If you have to pave an outdoor area near the house, or a swimming pool, it is good to choose very durable materials, which maintain their appearance over the years, and which require little maintenance. Clearly the more expensive materials are also much more pleasant and decorative, and allow you to set up an outdoor space in total harmony with the appearance and style of the home. These outdoor tiles are produced in very hard and compact materials, such as porcelain stoneware, or even rocks, such as porphyry or marble.

The compactness of the material makes these tiles water-repellent, frost-proof and very resistant to cold and frost. They also guarantee a long life even when exposed to sunlight, which does not in any way change the colors and decorations of these coatings. Traditionally in Italy, terracotta is also used for the outdoors, specially treated to withstand the elements; the heat given by these floors is very pleasant.

It is not always possible for us to choose the best materials to prepare a coating; on the market we also find low-priced outdoor tiles, which still maintain good weather resistance. Clearly these are less noble materials, which can be ruined over the years by frost or wear; but in general even the less expensive materials have characteristics of good durability. There are porcelain tiles for exteriors, treated with a second firing, to withstand the winter frost; the price is quite low, and you can also find tiles similar to those used inside the house.

One of the less expensive materials is concrete, which is used to prepare tiles, or which can be printed directly during installation, to create effects similar to natural rocks. The duration is guaranteed, even if it is necessary to treat the mortar with anti-freeze, anti-water and anti-mold products. The cheapest are plastic tiles, of various types and prices, which can also simulate wood.

When you choose the tiles for the outdoor flooring, you generally try to keep a style similar to that of the rest of the house; sometimes the external floors are prepared of a material very similar to that of the internal coverings. Clearly, if you have resin, mosaic or parquet floors at home, it will be difficult for you to replicate the coatings even outside.

However, today there are materials that simulate any coating quite well, in order to make the flooring still resistant to frost and sun. It is not always possible to use the finest and most expensive materials, which is why many plastic and concrete floors are produced with a look that is decidedly similar to that of more expensive coatings. By mixing marble powders and rocks with the cement mortar, it is now possible to prepare a flooring very similar to that of porphyry or other valuable material.