While outdoor patios are usually made of stones, tiles are quickly gaining popularity due to their versatility. They come in a wide variety of textures, shades, and designs. Hence, you get a wide selection to choose from. In order to decide whether you should choose tiles or stone for your outdoor patio, consider talking to experienced masonry contractors.

Different types of outdoor patio tiles

Nevertheless, if you have decided to stick with tiles, you may be wondering about the material options. Just like stone, tiles also offer a wide selection of materials. Each of these materials has its own advantages and disadvantages, as you shall see.

In this article, we aim to list the most common of these materials. These include:

Ceramic

Ceramic patio tiles are the traditional tiles that are used on floors. Hence, they are also quite acceptable for outdoor patios. However, before buying them, you have to ensure that they have a PEI rating that indicates sufficient strength. After all, outdoor patio need to be strong enough to withstand hard weather conditions. Along with that, they must also withstand everyday traffic.

While ceramic tiles are mostly marketed for walls, they are not strong enough for an outdoor patio. Nevertheless, in comparison to porcelain, they do happen to be quite cheap. Hence, this may be your best shot.

Porcelain

Porcelain tiles are extremely dense and are another form of ceramics. Due to their strength and versatility, they are often used for flooring work and in patio applications. In case you use porcelain types, we recommend a matte texture as it will not become too slippery. Shiny surface, on the other hand, may become too slippery during humid weather or rain. As a result of this, these tiles may turn into a hazard.

The price of porcelain tiles varies greatly. And since they are used in many different applications, it is important to ensure that the ones that you are getting are rated for patio usage.

Travertine

Travertine is a type of natural stone which features beautiful colors and textures. Since it is a type of limestone, it is very hard and attractive at the same time. Travertine tiles are quite new, as compared to the other types. However, they are also a suitable choice for an outdoor patio.

Do note that they can be extremely slippery during rainy or humid weather. This is especially true if they are highly polished.

Quarry tiles

Contrary to their names, quarry tiles are not mined in natural quarries anymore. Rather, they are produced from dense unglazed clay. However, quarry tiles happen to be extremely strong and hence, a suitable option for outdoor patios.

Quarry tiles were primarily designed for use in outdoor patios and courtyards. Moreover, they are also available in many different colors such as gray, brown, and red. This is quite a peculiar trait, indeed.

These tiles are specifically popular among homeowners who dig the Mediterranean look. However, it is important to remember that these tiles are unglazed. Still, they have a natural resistance to water. As a result of this, their texture is not slippery when it gets wet. Hence, they are quite suitable for an outdoor patio.

However, in areas where there is a freezing temperature during winters, quarry tiles are not a good choice. At the same time, they can get stained very easily. So watch out for that!

Ending note

It looks like there is an endless variety of tiles for patios, each with its own pros and cons. In this case, it is often very difficult to choose the best one. Hence, a team of professional patio builders can help you in choosing the right patio tiles depending on your requirements. Lagrass