Pavers Or Tiles: What To Choose For Outdoor Area Upgrade?

It has often been observed that the outdoor space is the most neglected part of the house when it comes to maintenance. This is an astonishing phenomenon. Sure, you may not spend as much time on the outside part of your house.

However, that part is also a component of your home and requires regular maintenance and upgrades. It also adds massive value to your property and is often the site of first impression for people.

The question then arises – what do you want to do with that plenty of outdoor space? There are multiple options for lighting your place all up.

For outdoor living spaces, you can go for a porch, patio, fire pit/fireplace, pool, garage/parking spot, walkways, garden areas, rooftop terrace, and an outdoor kitchen… you get the idea! With physical and appearance factors in mind, let’s have a look in detail as to what you can do with your outdoor space.

Outdoor Flooring Options

You can start with the flooring first. It is important to note that leaving it with only concrete flooring would be a wrong step. As it is more prone to damage and leaks, getting repairs done will be quite cumbersome for you.

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The best option? Install tiles.

Add Stone or Paver Tiles

Paving is a form of tile or brick surface covering focusing on application in the exterior. Paver tiles are often larger than standard tiles. These can be used easily on driveways, footpaths, patios, courtyards, landscaping and other outdoor areas that you can use for your outdoor walking space. In fact, they provide you with the option of going for natural stone flooring.

Outdoor Tile

For more durable and long-lasting flooring, outdoor tiles specifically made keeping the outdoor requirements in mind are your best option. Besides fantastic strength, durability, and resistance to heat and water, these tiles provide you with a visually appealing aesthetic. You can easily use the tiles as the flooring material for the patio or an accent wall. An excellent place to start is this range of mosaic tiles, which are sturdy and give a unique look.

Tiles Over Pavers

There are many benefits of tiles over pavers. Here are some of the major ones in brief.

1. Durability

If installed properly, tiles are highly durable as compared to natural pavers. Moreover, these tiles can give the vibe of authentic pavers and are available in categories such as glazed ceramic, vitrified, etc. As these pre-sealed ceramic tiles are resistant to water and chemical absorption, they are incredibly durable and the ideal choice of flooring for the driveways.

2. Permanency

Compared to pavers, which are laid directly without adhesives, tiles are correctly installed on a secure concrete slab. This provides them with such strength to make them last really long. If you don’t want to change tiles frequently, the permanency of tiles makes them a great option.

Note: If the ground gets high traffic or is not stable, to begin with, it is always a good idea to use concrete slabs first and then layer it with tiles. This gives a solid foundation to the structure.

3. Easy Maintenance

As mentioned earlier, the outdoor of the house is a place that gets much less of your time than indoors. Consequently, frequently cleaning them is not feasible. Outdoor tiles are manufactured keeping this in mind. They are low-maintenance and can be cleaned easily. All you will require is water and a chemical-based cleaner to remove the dirt and germs, and the tiles are as good as new!

4. Multiple Options

The most notable feature of tiles is that they come in multiples of many aspects – size, designs, patterns, materials, etc. This helps you in your hunt to a pretty large extent. The story of outdoor tiles is similar with plenty of choices. You can choose from a host of pavers, ceramic and parking tiles for a much stronger outdoor area flooring. From sleek, modern and minimalistic to traditional, contemporary and robust tiles, you can have it all!

5. Cost-Effective

A good thing about tiles is that they are available in many ranges. This ensures that you have a tile for each budget. Moreover, even the installation cost of outdoor tiles is lesser than other materials, thus increasing its value. As long as a concrete slab is ready before tiles lay, tiles are much more efficient than pavers.

Other Outdoor Flooring Options

Wood Look Decking

Composite wood-look boards are pretty versatile in appearance, just like tiles. If the mood board for your patio or garden is rustic, country style, and modern, traditional wooden boards would be a good idea. However, they require considerable maintenance in terms of moisture and cleaning.

Brick Flooring

One of the most sought-after floorings for your outdoor spaces, brick flooring can do wonders for your porch. It adds a classy and elegant look to your patio or outdoor fireplace. The brick flooring is highly durable and can hold up really well to constant wear and tear and a mild weather change. However, it should be kept in mind that they are not your best friends during the monsoons.

Rooftop Flooring

Rooftop tiles can beautify your rooftop floor while strongly withstanding the challenges of weather and temperature changes as typical in India. This type of outdoor flooring is durable, as it can endure UV radiation, moisture, and everyday wear and tear. Considering the physical factors, this one is a safe bet.

Artificial Glass Flooring

Artificial glass flooring or glass deck tiles can be one of the luxury investments for your patio or porch. They allow you to combine the inviting energy of the greenery of the lawn and gardens with the aesthetics of your glass deck tiles, which guarantees that your space will stand out in a crowd.

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Rubber Flooring

Rubber flooring is as versatile as it gets in a list of outdoor flooring ideas. They are thoroughly slip-resistant, durable, and shock absorbent. These factors are critical when looking for outdoor spaces near pools and wet areas. You have multiple options available, from rubber pavers, rolls, and tiles.

With so many options available, your outdoor space need not lag in design and efficiency compared to your indoor tiles. You just need to have been a sound understanding of the materials and what kind of tiles work best for your porch, patio or lawn garden. Ultimately, tiles are always a step ahead of pavers when it comes to installation, ease of maintenance and longevity – all crucial factors while looking for solid outdoor flooring.

If visualising tiles in your place is how you want to proceed, you can use features like TriaLook to view the tiles installed on your walls or floors online from your home!

About The Author

Isha Tandon has worked within the architecture and interior design industry as a flooring consultant expert - specializing in tiles, stones, and terrazzo. She has worked with Orientbell Limited, a leading tile manufacturer in India, as a product development manager in the design team and has recently joined the marketing team as their digital content expert. Her experience comes in handy in understanding the audience as she creates value-driven functional & informational content for the readers. She creates lifestyle pieces that focus on interior design products, trends, and processes. She loves to travel to historic places with rich architecture.