Porcelain tiles are perfect for outside use although it is important to select a tile that has a suitable surface finish often called a GRIP finish or R11
Frostproof
Porcelain tiles are made from selected clays and formed into a tile. They are then fired in a kiln to very high temperatures resulting in a water absorption of 0.5% which is classified as frost proof.
Finishes
Certain tile ranges have the option of two types of finish and thickness, Natural finish for inside use 10mm thick and Grip finish for outside 10mm or 20mm thick. The Grip finish has more texture and is designed for external use. It is important to select a Grip finish if you are using tiles outside. The advantage of two finishes is that you can use the same tile inside and outside so you can flow your floor outside onto the patio which is particularly attractive if you have sliding or bi-fold doors. The tiles are identical apart from the surface texture. There is a wide selection to choose from and even Porcelain Wood tiles.
Maintenance
Porcelain tiles are non-porous so require very little maintenance.
There is a perception that external tiling is too complicated, takes too long and not worth the bother, but with 20mm porcelain more available than ever before, external tiling is going places
Before we get on to fixing the tiles, let’s have a quick chat about suitable bases for external tiling.
Concrete base
Traditionally when tiling externally a concrete base is required.A typical concrete base is made up of 100mm type one compacted stone.Once the stone has been compacted a 200mm concrete screed should be poured over the base.It’s important that the screed is left to fully cure.A level fully cured screed will not only provide a solid base but will also provide a foundation to create “falls” a slight gradient that will allow water to run off.Porcelain tiles are often available in 10mm and 20mm thickness,you must use a concrete base if you are using 10mm thick tiles.They are exactly the same as 20mm the only difference is the thickness and they are considerably cheaper.
Compacted stone
An alternative method for external tiling is a sub-base of 100mm type one compacted stone.This is often made up of one 50mm layer of compacted stone followed by a second 50mm layer.Once this has been achieved,20mm thick porcelain tiles can be laid onto a bedding mortar
Right,that’s bases done.Lets get down to fixing! So option one a concrete base.
If you are fixing 10mm or 20mm porcelain tiles to a concrete base using an adhesive there are just 5 steps you need to follow for flawless tiling
Ensure the concrete is dry
- Clean the base and remove any loose or weak areas
- Prime the area
- Apply the adhesive to the floor – we recommend using ProFlex SP, ProFlex SPES or ProFlex S2 for a permanent and easy installation
- Once the adhesive is set, the area can be grouted using an external and flexible grout such as ProGrout Flexible
Now, if you are fixing 20mm tiles to compacted stone using a bedding mortar, there are only 3 steps to follow.
- Mix and apply a minimum 30mm bed of bedding mortar
- Prime the back of the 20mm porcelain tile using a slurry primer and then bed into the wet bedding mortar
- Once the mortar is set, the area can be grouted using a brush-in sand, such as ProPave Grout
So as you can see, external tiling really is that easy.