Having a patio in your garden can be a real god send, especially in summer when most weekends are spent BBQ-ing with friends and family. One concern that comes up a lot when people are considering buying paving, is that it’ll get unbearably hot in the sun.
You may be someone who has pets and young children crawling around, if so, keeping the patio at a comfortable temperature is vital. So, how can you make sure that your patio won’t get hot in the sun? The first step is choosing the right material.
Which paving material is the best at staying cool?
There has been a lot of debate over the years about which outdoor tiles will stay the coolest, but there is one that stands apart from the rest – porcelain paving. High quality porcelain paving is made using a process called vitrification. During this process, a combination of elements and minerals are heated to a very high temperature, at which point, they melt. When this material hardens, the resulting tiles are both weather and UV-resistant.
This is really important because it means that porcelain paving doesn’t absorb the suns rays in the same way that other materials like natural stone, concrete, or brick do. In essence, porcelain tiles are designed to deflect heat and stay cool in the sun, making them an ideal choice for pet-friendly/family gardens.
Where should I install my patio?
If it’s important to you that your patio is kept cool at all times, you should consider installing it in a shaded area of your garden. Being away from direct sunlight will really help to keep your patio tiles at a comfortable temperature even on the hottest days.
Adding shade to your patio is also a great option. This can be achieved with a veranda, a pergola, an umbrella or even an retractable awning. All of these patio extras are great at keeping you and your patio cool, and will certainly add an interesting element to your garden design. You’ll probably find that shady structures will also come in handy during autumn/winter when they’ll provide shelter from the wind and rain!
How can I cool my patio down?
If you already have a patio, and you’re finding that it’s getting unbearably hot on warm days, then there are a few different things you can do to cool the tiles down. One way you can provide instant relief is by spraying the tiles with cool water. If you’re in the garden, a hose will be perfect for this, although you can also do it by hand if you don’t have a hose to hand. You can even invest in a patio mister that will provide a continuous stream of cool mist over the surface of your tiles to keep them extra cool at all times.
Of course, spraying down the entire patio throughout the day might seem like a bit of a challenge, (not to mention a slip hazard). So if you want a slightly more convenient option, you could plug in a fan and allow cooler air to circulate over the surface of the tiles.
So, there you have it. If you’re looking for the best heat-resistant paving, stick with porcelain paving. Alternatively, choose a suitable paving accessory to keep your outdoor tiles cool.
