Choosing the right material for outer floor, you need to determine what climate of your area. If you lay the tile outdoors where the temperature in winter reaches – 30ºC and in summer +30º, frost resistant tile will be the best option for the street. It is resistant to the weather changes. Any tile for the outdoor stairs must have the same properties.
Properties of paving slab
This material has clear advantages:
- Glazed floor tile for the street can be laid even in the regions where the temperature reaches -40ºC.
- It has more than 100 shades. Paving slab can be laid both on the floor and on the outer walls.
- Frost resistant tile for the street is easy to clean with any household chemicals and cloth or sponge.
- It doesn’t emit harmful substances and is eco-friendly.
- Floor tile for the street can have different shapes.
Thickness of exterior tile for the floor in one party shall not deviate by more than 0.5%. When purchasing the paving slab, you should consider not only the price, but also an exact number of tiles. It is better to purchase in stock than to buy in addition from different manufacturer. In this case, the colors may not coincide.
Decorative floor tile
The use of world architecture for the decoration of your house is an indicator of good taste.
The tile for the street imitating stone (pictured above) is in high demand. It creates special harmony on the garden paths in the private houses, while on the outer terraces of cafes and restaurants such tile, it becomes a delight for the eye among the asphalt. For example, paving slab called “Roman stone” is characterized by the diversity of colors and shapes. It is frost resistant, non-slip, durable and eco-friendly. You can see this material on the right.
Laying the street tile
Before laying the first tile on the street, you should prepare the site. The preparation includes degreasing, dusting and site alignment. You can use the drill to mix glue.
How to do that?
Laying starts from the furthest corner. Apply the glue layer (about 5 mm) on the part of the floor and put the first paving slab on the top. Second floor tile for the street is installed in the same way. You should put the spacer between the tiles to get uniform seams. You can see the sequence of laying the floor tile in the photo.
Dilution of glue and a follow-up troweling
You need a drill and a nozzle called “mixer” to ensure even dilution of glue. You should mix the standard glue package (25 kg) with 6.5 liters of clean warm water (the temperature must not exceed 20 degrees). You should evenly distribute the adhesive base on the floor area with spatula (first with its smooth side, and then with the toothed one). It will provide fine adjustment on the plane of material laid. Depending on the volume of floor tile, you should use the spatulas of different size.
Seam troweling for the street tile is performed one day after the end of laying. If you lay the tile on the wall, seam troweling is made within 6-8 hours.
Distinctive features of stair tile
Firstly, it should be non-slip. Therefore, perfect tile for the street steps should have a relief or rough surface.
Secondly, stair tiles must be frost resistant.
Thirdly, stair tile is always characterized by increased impact resistance.
Types of stair tiles
The price of stair tiles must be focused on strength and safety. It depends on the material used for its manufacture. Ceramic tile has better price; it is smooth and easy to lay. This is the best option for facing the floor of the doorway.
Clinker tile for the street stairs can look like stone, wood or any plastic.
Porcelain stoneware is suitable for finishing the stairs with high foot traffic. It is characterized by increased wear resistance, but also has a high price. The time of seam troweling performed at the end of laying the floor tile on the stairs depends on its size and the adhesive used. Troweling is usually performed in a day.
Facing the doorway and the quality of floor tiles
Both floor and sidewalk frost resistant stone tile and different shades of plastic and wood are suitable for facing the doorway. The main factor is a non-slip surface and resistance to abrasion. Every tile for the street doorsteps must have smooth edges to increase the quality of seam troweling and extend the service life of the floor. The price of such material depends on the quality of product.
In the following table, you can see the pros and cons of different materials for the stairs, floors and doorsteps.
| Name of material | Water absorption value, % | Thermal resistance, 0C |
| Porcelain stoneware | 0.05 | 300 |
| Stone | 3 | 270 |
| Rubber | 1 | 100 |
| Ceramics | 18 | 250 |
Plastic stair forms
Plastic tile for the street stairs can be sold in prefabricated forms for 2-3 steps. Its texture can remind stone, wood, and even sandstone. The price of plastic shapes is low. Therefore, it is in demand when facing the small stairs or street doorway.
If you use plastics, seam troweling should be made with rubber spatula. To highlight the seams, you can use the grout of other color.
Price issue
The prices of tiling outdoors depend on the area of object. Laying ends with troweling and processing of seams. Perfecting the seams (especially in the street option) determines the external quality of the whole work. Evenly laid tile with beautiful smooth seams always attracts increased attention (in the photo). And in “Roman stone”, it creates the feeling of European excellence. In this case, tile for the street steps will look more than magic.
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