Laying Porcelain tiles outside

Porcelain tiles are perfect for outdoor use, but it’s important to select a tile with a suitable surface finish, often referred to as a GRIP finish or R11.

Frostproof

Porcelain tiles are made from selected clays and shaped into tiles. They are fired in a kiln at very high temperatures, resulting in a water absorption rate of 0.5%, making them frostproof.

Finishes

Some tile ranges offer two types of finishes and thicknesses: a Natural finish for indoor use, which is 10mm thick, and a Grip finish for outdoor use, available in either 10mm or 20mm thickness. The Grip finish has a more textured surface, making it ideal for external use. If you’re using tiles outdoors, it’s crucial to select a Grip finish.

One advantage of having two finishes is that you can use the same tile both indoors and outdoors, allowing your indoor floor to seamlessly extend onto a patio. This is particularly attractive if you have sliding or bi-fold doors. The tiles are identical, except for the surface texture. There is also a wide range to choose from, including Porcelain Wood tiles.

Maintenance

Porcelain tiles are non-porous, so they require very little maintenance.

There is often a perception that external tiling is too complicated, time-consuming, and not worth the effort. However, with 20mm porcelain tiles more readily available than ever, external tiling is becoming increasingly popular.

Suitable Bases for External Tiling

Before fixing the tiles, let’s quickly discuss suitable bases for external tiling.

Concrete Base

Traditionally, external tiling requires a concrete base. A typical concrete base consists of 100mm of compacted Type 1 stone. Once the stone is compacted, a 200mm concrete screed should be poured over the base. It’s important to allow the screed to fully cure. A fully cured and level screed not only provides a solid base but also creates a slight gradient (known as “falls”) to allow water runoff.

Porcelain tiles are often available in both 10mm and 20mm thicknesses. If you’re using 10mm tiles, a concrete base is required. These tiles are the same as the 20mm ones, but thinner and more affordable.

Compacted Stone

An alternative method for external tiling is using a sub-base of 100mm compacted Type 1 stone. This is usually composed of a 50mm layer of compacted stone, followed by another 50mm layer. After this, 20mm thick porcelain tiles can be laid onto a bedding mortar.

Fixing Porcelain Tiles

Now that we’ve covered the bases, let’s move on to fixing the tiles.

Option 1: Concrete Base

If you are fixing 10mm or 20mm porcelain tiles to a concrete base using adhesive, follow these 5 steps for a flawless installation:

1. Ensure the concrete is dry.
2. Clean the base and remove any loose or weak areas.
3. Prime the area.
4. Apply the adhesive to the floor. We recommend using Pro-Flex SP, Pro-Flex SPES, or Pro-Flex S2 for a permanent and easy installation.
5. Once the adhesive is set, grout the area using an external and flexible grout, such as Pro-Grout Flexible.

Option 2: Compacted Stone

If you’re fixing 20mm tiles to compacted stone using a bedding mortar, follow these 3 steps:

1. Mix and apply a minimum 30mm bed of bedding mortar.
2. Prime the back of the 20mm porcelain tile with a slurry primer, then bed it into the wet mortar.
3. Once the mortar is set, grout the area using a brush-in sand, such as Pro-Pave Grout.

Conclusion

As you can see, external tiling really is that easy!

For further information see

Tiling guidance and information

Inside-Outside Porcelain Tiles

Outside Tiles