact the experts at Aspire today to create a low-maintenance roof deck that’s easy to install and looks beautiful. You can even order a free sample kit to see and feel the difference for yourself.
