Thermal Blue
Consistent coloring, a standard for pools and patios.
- 12 × 12
- 12 × 24
- 24 × 24
- 12 × 48
- 24 × 48
Exterior-rated porcelain
Bluestone porcelain pavers.
The look of quarried bluestone in durable, exterior-rated porcelain. Tested, certified, and made to stay the way it went down.
Bluestone porcelain pavers are exterior-rated porcelain paving slabs made to look like quarried bluestone. The stone look is fired through the body rather than printed on the surface, and the pavers are ¾″ (20mm) thick, which is what an outdoor paver needs to carry foot traffic on sand, gravel, concrete or pedestals.
Everblue is certified porcelain to EN 14411 BIa — the classification for tile that absorbs 0.5% of its weight in water or less — and rated Exterior Wet under ANSI A326.3. Those two facts are what separate a durable outdoor paver from a floor tile that happens to look like stone.
Why “exterior rated” is the phrase that matters
Plenty of porcelain looks like stone. Far less of it is tested for what happens outside. An exterior-rated paver has been measured against the things that actually destroy outdoor paving, and the numbers are published:
- Freeze–thaw
- Water that soaks into paving freezes, expands and breaks it apart. That is why bluestone shales and flakes over winters. Everblue absorbs 0.5% of its weight in water or less and passes ASTM C1026 frost resistance with no visible defects after repeated cycling.
- Wet slip resistance
- Everblue measures a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.65 to ANSI A326.3, against a 0.42 threshold for level surfaces walked on wet, and rates R11 on the shod ramp test. Interior tile is not rated for this at all.
- Staining and chemicals
- Class 5 for stain resistance to ASTM C1378, the highest class, and resistant to chemicals to ASTM C650. No sealing, on installation or ever.
- Load
- Over 2,500 lbf breaking strength and over 7,000 psi modulus of rupture — roughly double typical Pennsylvania bluestone at the same ¾″ thickness.
Closest to quarried stone
The bluestone colorways.
Two of the six Everblue colorways are made to read as bluestone specifically. The other four run cooler, warmer or darker for projects that want the performance without the stone impression.
Specifications
Exterior-rated test data.
Every Everblue paver: ¾″ outdoor porcelain, tested to ASTM, ISO and EN standards. Figures below are from the Everblue installation guide.Slip resistance test data
| Characteristic | Test standard | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | ASTM C499 · ISO 10545-2 | ¾″ |
| Weight | — | 9 lb/ft² |
| Water absorption | ASTM C373-88 · ISO 10545-3 | ≤ 0.5% (certified porcelain tile) |
| Breaking strength | ASTM C1505 · ISO 10545-4 | > 2,500 lbf |
| Modulus of rupture | ISO 10545-4 | > 7,000 psi |
| Bending strength | EN 1339 | 14.38 kN, Class 14 |
| Static load, 24 × 24 paver | EN 12825 | Centre > 1,700 lbf · Side > 1,200 lbf · Diagonal > 1,500 lbf |
| Impact resistance | ISO 10545-5 | > 0.55 |
| Abrasion resistance | ISO 10545-6 | < 175 mm², conforms |
| Frost resistance | ASTM C1026 · ISO 10545-12 | Resistant, no visible defects after repeated freeze–thaw |
| Thermal shock resistance | ASTM C484 · ISO 10545-9 | Resistant |
| Chemical resistance | ASTM C650 · ISO 10545-13 | UB min UA · acids and alkalis ULA/UHA |
| Stain resistance | ASTM C1378 · ISO 10545-14 | Class 5, the highest class |
| Fire resistance | EN 13501-1 | A1 / A1FL |
| Dynamic coefficient of friction | ANSI A137.1 / A326.3 | > 0.60 wet · > 0.60 dry |
| Barefoot ramp test | ANSI A326.3 · DIN 51097 | A + B + C |
| Shod ramp test | DIN 51130 | R11 |
| Slip resistance | B.C.R.A. (DM 236/89) | > 0.40 |
Coping
- Bullnose 12″ × 24″
- Double bevel 12″ × 24″
- Mitered 12″ × 24″
Coping is available for Thermal Blue, Natural Variegated and Sand.
Installation
Everblue can be dry-laid on a draining base, on sand over a compacted base, on a concrete pad, on pedestals for roof decks, or wet-laid with cementitious adhesive. Pavers are set with ¾6″ spacers and must never be plate compacted. Always work with a professional, certified installer.
Full installation guide (PDF)Common questions
What are bluestone porcelain pavers?
They are exterior-rated porcelain paving slabs made to look like quarried bluestone. The stone look is fired through the body rather than printed on top, and the pavers are ¾″ (20mm) thick, which is the thickness outdoor porcelain needs to carry foot traffic on a sand or gravel base. Everblue is certified porcelain to EN 14411 BIa, the classification for tile that absorbs 0.5% of its weight in water or less.
What does “exterior rated” mean on a porcelain paver?
It means the paver has been tested for the things an outdoor surface has to survive, not just for looks. Everblue is rated Exterior Wet (EXT) under ANSI A326.3, passes ASTM C1026 frost resistance with no visible defects after repeated freeze–thaw, and measures a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.65. Indoor floor tile carries none of those ratings, which is why it should never be used on a patio or pool deck.
Are porcelain pavers as durable as bluestone?
On the measures that matter outdoors, they test better. Everblue is rated above 2,500 lbf breaking strength against roughly 1,900 lbf for Pennsylvania bluestone at the same thickness, absorbs 0.5% of its weight in water or less against bluestone’s typical 1.6%, and is rated Class 5 for stain resistance, the highest class. Bluestone is genuine quarried stone and has its own merits, but it shales, stains and fades in ways porcelain does not.
How thick should outdoor porcelain pavers be?
¾″, or 20mm. That is the standard for exterior porcelain paving and what Everblue is made in. Thinner porcelain — the 8 to 10mm used for interior floors — is not rated for the loads or the freeze–thaw cycling an outdoor surface sees, and should not be substituted.
Do porcelain pavers actually look like bluestone?
Close enough that most people cannot tell at walking distance, and two of the six Everblue colorways are made for that job specifically: Thermal Blue matches the consistent tone of thermal bluestone, and Natural Variegated carries the blue, gray and warm color movement of quarried stone. Porcelain is more consistent piece to piece than stone, which reads as a cleaner surface rather than a patchwork.
Can porcelain pavers be cut on site?
Yes, with a wet saw and a continuous-rim diamond blade rated for porcelain. Porcelain is harder than bluestone — 7 on the Mohs scale — so it needs a proper blade and a slower pass, and your installer should plan cuts rather than improvise them. Everblue must never be plate compacted after laying.
Comparing against natural stone? See the side-by-side with Pennsylvania bluestone
Planning a pool deck? Porcelain pool pavers and coping
See the differenceHold it in your hand.
Hold it in your hand.
Order samples.
Photos only go so far. Request samples or product information and we’ll get back to you.