Has anyone used outdoor grade porcelain as a patio?

7 months ago

I’ve heard how good it is, hardy and non slip. Our deck is rotting so we need to replace it. I love patterned Moroccan style tiles but OH doesn’t and we have Indian Sandstone elsewhere but fancied something different. We particularly like the wood effect paving, so it looks like a deck but much hardier. The area is only about 13 metres sq. Here’s a couple of pics to show what I mean. Does it look TOO fake?

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Sandi Robinson

5 months ago

This is my budget priced porcelain patio using the Ikea porcelain deck tiles that sit in little plastic trivets. You can take them up and clean them and underneath with little bother. Very hardwearing and economical make over

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Comments (79)

Victoria
5 months ago
Looking forward to seeing it
Christian Meikle
5 months ago
You wont regret it. We laid porcelain paving a few months ago and its brilliant. Easy to clean, nothing seems to mark it, tough. The only downside is that it takes longer to dry and water sits on top of it.
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In the grand scheme of things the difference in the acquisition cost is probably not so bad as more of the cost of laying the patio will be labour. You should check that the installation costs don’t vary too much. There is lots of conflicting advice about sealing stone so you may decide not to do it and save the maintenance - those against sealers point to Roman ruins and say that 2000 years later the stone still looks pretty good without sealer! If the objective is to have a seamless finish between the inside and out then you should go for the porcelain- stone changes colour in the wet and oven the first few years iron will rise to the surface of the stone giving it a brown quality that will be more noticeable when wet.
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@garden guru .. I’m in the North West. Don’t have a set budget really as it’s an extra cost over what we hadn’t intended to spend. We know we could go all out but we have so many more things to pay for ie we have no front wall/fencing and the garden drive gate is falling to pieces. So trying to work out the best compromise that would look nice but not be too expensive to do. Think we originally thought they would just concrete outside the doors and we would put something on it in the future, but due to the height, it wouldn’t have been possible to do that. Also they dug out soil to extend so half of it is just a clay muddy mess now. LOL
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Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Christian what did you do about drainage? Was the paving slanted away from house, or did you have a drainage rill? I may go for the rill as it means I can have the paving higher up so no step down.
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Decking is no more! 😂😂😂
Christian Meikle
5 months ago
The Patio is sloping away from the house, which is the main way water drains. I have a small gap between house and patio which gravel which will allow water to drain through (when I have put the gravel in).
debi_d1
5 months ago
Hi Sonia, who’s doing your garden? We’re looking for some recommendations for our tiny patio (3 by 3.5m) which needs re-doing.
Jon L
5 months ago
Just be very careful on the supposed R value for slip resistance or ramp test value. The recommended test from the Health and Safety Executive is the Pendulum test and for something with a 5 degree slope that pendulum slip value needs to be 50+ to be safe when wet. Add some algae and other contamination on top of tile and its slip resistance will fall dramatically. If you have children who like to run then again you need very high slip resistance. This site explains it fairly well and in lay terms with main warning on R values as below. Alternatively research the HSE site at https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis2.htm

WARNING - it is often the case that the ‘R Rating’ found on flooring leaflets, websites and what is says on the packaging are often ‘over specified’ !

FloorSlip have tested many flooring types using the HSE approved Pendulum Test and found large differences between the floor samples we test and the ‘supposed’ R Ratings; the largest quantity are foreign imports which account for many UK tiles sold. Pendulum Test Values (PTV) of 40+ have been advertised when when the floor surface was wet - but only achieved just 12-15 PTV when Pendulum Floor Testing was carried out. The HSE expects a MINIMUM of 36 PTV when a floor is wet and horizontal and note this value must be adjusted UP for floor slopes by approximately 2 PTV for each 1 degree of slope (A 5 degree slope would require 36PTV + 10 PTV for the slope or 46 PTV when WET)
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
@debi_d1 - it is being laid by my brother who is a builder. He is snowed under with work to be honest. He is based in north Herts.
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
@Jon L - thank you for your detailed technical info. I tested it out myself during the torrential rain we had a couple of weeks ago. Even with surface water on it whilst raining it was completely non slip. I couldn’t move my foot at all.
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
@Sandi Robinson - that looks fabulous! Love a patterned tile.
Sandi Robinson
5 months ago
Look forward to seeing your new porcelain patio!
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
My baby bro wacking down the Type 1 creating a base for the mortar and slabs.
Gabby
5 months ago
Oooooo!!! That’s exciting to see you getting the decking replaced after all your trials with it over the last few years! Can’t wait to see the finished product!

