Outdoor Patio Tile Ideas

Patio construction materials include various outdoor tile types.

A patio is the space between a home and the outdoors, usually with some type of foundation or floor defining it. A patio provides dining, entertaining or recreation opportunities and brings indoor comfort outside. It is commonly of concrete but you can cover it with a variety of different materials and it can be over an excavated area covered with graded sand and gravel, including outdoor tile. Creating a tiled patio is an easy to moderately challenging project for handy homeowners.

Brick Paving

Brick paving is a beautiful patio tile material. Laid into a graded base of sand over gravel, bricks are easy to fit into a patio area and frame with a border, also of bricks. Simple tools such as a rubber mallet, a tamper and a level are all that you need to lay bricks into a patio. Bricks are available in a variety of colors and weather into attractive earth-tone hues. Brick pavers are durable, long-lasting patio materials that are easy to work with.

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile

Outdoor ceramic and porcelain tiles span a wide range of colors, finishes and patterns. They create a more formal patio than other more rustic materials. Ceramic and porcelain tiles need a solid foundation. Normally you lay them in grout over a concrete slab but some products snap together without grout or adhesive. Outdoor ceramic and porcelain tiles are more expensive than other simpler patio materials and are a little more complicated to install but worth the extra cost and effort.

Stone Paving

Natural stone materials make great patio tiles. They can lay in squares or rectangles, called flags, or as broken pieces fit together like a puzzle. Natural stone is versatile and can sit on top of a concrete slab, into a bed of graded gravel and sand or into turf with grass or other growing plants in between pieces. Slate, granite, sandstone, and limestone are some types of natural stone.

Wood Paving

Wood paving tiles are an alternative patio paving material. They are hardwood tiles formed from fitted pieces of wood arranged into squares or rectangles for attractive designs and patterns. Many wood tile products snap together for very easy installation over concrete slabs or old decking. Wood tiles form a comfortable, pleasing surface underfoot and add an earthy, natural feel to the patio area.

References

• "Walks, Walls & Patio Floors: Build with Brick, Stone, Pavers, Concrete, Tile and More"; Editors of Sunset Books; 2008
• "Barbeques & Outdoor Kitchens: Fresh Design for Patio Living, Complete Guide to Construction, Simple Grills and Gourmet Kitchens"; Editors of Sunset Books; 2006
• "Design Ideas for Decks & Patios"; Heidi Tyline King; 2008