How to Buy Patio Tile

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Choosing and buying the right patio tile can enhance your patio's beauty and performance. Given the many tile choices that exist, it can be difficult to select the one that is best for you. However, these steps will make the selection process easier.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Consider your patio site and what you would like to see it become. Having a proper vision of your patio before you start gathering materials is the best way to be successful in the process.

Step2

Research the different types of tile available to you. Depending on the climate you live in, some tiles are more suitable for outside use than others. If you live in a colder climate where freezing is a possibility, your tile may break or expand if it is too porous. While design and aesthetics are important, practicality and longevity should also be considered.

Step3

Decide what tile material is best for you. This should be based on what you think looks best with the furniture and decor of your patio area, as well as whether the tile is suited for your climate and environment. Finding a tile that suits both these requirements can be difficult but pays off in the long run.

Step4

Measure your patio site to figure out how much tile you need. Once you have the dimensions of the area you are covering, find out how big each tile is. Remember: The larger the tile, the cheaper the installation. This knowledge allows you to purchase the appropriate number of tiles for your project.

Step5

Purchase your tile. You can buy patio tile at hardware stores, as well as flooring and specialty outdoor-furniture and design stores. It's highly suggested that you look into a tile wholesaler, usually found in the more industrial parts of town. These places sell in bulk and have little in terms of a showroom. It's a gritty process, but tile wholesalers are the way to go.

Tips & Warnings

It is helpful to buy four or five more tiles than you think you need according to your measurements. This ensures that you have extras in case one gets cracked or broken during the installment process, and you have backups if any of the tiles needs replacing.