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Is porcelain tile good for outdoors


Can I Use Porcelain Tile Outdoors? | Fizzano Brothers Concrete

Written by Fizzano Brothers
on November 22nd, 2018

The idea of porcelain often conjures images of delicate, ornate teacups and china that people only bring out on special occasions. Porcelain may seem like the last material you would use for an outdoor patio or walkway. However, porcelain in tile form has many qualities that make it ideal for use outside. Porcelain tiles perform well under all weather conditions, are easy to care for, durable, slip resistant, and beautiful to boot.

Porcelain tiles are manufactured from kiln-fired clay along with a few other materials. Because of this, they can be precision cut to exact dimensions, which makes them easy to install. Find out about the many advantages of using porcelain tile outdoors for your patio, roof, terrace, walkways, and more.

Porcelain Tile Is Hard Wearing

It is hard to beat porcelain tiles in terms of durability. They are very hard, and yet they are scratch resistant. Because they are fired at very high temperatures, they are nearly impenetrable. This keeps fine dirt particles from being lodged in their surface, making them resistant to mold and moss growth.

Your porcelain tiles will look new for many years after installation due to their inherent strength and water resistance. Porcelain pavers will stand up to patio furniture, pets, and children without showing wear.

Porcelain Tile Is Weather Resistant

The near-impenetrability of porcelain tiles creates a surface that can truly hold up to any weather conditions. They are ideal for use in areas where temperatures drop below freezing in the winter. Since they do not absorb water, they will not crack due to the cold. Porcelain tiles are also highly recommended for climates that receive strong direct sunlight since they will not fade. The high temperatures they are subject to during firing vitrifies the color, which means it becomes part of the material and thus cannot be separated from it.

These qualities make them a superior material for use in a wide variety of climates and conditions. Many of our customers choose porcelain tile outdoors over stone or concrete because porcelain will look virtually the same after ten years of outdoor use as they do in our showroom.

Porcelain Tile Is Easy to Maintain

Porcelain tiles are the ultimate low-maintenance material when used outdoors. Unlike concrete pavers, porcelain tiles will not effloresce, which means it will not produce a whitish buildup that is very difficult to remove. And unlike many stone pavers, they will not be damaged by the use of household cleaners.

Since they do not stain easily, an occasional light pressure wash or cleaning with a light household cleaner is all that’s needed to keep porcelain tile outdoors looking their best. Even warm, soapy water is effective for cleaning porcelain tile, which adds to its environmentally friendly resume.

Porcelain Tile Is Slip Resistant

Porcelain tiles are manufactured with a variety of surface qualities ranging from smooth to matte. A matte finish will provide enough slip resistance to be used around a swimming pool. When choosing your tile, take slip resistance into account. Because porcelain tiles are actually rated according to how slippery they are, you can easily choose an appropriate finish for your project.

Porcelain Tile Is Easy to Install

Because porcelain tiles are manufactured rather than mined, they are molded into precise dimensions that make them fit together perfectly. And because they are perfectly level (unlike quarried stone), they can be easily laid over a variety of bases including gravel, sand, concrete, and grass. Also in contrast to stone, they are lightweight and therefore easy and inexpensive to transport and lay.

Porcelain Tile Is Beautiful

The elegance of porcelain tile outdoors is truly hard to match. A classic look can be created using a range of whites or black/grey coloring with effects including travertine and quartz. The modular sizing allows for a number of patterns, creating an attractive yet subtle effect in any space. Manufactured porcelain tile has the benefit of being natural yet looking completely modern with a look that is sleek, minimal, and clean. A unique benefit of using porcelain is that it can be continued from indoors to out, creating flow between your kitchen and patio.

Shop Fizzano for the Best Selection of Porcelain Tile

At Fizzano Brothers, we are experts in all facets of tile selection and installation. We particularly recommend porcelain tile outdoors due to its wide variety of applications, its durability, and its beauty. It is a cost-effective solution and holds its value for many years because of its strength and impermeability. Porcelain has many benefits over traditional flagstone, granite, and travertine products.

Fizzano Brothers carries the full line of Viewpaver outdoor porcelain pavers, a high quality product with a myriad of outdoor uses. They are also an environmentally friendly solution, containing as much as 42 percent recycled material and produced using green manufacturing processes.

In business since 1935, Fizzano Brothers is a family business that manufactures, builds, and repairs any imaginable masonry product and project. We welcome you to visit our store in Crum Lynne and compare our selection and service to the big box retailers. Because our only business is masonry products and installation, our design service and attention to customer satisfaction simply cannot be matched in a corporate atmosphere. Call us at 610-833-1100 or stop by to discuss your masonry project with us today!

