Laying Outdoor Porcelain Tiles

We are becoming increasingly spoiled in this industry with the new products entering the market each and every year. Whether it is a new colors blends, new patterns, or new products that we get to play with, every year allows for something new we can play with in our designs and in our construction of outdoor living spaces for clients.

Porcelain is a product that has become increasingly popular in the industry. It is most definitely a luxury product that comes with some incredible advantages with a top of the line price tag. This is a product that should be added to your repertoire of choices that you can offer your clients for a variety of reasons. The most of which being the benefits that come along with a porcelain patio and the appearance it provides. We dive into the advantages and disadvantages of porcelain tiles for outdoor living and how to lay porcelain paving slabs including how you cut these products to ensure there is no flaking or cracking.

Outdoor Porcelain Paving Slabs

Outdoor living spaces are a growing trend in North America. As people see value in investing back into their property to take advantage of the outdoors and treating it as another room in their house, the growth of the industry continues year in and year out. This has seen a variety of products exploding onto the scene as consumers search for the aesthetic appeal and functionality that best suits their needs.

This is where porcelain paving slabs are becoming increasingly attractive in outdoor living spaces. They provide an alternative to traditional concrete pavers or natural stone that is currently on the market with several benefits. If your client is looking to make the most of the money they spend, porcelain paving slabs will bring a lot of value to their space while creating an area that is completely unique. These outdoor porcelain products have been developed to be thicker as technology has allowed the ability to create 20mm porcelain and 30mm porcelain slabs for outdoor use. It is made using special clays and additives, then pressed and kiln fired at temperatures exceeding 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, creating a hard porcelain product.

 

Outdoor Porcelain Pavers Cost

In comparison to the mid-range concrete paver, porcelain is going to most definitely be more expensive. The mid-range paver will cost somewhere around $4 per square foot, whereas porcelain slabs will cost upwards of $10 per square foot. When comparing this porcelain slab price to that of a wet cast concrete product that is on the higher end of the paver scale, the prices are most definitely comparable. Additionally, comparing these 20mm outdoor porcelain tiles prices to that of natural stone, it is just the next step up in terms of cost and even comparable in some cases.

There are several benefits that porcelain has over these alternatives such as being stain resistant. We will talk about this further, but in order to get a concrete paver that is stain resistant you would have to purchase a factory-sealed product or seal it after installation. This adds the ongoing need to seal every 3 to 5 years and once you account for these costs, pavers become similarly priced to porcelain as it does not need to be sealed to become stain resistant. Especially in the long run when considering sealing on an ongoing basis.

Comparing these costs then comes down to weighing the pros and cons of each of these materials. Arguably for a backyard living space, porcelain is the best option if the prices are comparable by providing the most value to the client for the price. Ultimately it comes down to what the client wants and what they find appealing. Budget is important, but so is the appeal of the product and porcelain definitely is a modern product.

Do not rely on these prices per square foot as they are retail prices sourced locally and will fluctuate from one year to the next. This is just an example as to how much more these porcelain products will cost compared to concrete pavers and other products on the market. The best thing for you to do is source the products you would want to install and do the comparison of pricing yourself.

When comparing the porcelain pavers vs concrete pavers cost, concrete pavers are definitely the most economical and still provide excellent value in comparison to other paving products on the market that your client could choose from. See our pros and cons of stamped concrete vs pavers article.

 

Porcelain Paving Pros and Cons

Porcelain comes with numerous advantages that also come with a price tag that is larger than most other products that it replaces. When adding this product to your arsenal, it is important to know these pros and cons of porcelain paving. This information will help you talk about this product to your client and to highlight why they may not want to opt for a porcelain patio. The more solutions that you can offer your client, the more value that you can offer them as a contractor and help them make decisions. This does not mean laying out all of the options in front of them and having them choose, but to be able to ask the right questions and narrow down their choices for them. By learning more about various products, their pros and cons, and their applications, you can bring the most value to your client.

Outdoor Porcelain Pavers Pros

1. Durable

Made of clays and additives, compressed, and kiln fired, the end result is a hard, durable, and impermeable product that has a high load-bearing ability being able to withstand heavy foot traffic. This is the basis of all the benefits of porcelain that will be outlined in the following points.

2. Resistant

Resistance to a variety of damage because of its density is the biggest benefit to choosing porcelain over other alternatives and is definitely a major appeal to choosing the product. The product is not affected by UV rays as alternatives are and does not deteriorate at the same rate. It is chemical resistant making it the perfect choice around pools as opposed to paving and sealing on an ongoing basis as well as being able to be cleaned easily with household products. Additionally beneficial to a pool patio, it holds anti-slip characteristics to the surface. Due to its density, it is much more scratch resistant when compared to concrete or natural stone. Its density allows it to be non-porous and prevents absorbing liquids. This is what makes it so easy to clean without requiring sealing. Spills from a BBQ or other materials are removed with minimal effort and household cleaning products when necessary. Something that is not achievable with alternative products without further maintenance. Its non-porous surface makes it frost resistant. It does not hold heat like other paving materials will and become hot to the touch, especially when choosing lighter colors. Finally, porcelain is resistant to moss and mold, keeping it clean and removing that added slip factor that comes with this growth on top of pavement.

