Terrace covering - WPC or porcelain stoneware?

Hello,

I am currently planning the terrace. We are looking for something with a wood look, but not wood.

First of all, you of course come across WPC. My current plan is as follows:

WPC - Fiberon Horizon Symmetry with aluminum substructure on pedestals. Substrate gravel, grit, root barrier, exposed concrete slabs, pedestals, spacer tape, WPC
Cost for substructure + WPC ~5000€ for 32m²

Through further research, I came across porcelain stoneware - thickness 2cm "ceramic terrace slabs" Foresta. Here the aluminum substructure is omitted - everything else would be the same. Due to cheaper covering, I would end up at approx. 3000€.

However, I find very few reports of experience with porcelain stoneware in the garden.
Is laying porcelain stoneware on pedestals optimal? Or better on drainage concrete? Directly on grit?

Regarding pedestals;
The joints cannot be closed when laying on pedestals, does this create an untidy appearance? Can it be ensured that all tiles lie cleanly on one level without wobbling?

We have ceramic tiles 2cm thick with 90x45cm.

With us, they would be laid directly in the gravel, but some sound hollow when walking on them, which annoys me; my wife doesn’t notice it at all.

We made one mistake, you should definitely use tile spacers with cross joints that have only a few mm thickness and lie directly in the gravel, so you can also grout.

And please don’t choose anthracite, they get very, very hot.

I think our WPC is great - but there is neither weed fabric underneath nor concrete wash slabs... why do you need those?

So I would only use WPC decking if you cannot use terrace slabs because of the weight. I have already seen so many old WPC terraces that are 10 years old and just don’t look nice anymore.

All clear, or?!

Christian Glantz holds a degree in Business Administration (FH), owner and founder of Fliesen24, Germany's first tiles

I'll give him 7 more minutes

@ PhilippK:
"Is installation on pedestals optimal for porcelain stoneware? Or rather on drainage concrete? Directly in gravel?"
Answer to this:
with only 20mm tile or slab thickness (that was your information), these are not self-supporting. This means: 20mm thick tiles cannot be used on pedestals, as they will break under load. About 40mm thick slabs are necessary for this.
You will certainly not install drainage concrete, but rather drainage screed.
This is always constructed on a single-grain basis (so that drainage can occur through the material structure).
The disadvantage of this non-standardized substrate is logically the lower flexural tensile and compressive strength with single-grain construction, which can only be compensated by significantly increased thickness.
Therefore, installation in a gravel bed remains if only a material thickness of 20mm is available!
-------------------------
Regards: KlaRa