Laying tiles outdoors
You already long for the spring or summer. Long evenings, where you can sit relaxed with the family on the terrace or balcony and enjoy the beautiful weather to the fullest. The terrace or balcony serves as an extended living area under the open sky. Of course, you want to make it look nice and many people attach more and more importance to attractive furnishings. Not only the furniture, e.g. garden furniture, should be of high quality and robust, but also the terrace or balcony itself. The basis is a good floor covering. This must not only look good, but also be extremely robust and resistant, as it is exposed to the weather all year round.
Tile layers are now increasingly using porcelain stoneware, such as tiles. Outdoor tiles not only look good, but are also frost-resistant, slip-resistant, scratch-resistant and at the same time robust against dirt and stains.
In this article we would like to give you some tips and tricks for the installation of outdoor tiles. What should the subfloor look like? Stilt bearing or drainage? Tile profiles for outdoor use?
Which floor for terrace & Co.
There are many typical floor coverings that are used for patio & balcony. These are, in addition to outdoor tiles, patio slabs, paving stones and plastic or wooden planks. Each flooring has its advantages and disadvantages. Today, however, we would like to take a closer look at outdoor tiles, as they perfectly meet our requirements such as frost-proof and slip-resistant. There are no limits to the size and choice of tiles. They come in different colors, patterns and of course sizes.
Do-it-yourselfer or professional?
We recommend having a professional do the tile installation. After all, if you want the flooring to last for a long time, you need not only frost-proof tiles, but also careful and professional installation. Particularly great importance should be attached to the substrate. The subfloor is the basis of the whole.
As a general rule, the substrate must be firm, load-bearing, dust-free and dry. The surface should be flat and any cracks must be filled.
Types of laying tiles in the outdoor area
Laying on a bed of chippings
When laying on chippings, the patio tiles are laid directly on the level chippings bed with the help of joint crosses. Our "joint crosses black X-shape" have the task of ensuring an even distance between the individual tile joints. With, for example, a special drainage sheet, there is no waterlogging and water can drain away easily, preventing frost damage in winter. We recommend a slight slope on the wall of the building, otherwise rainwater may collect there and have no way to drain.
The laying on stilts
Verlegung auf StelzlagerWhen laying on stilts, the outdoor tiles are simply laid loosely on the stilts and have no direct ground contact with the terrace or balcony. This allows water to drain easily under the patio tiles and prevents waterlogging. If a load-bearing substructure is available, laying with stilt bearings definitely has some advantages. The installation is not only inexpensive and fast, but also facilitates certain work in the future. The outdoor tiles can be easily lifted with a plate lifter, so that you can lay pipes or cables under the tiles. Uneven floor? Can happen, but should not. Here, too, the installation with stilt bearings helps immensely. Our stilt bearings are height-adjustable and can therefore compensate for slight irregularities in the floor.
Curious now? Then we recommend our blog post "Installing stilt bearings - Which system is right for me?". There, we delve even deeper into the topic of stilt bearings and show you the differences in our products in the online store.
Laying with a drainage mat
Drainage mat? What is that anyway? Unfortunately, drainage mats are not so widely known these days, yet they are a valuable and often indispensable aid when laying tiles outdoors.
Quickly summarized, a drainage mat is a dimpled mat made of plastic. It is designed so that water runs into the dimples and is quickly and easily drained from there towards a drainage point. If you do not use a drainage mat, water can stay in different areas for a long time and cause possible damage.
Our DURAL drainage mat DD80++ can be laid in a gravel/chippings bed or directly on a foil or stilt.
Likewise, the drainage mat also acts as a decoupling mat? What this means exactly, you can read in our blog report "Laying tiles - topic drainage simply explained!".
For an optimal end result
Balkonprofile im TerrassenbereichHave you ever heard about our high quality balcony profiles? Yes exactly, tile profiles are not only available for indoor use. Our balcony profiles or tile rails for outdoor use round off your flooring neatly and create a great end result. We offer you a wide range of balcony profiles in our online store. Whether in different shapes, with drip edge or in connection with stilt bearings, you will find the right product for your terrace or balcony with us.
Laying tiles outdoors - this is what you should pay attention to:
- Choose robust tiles that are frost-proof and weather-resistant.
- Make sure you have a good substrate. It must not only be load-bearing, but also firm & level.
- Water must be able to drain away in every area of the patio
Notes:
In general, the generally accepted rules of technology must be observed!
The following applies to all products/materials: The usability with regard to mechanical and chemical loads must be carefully checked in each individual case before laying the mat. Protect the material from prolonged exposure to sunlight.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We wish you much success in laying tiles
the team of alleszumfliesen.de
