If you are looking for beautiful outdoor tiles then it’s a fact, few materials rival porcelain. But with so many porcelain tiles options to choose from and tiles available from far and wide how do you decide? Why would you choose one tile over another? What are the key things to look out for? And why are Italian outdoor tiles considered the best? (Well we think so anyway!)Â
In our blog, we explore all this and more as we take a look at tiles that offer superior quality, sophisticated design and brilliant versatility – whilst keeping price in mind! So as we step into Spring let’s dig into why Porcelain and in particular Italian outdoor tiles in porcelain are the perfect choice for the discerning homeowner, designer or architect and a great way to add value to your property.
We are huge advocates of Porcelain for external areas. That’s because with luxury porcelain tiles there are a whole heap of reasons this material makes the perfect outdoor tile.Â
Porcelain is a non-porous material meaning a tile must have less than 0.05% porosity. That makes porcelain frost resistant so it is well able to cope with the changing British weather. It also means it is stain resistant so with external areas being used as kitchens, dining areas, relaxation spaces and more, it can easily cope with the thrills and spills of your outdoor space. Add to that the fact that in warmer weather porcelain won’t fade and in wetter weather it inhibits the growth of mould and moss (with the exception perhaps of that very dark, dank corner of the garden that doesn’t see the light of day) and here is a material that pretty much ticks all the boxes.Â
Let’s also add that porcelain tiles are available in different slip ratings so your outdoor tiles will have a little more grip than an indoor tile, and again, this is a material that is just about perfect for creating everything from a small patio to a sweeping terrace.Â
In addition if you are harbouring desires to connect your internal lounge to lawn with seamless ease you may want to run the same tile from inside your home to outside. Again, with luxury porcelain tiles you can do just that with collections and tiles designed to co-ordinate from inside to out.Â
So what’s so good about Italian outdoor tiles specifically? Well all our collections have been very carefully selected to deliver the perfect combination of excellent design, superb quality and great prices. But it is more than that as we will discover …..
Product quality: Any installer will tell you that both the quality of rectified edges (ie the straight edges of a porcelain tile), the flatness of tiles and consistency of this throughout the batch make the whole job of laying tiles so much easier. These factors also help to deliver a superb finish to outdoor floors – hugely important when you are creating a flawless finish to spaces. It’s one of the comments we hear most from installers – that our tiles are superb quality and a joy to work with.Â
Design: From a homeowner or designer perspective if you are opting for a tile that is mimicking stone for example, you really want your porcelain tile to look as realistic as possible. Cutting edge manufacturers are continuously investing in technology to create tiles that are so good it is hard to tell them apart from the real thing. With porcelain echoing everything from stone to slate, wood to marble, concrete to cements and more, the development of design is incredible and at the higher end of the market are tiles that are just brilliantly designed.Â
Finish: In addition to design, the finish of a tile can dramatically impact how a tile looks. For outside tiles it is important to consider tiles with antislip properties. So these tiles will have a rougher surface texture than an internal tile. With our Italian outdoor tiles the surface texture to create the antislip property is perfectly aligned to the tile design itself. Take our Tone tiles – these tiles are designed with minimalism in mind. They are super simple in design and with the simplest colour palette. They are echoing micro cement. So whilst the outside tile needs to have a higher slip rating the surface texture is actually very fine. This tile would not look like micro cement with a very rough hewn, very textured surface. By contrast, take our Fusion collection which is a modern limestone. In this case this tile is mimicking stone so the surface texture is more in keeping with a typical stone finish ie very rough and textured.Â
 It is this level of design and attention to detail that really sets our Italian outdoor tiles apart.Â
Tone Concrete echos micro cement with a fine finish that is antislip and is available in 800 x 800mm tiles inside and outside
Fusion Limestone effect Italian porcelain tile collection – outside tiles have a rougher stone like appearance for outside.
Number of patterns: For ultra realism it is equally important that a tile has more than one or two designs! Whilst on the whole those days are gone, sometimes tile collections do have limited numbers of patterns whereas some of our tiles have anywhere between 15-39 different patterns or faces. Again, this creates superb realism.Â
Sizes: Having different size options to choose from can also dramatically impact your overall look. Larger formats with less grout and more tile can really open up space like never before. Most of our collections feature one or two different sizes per collection for both indoor and outdoor tiles.Â
Co-ordinating inside tiles: All our Italian outdoor tiles have a co-ordinating tile in the same size for internal spaces. What is critical here is the colour match. Better quality tiles are a great match – and whilst they will never be identical as the two tiles are made in different batches, the better quality the tile the better the match.Â
New for 2024 – Aspect Slate effect collection with 9mm tiles for inside and co-ordinating 20mm tiles for outside.
All indoor outdoor tiles are not created equally! Choosing a high-quality Italian outdoor porcelain is not just about look, it is also about adding value to your home. Our Italian inside and outside tiles are made from the highest-quality ingredients, they are highly durable and resistant to stains, scratches and moisture. These are tiles that will last and last and are easy to clean and maintain.
Take our Alpine collection, this is a quartz effect tile that is beautifully realistic and allows for that flow from inside to outside space. With glazed doors opening up space like never before it is easy to link lounge to lawn with luxury porcelain tiles.
The trend for indoor outdoor living has grown steadily and is recognised a a great way to add valuable space to your property. Extending space outside whether it be relaxation space or creating an outdoor kitchen, porcelain tiles are not only beautiful to look at they are also incredibly practical. Â
Hard wearing, scratch and stain resistant and a breeze to keep clean, unlike carpet, with porcelain there is nowhere for dust to hide and unlike natural wood, porcelain won’t warp or bend and can be mopped easily to keep it clean.Â
Outside, porcelain can be jet washed down for ease.Â
Blend Dove in 600 x 600mm indoor and outdoor tiles
Outside, your Italian outdoor tiles can also be used to create a pathway when laid onto a concrete bed that is fully cured as shown above or as stepping stone pathway if laid onto grass or onto gravel externally. These are super flexible tiles.
Our exceptional Italian outdoor tile collections for 2024 are hand-picked by us from suppliers we know and trust – that means luxury porcelain tiles that are superb quality, well-balanced shades, and beautiful designs. Dig in and check out our 2cm porcelain paver portfolio. These are Italian outdoor porcelain tiles that you will fall in love with! Click here to start browsing!
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Ethos Shore outside porcelain tiles with co-ordinating indoor tiles
Want to know more? Click any of the links below the images to take you to our tiles and portfolios!
Need a little help with your project? Get in touch with us hello@thetileportfolio.co.uk we would be delighted to help!
Every day we are helping customers across the UK find tiles they love. And with our unique “order and store“ service we’ve made it easy. So many of our customers use this brilliant service. We’ve carried out our own home renovation project so we know that programmes can move – we also know that you may have spent weeks or months finding the perfect tiles for your project. With our unique service you can order your tiles with us and we will hold them for up to 2 months free of charge. You can just contact us then when you are ready to call them off for delivery with a few days notice. That means they won’t go out of stock at the last moment and you don’t have to have them on site sitting around until you need them!
All images are subject to copyright. The TilePortfolio specialise in high quality Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by a friendly, warm and welcoming service. Visit our centrally based showroom in Kettering, Northamptonshire or shop on line with us at www.thetileportfolio.co.uk. We are here to help and would be delighted to get involved with your project! We always recommend using a professional installer for your project. Please note: We strongly recommend using a professional tiler for your project. Installation requirements may vary depending on the tiles you choose, the fixing products used and the specific conditions. Always check with your tiler regards the suitability of the tiles. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
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