Can You Use Porcelain Tiles Outdoors?

January 30, 2024

Porcelain tiles offer a superb choice of colours and styles to bring life to your patio. Here we answer your most pressing questions about using porcelain tiles outdoors.

Designer Jaki Grosvenor chose Florence Storm porcelain outside tiles for this easy-to-maintain patio. Built by Acacia Gardens. Photo by Anna Omiotek-Tott.

Can you use porcelain tiles outside?

Yes! If you use the correct porcelain tiles, you will have chosen a safe, very hard-wearing, stain-resistant material that is an excellent choice for patios. With high-quality outdoor porcelain tiles you’ll gain a paving that’s frost-proof (thanks to low water-absorbency) slip-resistant, fade-resistant, scratch- and stain-resistant, giving you a patio that is easy to clean and will retain its looks long into the future. Its wide range of colours and styles, and its ability to emulate more expensive natural paving in a realistic way, opens up many design options. Can you use 10mm porcelain tiles outs

Kirkby porcelain outdoor tiles make a striking contrast with the decking in this design by Icon Landscaping, Cornwall.

Can you use 10mm porcelain tiles outside?

No. You must use 20mm porcelain tiles, which are designed for outdoor use—not 10mm, the standard thickness for indoor floors. Porcelain tiles used outdoors need to be thick enough to be frost-proof and to withstand heavy weights such as large planters or, if you’re creating a front drive, vehicles. If you’re wondering whether to extend indoor flooring outdoors—perhaps to unite your kitchen flooring with the patio—we explain why using indoor porcelain tiles outside isn’t a good idea.

Can porcelain pavers be used for my driveway?

Porcelain slabs are part of a range of paving materials suitable for driveways. One of the benefits of porcelain is the wide variety of colours and styles available. A dark paving such as Charcoal porcelain in our Project range would, for example, create a strong contrast with a pale-rendered house. Although porcelain is extremely stain-resistant, you might want to consider using a porcelain paving sealant, because of the high level of traffic. This is particularly the case if you choose one of the lighter pavers, such as Venetian Beige from our Budget paving collection, as marks are more immediately visible on paler colours. Find out more about when you might use a porcelain paving sealant.

Jura Beige porcelain tiles make a stylish patio in this design by Imago Gardens.

Are porcelain outdoor tiles slippery when wet?

This is a frequent question—understandable when you think of the smooth surface of a porcelain cup. There’s no need to worry. Outdoor porcelain tiles are manufactured with slip-resistance built in. All our outdoor paving tiles have a slip-resistance of at least R11—the level required by British Standards for safe outdoor paving.

How can I lay porcelain tiles outdoors?

Outdoor tiles should always be laid on a full bed of mortar. Porcelain is a very strong material, but also brittle, so badly laid tiles are likely to crack if bearing heavy weights without full support from the sub base. Find useful tips on how to lay porcelain tiles outdoors with our step-by-step guide.

Garden House Design chose Area 800x800mm large porcelain outdoor tiles to give an impressive sense of space to this patio.

How do I clean porcelain tiles outdoors?

Porcelain cleans up easily and will return to a pristine condition when cleaned. Exterior porcelain tiles rarely need more than a general wash-down, thanks to their natural stain-resistance. That’s another huge advantage, especially when you want to retain the just-laid appearance required for contemporary design. Because of porcelain's inability to absorb moisture, you’ll find that, even without attention, porcelain outdoor tiles generally turn green less quickly than natural stone paving. Using a jet wash correctly will speed up the job of cleaning a porcelain patio. For stubborn stains, our info on how to clean porcelain tiles outdoors tells you all you need to know.

Charcoal and Platinum Grey porcelain paving add pleasing detail to this walled garden designed by Mark Langford and built by HG Landscapes.

Our outdoor porcelain tiles: a contemporary design choice

London Stone offers you one of the largest selections of outside porcelain tiles on the market. Our Budget porcelain collection offers a generous choice of high-quality, cost-conscious options. Or expand your design possibilities with the textures and styles of Premium and Luxury porcelain paving. We also supply steps and coping to match all our outdoor flooring, along with matching grout and everything else you need to lay a patio, giving you the ability to complete your whole garden vision with London Stone. Post updated: October 2024