Homeowners crave products that bring a touch of the outdoors inside, and now many are clamoring for the reverse: pavers that take the beauty and versatility of interior flooring tiles out to the backyard. With new frost- and slip-resistant properties, these formerly interior-only products are being used for walkways, patios, and even decks.
"More and more homeowners are viewing exterior spaces as an extension of their living space," says Denver-based designer Mary Atwater of Debra Toney Residential Design & Development. "So materials that transition from indoors to outdoor are becoming increasingly popular, as are those that are durable and easy to maintain."
New York builder Marc Schlesser, chief design officer of MyHome, finds his clients gravitating toward this continuity. "People like matching," he says. "If they live in a house with an opening to a patio and swimming pool, they can leave everything open in the summer months."
Manufacturers are stepping out with new styles, types, and sizes of outdoor pavers to accommodate this trend. Builders too say they see a renewed interest in this centuries-old building material as ground cover for yards in just about any climate.
"A lot of people like natural stone," says Schlesser. "It's a matter of look. Homeowners who want an old style for a traditional house will probably go for something natural that has a patina." Reclaimed stone tile from Israel such as Ann Sacks' Antique Biblical Limestone, "rescued" from old buildings ready for demolition and reformatted, are currently among his clients' favorites.
But it's buyer beware with natural stone, says Jim Dougherty, Florim USA executive vice president of sales and marketing. "What people don't realize is that stone absorbs moisture and stains easily," he says. To appease those who want the look of the real thing without the maintenance, his company developed products such as the AFI brand Antelope Canyon and Esquire Chateau Lyon glazed porcelain tile collections. Both have been engineered for outdoor use.
Rock Solid
If tile meets International Organization for Standardization for frost resistance, then it is appropriate for outdoor use, says Vancouver-based tile consultant Patti Fasan of Professional Attention to Tile Installations.
An example is Keope's Percorsi d'Italia, which looks like paving stones and is guaranteed to be frost- and slip-resistant. Unlike stone, the tiles have installation-friendly square edges, and have been calibrated, which means they are reliably consistent as to thickness.
Meanwhile, Panaria's Pietre di Fanes is designed to be a dead ringer for the smaller stone formats, brick shapes, and peacock fans found in European courtyards, piazzas, and terraces.
"The porcelain manufacturers have made a lot of progress in terms of imitating stone," says Schlesser. "Sometimes I have to look really closely at a product to tell what it is." This is due to recent innovations that produce lifelike textures and colorations as well as digital printing with natural clays. This technique, used in Ceracasa's new Emotile, fills the surface reliefs and doesn't repeat within a minimum of 52 square feet.
Similarly, Crossville's Buenos Aires Mood series in a slip-resistant textured finish provides an alternative to slate that the manufacturer says is easy to maintain and install. Suitable for indoor as well as outdoor use—as are most of the latest introductions—this collection also comes in polished and unpolished marble-like finishes. As there is little discernible difference among the three finishes, an identical tile can be specified to transition from interior to exterior with the appropriate surface treatment for each location, without changing the image.
"Right now, the newest thing is anti-skid," says Fasan. Anti-skid used to mean a very gritty finish that was somewhat uncomfortable under bare feet, but a new glaze technology emerged about 18 months ago that is extremely fine and smooth, like a matte tile when dry. "When it gets wet," she adds, "it has superior grip."
New Styles
"What we're seeing in terms of the sizes is the larger formats on patios and on decks," says Daltile director of marketing Lori Kirk-Rolly. "We've seen that inside and now it's carrying through to the exterior."
Grespania's parquet-like Escandinavia, Rex's metal-inspired Metaux, Caesar's stone-like Quality Quartz, and Roca's Rock & Rock series are all suitable for this sort of application with their larger-than-standard shapes and sizes, as is the groundbreaking Floor Gres Ecotech, a green line of porcelain tile made of the post-manufacturing refuse of this Italian company's products.
Another trend that emerged last year is the stained concrete look, says Kirk-Rolly. Daltile's interpretation, Veranda, has been so popular since it was introduced last year, she says, that eight colors have been added to the line for a total of 15.
An updated variation on Moroccan clay tiles, the Clay group from Casa Dolce Casa's Casamood collection was created to evoke their inspiration in weather-resistant porcelain.
