If you’re thinking about giving your home a fresh look with a new floor, whether that’s throughout the property or in one room, in particular, the type of flooring product to use is going to be a major decision. If you have carpet, do you switch to wood? Or if you have one type of tile do you opt for another?
These are the questions that are likely to cause you the biggest headaches as once your new floor has been installed, it becomes a very expensive and time-consuming process to get it replaced. Something no homeowner wants to do.
Choosing one flooring products isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds, however, as once you’ve decided on one, such as porcelain tiles, you then have to decide what style, colour and size is going to best match what you’re looking for.
One of the biggest decisions most homeowners that choose to install tiles have to make nowadays is whether they go for indoor tiles or outdoor tiles. Now, this may seem a silly question to ask considering where you choose to install each type is in their name, but more often than not, you will find many homes that install outdoor tiles in the inside of their home and vice versa for several reasons.
Want to find out more? Let’s take a look at how indoor tiles matchup against their outdoor counterparts…
Differences between indoor & outdoor tiles
As we mentioned, the location of where you want your new floor tiles to be installed will often influence which type of tiles your choose, but sometimes the benefits offered by different styles can become very attractive. Understanding the differences between indoor and outdoor tiles may help you to narrow down your choice.
- Texture – The first major difference that you will find between indoor and outdoor tiles is the texture that they are finished with. Indoor tiles are usually finished with a smooth surface, meaning they can become very slippery when wet, not ideal if you’re planning a bathroom makeover. Outdoor tiles, on the other hand, are designed with a textured surface that offers high anti-slip benefits, ideal if you want to install new tiles in a bathroom for example.
- Longevity – The thing that outdoor tiles have to contend with that indoor tiles do not is the weather. Being outside, they are constantly exposed to the elements, whether it’s the blazing sun beating down on them during the summer or heavy snow and rainfall during the winter. Your outdoor tiles go through a lot of each year. This doesn’t include the footfall and pressure from vehicles also!
So, in order to sustain these constant demands, outdoor tiles need to be manufactured in a way that makes them last. This is usually achieved by making outdoor tiles thicker than indoor tiles, often double the size. Thicker tiles are far less likely to become damaged, even if you have cars driving across them or heavy furniture placed on top, meaning they tend to last longer than indoor products.
- Glaze – Similarly to the texture, indoor and outdoor tiles come in different glaze options. Indoor tiles can be glazed or unglazed, whereas outdoor tiles are almost always unglazed. To make glazed tiles, manufacturers bake a layer of glass onto the top of the tile to give them a somewhat shiny aesthetic. If you are planning on installing new tiles in dry parts of your home, such as the kitchen, then glazed tiles are the best choice. For rooms that are exposed to more moisture then unglazed is the way to go.
- Grout – It may seem a bit silly, but the type of tile you choose to install will affect the type of grout you need to lay them. Whilst many types of grout may work for indoor tiles, if you decide to install outdoor tiles, you’re likely going to need to be more particular in your grout choice.
When it comes to choosing between indoor and outdoor tiles for your home, there are a number of things you need to consider.
The above points are just a few with the ultimate decision coming down to where you’re planning on installing them and personal preference. Hopefully, these points will help make your decision that little bit easier!
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post