What You Need To Know About Porcelain For Your Outdoor Space

With its outstanding durability, incredible beauty and impressive versatility, tile is one of the most popular types of materials to use in outdoor home applications. Installing tile in an outdoor space can be a wonderful way of refreshing and transforming your home, significantly enhancing your lifestyle and even bolstering the value of your home. When it comes to choosing the tile for your outdoor applications, you have many options to choose from, from natural stone varieties to materials that mimic natural stone like porcelain. With so many options available, it can be very confusing to decide which type of tile will work best for you and your home. 

Earlier in our series on the use of tile in outdoor spaces, we explored the use of natural stone in more depth, specifically covering how to select and apply granite and marble in outdoor home applications. In today’s post, we are finishing the series by discussing the use of porcelain in your outdoor area and the amazing benefits and features the material brings to your outdoor design project. 

How to Choose Porcelain For Your Outdoor Space

Durability 

In choosing the type of tile for your outdoor space, you of course want to be confident that it will stand up to the test of time and can be enjoyed for years to come. Porcelain is a brilliant choice of tile for your outdoor space with the incredible durability it offers as well as its ability to withstand the elements of outdoor conditions.

In order to understand why porcelain is such a hardy, long-lasting material, we need to take a closer look at how porcelain is made and what it is composed of. Porcelain is made from a dense and tightly packed, clay-based material that is exposed to high pressure and high heat after it is glazed, removing all moisture from the tile. This process, therefore makes porcelain less porous and virtually impermeable to water. 

As a highly durable material, porcelain is not only a fantastic choice for high traffic areas of your home that tend to be exposed to moisture such as the bathroom and kitchen, it is also a brilliant choice for outdoor applications. As it is a less porous type of tile and less absorbent of water, porcelain will work well in many types of outdoor applications such as patios, and some are even approved for pools. In addition to being waterproof, porcelain is also stain and slip resistant, as well as resistant against moss and mold. This means that porcelain wil beautifully stand up to and endure the outdoor elements. Porcelain also tends to be a rougher, more rugged type of material as compared to natural stones like granite and marble. Therefore, it is a good choice for outdoor spaces that may experience high traffic as you want to avoid a potentially hazardous situation for small children or the elderly falling on materials that are less slip resistant than porcelain. 

Finally, porcelain is also resistant to chipping and in the event that it does chip, any imperfections will be less visible. The color under the surface of porcelain tiles is usually the same as the top of the material which means that any chips will be less obvious to the naked eye, unlike a material such as ceramic, whose body color is usually different from the color under its surface. 

In addition to being incredibly durable, porcelain is also rather easy to maintain. Unlike natural stones that require sealant to protect the material from elements and staining, all porcelain needs is a mild cleaning solution with warm water to ensure it stays in pristine condition. 

Appearance 

Porcelain is not only an amazingly hardy, long-lasting material, it is also beautiful, instantly elevating any space.  Unlike natural stone which features unique, organic patterns and color gradations as it comes directly from the earth, porcelain offers a wider choice of designs and patterns to customize your outdoor space as you wish. Porcelain lends a clean, modern and sophisticated look to your space that will elegantly enhance the area without taking away too much attention from your other decor and design choices. As a man-made material, porcelain easily mimics the gorgeous appearance of natural stone, while offering its incredible durability and long-lasting qualities. It can also even simulate the appearance of wood, giving it even a larger appeal and more options for applications such as on your outdoor deck. 

Again, as a man-made material, the options of colors you can choose for your porcelain tile are virtually limitless, so have fun exploring with different design choices, and aesthetics to find the one that is perfect for your outdoor space. Keep in mind that lighter porcelain tiles will create the look of more space in your outdoor area, and will be beautifully complementary with the colors of an outdoor pool, for example. Lighter colored porcelain offers a modern and sophisticated look, exuding a touch of luxe to your space. Darker toned porcelain tiles can also be an elegant choice, giving a richer, warm and even cozy appeal to your outdoor area, complementing the colors of stainless steel appliances.

With its amazing durability and elegant beauty, porcelain is a brilliant choice of tile for your outdoor area. If you are considering porcelain for your outdoor space, check out Karen Pearse for stunning ideas to spark your imagination and help you build your desired outdoor area to enhance your home and your lifestyle.