ᐅ Patio Flooring 40 m² – Concrete vs. Tiles?

Hello everyone,

We are currently planning our outdoor area and are researching options for the terrace surface.

We have consulted a local specialist retailer—where we also purchased the tiles for our bathroom/living room/hallway, etc.

We found that prices are currently at their highest.

Reasonable concrete slabs (sealed) are hardly available for less than €40/m² (about $44/m²) at least at the specialist retailer.

Porcelain stoneware tiles start at around €60/m² (about $66/m²) and can go up significantly.

Of course, we don’t want to overspend on the outdoor area, but from a visual point of view, we are not convinced by the concrete slabs. Tiles can create a much nicer look on the terrace, especially as we are aiming for beige/sand tones.

Certainly, there are also attractive concrete slabs, but unfortunately, nothing on site really appealed to us…

Now my questions:

- Do you buy from a local specialist retailer, or do you simply order online? Are there better prices available? Any recommendations?
- What should you pay attention to when buying concrete slabs, apart from the fact that they are sealed? Online you actually find significantly better prices—I’m unsure whether it’s important to choose the right manufacturer or if there are just 2–3 indicators to consider when buying, so you could confidently shop at a DIY store or similar?
- What should you consider when choosing porcelain stoneware? 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) or 3 cm (about 1.2 inches) thickness? Is it possible to install 2 cm slabs, or is there something special to keep in mind?

I’m, of course, open to any tips, tricks, or advice 🙂

I would choose panels ... I’m not a fan of the concrete stuff.

Nice-Nofret schrieb:

I would choose slabs... I don’t like that concrete stuff.

Aren’t you mixing something up? Slabs = concrete slabs, right?

From a practical standpoint, I would base my decision on whether I can and/or want to install the material myself.
I would buy the material from a local building supplier and have it delivered. That way, it’s easier to get more material if needed, or other things like gravel.
I see grey concrete slabs as a “safe bet,” or something you can’t really go wrong with.

bauenmk2020 schrieb:

Are you mixing something up? Slabs = concrete slabs, right?

I would rationally base my decision on whether I can and/or want to install the material myself.
I would buy the material from a local building supply store and have it delivered. That way, you are likely better off if you need to reorder materials or require additional items like gravel, etc.
I see gray concrete slabs as a "safe bet," meaning they’re something you can’t really go wrong with.

I would say this: Concrete slabs or tiles—both can be installed yourself as long as the slabs aren’t oversized, like 90 x 90 cm (35 x 35 inches), which we don’t want anyway.

So we’re free in that regard.

Better off with the local building supply store → Yes, definitely! But then the question is: at what price? Are there any good tips for reliable online shops? Is it generally safe to buy somewhere online, or is it necessary to stick to a regional specialist supplier for a specific reason?

A "safe bet" is obviously tricky... We don’t want a safe bet or just to go with something the specialist supplier pushes because it’s relatively cheap.

Also, we want something in beige/sand tones. Unfortunately, nothing on site really convinced us at first.

I would first decide on the surface covering (slabs, tiles, wood, etc.) – I want something I like – and then, in the second step, look for where to buy it “affordably.”

Do you really mean tiles? Do you currently have a 40m² (430ft²) concrete slab?

driver55 schrieb:

I would first decide on the surface material (slabs, tiles…wood…) – I want what I like – and then in a second step see where to buy it “cheaply.”

Do you really mean tiles? Do you currently have a 40 sq m (430 sq ft) concrete slab?

I think that approach is good and that’s basically how we would do it – IF the price is right.

At the moment, I can get 60x60x2 cm (24x24x0.8 in) tiles from a specialist dealer for 60 €/m² (about $6/ft²). Tiles that are 3 cm (1.2 in) thick cost around 80-90 €/m² (around $8-9/ft²), which is way too expensive for us. The question is: Do I really need 3 cm (1.2 in) thick tiles, or are 2 cm (0.8 in) thick tiles sufficient?

Is it generally possible to find 2 cm (0.8 in) thick tiles for well under 60 €/m² (about $6/ft²)? Is there anything specific to watch out for when buying online, or can you just buy without worries?

For me, there are still many more questions behind this...

Yes, I really mean tiles – ceramic tiles for outdoor use. They are basically standard porcelain tiles, nothing else.

No, we don’t currently have a 40 sq m (430 sq ft) concrete slab. As far as I know, tiles can also be installed in a gravel bed.