What to Know About Outdoor Porcelain Tile

Give up the hassle of stone and concrete slabs. Find out why outdoor porcelain tile is the most durable and versatile material for outdoor flooring.

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.

Historians estimate that the ancient Chinese perfected porcelain more than 1,000 years ago. The material is usually associated with delicate kitchenware or figurines, but the medieval Chinese saw the material’s greater potential centuries ago. The 260-foot porcelain tower of Nanjing was constructed with porcelain bricks in 1431 and stood for more than four centuries.

In recent years porcelain tiles have grown in availability and popularity, especially for outdoor applications.

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What is Porcelain Tile?

Porcelain tile is in the ceramic family, but it is manufactured to higher standards than regular ceramic products. Highly refined and purified clay is fired for longer and at higher temperatures than other ceramics. The result is a customizable, extremely durable material that can be used on floors or walls indoors and outdoors.

What Are the Different Types of Porcelain Tile?

Unglazed Porcelain Tiles

These have no outer finish, so every tile has a unique pattern. Though lacking a protective coat, unglazed porcelain tiles are naturally weather and wear resistant. Unglazed tiles can be made with any texture, and also be polished for a glossy appearance. Unglazed tiles fall into two categories:

Glazed Porcelain Tiles

These are sealed with a protective coat. They can be solid colored or patterned, and buyers can often choose between a matte, semi-polished or gloss finish. Glazed tiles fall into two categories:

Porcelain tiles are also divided into five grades by the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI). Grade one is the least durable, while grade five is the most durable.

Is Porcelain Tile Good for Outdoor Use?

Porcelain tiles are an excellent material for outdoor applications for several reasons:

The Pros and Cons of Porcelain Tiles

Pros

Cons

Cost and Buying Tips

Porcelain tiles generally cost between $3 and $10 per square foot, although specialized or patterned tiles can cost as much as $35 per square foot. Glazed and unglazed porcelain tiles are durable and wear-resistant in outdoor settings.

Aesthetics aside, the PEI grade of porcelain tiling is the most important consideration when making a purchase. PEI grade 3 or higher should be used for any flooring application with moderate traffic. Well-known porcelain tile suppliers include Marazzi, Interceramic and Daltile.

Installation

Porcelain tile installation is similar to any other outdoor tiling project. It’s time consuming and requires technical know-how. Porcelain tiles are incredibly hard, and although this makes them durable, it also means you need specialized equipment to cut the tiles. Avoid installing porcelain tiles yourself unless you’re an experienced DIYer who’s willing to invest in some tools for the job.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Porcelain tiles can be cleaned easily with water and a mild detergent. For tougher dirt or deeper cleaning, try a vinegar-water mixture or a dedicated tile cleaner along with a soft-bristle brush. Avoid using brushes, whenever possible, on polished or glazed tiles. Never use bleach or ammonia-based cleaners, oil-based detergents, cleaners with dye, steel wool and hard-bristle brushes.

How to choose outdoor porcelain tiles?

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How to choose outdoor porcelain tiles? 07/18/2019 08:48

Outside the window, spring is slowly but surely coming, and this means that it's time to think about garden plots and about working with the exterior of the backyard plot for residents of the countryside. One of the main issues that all landowners face sooner or later is the design of paths, areas with barbecue and tandoor, and just the local area.

Manufacturer: Natucer
Collection: Piemonte

Laying paving slabs is not always profitable, the sand is quickly washed out, and the path moves apart, loses a significant proportion of external aesthetics, and also becomes traumatic, especially in the presence of small children. Concrete is also an extremely short-lived story, even if all recommendations are followed, the formation of cracks and chipping of edges, joints and damage is inevitable. Therefore, of all the materials used for outdoor use, porcelain stoneware is recognized as the most stable, durable and aesthetic.

Producer: Natucer
Collection: Quartz

This facing material has a number of undeniable advantages, allowing it to occupy a leading position in the rating:

All this makes porcelain stoneware a truly ideal material for outdoor use in house and garden areas.

Producer: Sichenia
Collection: Essenze

There are a few things to consider when choosing, because not all porcelain stoneware is designed for outdoor use. Be sure to check this information with the seller. Despite the fact that, according to the manufacturing technology, such tiles are dyed over the entire thickness, some models are additionally covered with a variety of glazes to create various effects. It is not suitable for the street, as its level of wear resistance is much lower. It is also worth immediately excluding polished options - even with low humidity, they will turn into a skating rink, and in the cold season they will definitely be an incredibly dangerous zone. The best option for outdoor coverage will be "rough", evenly dyed porcelain stoneware.