While porcelain has definite advantages, Fasan notes that tile has been installed outside for more than 900 years and none of it was porcelain. "Quarry tile and terra-cotta—anything for outside use—were made by extrusion," she says. Because of this, these materials have technical qualities that even at a higher absorption rate make them as frost-proof as most porcelain, Fasan notes.
Metropolitan Ceramics, for example, produces its Down To Earth unglazed 1/2-inch-thick quarry tiles for both indoor and outdoor use and says the outdoor product is slip- and frost-resistant.
Of course, there are terra-cottas designed for outdoor use in warm climates, such as Mexican Saltillo. For those who love the look but live in a locale less friendly to terra-cotta, Marazzi has developed a Super Saltillo glazed porcelain that even mimics the slightly rounded top edges of the original.
Looking ahead, Kirk-Rolly says that Daltile will be launching an extensive exteriors program based on market demand. "We have relationships with builders across the country," she says. "And they are telling us that their customers are asking for outdoor living spaces."
A great exterior tile job starts with proper installation.
According to Jim Dougherty, Florim USA executive vice president of sales and marketing, "Many people are hesitant to use tile outside. But most porcelain tiles are suitable for exterior applications if they are installed properly."
According to the Tile Council of North America, exterior installations must drain water from the system before it is absorbed into either the tile or the layers below the tile. Because most tiles are water-impermeable, the only water that can get in goes through the grout joints or the substrate itself.
"The edges of the tile need to be fully covered in the adhesive" to prevent water seepage, Dougherty suggests. "And the change of planes need to be caulked, not grouted, so that they don't crack."
Vancouver-based tile consultant Patti Fasan advises the use of a dual-purpose waterproofing and anti-fracture membrane from the likes of Schluter Systems or Protecto Wrap. Crucial for large-format tiles, this separates the tile and substrate to prevent damage from such movement as shrinkage and cracking of concrete or the expansion and contraction of wood.
Additionally, the council cautions that fresh concrete should cure for at least 14 to 28 days before tiling. When it comes to exterior work, says Fasan, "We have to be far more technical in terms of materials and methods" than for anything interior.
--BUILDING PRODUCTS
Porcelanosa. Available in numerous wood-like formats and "species," such as jatoba wengé (shown), Woodtec rectified porcelain tiles have an anti-slip finish. Suitable for decks, pool surrounds, patios, and terraces that flow from indoors, this low-maintenance collection is scratch-, fade-, and stain-resistant, the manufacturer says. In addition, it will not expand and contract like its inspiration in high-moisture environments. 877-767-7287. www.porcelanosa-usa.com.
Casa Dolce Casa. The sun-baked, timeworn surfaces of Morocco were the inspiration behind the Clay group of the new Casamood collection. Sizes range from about 16 by 16 and 8 by 16 inches to 2-inch-by-2-inch mesh-mounted mosaics. The subtle colorations include warm terra-cotta, an earthy Moresque beige, soft Caribbean green, stone-like Metropolitan gray, and cool Nordic white. 877-393-8050. www.casamood.com.
Caesar. Part of the Italian Natura & Design collection, the Quality Quartz series comes in field sizes including 24 by 24, 16 by 24, 12 by 24, 8 by 24, 12 by 12, and 8 by 12 inches, as well as numerous mosaic configurations and trim pieces. Its six stone-like shades, slip resistance, and a low water-absorption rate of .5 percent add to its suitability and appeal for outdoor use. 732-389-5757. www.caesar.it.
AFI. One of the first products from this new Florim USA brand, Antelope Canyon was designed in collaboration with the company's Italian team, then manufactured in Tennessee. Available in four variegated earth tones, the glazed porcelain tile comes in 12-inch- and 18-inch-square sizes as well as 3-inch-by-12-inch bullnose trim and 12-inch mesh-mounted mosaics. 877-356-7462. www.americanflorim.com.
Floor Gres. As green as it is modern, the Ecotech line of porcelain tile is made of 100 percent post-manufacturing refuse from its other products, this Italian company says. Offered in four colors, Ecotech is available in both natural matte and textured surface treatments through Stone Source. 212-979-6400. www.floorgres.it.
