Kilsaran newbridge silver granite paving

On the contrary, especially with these new aesthetic finishes, they're essentially better than natural stone as they're less porous and prone to degradation. I wouldn't bother with jointing gaps though, they will give more trouble than the slabs, lay them flush to each other in a concrete mix and you won't have any trouble for years.

But it's not granite?

I'm probably just getting old, but I've noticed the last few years a trend towards "perfect" outdoor landscaping, constructed like a house without a roof. I mean use of paints, porcelain and so on that is not designed to degrade gracefully.

I personally prefer the naturally scruffy in my outdoors. I have a load of textured sandstone paving (and a few steps) around the place that are probably 20-30 years old and look (to my eyes) lovely. I suppose to some eyes they're covered in stains and rough edges, but that's just natural looking to me. I spent a couple of hours last weekend making a sunken stepping-stone path across my scruffy lawn with offcuts of sandstone on paving grit, without a speck of cement in sight, and the whole process was a joy.

Conversely, I see people complaining about natural stone staining in their perfectly square patios, and I think the issue is a mis-match between the innate qualities of the product and the desired effect.

If you want an outdoor area to look like a outdoor kitchen, maybe use porcelain or whatever. If you want it to look like landscaped nature, use natural stone.