I have a first floor outdoor terrace that is open and East facing so it gets hot sun until around 2pm. It also gets a lot of water when it rains as part of the roof runs off onto it(no guttering). The terrace has been tiled with "normal" house floor tiles which are subject to lifting and peaking. The tiles are laid directly onto the concrete floor. I am sick of paying out for a local to re-lay the tiles(Thai style).

 

I have recently been looking at interlocking deck tiles(plastic?) and wonder if I ripped up the existing ceramic tiles whether I could lay these directly onto the concrete floor?

 

I am not really a do it yourself type but it strikes me that laying interlocking tiles ought to be in my remit!

 

So a few questions if you will humour me.

 

1. Are these deck tiles any good?

 

2. What about drainage?

 

3. Can they be laid directly onto concrete(which I assume is fairly level). Or is some water-proofing required?

 

4. Any better options than mine to finish the outdoor terrace floor?

 

You opinions and help appreciated.

Everything is a preference. If existing drainage is OK I'd go for wooden decking squares. But I don't know where you find them. 

 

I've seen the wood squares in the Home places.  But, did you have good quality tile laid?  Good tile should handle weather with just a clean up.

If tiles are lifting and peaking it's invariably because there's no room for expansion / movement.

 

Whether this can be rectified without ripping the lot up and re-laying with expansion gaps is a question for the tile experts.

 

How big is the tiled area?

 

 

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

If tiles are lifting and peaking it's invariably because there's no room for expansion / movement.

 

Whether this can be rectified without ripping the lot up and re-laying with expansion gaps is a question for the tile experts.

 

How big is the tiled area?

 

 

Many thanks the area is about 4m x 12m. The tiles are not expensive ones. Expansion joints 2 or 3 mm.

36 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

I've seen the wood squares in the Home places.  But, did you have good quality tile laid?  Good tile should handle weather with just a clean up.

Many thanks, no not high quality tiles. Also workmanship is not great.

46 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Everything is a preference. If existing drainage is OK I'd go for wooden decking squares. But I don't know where you find them. 

 

Many thanks. That is something like what I fancy. Are these squares just laid on dry concrete floor? How do they drain?

5 minutes ago, thetefldon said:

Expansion joints 2 or 3 mm.

 

That's likely just the grout.

 

This page https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/blog/next-ask-scott-expansion-joints-who-needs-them suggests a 10mm flexible joint every 2.5m which means our terrace isn't to spec. either ????

 

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

Everything is a preference. If existing drainage is OK I'd go for wooden decking squares. But I don't know where you find them. 

 

sliplery or very slippery with rainy water.... been there done that when fall flat on my ass