Crossville. With the texture and slip resistance of slate, the Buenos Aires Mood series of porcelain stone tile is available in five subtly shaded colors such as creamy Polo and grayish-beige Pampa (shown). Rectified to simplify installation, this frost-resistant collection comes in 2-inch-by-4-inch mosaics on 12-inch-by-24-inch sheets as well as a range of other sizes. 800-221-9093. www.crossvilleinc.com.
Metropolitan Ceramics. Down to Earth has commercial strength, natural slip resistance, and a low absorption rate, the manufacturer says. The unglazed 1/2-inch-thick quarry tiles come as a 4-inch-by-12-inch tile with a slate-like texture, a 4-inch-by-8-inch tile with a velour-like texture, and a 6-inch-by-9-inch tile with a stone-like texture. Colors, determined by the clay used, include red paver, golden desert floor, gray cobblestone, and earthen bedrock. 800-325-3945. www.downtoearthtile.com.
Grespania. For a fool-the-eye deck look that moves easily from indoors to the backyard or patio, this Spanish company's Escandinavia porcelain tile collection looks like real wood flooring in a variety of popular species such as birch, cherry, chestnut, pine, and walnut. Familiar wood-like formats include 8 1/2-inch-by-35-inch plank and 18-inch-by-18-inch parquet styles. www.grespania.com.
Marazzi. Said to be equally as applicable for pool surrounds as bathroom floors, Super Saltillo glazed porcelain is a dead ringer for high-maintenance terra-cotta. Available in 18-inch-by-18-inch, 12-inch-by-12-inch, and 6-inch-by-6-inch sizes with decorative 3-inch Talavera-style deco inserts, these frost-resistant pieces have slightly rounded top edges and come in two colorations. 877-832-8324. www.marazzitile.com.
Rex. This Italian manufacturer's Metaux interprets the contemporary look of industrial metal found in abandoned factories as an indoor/outdoor through-body porcelain tile with bold color shadings of rust red or rust silver. Available through Hastings Tile, field tile formats include 18 by 18, 12 by 24, 12 by 12, and 6 by 6 inches, as well as mesh-mounted mosaics and strips. 800-351-0038. www.rex-cerart.it.
Ceracasa. Digitally printed with an ink-injection system, Emotile is available in several stone patterns and textures for exterior paving installations. Custom images also can be applied to this porcelain through-body tile with edge-to-edge coverage of its design, reliably calibrated thickness, and rectified edges. Additionally, this Spanish company says there are no repeats within a minimum of 52 square feet. www.ceracasa.com.
Roca. The Rock & Rock collection from this Spanish manufacturer features porcelain tile that meets stringent frost-, stain-, and slip-resistance standards with stone-like realism. The Packstone series is a contemporary striated variation with a directional grain surface in sand, bamboo, and anthracite. Sizes include: 24 by 24, 16 by 24, 12 by 24, 24 by 48, and 12 by 48 inches. 800-321-0684. www.rocatilegroup.com.
Ann Sacks Tile & Stone. Ideal for outdoor installations due to its natural frost- and slip-resistant properties, this Antique Biblical Limestone reclaimed from centuries-old flooring in Israel is offered in a variety of random sizes, as well as 1-inch-by-1-inch and 2-inch-by-2-inch mosaics. Thicknesses are extremely variable. Colorations range from shades of light brown to yellows and reds. 800-278-8453. www.annsacks.com.
Daltile. Designed to mimic the trendy look of stained concrete, Veranda is a color-body porcelain tile that comes in 15 colors, such as zinc (shown). Field tile sizes include 20 by 20, 13 by 20, and 13 by 13 inches; trim, decorative borders, and corners are available. The tile is frost- and slip-resistant and has a low moisture absorption rate of 0.5 percent. 800-933-8453. www.daltileproducts.com.
Esquire. Designed in Italy but fabricated in the United States, Chateau Lyon glazed porcelain tile features the subtle shading of natural aged stone in four shades and comes in a variety of sizes, including 18 by 18, 12 by 12, and 6 by 6 inches, as well as 2-inch-by-2-inch mosaics and trim. Rectified edges and calibrated thickness simplify the installation of this frost- and slip-resistant tile. 877-370-5503. www.esquire-tile.com.