Resurfacing an old Concrete Patio
by: Malcolm Kay
A porch or patio can be one of the most useful exterior areas of your
home if its covered with an attractive surface material, cleared of all
excess junk and with a little thought given to landscaping the area.
Unfortunately these spaces are all too often covered with bland concrete
which as well as looking rather dull and dreary, may have developed
cracks or become stained with grease, oil etc over time. Restoring such
areas to a place you would be proud to use for entertaining, outdoor
dining or just relaxing may seem like a daunting task. And indeed if the
concrete is badly cracked and the surface uneven, generally there is no
satisfactory alternative but to rip the lot up and re-lay it.
However if the surface only has hairline cracks and you can be certain
that reinforcing mesh was installed when the concrete was laid, it is
probable that existing cracks will not open up further (unless your
concrete pad is suffering from root damage due to nearby trees). In this
case there are a number of alternatives that could be considered to
enhance the appearance, including ceramic tiles, terracotta tiles, clay
pavers, slate, natural stone pavers etc.
Perhaps one of the best and simplest options however is to use
interlocking modular deck tiles. These are simply placed over
the surface of the patio or porch and require no adhesives,
nails, screws or special surface preparation. Not only
are these tiles quite forgiving of small cracks and slight
unevenness of the surface, but they can be laid both quickly and
easily by anyone without any special skills or tools being
required. And as they are not permanently fixed to the concrete
base, they can be taken up, moved or added to at will. If you
decide to move house you can simply take the tiles with you and
lay them in your new location. |
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Wood tiles can be divided into two basic types. The
earliest designs, which are still available today, are constructed of
solid wood slats attached to wood bearers underneath. The top wood slats
may be either screwed or nailed to the bearers or in some cases, metal
staples have been used. Tiles with nailed or stapled slats should be
used with caution as the fixings are likely to corrode and/or the slats
can work loose from the bearers. Screwed slats are the much preferred
system, but check that screws are corrosion resistant or better still,
of stainless steel. Most wood tiles are supplied as single modules with
no integral interconnecting devices. Some designs provide limited
interconnectivity by means of offset bearers which fit under the
adjacent tile. However these tiles are generally not held together with
fixed connectors but tend to rely on the outside retaining walls to keep
them from moving.
An important consideration with the all wood tile design is that the
wood bearers could be subject to prolonged contact with water. Whilst
most such tiles are constructed of durable timber, prolonged exposure to
water may result in some premature rotting of the bearers, or at the
very least, it is possible that the bearers could twist or warp under
certain conditions. With no means of interconnection of the tiles, there
is a potential for adjacent tile surfaces to be uneven in height,
leading to the possibility of tripping.
In the latest, more advanced generation of wood tiles, the wood slats
are attached to a plastic mesh base. This not only lifts the wood clear
of the concrete which allows any water under the tiles to drain away
quickly, but also provides a convenient means to interconnect the tiles.
With some tile designs the wood slats have holes drilled in the
underside which slot into pins molded on the plastic base so the slats
are a loose fit on the plastic base. In other designs the slats are
“press fit” onto the base. The most secure design which is also the
simplest to install has a multiple of pre-molded screw holes in the
plastic base through which screws are inserted to keep the slats
securely fixed to the base.
Another advantage of the mesh based tiles compared with the solid wood
tiles is that they can be easily cut with a saw or jigsaw to fit around
pipes etc. The mesh base has numerous molded “feet” which ensures the
tile remain stable even if a section is removed. In this respect, the
tiles with screwed slats probably have an advantage over the loose or
press fit slat design as it may be necessary to install an extra screw
or two through the pre-molded holes in the base to fix any loose slats
following any cutting of the tiles.
Whilst some designs use separate clips to connect the tiles, the
majority of designs use inbuilt connectors which makes installation
faster and easier. These tiles may have “pegs” on two sides and
corresponding “loops” on the other two sides, so in certain cases a left
hand and right hand version are required.
Probably the easiest and quickest tile to lay however is the type which
has an identical set of connecting tabs on each side which mesh with
corresponding tabs on adjacent tiles, irrespective of the orientation of
the tile. This has the added advantage of allowing more options for the
tile maker to produce different tile designs and for the installer to be
more creative in the overall patterns in which the tiles can be laid.
As tiles raise the surface level approx. 1 ¼” – 1 ½” care should be
taken at the outer edge of the tiled area to avoid any danger of
tripping over the tiles. The major manufacturers supply transition
strips to overcome this potential problem which are generally designed
to clip onto the outer row of tiles to provide a transition from the
tile surface to floor level. These reducers will also successfully cover
up the plastic tabs on the outer row of tiles.
The majority of the interlocking tiles are approx.12” x 12” which makes
estimating the number of tiles required for a given area an easy task.
Many of the all wood tiles and some plastic framed tiles with softwood
slats may however be up to 20” x 20” in size, or even larger in some
cases. Whilst these can be suitable for large areas or laying as
landscape accessories, they are generally not so versatile for smaller
areas or areas where tiles must be cut to fit inside confined areas or
installed in irregular shaped areas.
All wood tiles designed for installation in exposed exterior situations
should be constructed of timber species that are rated as naturally
durable under normal conditions and not prone to warping or twisting or
significant cracking. There are a number of alternative species with the
above properties which are commonly used by wood tile manufacturers and
indeed final selection may often be based on preferred color of the
tiles. Hardwood is normally the timber of choice although pressure
treated softwood tiles are also available, particularly in larger 2’ x
2’ tiles. Hardwood species of the highest rated durability include Ipe,
Jarrah, Bangkirai, Cumaru, Teak, Tallowwood Other species such as Kempas,
Jatoba etc. are rated as slightly lower durability but can also be used
in exposed outdoors applications in most circumstances.
Most tiles use wood slats approx.15mm (5/8’) thick. With highly durable
and stable lumber species such as Ipe, tiles may be 10 or 12mm thick
(approx.1/2”) with no significant disadvantages or apparent longevity
issues.
About The Author
Malcolm Kay is the CEO of Intex Pacific Pty. Ltd. an international
supplier of landscape materials including deck tiles. For more
information see
http://www.swiftdeck.net.
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