Producer: Apavisa
Collection: Quartzstone

The best size and thickness to use is also a matter of personal preference, although it is worth noting that the larger the edge of the tile and the thinner it is, the lower its strength. Thus, ceramic granite slabs with sides of 30, 45, 60 cm and a thickness of 0.8-1 cm are considered optimal in this choice. stronger and more flexible than standard boards.

The technical side of tiling outdoors is also very different from tiling indoors. Firstly, on the street they put a joint in a joint, without gaps. Secondly, it is strictly forbidden to leave "air pockets" under the surface of the tile, that is, the previously prepared surface must be perfectly flat. In such voids, there is a high risk of cracking in the future. These and other technical details are the reason why professionals recommend entrusting outdoor tile laying to professionals and enjoying the result for years to come.

Manufacturer: Apavisa
Collection: Oldstone


types, advantages of frost-resistant anti-slip outdoor tiles, photo

Porcelain stoneware is a tile with a stone-porcelain base. Due to its good properties, the product is very popular in construction. Porcelain stoneware for the street is often used. But it is necessary to take into account some characteristics of the material, the features of its choice and installation, in order to obtain a high-quality and reliable cladding.

Porcelain stoneware is a stone-porcelain tile with high performance characteristics and is actively used in construction.

Features of Outdoor Porcelain Stoneware

Porcelain stoneware is used indoors and outdoors. You can't use the same view everywhere. For outdoor conditions, a special type of product is required. There are certain requirements that the material for the street must meet.

This material appeared not so long ago, but is already quite popular due to its high quality and favorable price.

Important! It is necessary that the selected product endures various weather conditions and temperature extremes. It must withstand frost, heat, snow and rain and not lose quality.

Porcelain stoneware must also be highly resistant to abrasion. Greater permeability is reflected in the quality of the coating. And street options must have high strength and withstand increased loads.

Porcelain stoneware was invented as an alternative to natural stone, but modern models imitate a variety of surfaces.

Requirements for street tiles

It has been noted that there are special requirements for street cladding. The tiles must have certain properties and characteristics:

  1. Good resistance to mechanical stress and high strength;
  2. Resistance to temperature changes and frost resistance;
  3. Resistant to wet environments, chemicals;
  4. Wear resistance and durability;
  5. Anti-slip surface;
  6. Attractive appearance;
  7. Preservation of pattern and color fastness when exposed to the sun's rays;

Porcelain stoneware has one important advantage over other facing materials - increased strength and wear resistance.

Additional information! You should not choose ordinary ceramic tiles for the street. It will not withstand difficult operating conditions and increases the risk of injury.

Anti-slip and frost-resistant outdoor tiles are perfect.

By choosing it, you can be sure that the surface will last a long time without cracks or scratches.

Types of outdoor porcelain tiles

Porcelain tiles are divided into several types. The advantage of modern options is their variety.

Resistance to weather conditions, high humidity and temperature make porcelain stoneware a leader in facing materials.

The main types are:

  1. Technical. Differs in reliability and high durability. The advantage is the low cost. The disadvantages include an unattractive appearance. Lined with this type of production and technical areas;
  2. Matt. There is no gloss on the surface. It lasts a long time, so it is a good option for the street. But it requires regular thorough maintenance due to the high degree of surface contamination. She quickly gets dirty;
  3. Polished. Differs in existence of mirror gloss. More suitable for facade decoration. Not suitable for steps and floors due to the fact that the mirror surface is erased and the product becomes matte;
  4. Glazed. The surface is treated with a special glaze that gives it a shine. Available in various stylized versions that imitate materials such as stone, marble. There are also models of different colors and with drawings. But more suitable for wall mounting due to the inability to withstand a large load;
  5. Satin finish. It is distinguished by the presence of a layer of mineral salt on the product. This allows you to achieve a structural surface. Used for decoration;
  6. Structured. It is produced in imitations of stone, leather, wood and is used for decoration.

Additional information! The key criterion for choosing the type of outdoor porcelain stoneware is the maximum load that the material can withstand. This is what you should be guided by, choosing the appropriate option.

It was mentioned that the tiles can imitate stone, marble and travertine. It exactly repeats the color and special pattern. Often practically does not differ from natural material. Combines quality and decorative characteristics. Therefore, it will become a reliable coating that decorates the space in front of the house. In this case, it is recommended to use large-sized tiles when laying. So the coating will look more natural.

Low temperature resistance is a major advantage. Will withstand even frosts down to -50 C.

Size and thickness

Tiles can be square or rectangular. The first can be 30x30, 50x50 and so on. Rectangular is cut from a large square product, so its size can be 25 × 50, 16.5 × 33. Tiles vary in thickness. For a standard product, this parameter is 8-10.5 mm. The thickness cannot be less than 8 mm and it is suitable only with a minimum load on it. For areas with high traffic, it is recommended to use thick porcelain tiles from 11 to 14 mm. There are also products with a thickness of 2 cm or more, which are used as paving stones and are laid on a prepared base without the use of glue.

