NATURAL STONE
Pros and cons: Stone can be expensive to truck in and installation is labor-intensive. Once installed, natural stone is extremely durable and almost maintenance-free.
Ideal location: Patios, pool decks, front porches, walkways, driveway accents
CONCRETE
Pros and cons: A basic slab of concrete is inexpensive, low-maintenance and a good long-term option, though cracking is difficult to repair. Concrete pavers are easier to repair; simply pull up the damaged section and replace.
Ideal location: Patios, driveways, pool area, garden paths, front porches
WOOD
Pros and cons: Wood decking is one of the simplest DIY projects, which lowers the cost substantially, but wood requires cleaning and sealing every one to two years.
Ideal location: Ground level or raised decks, pool decks
BRICK
Pros and cons: Brick gives off a beautiful old-world look and is low-maintenance and relatively slip-resistant, but ground shifts over time can make a brick pathway or patio difficult to clean.
Ideal location: Patios, garden paths or walkways, pool decks or fountains, front porches, driveways
TILE
Pros and cons: Ceramic tile installed outdoors must be highly slip-resistant and able to withstand freeze-thaw cycles. Look for tile specifically formulated for the outdoors, which is dense with low absorption ratings. Tile usually requires a sealant to protect the grout from cracking.
Ideal location: Front porches, patios, garden stepping stones, pool decks

never ceramic outside always fully vitrified porcelain or natural stone, ceramics will absorb small amounts of moisture then when it gets cold and they freeze the moisture turns to ice and expands, get a qualified tradesman to do this type of work as there are certain regulations with this mainly H&S.