Patio tiling - WD2

We were recommended to a new customer to look at their rear garden/patio area as they needed some tiling / other work to make it a usable space.

Looking at the space it was obvious that the area needed work to get it level or have a consistent drop to allow water runoff as it was a mixture of angles and poor finishing over the years.

Firstly I prepped the area ready for levelling and installed a screed to remove rough sections and begin a slope towards the patio runoff. A thick levelling compound was laid to give a smooth finish whilst still allowing for a drop/gradient.

I created a bespoke French drain at the side and end of the patio area directed into the existing drain. This was going to have decorative gravel so I created a bespoke drain cover from stainless steel mesh to keep gravel at bay.

Steps and edges needed revising to allow for the tiling and edging/trims and to balance the steps to be a consistent height.

I also needed to chase and install a drain gulley opposite the back door to allow water runoff from the back pathway. I also offered a range off grille/grid options on the drain to the customer including black, white and stainless steel options.

An added scale of work was to remove the old manhole cover and frame and install a replacement, tileable option. The old, damaged manhole cover was removed and the new option installed, whilst allowing for the tile depth. This included embedded tiles matching the surrounding tiles to give a near invisible finish with a consistent pattern throughout.

The client had already bought the tiles they wanted to use. Being a ceramic material, I made them aware they were not well suited for exterior use, but we were instructed to go ahead anyway. To help avoid future issues, I also installed an uncoupling membrane to aid with the structure and temperature changes of the concrete slab below the tiled area. In addition, specialist exterior quality tile adhesive and grouts used throughout along with a grout sealer to help defeat the UV and exterior elements.

Exterior grade stainless steel edging trims from Schluter give the finishing touch to all visible edges and steps.