3. Easy to Maintain

Because of everything listed above in what it is resistant to without any additives, porcelain is an easy to maintain product that does not require the maintenance required with other alternative products. For other products to achieve what porcelain is able to resist, they would have to be sealed and maintained over the years of use on an ongoing basis costing additional materials and labor to do so.

4. Aesthetically Appealing

Porcelain slabs are definitely beautiful pieces of paving that would enhance any outdoor living space. They offer a gorgeous minimal textured modern looking appeal that will withstand the test of time with the variety of options available on the market. There is no doubt that with their luxurious price tag comes their luxurious appeal.

5. Installation

If you are a hardscaper already installing pavers and natural stone, you do not need to learn a whole lot more when it comes to installing porcelain. Porcelain patio tiles are installed similarly to any other hardscape installation taking into factor the excavation and base preparation. Because they are typically larger pieces and smooth, it is important to ensure that each one is at the same height as one another with minimal lippage as these inconsistencies are magnified with this product. Additionally because these products are calibrated, they are equal with tolerances considered to one another. Unlike installing natural stone which have inconsistencies, porcelain slabs will install slightly easier because you are not having to deal with those inconsistencies. However, the large format of these products and the lightweight nature to them make moving them around the job site much easier.

Outdoor Porcelain Pavers Cons

1. Cost

Outdoor porcelain slabs do continue to become increasingly affordable as more manufacturers enter the market, but they are still on the more expensive end of the spectrum when it comes to outdoor living space materials. This becomes magnified when it comes to transportation, moving them around the job site, cutting, and installing this product as these are areas in which they are likely to be broken thus increasing the cost of this product on the install. All of this should be taken into consideration when pricing a project with porcelain slabs.

2. Hardness

Much like there is an advantage of porcelain being such a dense and hard material, it also is a disadvantage. This is particular when you are cutting the material as you will need to have the right blade to be able to cut it efficiently and properly which is an added cost. Additionally, it will cost you more in blades as it will wear through them at a faster rate than cutting other materials you are likely working with such as concrete. Do not forget the added time to cut this material because of its hardness and the time it takes to cut through the material carefully. This should be taken into consideration when quoting a project.

3. Brittleness

Because porcelain is so hard and dense, it can also be more brittle than other alternatives such as concrete pavers though similar to some natural stone. This makes transporting them difficult, as well as the added care that comes to moving them around on a job site and installing them. When installing them on pedestals and not directly on top of base material like what is the case in some deck or rooftop applications, careful consideration should be taken into factor the ability of the material to break and cause injury by placing pressure on the center of it.

4. Material Waste

With these past two points involved with the cutting and the brittle nature of the material, it is important to note that material waste with this product is going to cost you or your client (depending on whether or not you built this material waste into the quote) more money. It is best when planning a porcelain slab project to design with the product in mind to minimize the cuts as much as possible in order to make the most use out of every piece that you can to avoid added material waste.

5. Labor

As with any installation, improper base preparation is going to expose and amplify flaws on the surface. With porcelain which is typically a large format slab, these flaws are amplified. It is important to take your time in your installation to ensure proper compaction and prepare your base with the utmost integrity. As with any installation. When it comes to laying outdoor porcelain, this process will take some time. Much more than installing pavers. This is because porcelain cannot be laid simply on top of a screed layer like pavers can be. They are thinner and do not interlock which means they need to be adhered. We will touch on this in the installation portion of this article.

 

How to Lay Porcelain Slabs Outdoors

The same base preparation methods can be applied to laying porcelain paving. When installing porcelain tile outdoors, we recommend you install using either of these three installation methods depending on the application.

1. Traditional Base
2. Synthetic Base
3. Open Graded Base
4. Concrete Base

Each of these articles provide detailed information on each of these installation methods and their applications and can be applied to how you can prepare a base for porcelain pavers. When laying the porcelain, it requires a lot more than just screeding and laying on top of that bedding layer that would apply to pavers.

Porcelain is not manufactured with built-in spacers like other paving products are allowing you to lay piece to piece while being able to install jointing compound in between each piece without worrying about keeping a consistent spacing. In the case of installing outdoor porcelain tiles, you will need to factor in spacers separately from the product itself. These can come in the style of a typical tile spacer or even better are the spacing platforms with four way spacers that can break apart for three way spacers.

Because porcelain units do not physically touch one another and because the aspect ratio of porcelain does that match that of a paver unit due to them being much more thin, they do not interlock like pavers would. This means we need to ensure that the porcelain is secured properly to prevent movement on corners and edges when walking on them. It is for this reason that you cannot just lay dry on top of your bedding layer like you would with pavers.

