How to Build a Patio With Ceramic Tile. Tiling outdoors. For about 6,0. Not only does tile offer a range of colors and designs unmatched by any other material, it’s also amazingly tough. In places like Italy and Mexico, you can find exterior tile in good condition, despite centuries of wear and tear. You won’t find much ancient tile outdoors in cooler climates, though. Tile can take generations of foot traffic, but water that freezes or expands in or under tiles can turn a gorgeous patio into a crumbling mess. That’s why tile hasn’t been used widely outdoors in cold climates: It was just too risky.
Over the last several decades, however—as tile setting and materials have improved—that risk has diminished. This article will explain how to choose and use the latest materials to lay tile outside in regions that experience subfreezing temperatures. Because we’ll focus specifically on what you need to know for a successful exterior project, we won’t cover all the basic techniques of tile setting. So unless you’ve already done some tile setting, we strongly recommend some more reading before you tackle this job.
Some subfloors and underlayments work better for ceramic tile than others. This guide shows you the best subfloors to use.
The app is certainly a relic, from a time when the casual computer user couldn’t crack open Photoshop or Skitch or Pixelmator or thousands of web apps. This Tile Support FAQ page provides answers to questions our support team frequently receives. Here are the questions we're most often asked. SpaceX works in mysterious ways, but today, Elon Musk decided to gift fans with the first-ever look at SpaceX’s space suits. In just a few hours, fans have.
Tips for Installing Tile and Modern Tile Installation Tips are good places to start. Only the best materials. Photo 1: Level the slab. Screed floor leveler over low areas using a 2×4. Check the entire slab for low spots by laying a straight 1. Important: Nothing should cover isolation joints or fill expansion joints except caulk. If you get floor leveler or isolation membrane in the joint, scrape it off with a putty knife after it hardens.
Photo 2: Apply crack isolation membrane. Comb the isolation membrane material over the slab with the notched edge of the trowel and then flatten it out with the trowel’s straight edge. When combing, hold the trowel consistently at about a 4.
That way, the notches will evenly distribute the pasty material, giving you a flat, consistent membrane. Photo 3: Set the tiles in thin- set mortar. Squish tiles into thin- set mortar adhesive applied with a 3/4- in. U- notch (rounded- notch) trowel. Twist the tiles back and forth slightly as you force them down. Your goal is complete coverage—that is, the space between the tiles and the membrane below should be completely filled with thin- set (no cavities to hold water and cause trouble). To allow enough space for grout, remove thin- set that wells up between the tiles or into expansion joints with a pencil or screwdriver.
Clean thin- set off the surface of tiles with a damp sponge. Photo 4: Grout the tiles. Push the grout diagonally across the tiles, holding the grout float at a 4. Use a hard rubber float, not one with soft foam backing.
To pack the joints densely, work the grout back and forth in all four directions. Then hold the float at nearly 9. Remove grout residue with a damp (not dripping- wet) sponge, rinsing it frequently. Some home centers carry everything you’ll need for this project. But for the best materials and advice, visit a few tile specialty stores, preferably pro- level suppliers. The tile you choose must be made from dense material—porous tiles will absorb water and crumble as that water freezes. The tile you buy may be called “frost- free,” “vitreous,” “impervious” or “freeze- thaw stable,” but whatever the label, make sure it’s warranted by the manufacturer to withstand freezing.
Chances are, you’ll need floor leveler, a powder that you mix with water and spread over low spots in the slab (Photo 1). Sometimes called SLC (self- leveling compound), floor leveler is sold under a variety of brand names; just be sure the one you buy is recommended for outdoor use.
An isolation membrane is an elastic barrier that separates the tile from the slab. That way, when the slab cracks—as all slabs eventually do—the tiles can “float” above the cracks without cracking themselves. This protection is limited, of course: Cracks that widen 1/8 in. Isolation membranes are available as sheets of rubbery fabric that get sandwiched between two layers of thin- set, or as pasty trowel- on mixtures, which are easier to apply (Photo 2). Latex additives are what make today’s thin–set mortar adhesives (Photo 3) so much better than their predecessors.
Modified” materials—as in “latex modified” or “polymer modified”are less likely to absorb water and more elastic, so they can better withstand movement caused by temperature change or by pockets of ice under the tile. Still, all modified thin- sets are not the same; use one that meets all specifications for outdoor use (the label includes this information).
