---
title: "Porcelain terrace and steps, Gloucester (2025) | Solid Ground Paving"
description: "Case study: a raised porcelain terrace and step flight built off a new block retaining structure at a Gloucester new build."
canonical: https://solidgroundpaving.co.uk/projects/porcelain-terrace-steps-gloucester
url: https://solidgroundpaving.co.uk/projects/porcelain-terrace-steps-gloucester.md
section: "Projects"
date_published: 2026-08-06
date_modified: 2026-08-06
author: Solid Ground Paving
robots: noindex
---

# Porcelain terrace and steps, Gloucester

The ground fell away sharply from the bifold doors, so the terrace is built off a blockwork retaining structure and stepped down in stages. Porcelain is laid on a full mortar bed with a slurry primer and held flat with levelling clips while it cures.

## Key facts

- **Town:** Gloucester
- **Year:** 2025
- **Surface:** Light porcelain paving
- **Build-up:** Blockwork retaining structure, concrete slab, full mortar bed

## Why are levelling clips used on porcelain?

Porcelain is dense and unforgiving — a 1mm lip between slabs is visible and catches a foot. Clips hold adjacent edges in the same plane until the adhesive goes off, giving a flat surface across the whole terrace.

## How is a raised terrace supported?

Not on hardcore alone. A blockwork retaining wall carries the perimeter and a reinforced slab spans between, so the paving sits on a structure rather than on fill that will settle.

- Blockwork retaining walls to the open sides
- Concrete slab over compacted base
- Porcelain bedded on mortar with primer

## Does the terrace fall away from the doors?

Yes. A fall of roughly 1:80 is set away from the threshold so rain runs to the open edge rather than back towards the bifold track.

## Questions and answers

Q: Can porcelain be laid on sand like block paving?
A: No. Porcelain has no interlock and almost no porosity, so it needs a full mortar bed and a primer to bond.

---

Human-readable version of this page: https://solidgroundpaving.co.uk/projects/porcelain-terrace-steps-gloucester


## Site records

- Photograph: Levelling clips holding the porcelain flat across the raised terrace while the adhesive cures.
  - Description: Light porcelain terrace and steps under construction outside bifold doors on a Gloucester new build
  - File: https://solidgroundpaving.co.uk/__l5e/assets-v1/3dac1ee0-bed5-4bf8-936d-5de56e5bc8c8/porcelain-terrace-steps-newbuild.jpg