This is where Trass bedding comes into play. Trass is a cementitious mixture that is mixed with High Performance Bedding or 1/4″ clean chip and water to create a concrete-like mixture that is screeded and acts as the bedding layer. Trass remains permeable and flexible to deal with freeze-thaw climates. It is mixed, screeded, and then an adhesion elutriant thin-set is back-buttered on the back of the porcelain and the unit is then laid onto the screeded Trass bedding while it is still wet. This creates a solid bond that does not break away.

Trass can be screeded for the entire project which is a necessity for driveways or vehicular traffic projects at a depth of 3 inches or for pedestrian applications such as patios you can screed it for the entire project at a depth of 1.5 inches. Another option for pedestrian patios would be to just screed the outside 2 feet and at least 4 inches beyond the final porcelain tile (not necessary along hard structures such as walls, foundations, etc.) and then to back-butter your porcelain with Type “S” Mortar for the interior porcelain tiles and set them into your HPB bedding layer (Trass not required in the interior). This acts as an edge restraint for your project and makes it not necessary to install a low profile edge restraint along the outside of your project which is beneficial because of how thin the porcelain is.

How to Install Trass Bedding

1. Using a concrete mixer, add 4 parts HPB or 1/4″ clean chip to 1 part Trass. Add these in the mixer to begin mixing and then add water to it until it reaches a consistency of being able to form it into a ball in your hand. With the end mix it should resemble that of a rice crispy square.
2. Screed this Trass as you would other bedding materials following the depth rated for your application (1.5 inches for pedestrian and 3 inches for vehicular applications).
3. Mix the adhesion elutriant thin-set with a mixing paddle on a drill. Add the dry thin-set to a container and slowly add water to it while mixing until you achieve a peanut butter consistency.
4. Spread it out on the back of your porcelain using a 3/8″ notched trowel keeping away from the edges about 1/2″. This is because when the porcelain is laid, this thin-set will expand outwards and you do not want this to cover up your joints preventing water from permeating through.
5. Set the back-buttered porcelain into the wet (not dry) Trass bedding layer and level using a rubber mallet where necessary.
6. Continue this process with your porcelain project levelling each porcelain unit to the next and following any slope you have set for that project. Insert tile spacers on the top of the porcelain to ensure a consistent joint spacing and following stringlines to ensure a straight line in your project.
7. Once laid you can then sweep in your jointing compound into the joints.

 

How to Cut Porcelain Slabs

Knowing how to cut porcelain pavers without chipping, flaking, or breaking requires some skill and technique that does not necessarily need to be considered when cutting other concrete alternatives. This is because due to the hardness of porcelain, it is a brittle product that requires more care and detail when you are cutting it to prevent these things from happening. That is where the skill and technique come into play.

So the question being how to cut porcelain tile without chipping? The answer is by using the right blade for porcelain and cutting very slowly with the addition of water if possible. There are some dustless saws on the market that do not allow for the flowing of water over the blade, but it is recommended to reduce the friction of the blade against the porcelain. Water acting as a lubricant in this situation.

The best way to cut porcelain tile using a handheld saw without chipping is by running the blade smoothly from one end to the other to score the porcelain and to plunge cut the edges in that initial pass. The plunge cut is to ensure that when you then cut the remainder of the porcelain, the unit does not break on you where you do not want it to break. Once that first pass is complete, then cut the remainder of the unit through its entirety very slowly. We have tried the process of cutting in multiple passes very slowly going deeper bit by bit. This causes more room for error that your blade is slightly at the wrong angle which puts pressure on the edge of the unit. When that happens, this is when you get flaking on that outside edge. If you follow the process above in two passes, it reduces the likelihood that your angle will be off and reduce the amount of chipping or flaking along that edge. Though you can invest in a table or rail saw which keeps that blade in a fixed position and allows you to get a perfect straight cut.

If you are using a handheld saw and doing a straight cut, we have found that clamping a level along your cut line allows you to follow that level with your saw blade giving you a perfectly straight cut every time.

Best Blade for Cutting Porcelain Slabs

Cutting porcelain tiles for outdoor use or porcelain outdoor slabs is a difficult process and should be taken with care. As should choosing the right porcelain blade. Because exterior porcelain pavers are such a relatively hard material, your blade is going to have less of a lifespan in comparison to cutting other less hard materials. There are good blades on the market and there are definitely bad blades on the market. Unfortunately telling the difference between the two is difficult especially if you do not know what you are looking for.

Porcelain saw blades are all continuous diamond blades which differs from the segmental saw blades that are used for cutting concrete. There are various patterns for porcelain continuous blades that you will find. Some are smooth all the way around, others have zig-zag ridges along the blade, and then some have a diamond ridge pattern throughout the blade. The diamond ridge pattern are our favorite when cutting porcelain while the smooth blades are our least favorite.