Garden slabs are made of artificial or natural stone, wood or plastic and can be used for many purposes. You can use them to pave a beautiful terrace or a cozy seating area under the house tree, a garden path or the driveway. In this guide, we will explain what types of garden and terrace slabs there are, where the differences between them lie and what you need to look out for when buying.

Garden slabs are available in different materials, colors and shapes

Our recommendations

our recommendation
WOLTU GTF001hgr WPC Terrace Tiles Decking Tiles Wood Look Flooring with Click System Light Gray (11 pieces / 1 m²)
41.99 EUR To the product
material Wood Plastic Composite (WPC, 60% wood fiber, 30% plastic)
color light grey
Dimensions 30 x 30 cm per tile
fitness Indoor and outdoor
laying click system
maintenance uncomplicated, with water hose or scrubber

No screws or glue, just click: These garden and patio tiles can be laid in no time at all without any tools. They are made of WPC, a composite material that is as environmentally friendly as it is robust and durable and consists of 60 percent wood fibers and 30 percent plastic. The surface of the click tiles, which can be laid inside or outside, is roughened and can be easily cleaned with a water hose - perfect, for example, for furnishing the terrace or the patio in the garden. However, you need a firm base so that the plates grip firmly and do not give way. A solid substructure made of concrete or at least gravel or gravel makes sense.

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BodenMax natural stone click granite tiles | Classic pattern | 30cm x 30cm x 2.5cm | 8 tiles = 0.72m² | Suitable for indoor and outdoor use: balcony, terrace, garden, swimming pool, sauna
65.99 EUR To the product
material Natural stone (granite), substructure and connections made of plastic
color granite grey
Dimensions 30x30x2.5cm
fitness Indoor and outdoor
laying clip system
maintenance easy to care for, with cleaners suitable for natural stone

These natural stone slabs - which are available in different patterns - can be done without any tools or other equipment. You simply plug the individual panels together at the connections provided. If necessary, they can also be cut up, for example if you only need “half” a tile to finish. However, you also need a hard and flat surface here, for example made of concrete or stone, wood or fine gravel. As various satisfied Amazon customers report, the transitions between the individual stones can be grouted or glued so that no dirt or liquids get underneath.

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rg-vertrieb garden slabs floor slabs tile patio tiles balcony tile 40x40x2 cm composter base area 1.5 m² balcony walkway bed slabs
To the product
material weather- and UV-resistant plastic
color black
Dimensions 40x40x2cm
fitness primarily for outdoor use
laying plug-in system
maintenance very easy to care for

These garden paving slabs are made of robust, hard-wearing plastic, which is resistant to frost and other weather conditions as well as UV light. The surface is non-slip, so the tiles are very suitable as a base not only for the balcony or terrace, but also for garden paths, for the composter, for large planters and flower pots, etc. In contrast to other garden slabs, these can also be laid on uneven surfaces, so that objects placed on them have a firmer grip. Driving with a heavily loaded wheelbarrow is also possible. The installation is very uncomplicated without tools using the plug-in system.

Purchase Criteria

material

natural stone: Natural stones such as granite are very well suited for the various areas of use of garden slabs. You can use this material both for high-quality patio floors and for a pavement - natural stone slabs are usually very robust and load-bearing, with the latter largely depending on the substructure. In addition, this material does not lose color and is easy to clean with a cleaner suitable for natural stones. The disadvantage is a comparatively high purchase price.

artificial stone: Artificial or concrete stone is much cheaper as a material, but often does not look natural. Nevertheless, there are high-quality garden slabs that can hardly be distinguished visually from natural stone tiles. In addition, the range of colors and patterns is very large. As a material for garden slabs, concrete is very robust, hard-wearing, durable and versatile.

wood: Wood is a very beautiful, living material that is also used for high-quality garden slabs. Such slabs and tiles can be used for terrace and balcony floors as well as for sidewalks. Before you buy, however, make sure that the wooden tiles are explicitly suitable for outdoor use: untreated wood suffers from weather influences such as rain, snow, frost and sun, so that a weathering process begins after some time. For this reason, only robust hardwoods such as "acacia" (actually robinia), oak, beech or Douglas fir should be used outdoors.

plastic: Garden slabs made of plastic are robust, hard-wearing, resilient and durable - but usually not particularly attractive from a visual point of view. This is why they are used less as terrace flooring, but rather for garden paths, as a base for composters and for rubbish bins, as a non-slip storage option for large, heavy planters, etc. Make sure you buy hard-wearing and weather-resistant material here, as some plastics, for example, become soft and brittle under the influence of UV light.

substructure / substructure

Also note that you can't just lay garden slabs - especially the heavy stone varieties - on the ground or lawn. You need a suitable substructure, which should be firm and as flat as possible, depending on the load and weight. Concrete or paved surfaces or surfaces laid with bricks, gravel and crushed stone surfaces as well as screed are well suited.

Laying / laying system

Garden slabs that have a plug-in or click system are particularly easy to lay. Here you do not need any tools for assembly, but simply join the panels together using the connectors provided. As a rule, this connection is stable, but can be released again if necessary (e.g. to replace a defective disk). However, gaps remain between the individual panels, which you can seal with joint sand or other suitable material.

processing and durability

The disadvantage of plug-in or click systems, however, is their substructure, which is often made of plastic and can break under heavy loads. That's why you should use garden slabs without such a system for heavily used or heavily loaded areas - these are simply more robust and therefore more durable. Plug-in systems, on the other hand, are well suited for terrace or balcony floors. In addition, the panels should be at least two centimeters thick so that they do not break so easily.

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frequently asked Questions

Which garden tiles are particularly easy to care for?

Garden slabs made of plastic are particularly easy to care for, but stone slabs (regardless of whether they are made of artificial or natural stone) are also easy to clean. On the other hand, it gets more complicated with the material wood, with which you have to pay attention to a number of things and which can also discolour quickly.

Which material does not get hot in strong sunlight?

Black plastic in particular can get uncomfortably hot in the sun, making it impossible to comfortably walk barefoot in summer. Instead, rely on stone slabs, especially natural stone. These stay pleasantly cool. Ceramic is also a good choice in very sunny locations, but is not suitable for heavily used areas.

How much do garden slabs cost?

How much you have to spend on your garden slabs mainly depends on the material used. While plastic and artificial stone are quite cheap and many wooden slabs don't make too much of a dent in the cash register, slabs made of natural stone are even more expensive. Here you have to calculate at least 70 euros per square meter instead of around 15 to 30 euros as with the first-mentioned materials.

What should be considered when building the subsoil?

It is essential to ensure that the subsurface of the slab always has a slight gradient of two to three percent so that rainwater can drain away. If the panels are to be laid near the house, the slope should point away from the house - otherwise the water will collect on the foundation walls and can cause considerable damage there.

How thick does the layer of gravel under the garden slabs have to be?

How strong the substructure must be under the garden slabs depends on the material and the intended use of the same. For a terrace, you should plan a roughly 20 centimeters thick, heavily compacted gravel bed, on which you spread another five to ten centimeters of gravel or grit. The subsoil must not be too soft or yielding, otherwise the panels will sink in over time.

equipment

joint sand

our recommendation
Dansand 32FAST20 joint filler, natural
27.86 EUR To the product

Even if you use garden slabs with a plug-in or click system, grouting - i.e. closing the gaps between the individual slabs - makes sense. With you ensure that no dirt and no liquids get under the plates. Weed-inhibiting material also ensures that it does not grow out of the joints so quickly.

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