Are porcelain patio tiles slippery? It’s a good question. If you are overhauling your garden, building anew or creating a little garden oasis and considering porcelain for your patio then it’s important to understand that porcelain tiles are available in different slip ratings and textures depending on where the tiles might be used. Porcelain tiles for outside spaces have different finishes to internal tiles.
Porcelain patios are on the rise. Why? Because this superb material just delivers – not only from a practical perspective, but from a design perspective too. A porcelain patio is like no other patio. It presents with clean, straight lines and brings an architectural look and feel with a beautifully level surface. With porcelain you are effectively creating an inside room, outside. This frost resistant, scratch resistant, fade resistant material has become the go-to for garden projects large and small due to its durability and design. So let’s dig in and find out all we need to know with regard to our question, are porcelain patio tiles slippery?
Porcelain tiles are available in a whole host of different finishes and it is this finish or texture that determines the slip resistance of the tile. Glossy, polished, natural, matt and soft finishes are all available for internal areas, however, these tile surfaces could prove slippery in external areas. It is an antislip finish that gives you better grip for outdoor areas. This finish is specifically designed for garden spaces and ensures the surface of the tile is rougher than an internal tile finish.
Tiles are rated according to slip resistance and for outdoor areas the recommendation is a minimum of an R11 A+B+C rated tile or higher, for instance an R12 A+B+C rated tile, so if you are undertaking an outdoor patio refurbishment or creating a new outside area then it is best to look out for tiles that fall into this category.
Like any type of paving, it is important to understand that weather conditions and things like overhanging trees can affect the slip resistance of a tile. Trees or large plants with wet leaves will impact an external tile surface as will of course, frost, ice and snow so it is important to ensure tiles are suitably cleared in adverse conditions. It is also critical to ensure water drains effectively from the tile surface so adequate drainage needs to be allowed for when installing your tiles. With the exception of a very dank, dark corner of your garden with limited sunlight, porcelain tiles naturally inhibit the growth of mould and moss on the tile surface so again, it is important to ensure in these darker spot tiles are cleared of any growth on the surface.
It is also important to ensure your patio tiles are cleaned because dirt build up on the tile surface can also affect the level of antislip. For more information check out our care and maintenance section.
As more of us look to our garden space as an extension of our home, we are creating areas in which to relax, unwind, dine together and simply chill out. The advent of advances in bi-fold and sliding doors with low of flush thresholds has also allowed us to seamlessly connect our inside space with our outside space. This has given rise to patios that are effectively another room, outside. In contrast to traditional patios with limestone, slate or flagstones and their rustic appeal, a porcelain patio has crisp styling, clean lines, level surfaces.
Porcelain has proven itself a superb material for outside spaces. As well as being frost resistant porcelain tiles are also fade resistant so whatever the weather, come rain or shine, this material can easily cope. Porcelain tiles are also highly resistant to scratches and scuffs so ideal for outside spaces and they are also stain resistant so make a great canvas for outdoor kitchens.
Outdoor tiles are usually thicker than indoor tiles. Internal tiles tend to typically be anything from 8mm thick to 11mm thickness. External tiles tend to be thicker, all our external patio pavers are 20mm thickness. Correct installation of patio tiles is key to ensuring your external area looks amazing for years to come and installation onto a fully cured concrete bed is the preferred option, however, 20mm porcelain pavers can also be installed onto compacted hardcore.
Thinner porcelains with antislip finishes can also be installed externally, however, in this case tiles must be installed onto a fully cured concrete bed. For more information on installation click here.
We started our blog with the question, are porcelain patio tiles slippery? Porcelain patio tiles don’t have to be slippery if you opt for the tiles in the right finish ie a tile with a textured, antislip finish and a minimum R11 A+B+C rating and ensure your tiles are cared for.
Poise Porcelain 20mm outdoor tiles – pebble
Click the images with a description underneath to head straight to these tiles on our website.
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The TilePortfolio specialise in Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and Porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by our fuss-free ‘go-the-extra-tile’ service. In addition, you can view our entire tile collection at our Northamptonshire Showroom. Visit our website for unmissable interiors inspiration. The TilePortfolio team are always available to chat, we’d be delighted to help with your project so please do get in touch.
Please note: We strongly recommend using a professional tiler for your project. Installation requirements may vary depending on the tiles you choose, the fixing products used and the specific conditions. Always check with your tiler regards the suitability of the tiles. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
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