Exterior porcelain tiles - Installation queries

[Bec@LondonStone]

Hi guys. We've just introduced a new range of porcelain paving and I was wondering if I could pick your brains about installation techniques.

We have an installation guide for our natural stone products which is sent out to customers when they place and order and is also available to view or download on the website. I'm trying to write one now for these new porcelain tiles.

The recommendation from the supplier is that they need to be laid with an exterior adhesive onto a concrete base but the info they have given us RE depth of the concrete base and expansion joints is a bit sketchy. I'm thinking 100mm deep base for a patio and 150mm deep for a driveway - does that sound about right to you? With the expansion joints, how often do these need to be incorporated and how do you actually create one? Steven tells me it's foam sheeting inserted into the gap in the concrete. How wide should this gap be and what sort of foam should be used? How is this expansion joint then recreated within the tiles themselves? Is there another sort of material insert in the joint on the surface?

Bit baffled so I'm hoping one of you paving gurus can help Thanks

[lutonlagerlout]

expansion joints could be 12mm flexcell a cardboard like structure

the tiler would use 2 stop beads

but wait....

what loon is going to have porcelain on their drive?

I have seen it in garages but feel a drive is too much

the concrete base will have to be very flat to lay tiles straight on to

LLL

[bodgeitandscarper]

Shouldn't all this info come from the supplier!

[Bec@LondonStone]

Cheers, Tony - that's really helpful. Will look into flexcell and stop beads.The tiles are 20mm thick and fully vitrified so super strong/v. low maintenance so should be good on a driveway. Point taken about the concrete being very flat too. Thanks again

[seanandruby]

Was wondering if the movement joint used with resin bonded would be any better looking, something like radflex or similar ???

[GB_Groundworks]

you can get special expansion joint beads preformed for tiles



and we use a foam based expansion material like this



the concrete should be flat its just we have lots of people laying it over here who dodn't know what they are doing with it

[lutonlagerlout]

one thing that is driving our tiler nuts is the fashion for supper big tiles
if you are laying 600 by 400 floor or wall tiles the surface must be super flat

any imperfection gets magnified

I feel a drive way would have to be latexed

cheers LLL

[john eck]

A German company called Schluter do a whole range of expansion joints, de-coupling membranes etc. Expensive but never had any comebacks with their products.
I wouldn't go anywhere else.

John Eck

[Bec@LondonStone]

Guys - you are fabulous, thank you! This is all really helpful and much appreciated