Hi All New to the forum and looking for some advice on installing a porcelain tile pathway (outdoors). We currently have the original tiled path which is in a very sorry state. It looks like there is a very thin concrete(?) base but this has sunk in one area and the tiles have cracked and come away. Then we have a raised area creating a big hump at the other end. Basically it's massively uneven. I want the new path to be done right but not sure of the best way to go about it. I've been reading online about the pros and cons of using a standard sand and cement base vs installing a new concrete base and using thin bed adhesive to install the tile. Then I came across thick bed tile adhesive and I'm confused as to whether you need a concrete base to use this?! To give some extra info, the tiles we plan to use are 25x25cm and around 10mm thick. We have a family member coming this weekend to help take up the existing path and install a new compacted hardcore base. It's the next bit after this I'm not sure on the best way forward. Ideally we don't want to be waiting weeks for a new concrete base to go off. Many thanks for any help you can offer
I would lay a new concrete path, then lay tiles on to that. Concrete needs to be 100mm minimum,& good compacted subasewill give a firm base to lay tiles onto, but you will need to allow concrete to cure, your looking at about month, otherwise tiles will just pop off.
Thanks, that's in line with what I was reading but now I'm concerned as the person I've lined up to do this job is talking about laying the concrete one day and coming back the next to tile. He initially mentioned a sand and cement base (his core work is block paving) but I wasn't sure about this and asked about concrete instead. Is there a quicker setting type of concrete he might be thinking of using or am I potentially dealing with a bit of a chancer here?!
There was a thread about a year back where someone used a tiler and put steel mesh in the base. Could look at using screed fibers in the mix?
What ever concrete you use, it still has to cured after drying to reach it's strength. We are now in to November now, with the risk of frosts, I would laid the concrete & wait until the spring & warmer weather to lay the porcelain tiles. Cold weather creates longer curing times for tile adhesives,& can't be used below a certian temperature. Good shout Jit, putting fibre like Adfill Fibrin XT in the concrete, will give you even stronger concrete.
Cheers @KIAB and @Jitender for the replies. Sounds like best bet is to hold this guy off until the new year then. In the meanwhile we may be able to lay the concrete base ourselves and give it plenty of time to cure. One last question - is the concrete ok to be uncovered and exposed to the elements while it's curing?
Hi, where are you getting the tiles from and what are you paying? Just doing a small pocelain tile job at home. BTW, someone on Youtube (specialist path firm) says that spacing should be 1.5mm.
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