Porcelain tiles patio

meridian74

Hi. I’m not sure if this belongs in construction or gardening so just checking here.
I am considering getting a patio put down in new house and looking at porcelain tiles. Some of my research shows that they can be more difficult and therefore costly to put down than natural stone. Anyone any experience of this?

CelticRambler

The physical effort of "putting them down" isn't really any different, but there's a lot more to it that that. First of all, the base has to be absolutely flat (equivalent to an indoor floor) as porcelain tiles inevitably look a mess if they're not level with one another, whereas natural stone is frequently irregular, so can tolerate being placed on a less-perfect base.

The tiles themselves, to be approved/suitable for outdoor use, need to be thicker and stronger than indoor tiles, and more resistant to temperature changes, so that'll make them more expensive than the equivalent size of indoor tiles. But the cost of natural stone varies, depending on what the stone is, so I'm sure you could get expensive porcelain tiles and still find natural stone that was at least twice as dear.

Again, depending on what pattern you go for, there may be more wastage with porcelain tiles if the edges of off-cuts can't be rounded-off for use in the centre of the area, whereas most natural stone can be re-finished to fit seamlessly anywhere in the design. There might be a higher risk of breakage in the cutting, but not if you're using a tradesman who knows how to do the job.

FWIW, here in France (where I live) patios are almost always done in porcelain or concrete tiles, frequently the same ones as used in the living room or kitchen, so that the patio becomes an extension of those spaces when the doors are open.

macadam

Costly to lay as you will only lay 15m2 or so per day and approx cost €50 per m2
or so to lay. If you do get them down make sure you get expansion joints every 5mtrs.

meridian74

Thank you both for the advice.