Installing Patio Tile Over Concrete

It is best practice to do a dry last first before installing your tile.

Installing patio tile over concrete.

Using an acid based cleaner or deep cleaner of your choice clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly. Glue down the last border patio blocks. This way you can ensure you have enough tiles to cover your entire patio and can make any necessary cuts before applying your mortar. Add another thin layer of sand and use the push broom to spread it across the patio.

Use a push broom to sweep the sand into the gaps between the pavers and run the plate compactor across the patio surface. Cracks normally widen and narrow slightly with the seasons but if they re getting wider year by year don t tile over them. Tsp is a high strength cleaner which is useful for removing dirt grease and oil from your existing surface. Lay the field pavers over concrete as you would on any paver patio.

Mix up a bucket of tsp tri sodium phosphate solution. Run the plate compactor over the area one last time. Spread a light layer of paver sand over the entire area. Scrape away the excess sand and cut off the excess landscape fabric with a utility knife.

While you can install tile directly on concrete problems erupt when the concrete cracks or shifts. Installing ceramic tiles over concrete can help to create a more inviting indoor or outdoor living space. Here s the step by step process to transform that ordinary concrete patio into something extraordinary. If you were to remove a cracked tile from concrete undoubtedly you would see the same crack pattern below.

An existing concrete patio or walkway can be tiled as long as water drains off it and any cracks in it are stable and level one side of the crack shouldn t be higher than the other. When laying tile you want to work fast so knowing exactly where each tile will go before you start will make this process much more seamless. How to install tile over an existing concrete patio laying tile outside is just like laying tile inside. For starters moisture and cracking are bigger concerns outside so you need to apply a waterproofing and crack isolating membrane to the slab before you begin.

You start by preparing the area laying out the tile exactly as it will look then setting it grouting and finishing. Let the glue dry for a few hours before you tamp the field pavers and sweep sand across the patio to fill the joints. All of the movement in concrete is transferred to the tile.