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Outdoor Tile Installation
Update Your Dull Concrete Patio or Walkway
with Colorful Outdoor Tiles
By Mark J.
Donovan
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One way to rejuvenate and add color
to a cement patio or walkway is to install outdoor tiles over it. Installing
outdoor tiles is easy to do, even for the only moderately skilled weekend do
it yourselfer. Porcelain tiles work best for outdoor tiling projects due to
the fact that they are made from more refined material, and are denser and
harder than ceramic tiles. When tackling an outdoor tile installation
project it is wise to buy or rent a tile wet saw for cutting tiles. You’ll
save a great deal of time and money by doing so, and you’ll achieve a much
more professional job. |
Before starting an outdoor tiling project, make
sure that the concrete surface is clean and free of all types of dusts and
sealers. Also, fill in any cracks with thinset mortar to ensure you have a
perfectly smooth tiling surface.
When buying outdoor tiles make sure you allow for cutting wastage. I
always recommend buying about 10% more tile material than the measurements
dictate. This way you’ll have enough tiles to complete the entire job, and
a few spares to store in case of tile breakage down the road.
Always purchase thinset mortar or adhesive per the outdoor tile
manufacturer’s recommendations. This said, Flexbond thinset mortar works
best for most outdoor tile projects. Again, mix the thinset material
according to the manufacturer’s directions.
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When starting the outdoor tile
patio or walkway installation project, make sure to begin in an area
where you have room to work your way outwards from the project. For
example if you’re doing an outdoor tile installation on a patio next
to a home, start the project at the house and work your way outwards.
This way you won’t find yourself having to walk on your freshly placed
tiles. |
As with any tile flooring project start by
snapping perpendicular chalk lines with their intersection in the middle
of the patio or walkway area. I also recommend snapping additional
parallel chalk lines every 12 to 24 inches or so to act as references
lines as you place tiles.
Starting in the middle of the floor area, at the two main intersecting
chalk lines, apply thinset to the concrete slab using a notched trowel.
The notch size will vary with the size of the outdoor tiles you’re
installing, however as a general rule the larger the tile the larger the
notches should be.
Once you’ve applied approximately 9 to 12 square feet of thinset to the
patio area begin to place your outdoor tiles into the thinset. Continue
this same process working your way outwards until all of the outdoor tiles
have been installed.
After the tiles have had 24 to 48 hours to set up, mix up a bucket of
grout per the grout manufacturer’s recommendations and then using a rubber
float work the grout into the tile joints. Make sure after grouting 9 to
12 square feet of tile area wipe down the grouted tiles with a sponge and
clean water. Keep a large bucket with clean water in it nearby so that you
can frequently rinse out the sponge as you clean the excess grout off the
outdoor tiles.
Continue this process until all of the outdoor tiled area has been
grouted. Then go back and wipe the tiles down again with fresh clean water
and a sponge. You may need to repeat the cleaning process several times
before the grout has been fully removed off of the tiles. Cheese cloth
also helps to remove any residual grout film off of the tiles.
After the grout has had 3 days to fully cure, apply a high quality grout
sealer to the grout to protect it from staining. And with that, you’re
outdoor tile installation project is complete!
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Related Ceramic Tile
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Additional Ceramic Tile Resources from Amazon.com
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