Will an outdoor tile survive an Auckland winter?

A frost-resistant porcelain with water absorption under 0.5 per cent will. The tile is rarely the problem; trapped water under a tile that cannot drain is what lifts it. The bed matters more than the brand.

Can you tile over an existing concrete patio?

Often yes, if the slab is sound, has adequate fall and is not cracked through. If it ponds, we correct the fall first. Tiling over a ponding slab simply puts a new surface on an old problem.

What about salt exposure on the coast?

On a coastal site we specify the adhesive, grout and any metal trims for salt exposure and avoid ferrous fixings entirely. It is a specification change rather than a price change.

Residential

Outdoor Patio Tiling in Auckland

External-grade fixing, falls away from the house, and a slip rating that suits a wet deck.

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The work

An outdoor floor in Auckland gets sun, driving rain off the Tasman, salt on the coast and thermal movement every single day. Almost everything that goes wrong outdoors is water: where it sits, where it gets in, and what it does when it freezes or when it cannot get out.

Falls away from the building, verified

Minimum falls are set and checked with a level and a hose before tiling, not calculated on paper. Water that runs back to a threshold will find the door frame eventually.

Drainage at the threshold

Where a patio meets a slider we form a channel or a grated drain rather than relying on the fall alone. It is the single detail that separates a dry doorway from an annual problem.

External adhesive and drainage bed

External-rated, deformable adhesive with full coverage, over a bed that drains rather than holds water. Trapped water under an outdoor tile is what lifts it after the first cold snap.

Slip rating chosen for wet, not dry

We specify to the wet pendulum classification for the exposure, because a surface that is safe dry and lethal wet is a liability rather than a finish.

What the price covers

Substrate and drainage assessment, including existing falls
Correction of falls with external-grade screed
External waterproof membrane over occupied or enclosed spaces
Threshold drainage channel or grate installation
External-rated adhesive with full coverage
Wider movement joints for thermal range
Grouting with an external, flexible, UV-stable product
Perimeter sealing and final clean-down

Standards applied

AS 3958.1
NZBC E3
AS/NZS 3740

We reply to every quote request within one working day.

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What this work looks like

City rooftop terrace finished in tile over a level deck

Minimalist courtyard patio with a patterned tile floor

Café terrace laid with a monochrome mosaic floor

Geometric pool with a tiled surround and coping detail

Often booked together

Pedestal deck tilingA level walking surface over a falling membrane, with drainage and access retained beneath.Explore service

WaterproofingMembranes to AS/NZS 3740, with reinforced junctions and a photographic record of every stage.Explore service

Large format tilesPanels to 1600 × 3200 mm, rail-cut and vacuum-lifted onto a substrate checked to tolerance.Explore service

Questions

Outdoor patio tiling, answered

We reply to every quote request within one working day. If your question is not here, ask it on the quote form and you will get a written answer, not a sales call.

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Tell us the room. We will tell you the number

We reply to every quote request within one working day. Measured quotes are fixed and written, broken down by area, with tile allowances and movement joints itemised.