Athermic paving stones: the latest in floors for pools, terraces and solariums that don’t burn
If you live in a high-temperature region and want to enjoy your patio or pool without worrying about how hot the tiles get, athermic paving stones are the best solution. This type of ceramic paving stone is designed to absorb less heat than other materials, meaning the temperatures reached when exposed to sunlight are lower. We’ll explain the characteristics, advantages and why you should choose them for your outdoor area.
What are athermic paving stones?
An athermic paving stone is a ceramic flooring tile that does not absorb or retain large amounts of heat, even under extreme direct sun exposure conditions. This property means athermic paving stones maintain a comfortable temperature to the touch, and what’s more important, they reduce the risk of burns when barefoot on them. It is for this reason that athermic paving stones are the perfect choice in areas around Pools or for outdoor areas like terraces, patios and solariums in warm places exposed to the sun.
Technical characteristics of athermic porcelain paving stones
In order to understand why these paving stones are so effective, it’s important to know what their technical characteristics are:
- Low heat absorption: they use special materials and treatments that minimize the accumulation of heat on the paving stone surface.
- Light colors: they tend to come in light tones, as they reflect the sunlight better than dark tones.
- Specific texture: they can come in non-slip finishes, especially all pieces meant to be used to tile wet areas like pools.
- Resistance to the elements: they maintain their athermic property even under extreme climate conditions.
What are the advantages of putting athermic paving stones on terrace flooring and around swimming pools?
Installing athermic paving stones in your outdoor area offers several benefits, such as:
- More comfortable: wellbeing outside
The main benefit of these paving stones is a lower surface temperature, allowing you to go barefoot.
- Safer: no more burning feet
You can finally enjoy your outdoor area without getting your feet burnt. Safety goes up and the risk of injuries and discomfort goes down.
- More time for enjoyment: longer leisure hours
People sometimes stop using their outdoor areas because of high temperatures and wait for the flooring to cool down. Installing athermic paving stones will allow you to enjoy these outdoor areas any time of the day.
Where can athermic paving stones be used?
Athermic paving stones are ideal for flooring in outdoor areas exposed to the sun and any tiling outside in very warm climates. The most common places to install them are:
- Terraces and patios: these paving stones don’t burn which means more time for fun and games.
- Pools: tiling around the pool basin and edges makes for cooler stepping.
- Solariums: they enable safe relaxation and sunbathing since you won’t feel burns when getting up to go for a swim.
- Gardens and pathways: in addition to the safety of not getting burnt, athermic paving stones offer design, style and esthetics outdoors.
How do you know if they’re certified athermic paving stones?
Before choosing the athermic paving stones that best adapt to your needs, make sure they’re certified as athermic or specifically designed for warm weather. To do so, you must ask the manufacturer for the solar reflectance index or SRI.
What is the solar reflectance index or SRI?
The solar reflectance index of a material indicates which fraction of incident solar radiation is reflected by the surface evaluated and, therefore, not absorbed. It is normally expressed as a value between 0 and 1.
- A value of 0 indicates the surface does not reflect any solar radiation; in other words, all the solar radiation is absorbed, meaning it doesn’t heat up.
- A value of 1 indicates the surface reflects all the solar radiation on it and will maintain a lower temperature.
How does the solar reflectance index influence the thermal experience?
Knowing this index can tell you what the thermal experience of a particular ceramic tile will be like: the higher the SRI, the lower the temperature of the paving stone under the sun. On the other hand, paving stones with an index of less than 0.50 absorb more heat and end up getting hot.
What SRI should a paving stone have in order to be considered athermic?
In order for a paving stone to be considered athermic, it must have a reference index equal to or higher than 0.50. The SRI is measured and classified pursuant to standard ASTM E1980-11 (2019).
In some contexts, this figure can also be expressed as a percentage: as a value between 0% and 100%, where 0% represents no reflection and 100% represents total reflection; in other words, the paving stones do not absorb heat.
What should paving stones for outdoor areas in very warm regions be like?
Paving stones for patios outside single-family homes in very warm regions, community pools outside residential buildings or terraces at holiday homes must be:
- Ceramic: Ceramic paste generally has a lower capacity for solar radiation absorption than other materials. However, the exact behavior of the ceramic under heat depends on the specific composition as well as the surface finish of the paving stone.
- In light tones: In general, dark paving stones tend to absorb more solar radiation than softer colors. This is due to the fact that the first have a greater capacity to absorb light while light ones tend to reflect it more.
- Athermic: with an SRI equal to or higher than 0.50. Since ceramic pieces in light or reflecting colors have an SRI >0.60, they’re considered athermic paving stones.
- Non-slip for added functionality in areas around swimming pools to prevent slipping.
In any case, you have to remember that no matter how white a ceramic paving stone is, it will heat up if exposed to a lot of solar radiation - yet to a lesser extent than darker paving stones. They may even burn if the solar radiation incidence is extremely high.
Would you like to enjoy a cooler and safer floor this summer?
If you’re thinking about renovating your outdoor area and are looking for a solution that offers comfort, safety and design, athermic paving stones are the perfect choice. At Gres Aragón, we have extensive experience in ceramic floor tiles for warm climates and we can help you find the right choice for your open-air project. Check with our experts and take a step towards enjoying a more comfortable, safer and more elegant outdoor area this summer.