Outdoor tiles: choosing by area and by grip
Outdoor tiles take rain, sun, temperature swings and wet feet. Two questions sort most of the range: is the area covered or open to the weather, and how much grip does the surface need? Colour and pattern come after.
Almost every tile in this collection is porcelain, in stone, terrazzo, cobblestone, brick and patterned looks. They differ in finish, slip rating, edge and the outdoor areas they're listed for, and this page goes through each of those, with links to the collections that go deeper. If you'd rather start with a colour, the grey outdoor tiles, beige outdoor tiles, black outdoor tiles and white outdoor tiles collections are separate pages.
What is the best tile for outdoor areas?
For most outdoor areas, porcelain rated for outdoor use is the answer, in a textured or grip finish and listed for the kind of area it's going into. Porcelain is the safer option for exposed spaces: it's dense, low in porosity, handles weather and needs no sealing. Natural stone works outdoors too, and it comes with a sealing routine.
Two checks turn that into a decision. The first is whether the tile suits uncovered areas or only covered ones. The second is the slip rating, and whether the texture gives more than the space needs.
Porcelain, ceramic or stone outdoors
Porcelain comes first for exposed areas. Its density and low porosity help it handle rain, sun and temperature changes, and it comes in surfaces from smooth matt to heavily structured. It doesn't need sealing, which keeps long-term upkeep down.
Ceramic is lighter and easier to cut, and it suits covered outdoor areas with limited weather exposure unless the product is rated for more. Natural stone suits outdoors because it's textured and weather-resistant, though outdoor stone usually needs sealing against moisture, marks and weathering. Concrete, terracotta and terrazzo tiles are porous and need sealing too. If you want the stone look without the sealing, the porcelain stone looks here are made for that, and the travertine look tiles, Myra limestone tiles and concrete tiles collections show more of them.
Indoor tiles are a separate matter. A tile belongs outside only if it's rated for outdoor use, since many indoor tiles lack the surface texture and water resistance that rain demands. Check the Area and slip rating of each tile here, and the next two sections cover both.
Slip ratings explained
A slip rating measures how well a surface resists slipping under set conditions. Australia uses two common methods, and tiles often carry both.
P ratings
P ratings come from a pendulum test on a wet, flat surface. A higher number means more slip resistance: P1 is low, P2 and P3 are moderate, P4 is high and P5 is very high. They're the rating most used for residential floors that get wet.
R ratings
R ratings use a different test. A person in safety boots walks up an oil-coated ramp while the angle rises until they slip. R9 sits at the low end, R10 is moderate, R11 higher, and R12 and R13 are very high. R ratings turn up on commercial, industrial and outdoor specifications, where the demands are greater.
Higher isn't always better
The highest number isn't automatically the right pick. A heavily textured surface with a very high rating can be harder to clean, because the texture that gives grip also traps dirt and grime. Textured tiles often need a thorough clean after installation to remove grout haze and construction residue. A pool surround and a covered patio don't ask for the same thing, so match the rating to the space. For specific projects, follow the current Australian Standards and CSIRO advice. Ratings here are quoted under AS 4586-2013.
What the ratings in this range mean
Ratings run from P3 to P5, with R12 printed beside P5 on some textured tiles and R10 beside P3 on others. The wording varies a little between pages, so read the line for the exact tile.
Cairnwell and Avedon are both P5 under AS 4586-2013 and suit indoors and outdoors, including uncovered outdoor areas. Tundra is P5 and suits outdoor applications, and it also has a wear rating of 5, for high traffic and commercial areas. Auralis has a P5 external option. Southside terrazzo is P5 and suits outdoor areas.
The cobblestone and crazy pave tiles go higher on texture. Settlers cobblestones and Aria crazy pave are P5 and R12. Settlers is the roughest tile here, with a highly textured surface and deviations like natural stone. Use it outdoors where grip matters most, and choose a smoother tile for kitchen splashbacks and indoor areas.
At the other end, Eton brick look tiles carry R10 and P3, a moderate slip risk, and Alicante carries P3 and R10. Both are listed for covered outdoor areas, and Eton is also listed for outdoor walls. "Outdoor" on a tile page can mean covered, and the rating tells you which.
Covered or open to the weather
Check this line first. Some tiles are listed for indoors and covered outdoor areas only, others for uncovered outdoor areas as well. Certain materials suit covered areas only, and others can be specified for fully exposed spaces.
