National builders’ merchant Jewson has reported a growing demand for porcelain paving with some products selling 20% more in January-June this year compared to the same time last year, correlating with the building material ranking as the fifth most popular garden material featured on Instagram in June.
In particular, Jewson has seen a higher interest in larger sized porcelain, with sales increasing 20%. Sales of wood-effect porcelain have increased by 13% and lighter colours have proved the most popular, increasing 10% year-on-year.
As part of the sales analysis, the team at Jewson researched the 100 top hashtags associated with garden design, materials and features. Images and videos containing #porcelainpaving in the caption were the fifth most popular in the materials category, with nearly 30,000 hashtag mentions in June 2023.
Natural stone paving, sandstone paving, limestone paving and slate paving also made the top 15 in most popular material hashtags featured on Instagram.
| Category rank | Trend | Category | Instagram hashtag | Instagram hashtag uses as of 07/06/23 |
| 1 | Decking | Materials | #decking | 739,000 |
| 2 | Sleepers | Materials | #sleepers | 208,000 |
| 3 | Composite decking | Materials | #compositedecking | 141,000 |
| 4 | Block paving | Materials | #blockpaving | 62,200 |
| 5 | Porcelain paving | Materials | #porcelainpaving | 29,300 |
| 6 | Timber | Materials | #timberdecking | 19,500 |
| 7 | Concrete paving | Materials | #concretepaving | 10,000 |
| 8 | Composite fencing | Materials | #compositefencing | 5,000 |
| 9 | Brick paving | Materials | #brickpaving | 5,000 |
| 10 | Granite | Materials | #granitepaving | 5,000 |
| 11 | Natural stone paving | Materials | #naturalstonepaving | 5,000 |
| 12 | Sandstone paving | Materials | #sandstonepaving | 5,000 |
| 13 | Limestone paving | Materials | #limestonepaving | 1,000 |
| 14 | Iron fencing | Materials | #ironfencing | 500 |
| 15 | Slate paving | Materials | #slatepaving | 500 |
Audra Lennox at Jewson, said: “Porcelain paving has grown in popularity over the years, partly thanks to its low maintenance. Natural sandstone is still in demand, but porcelain is becoming increasingly available in more sizes, colours and finishes, giving people a greater choice. There are also thinner porcelain tiles that come with a lower price tag, such as our new 16mm porcelain, and there’s been a lot of interest in these this year.
“With so many homeowners heading to social media for garden design inspiration, it’s no surprise to see porcelain tiles have ranked highly on Instagram as one of the most popular landscaping materials this summer. The trends are all around creating stylish outdoor spaces with quality materials so people can enjoy them for years to come.
“When it comes to advising our customers on installing porcelain paving, there are different guides available for specific products. Generally though, porcelain is installed in the same way as natural stone, with the main difference being the use of a slurry primer to bond it to the mortar bed. This means it should be a straightforward option for tradespeople and builders to offer consumers who want to achieve this on-trend look in their gardens.”
For more on Jewson visit Jewson Builders Merchants, Timber Merchants & Tool Hire.
