The flooring of the balcony or terrace, around the swimming pool, along the walkways, can be prepared with tiles; on the market there are many materials suitable for these areas, which in particular have a strong resistance to external agents, to prevent the climate and bad weather from causing serious damage. Many outdoor tiles are completely identical to indoor tiles, because very often waterproof and cold-resistant floors are installed even in the home. It is therefore important first of all to choose the most resistant materials, especially if you live in areas where the winter climate has prolonged and intense frosts; in addition to this, look for outdoor tiles that suit the style of the house and garden, in order to create a walkable area in harmony with the other elements of the house.

Most of the outdoor tiles are produced with the same materials used for the flooring inside the houses; we are clearly talking about the most resistant tiles, in porcelain stoneware or glazed, which are completely frost-resistant, given the compactness of the material. Outdoors, terracotta tiles, glazed brick tiles, stones such as porphyry or marble are also used. In any case, you must choose tiles that are expressly suitable for being laid outdoors: looking at them, all the tiles seem very hard and compact, but only some are actually suitable for withstanding the winter frost and the summer sun. If you want to prepare a temporary platform, where to place, for example, an outdoor sofa, which is moved indoors in winter, you can also choose special plastic or wooden tiles, which are simply connected to each other, to form a sort of floating platform, to be placed on grass or gravel.

The duration over time of a flooring also linked to the laying of the material, which must be carried out in a workmanlike manner; any infiltration of water, or movements of the ground due to an unstable support, make the covering fragile, which tends to break with great ease, making our floor completely unstable. Also in the garden, it is important that the outdoor tiles are laid on a smooth and solid surface, so that when we step on them, the underlying support keeps the tiles in position. If you do not want to periodically rearrange the roof, I recommend that you contact a professional, because it is more difficult to lay an external flooring than an internal one, precisely because at home the tiles must be laid on an already compact and well-leveled surface.

When choosing outdoor tiles, remember all the characteristics that the area you intend to pave must have. If you are covering the area around the pool, the flooring must be non-slip, and possibly you should not notice the wet areas from the passage of those who come out of the pool. If you want to pave the area around the barbecue, choose materials that are resistant even to burning embers, and avoid plastic platforms. If the flooring is to be laid instead at the entrance to the garage, consider that it will have to support the weight of the cars, and therefore it will have to be much more resistant than the pedestrian driveway. The presence of a professional will be able to help you, with very useful advice; while you are choosing the tiles, ask for advice from an expert, to whom you will also indicate the intended use of each flooring chosen.