The same goes for sanded grout (Photo 4); look for an exterior- grade grout. Ask the tile store for recommendations if you’re not sure. The grout may require mixing with a latex liquid instead of water.)Silicone grout sealer penetrates the grout, making it more resistant to both staining and water absorption.
Choosing the best caulk, for filling expansion joints, is sometimes a compromise between durability and appearance. Urethane caulk, which holds up to foot traffic best, may not be available in a color that matches your grout.
Siliconized latex and acrylic latex are often available in more colors and in sanded versions to match the texture of the grout. A sound old slab. An existing concrete patio or walkway can be tiled as long as water drains off it and any cracks in it are stable and level (one side of the crack shouldn’t be higher than the other). Cracks normally widen and narrow slightly with the seasons, but if they’re getting wider year by year, don’t tile over them. If the concrete has sunk to the level of the surrounding soil, you’ll have to do some grading.
Water must not pool on the tiles. So the slab’s surface has to be made flat (Photo 1). To prepare an existing slab, scrub it clean with a stiff broom and water. Remove any oil or grease stains with a degreaser. If the concrete has a smooth- troweled surface, rent a pressure washer with at least 4,0. Muriatic acid will also clean and roughen concrete. Finally, fill cracks with caulk (one that’s intended for use on masonry) and holes with vinyl or latex patching compound (available at home centers).
A perfect new slab. Pouring a concrete slab is a major project in itself and we won’t explain how to do it here. Whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor, here are the requirements for a lasting, tile- ready slab: Patio slabs are typically 3- 1/2 in. But because strength and crack resistance are so important for this project, we recommend a slab 5 to 6 in. For good surface drainage, the slab should slope 1/4 in. A 1. 6- ft. long slab, for example, would be 4 in.
Place isolation or control joints in the slab where they’ll coincide with expansion joints in the tile (more on that below). If you hire a contractor to pour the slab, make sure curing compounds aren’t used. Curing compounds increase the strength of concrete by slowing the curing process, but they also prevent tile- setting materials from bonding well to the slab.
The slab should have a broomed finish, not a smooth- troweled surface. Concrete shrinks and gains strength for weeks after it’s poured. So wait at least four weeks before setting tile on a new slab. And any concrete, new or old, should stay dry for at least three days before you begin tile work. Figure A: Exterior ceramic tile details. A new slab should have at least 6- in. Patio slab. Expansion joints.
Photo 5: Seal expansion joints. Seal expansion joints with caulk after cleaning them out well (vacuuming them is a quick, thorough method). To make a neat joint, mask the tile along both sides and smooth the caulk with a rounded putty knife. You can round the blade of a plastic putty knife using a utility knife and sandpaper. Whether you’re setting tile on an old or new slab, you must include expansion joints (Fig.
A and Photo 5). An expansion joint is a strip of flexible material—in this case, caulk—that lets tile expand and contract with changes in temperature. Here’s where to put expansion joints: Anywhere tile meets a vertical surface like steps or the foundation of your house. Over any isolation or control joints in the concrete. Isolation joints are strips of compressible material (isolation strip) in the slab.
Control joints are shallow grooves in the concrete. Your patio must have expansion joints at least every 1. For example: A 1. A 1. 6 x 2. 0- ft. The patio shown here (about 2. Typically, expansion joints placed 1. But if you live, say, on the Canadian Prairie, where summer highs and winter lows can differ by more than 1.
Elon Musk Unveils Space. X's Sleek New Space Suit. Space. X works in mysterious ways, but today, Elon Musk decided to gift fans with the first- ever look at Space. X’s space suits. In just a few hours, fans have collectively lost their chill, and it’s not entirely unwarranted: the white- and- black aesthetic is sleek and sophisticated, like if Daft Punk went to Wimbledon.
The suits will be worn by NASA astronauts inside Space. X’s Dragon Capsule, which will ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). While information is still thin, Musk says he plans to drop more tidbits about the spacesuit sometime in the next few days.“Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup),” Musk wrote on Instagram, where he debuted the image.
Already tested to double vacuum pressure. Was incredibly hard to balance esthetics and function. Easy to do either separately.”As The Verge points out, Space. X’s suit is stunningly similar to unofficial photos that popped up a year ago on Reddit. No idea how that happened.
In any case, enjoy the cool suits and listen to some Daft Punk maybe.