Laying tiles outdoors

Paul Hechenrieder 04.10.2025

One already longs for spring or summer. Long evenings where one can relax with the family on the terrace or balcony and enjoy the beautiful weather. The terrace or balcony serves as an extended living area under the open sky.

Laying tiles in outdoor areas

One already longs for spring or summer. Long evenings where one can relax with the family on the terrace or balcony and fully enjoy the beautiful weather. The terrace or balcony serves as an extended living area under the open sky. Naturally, one wants to make it look attractive, and many people place increasing importance on appealing furnishings. Not only should the furniture, such as garden furniture, be high-quality and robust, but also the terrace or balcony itself. The foundation is a good floor covering. This must not only look good, but also be extremely robust and durable, as it is exposed to the elements all year round.

Tilers are increasingly relying on porcelain stoneware, such as tiles. Outdoor tiles not only look great, but are also frost-resistant, slip-resistant, scratch-resistant and robust against dirt and stains.

In this article, we would like to give you some tips and tricks for laying outdoor tiles. What should the substrate look like? Pillars or drainage? Tile profiles for outdoor use?

Which flooring for terrace & co.?

Many types of flooring are commonly used for patios and balconies. These include outdoor tiles, patio slabs, paving stones, and plastic or wooden decking. Each type of flooring has its advantages and disadvantages. Today, however, we want to focus more closely on outdoor tiles, as they perfectly meet our requirements of being frost-resistant and slip-resistant. There are no limits to the size and selection of tiles. They are available in various colors, patterns, and sizes.

DIYer or professional?

We recommend having tiles laid by a professional. If you want the flooring to last a long time, in addition to frost-resistant tiles, careful and professional installation is necessary. Particular attention should be paid to the subfloor, as it forms the basis of the entire system.

Generally speaking: The substrate must be firm, load-bearing, dust-free and dry. The surface should be even and any cracks must be filled.

Types of tile laying for outdoor use

The installation in the gravel bed

When laying on gravel, the terrace slabs are placed directly onto the level gravel bed using joint spacers. Our " black X-shaped joint spacers " ensure a uniform spacing between the individual tile joints. With, for example, a special drainage layer, waterlogging is prevented and the water can drain away easily, thus preventing frost damage in winter. We recommend a slight slope towards the building wall, as otherwise rainwater could accumulate there and have no way to drain away.

The relocation to stilts

When installing on supporters ,the outdoor tiles are simply laid loosely on the adjustable supports and have no direct ground contact with the terrace or balcony. This allows water to drain easily under the terrace tiles, preventing waterlogging. If a load-bearing substructure is available, laying with adjustable supports definitely has several advantages. The installation is not only cost-effective and quick, but also makes certain future work easier. The outdoor tiles can be easily removed with a... lifter can be raised so that pipes or cables can be laid under the tiles. Uneven floor? Can happen, but shouldn't really. Laying the tiles with adjustable supports is also extremely helpful here. Our adjustable supports are height-adjustable and can therefore compensate for slight irregularities in the floor.

Intrigued? Then we recommend our blog post " supportersystems - Which system is right for me? " . There we delve even deeper into the topic of Stelzlager and show you the differences between our products in the online shop.

Laying with a drainage mat

Drainage mat? What is that anyway? Unfortunately, drainage mats are not yet very well known, but they are a valuable and often indispensable aid when laying tiles outdoors.

In short, a drainage mat is a plastic mat with bumps. It is designed so that water flows into the bumps and is quickly and easily drained away towards a drainage point. If you don't use a drainage mat, water can accumulate in various areas for a long time and cause potential damage.

Does the drainage mat also act as a decoupling mat? You can read what that means exactly in our blog post " Laying tiles - the topic of drainage explained simply! "

For an optimal end result.

Have you ever heard of our high-quality Balcony profiles Yes, that's right, tile profiles aren't just for indoor use. Our balcony profiles or tile rails for outdoor use neatly finish your floor covering and create a great end result. We offer a wide selection of balcony profiles in our online shop. Whether in various shapes, with a drip edge or in combination with adjustable supports, you'll find the right product for your terrace or balcony with us.