We still need to get the garden and driveway sorted! But get a puppy next month!! (Am sooooooooo excited)
Gabby
5 months ago
I’m sure it’s somewhere but can’t find it currently - what tiles are you using? We’re looking at getting porcelain for our new patio too! (When we work out a garden design! )
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
A puppy is much more exciting Gabby! What breed? The tiles I’m using are above but here it is again. Outdoor grade porcelain. I’m a tad nervous as I hope they are going to look good!
Gabby
5 months ago
Ooooo these are gorgeous! For some reason when I saw these I thought someone else had posted them! (My brain has clearly switched off for the night! - good job I’m not at work)

Which brand are they? I wonder if all porcelain are as non slip as each other... hmmm 🤔

Puppy is a fox red lab 😍
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
My sister has a black lab. He’s nearly 3 now and an absolute darling 🐶

Most outdoor grade porcelain is very non slip (goes by R Rating) but best thing to do is buy a tile or get a decent size sample of your favourite and try it out at home. Outdoor porcelain is also much thicker, 20mm rather than 10mm, which means less chance of breaking. Apparently you can lay indoor porcelain outside but it’s R rating will be lower and it won’t be as hardwearing. Indian sandstone is also a good choice if you want a slightly more rustic look. There that’s your lesson for the day! 😂. Good luck with puppy pup 🐶
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Sorry Gabby forgot to tell you the make. It’s by Ceramica Impex and it’s called Gemme. I couldn’t find similar anywhere else but Apex Grange in Welwyn Garden City, Herts.
Gabby
5 months ago
Thank you! I wasn't sure whether certain brands were better and to watch out for, but will do some research on R numbers (not the pandemic kind) before we get round to choosing tiles! 🙂
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
The first slab is down eeeek!
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Torrential rain called off work, but just the grouting to be done tomorrow. Getting there!
PRO
colourhappy
5 months ago
That's excellent work on the drain cover! Looks lovely.
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Thank you colourhappy. It was very time consuming but he’s done a good job. He did say never again would he lay a porcelain patio, oops 😊
Jules Mc
5 months ago
Looks gorgeous Sonia. Has this replaced the decking?
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Yes Jules. I have a sunken area which is almost level with the house where the rotting deck was. It isn’t grouted yet but I’m over the moon with it. At least it won’t rot and will probably outlive me! 😂. They’ve worked so hard in this heat too.
Gabby
5 months ago
Looks really lovely Sonia! glad you're pleased with it! and you must be really happy that you won't need to try and paint it! 😂
E D
5 months ago
Great result, Sonia. 👌

I’m actually doubly envious, both of your tiles and your rain. I could do with either or both. 🙂

How did it handle the downpour?
ebony45
5 months ago
That looks lovely 😊
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
That’s the joy of paving Gabby, it is relatively low maintenance apart from the odd jet wash, and if well laid last forever.

E D the downpour was wonderful, really cooled things down. I stepped on it barefoot when the rain stopped and it was completely non slip. The water dissipated quickly too. We’ve had a mini gutter grid laid by the house walls to aid drainage, but gravel would do the job too. It could have gone the other end by the wall but by the house it is barely visible.
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Thank you ebony45.
Sandi Robinson
5 months ago
Looks lovely!
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Thank you Sandi.
E D
5 months ago
The grid looks neat and professional. 👍
cushioncover
5 months ago
What a pretty garden!
Jules Mc
5 months ago
It looks fab now so will be even better when grouted. And no more knackered knees painting the decking!!! I'm delighted that it's turned out so well for you 👍😊
PRO
Tile Merchant
5 months ago
You can create a wow factor patio by using some beautiful wood effect outdoor porcelain tiles.

Ideal for those who want to achieve the natural look without comprising on the non-slip and hardwearing characteristics that 20mm porcelain brings.

These 20mm outdoor porcelain tiles have many benefits:

Stain Resistant (Perfect For Pets)
Scratch Resistant
Anti-Slip (Great For Families)
Anti-Frost
Super Strong (Ideal For Driveways)
Easy To Clean
Low Maintenance

Browse the range here https://bit.ly/3kZy9Pb
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Rain has stopped so finally put garden furniture back on the patio. Really like it. Only drawback (there’s always one) is the non slip finish makes it difficult to clean and it does stain. Lovely to walk on though.
minnie101
5 months ago
Looks lovely Sonia. I’ve copied a link to cleaning tips if it’s of any help

https://royalestones.co.uk/blog/important-tips-on-maintenance-of-porcelain-paving/
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Thank you Minnie. Don’t laugh but I did hoover it this morning because it was nice and dry! I’ll look out for some ph neutral cleaner.
minnie101
5 months ago
😂 I’d probably have done the same!
E D
5 months ago
Looks ever so posh! 👍😊
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
E D 😂😂😂
molly20100
5 months ago
Looks great. No more maintaining that decking!
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
I know Molly! This paving will last forever......😊
Monica
5 months ago
Sonia it looks absolutely fantastic !! What a lovely easy to maintain space now ... well once you can sort out the cleaning routine :)
Sonia
Original Author
5 months ago
Thank you Monica!
ritzyram
last month
Hi there, your patio looks fantastic! we are thinking of laying porcelain for our patio too, and I'm a bit stuck on the gap between the tiles. The builder is suggesting a 6mm gap filled with grout, and I'm after a cleaner look where the tiles are very close to each other, but I'm not sure this is achievable! what was the gap between your tiles? Thanks!
Sonia
Original Author
last month
Hi, it was 5mm. My brother wanted 8mm, I think, but when I went to buy the spacers they only had 5mm, so that’s what I bought. A nice clean finish. I am finding the tiles quite hard to clean as the non slip finish makes dirt stick to them, so don’t go too pale!
ritzyram
last month
Thanks Sonia! We were thinking to go pale but luckily decided to listen to the builders advice which was the same as yours. Really good to know, thank you!

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Has anyone used outdoor grade porcelain as a patio?

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