ᐅ Looking for a low-maintenance patio for a new build suitable for children

Hello everyone,
we are hopefully moving into our new semi-detached house soon, so we can start planning the terrace. It is planned to be 6.00 x 3.20 m (20 x 10.5 ft) facing southwest.
The developer suggested KANN Fiori 40 x 40 cm (16 x 16 inches) tiles. Unfortunately, that’s not really our style, so we need to find something else.
To be honest, we feel a bit overwhelmed by the seemingly endless options and are hoping for some practical advice.
In general, we don’t mind concrete tiles. However, they should be low-maintenance or at least not very demanding and not too sensitive. I’ve often read that tiles with “factory-applied protection” are easy to clean but can scratch easily. I just imagine kids playing with sand and so on...

We also prefer larger formats. We thought about 80 x 40 cm (32 x 16 inches) tiles laid in a staggered pattern. But since the terrace isn’t really huge, I’m not sure how well such large (or even larger) tiles would look. The same applies to color. Anthracite sometimes looks really great but will probably get quite warm in a southwest-facing garden. Would a gray shade be noticeably “cooler”? I guess that depends more on the material.

Since some of you have probably faced similar situations before, I’m very curious about your recommendations.
What would you suggest regarding material, size, color, and maybe even companies?
Thank you in advance for your help.

Christian

Ceramic / porcelain stoneware is the easiest to maintain.
A size of 60cm x 40cm (24 inches x 16 inches) works well if you prefer larger formats.
First, choose the material and design. These usually come in various sizes.

We actually thought this was very good as well, but for a new build, we were initially advised against gluing or similar methods. That’s why we are currently sticking with loose laying in a gravel bed.

Pedestal supports

We have been dealing with the same topic over the past few days, so I’ll share my thoughts. Last Sunday, we visited three "exhibitions" or "concrete gardens."

Regarding durability, @rick2018 is certainly right: ceramic or porcelain stoneware is quite resistant and easy to clean. Especially in anthracite, you mostly only notice grease stains (so better move the grill somewhere else...). Thin ceramic (1cm (0.4 inches)) combined with an open-pored? lightweight concrete base (composite slabs, not sure what they are called) doesn’t get much hotter in the sun than light-colored slabs (tested). Thick porcelain plates get extremely hot. Dark concrete does get "somewhat" warmer, but if the slabs are quite thick, it takes longer to heat up. In return, they also radiate heat back longer in the evening.

Larger slabs (from about 40x40cm (16x16 inches) at 8cm (3 inches) thickness) can no longer be laid by hand easily and are noticeably more expensive than smaller formats (with the same material otherwise).

Never clean concrete slabs with a high-pressure cleaner; once you do that, it’s basically ruined.

We will most likely choose dark L-shaped blocks matching the house with a exposed concrete surface, as well as concrete bricks about 20x40cm (8x16 inches). We plan to pave ourselves. The landscaper won’t have time for a bigger scope this year anyway. Paths and parking areas will be done in the same style.

Best regards,
B

P.S. I just looked at the KANN tiles from Fiori in 40x40cm (16x16 inches) — honestly, they’re not very attractive :p

Maybe choose a color that is not too dark, as it can get very hot....... Children and barefoot.......