Manufacturers give about 7 years of good service to outdoor porcelain tiles, which are more subject to various kinds of loads than others.

According to the color palette and pattern

Tiles differ in pattern and color. Manufacturers produce a wide range. The color palette is rich. Porcelain stoneware can be plain or with a pattern, a pattern that imitates natural material. There are also monochromatic options with splashes of black and white throughout the product. This is the simplest and cheapest option. Products that repeat complex patterns and patterns are more expensive, but they allow you to place an imitation of stone, wood, leather, and so on in the local area.

This material does not absorb moisture. This advantage makes it possible to use it outdoors and in areas of high humidity.

Material characteristics

Porcelain stoneware is in demand due to its characteristics. It is worth familiarizing yourself with them in more detail and considering before choosing a coating. Among the advantages, it is worth noting resistance to a humid environment, temperature changes. Porcelain stoneware endures frost, heavy load and lasts a long time. But only when choosing a type of product suitable for the street.

When choosing porcelain stoneware for your porch, you need to look for an option with a greater thickness. The higher the thickness level, the stronger the material.

Frost resistance

Most types of porcelain stoneware are able to withstand a maximum of 100 complete freeze and thaw cycles. The effect is achieved by the presence of a minimum number of small pores in the base. Therefore, water does not penetrate deep into the coating and does not destroy it. Porcelain tiles for the porch on the street and the rest of the territory must be resistant to frost.

If a heavy object falls on the surface, porcelain stoneware will not be damaged. The appearance will remain unchanged: without chips and scratches.

Anti-slip surface

Another important feature for any flooring, especially outdoors. It is better to use porcelain stoneware with a slipperiness index of R10 or more. Due to changeable weather conditions that degrade the surface of the coating, this indicator is one of the key indicators when choosing outdoor tiles.

Porcelain stoneware, chosen correctly, will last a long time and will not lose its appearance.

Durability

This indicator depends on the wear resistance of the type, its hardness and the conditions in which it was used. The average service life is 50 years. For a coating used in difficult conditions, this is a good time. That is why porcelain stoneware is so popular.

A porch or stair steps made using porcelain stoneware tiles will last a long time and retain a presentable appearance.

Selection of quality granite tiles

To get a quality result, you need to choose the right product. To do this, pay attention to the following factors:

  1. The exact size of the tiles. This will allow you to accurately determine the required number of them;
  2. Before buying, you must make sure that all tiles match in shade, pattern;
  3. It is worth purchasing products with the same caliber. This will allow you to get a uniform surface;
  4. The reverse side of the tile should be examined. There are small squares. The larger they are, the lower the quality of the product;
  5. It is recommended to choose only products from trusted manufacturers who have proven themselves on the positive side;
  6. An anti-slip surface is required. And also frost-resistant properties. These are mandatory indicators for street coverage.

When purchasing tiles, do not forget about the stock. It is about 10% of the total number of products.

The nuances of laying tiles on the street porch

Laying begins with leveling the surface. This will greatly facilitate installation and make the coating better. The porch cladding also includes the following steps:

  1. The base is primed with an acrylic compound;
  2. Tiles are cut according to the marks made;
  3. Apply glue to the porch;
  4. Tiling starts from the top step;
  5. Porch corners work on plastic or metal corners;
  6. The formed seams are overwritten.

Porcelain stoneware installation requires common tools.

Selection of special adhesive

The durability of the cladding depends on the selected adhesive. Therefore, the selected composition must meet the following requirements:

  1. Withstand temperature changes and heavy loads;
  2. Create a strong layer between the base and tiles;
  3. To be resistant to damp environments, frost;
  4. Good elasticity.

If you plan to do everything yourself, you need to decide on the choice of high-quality glue.

Cutting Porcelain Stoneware

It is often necessary to cut the panel for a better installation. For this, various tools are used. The most effective method is waterjet cutting. It is distinguished by the need to use a special machine. It is based on water and abrasive. They are fed under high pressure into the cutter, which cuts.

The advantage of this method is to obtain a perfectly even edge. No chips are formed.

Subtleties of flooring and steps

It has already been noted that tiling begins with steps. First, the cladding is performed with horizontal elements, then with vertical ones. Depending on the design of the selected porcelain tile, different effects can be achieved. For example, with the help of a small tile, visually increase the space, and a through pattern allows you to combine several different zones.

Choosing the right porcelain stoneware for your needs, the owner relies on reliability, strength, durability and beauty.

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