The Area line does that work on these pages. Cairnwell and Avedon say indoors and outdoors, including uncovered outdoor areas. Tundra and Aria say indoors and outdoors. Settlers says indoors or outdoors, wet or dry. Alicante says indoors dry and covered outdoor areas. Eton is limited to outdoor walls and covered outdoor floors. An area that takes direct rain should start with the first group.
Installation is worth a line too. The Casuarina, Avalon and Burleigh tiles must be installed by a licensed tiler to the appropriate Australian standards.
Patios, pools, paths, balconies and entries
Patios and alfresco areas
Alfresco and patio floors need a tile that's comfortable underfoot and easy to keep clean, with slight texture for grip where rain reaches. Porcelain is the usual pick because it doesn't absorb moisture. Large formats give a patio a wide, open look. Southside terrazzo, a glazed porcelain made in Australia, and the Auralis external option are floor tiles for outdoor areas, and the terrazzo look tiles collection has the wider terrazzo range.
Pool surrounds
Around a pool, traction and water resistance come first. The surface has to stay stable when wet, and it shouldn't heat up too fast in full sun, which is why many buyers choose lighter colours. Josie and Valerie are listed as suitable for use as a pool waterline, and Settlers lists pool surrounds under application. For any tile you plan to take to the water, read the Application line.
Paths and garden areas
Paths do better with a more textured finish that grips on slopes and under heavy foot traffic. Darker tones and stone looks tend to hide dirt, which keeps upkeep low. Small formats suit paths, steps and sloped areas, where more cuts and flexibility are needed. The 150 x 150 Settlers cobblestones are listed for external paths and outdoor areas, and the Settlers cobblestone tiles collection has the full set. Aria crazy pave is listed for walls and floors, inside or out, and the crazy pave tiles collection shows more.
Balconies and entrances
Balconies need good drainage and a surface that won't turn slippery after rain, so textured tiles are the usual choice. Choose a floor tile with a P5 rating, then check the Area line for exposure.
Outdoor kitchens and walls
Tiles near food prep and cooking have to resist stains and be easy to hose or wipe down. Porcelain and concrete looks hold up well to spills and barbecue grease. Outdoor walls face sun and rain all year, so they need a tile that's water-resistant and durable. The Eton tile suits outdoor walls, and the brick look tiles collection has the wider range.
Planning the laying outdoors
An outdoor floor needs a fall so water runs off the surface instead of pooling. The slab or screed is set with a slight slope away from the building and towards a drain or the garden. Tell your tiler the direction of the fall before the first tile is laid, because a tile laid on a flat base holds water in a rain event and makes the surface slippery.
Outdoor floors move with the temperature. Heat expands the surface and cold contracts it, so the tiler leaves movement joints in large areas and at the edges where the tile meets a wall, a step or a different surface. Use a flexible adhesive rated for outdoor use, and back butter larger tiles such as the 600 x 600 and 600 x 1200 formats so there are no hollows under the tile. Allow the grout to cure before the area gets heavy rain or foot traffic.
Walk the area before you order. Note any step, door threshold or garden bed, because thickness changes from tile to tile and the finished height needs to line up with each of them.
Ranges that suit outdoor use
Each range has its own character, and each product page has the details.
Cairnwell and Avedon are porcelain in stone and limestone looks with soft tonal variation and gentle veining. Cairnwell comes in white and taupe, Avedon in white, chalk and beige. Both are 600 x 600 at 9mm with a grip finish and a rectified edge.
Tundra is a broad range made to carry across indoors and outdoors. It's matte, rectified and 10mm, with a low, smooth texture.
Auralis has a smooth honed look with soft reflective veining and a flat, smooth texture. The external version is a 600 x 600 grip tile at P5 and 10mm, with a recommended grout gap of 1.5mm to 3mm.
Southside terrazzo brings the classic Venetian terrazzo look in a 450 x 450, 7.5mm grip tile. It's listed for floors, with a non-rectified edge and a recommended gap over 3mm.
Burleigh and Avalon are stone-look tiles in an external finish, with cushioned, naturally irregular edges. Casuarina is a modern stone look whose matte finish is designed to give extra grip when water is applied, for inside or out. Valerie and Josie belong to the travertine family, and the travertine look tiles collection covers them properly.
Aria crazy pave is full-bodied porcelain at 226 x 326 and 10mm, rectified and heavily textured. It gives the look of natural stone crazy pave without the upkeep of stone.
To browse other looks by layout, try the patterned tiles collection and the herringbone tiles collection.
Brick, terracotta, patterned and limestone looks
Not every outdoor tile is a stone look. A few others in the range come with limits of their own, and the product pages spell them out.
