You have surely seen a tile patio, either at some of your friends or on TV. They look cool and are quite popular these days. And, they are affordable and fall into the DIY category. This article can serve you as a DIY guide for a tile patio. Of course, if you want a top-notch tile patio, you should use some of the tiles offered on Plumbtile.com.
Remember the details!
The first thing that you should do is thoroughly clean the concreted area that you plan to turn into a tile patio. You will need to apply the concrete wash and let it stand for 15 minutes or so. Then, you should pick a kind of tiles that you think would fit your patio. One important factor when choosing the type of tiles is the weather. Namely, if you live in an area where the temperature falls below the freezing point during the winter, you’d like tiles that don’t absorb a lot of water, like porcelain tiles. Stone and granite tiles are also good, but ceramic tiles are probably too gentle to be used outside. Then, you will need to measure the surface and calculate the tile spacing, based on the size of each tile. Don’t forget to calculate a 0.5” space between each tile for the joint.
After that, you will need to be a modified thin-set mortar. You can find it in almost every shop that sells home improvement materials. The mortar is dry and you will need to mix it, either with water or with an acrylic fortifier. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the mortar bag and everything should be alright. You will also need a trowel in order to spread the mortar. As a rule of thumb, small tile- small trowel, larger tile- larger trowel. Put half-inch vinyl tile spacers between the verges of neighboring tiles. Now, there probably will be a row of tiles that would have to be cut in order to fit the end of the patio. Use a tile saw, and then repeat everything you did with the regular tiles and place them at the end. But, be very careful! A saw is no joke and you shouldn’t start working unless you are certain that you know how to handle one. If not, find someone who does. Don’t be a hero!
Last steps before you can enjoy your tile patio
Now, you are almost done making your tile patio. There are just a few more steps in this DIY guide to tile patio. You will need to apply a pre-grout sealer in order to protect your tiles. Apply it only on the face of the tiles with a brush and be careful not to touch the seas and the brinks. Once it is dry, take exterior grad grout, and apply it inside the seams. Make sure you mix it with water, as instructed. It shouldn’t leak on the tiles. Clean the tile surface if it does. And voila! You have your beautiful tile patio in no time.
To get started on your project, see our tile section at Plumbtile.com!