Eton is a porcelain brick look in a 60 x 250 format. It mixes six structures in the brick format to recreate weathered brick. It has a matte finish, a mid, rough texture, a V4 appearance with substantial variation, a wear rating of 5 and a non-rectified edge, and it suits walls and floors indoors, covered outdoor floors and exterior cladding.
Marco terracotta is a Spanish porcelain at 250 x 250 and 8mm, with a cushioned edge and a hard-wearing grip finish. Cleaning is easy with no sealing required and it suits walls and floors, indoors and outdoors. Real terracotta is among the porous materials that need sealing, and this one is porcelain.
Alicante and Airlie are the patterned options. Alicante is a federation-style, Spanish-made glazed porcelain at 316 x 316, with a cushioned edge and a uniform V1 appearance. Its slip rating is P3 and R10, it suits flooring in dry areas, and the Area line reads indoors dry and covered outdoor areas. Airlie is a 200 x 200 patterned tile at 8mm, also cushioned, rated P3. Check the Area line before using either on an open patio that takes rain.
Myra is a limestone look in a 600 x 600 grip tile, rated P4 and suited to indoors and outdoors. The tile needs no sealing or regular maintenance and suits pools, paths and alfresco. The Myra limestone tiles collection has the full range.
Wear ratings and surface variation
Two more details repay a look. The wear rating shows how a tile copes with traffic. Most tiles here carry 4, suitable for floors in normal use areas with a low risk of scratching. A few, including Tundra and Eton, carry 5, suitable for floors in high traffic areas and commercial areas with a very low risk of scratching. Read it against the traffic the area will take.
The appearance code runs from V1 to V4 and shows how much the faces differ. V1 is described as a uniform appearance, V3 as moderate variation in colour and texture, and V4 as substantial variation. Outdoors, it tells you how mixed the laid area will look. It says nothing about grip, so read it beside the slip rating.
Edges, joints and grout
Edges set how wide the joint has to be. Rectified tiles are cut square and allow fine joints: Casuarina's sharp-edged tiles allow grout lines of 3mm or less. Cushioned-edge tiles have natural irregular edges, and Burleigh and Avalon suit grout lines of 3mm or more for a classic tiled appearance. Southside suits a gap over 3mm and the Auralis external tile 1.5mm to 3mm. Use the figure for the tile you buy.
Grout outdoors has its own job. Use a grout made for outdoor use, usually cement-based for most tile types, with an epoxy or weather-resistant grout worth considering where rain exposure is heavy or for pool tiles. Darker grout colours often stay fresher-looking outside, and matching grout gives a more continuous floor.
Sizes for each area
Large tiles give patios and alfresco areas a wide, open look. Smaller formats suit paths, steps and sloped areas, where more cuts and flexibility are needed, and a size that fits the layout cuts waste. The range runs from 150 x 150 cobblestones to 600 x 1200 rectangles. To browse by format, see the large tiles collection, the square tiles collection and the slab tiles collection.
Thickness is printed per tile, from 7.5mm on Southside terrazzo to 11mm on the Settlers cobblestones. The floor tiles collection has the full floor range.
Colour, heat and fading
Lighter colours stay cooler underfoot in full sun, which is why many buyers pick them around pools. Darker tones hide dirt on paths. Most porcelain holds its colour in UV light, while some ceramics and natural stones may fade gradually depending on the material and finish. That's one more reason porcelain is the usual choice for exposed areas.
Matte and textured finishes tend to hide dust and weather residue well. Smoother surfaces show marks more easily, though they wipe down quickly.
Keeping outdoor tiles clean
Outdoor porcelain usually needs only rinsing and a mild detergent. Wash off garden debris, motor oils and animal droppings promptly, since left to sit they can stain or discolour the surface. Porous materials such as concrete, natural stone, terracotta and terrazzo need sealing to stay in good order, and porcelain doesn't. None of the porcelain tiles in this range asks for a sealer.
The more textured the tile, the more it gains from a thorough clean when the job is finished, to lift grout haze, and an occasional deeper clean after that.
Choosing the right outdoor tile
Start with the Area line and the slip rating, because they decide whether a tile can go where you want it. Pick the texture the space calls for. Then choose the colour and pattern.
An open patio that takes rain suits a P5 grip tile listed for uncovered areas. A covered alfresco can manage with a matte tile at a lower rating. A path wants a small, textured tile. For a pool, check the Application line. Whichever you pick, use a licensed tiler where the tile requires one. For other stone and cement looks in porcelain, the porcelain tiles collection is the nearest neighbour.
