My outdoor patio is a 12-foot x 30-foot concrete slab.
I'm looking for interlocking (i.e., snap-together) tiles. The tiles must allow allow water to drain through. The tiles must be comfortable to bare-feet. I do NOT want WOOD tiles.
Any suggestions?
My outdoor patio is a 12-foot x 30-foot concrete slab.
I'm looking for interlocking (i.e., snap-together) tiles. The tiles must allow allow water to drain through. The tiles must be comfortable to bare-feet. I do NOT want wood or stone tiles.
Any recommendations?
I do real estate evaluations on large HOA properties. I see a LOT of them, from el cheap-o to grandiose.
If you want drain through, this limits you a bit. You can't get the solid interlocking soft spongy ones because it will trap water. If you go to plastic mesh types that look like the stuff on milk crates, it's sturdy, just a little hard on the feet. If you have light traffic, the softer stuff might last long enough. There are lots of soft industrial floor types, but most are solid.
And ask yourself, how long do you want this to last? It might be nice to replace every five years so instead of looking at the same old stuff forever.
Google Interlocking Tiles, and there are a ton of them, some from fifty cents a square foot. Buy for long term, remember that soft stuff won't probably last as long as harder stuff, and occasionally take it all up, clean up underneath, and spray tiles with bleach solution, as foot traffic has lots of transferable little germs and fungi. If you go with solid vs/open weave, you will need to take it up more often to keep it sanitary.
Check out local suppliers so you can have free shipping, or choose one online that won't cost an arm and a leg for shipping.
HTH
Steve
Heart surgery pending?
Thanks for your comments, Steve,
I've been in my townhouse since 1972 and I plan to live here for next umpteen years so I don't want to replace the tiles every 5 years. I live in SoCal (Riverside) where the summer temps can rise to 110=B0 or hotter!
I patio is about 350 square feet but I don't want to spend thousands of $$$ for the tiles.
I don't want the tiles to require a lot maintenence -- like needing to be taken up and put down; cleaning up underneath; and spraying them with a bleach solution -- just an occasional hosing with a garden hose.
I've been in my townhouse since 1972 and I plan to live here for next umpteen years so I don't want to replace the tiles every 5 years. I live in SoCal (Riverside) where the summer temps can rise to 110° or hotter!
I patio is about 350 square feet but I don't want to spend thousands of $$$ for the tiles.
I don't want the tiles to require a lot maintenence -- like needing to be taken up and put down; cleaning up underneath; and spraying them with a bleach solution -- just an occasional hosing with a garden hose.
Reply: Even if you find some of the perforated ones, you are going to want to take them up once in a while. Maybe not, you'll just have to try it. Foot fungus can be controlled with just Lysol, but think about it: there will be all kinds of bugs in there. And you don't want to spray it and then have the poison go right through your feet. Or have the dogs be snacking on poisonous dropped food pieces. Depending on the patio, you might not have to do much maintenence, but figure on some, or it will go skungy on you. If you find some of the perforated you seek, remember that you need to vacuum it regularly, too. Febreeze should do a good job on keeping down the odors. The stuff I saw ranged from fifty cents a square foot to $4. Plus shipping, which would be a bit.
Idea: (that has worked wonderfully for me on many items) Put a craigslist or your local little QuickQuarter newspaper WANTED AD. Sometimes you find people or businesses who are removing just such things, and will almost pay you to come haul it off. I have gotten a LOT of valuable free things. And then mail them a coupon for a free pizza or something at a local eatery. I once got a $1200 water tank that was one year old just to haul it away! Got a $1,000 three compartment stainless steel commercial sink with side shelves and backsplash and faucets for a $90 shotgun. Lots of stories .............
Just an idea ..........
Steve
Heart surgery pending?
We saw some on a HOA study in Vegas recently. It was on a 3' wide walk path that was 2,500 lf long. It looked like chewed up tires, but was soft, soft, soft. It was five years old, and did not have one ding or separation. Looked like it was poured in place. Flat as tile on top. I'd jump on that in a second if I was doing a patio. We may have found the manufacturer, as we have to project maintenance and replacement costs. I'll check.
Steve
Heart surgery pending?
Thanks, Steve,
I'm very interested in learning more about the chewed-up tires stuff. Please me know who makes it and any other info.
Thanks,
gary
.
Never heard of such a thing. Drain-through rubber safety matting for wet areas (like they use in kitchens, and in the man-way at automatic car-washes) would work, but it would look like crap. Available in brick-red and black, never seen any other colors, but they may be out there.
Cheap alternative- flip-flop sandals. Expensive alternative- that epoxy-and-pea-gravel surface treatment like rich people use around their pools. Drains through and drys quickly.
If you do find something, please post a link back here.
"gcotterl" wrote
I'm very interested in learning more about the chewed-up tires stuff. Please me know who makes it and any other info.
Thanks,
gary
Will try to find it. A lot of the playgrounds have a padding, but it is much thicker than this. We were not able to find out the manufacturer from the management company, but will try to get it. It was not like the common soft spongy stuff that they use under playgrounds. That stuff is three inches thick or better. This was 3/4" at tops. It was the best application I have seen, and I've done 600+ properties.
Steve
Huh. I did not know that stuff came fused into sheets. (run through heated rollers?) I assumed it went down loose like mulch, and just stuck together based on the shreds interlocking. Learn something on AHR every day. Giant size version of the tree ring things, which I thought were glue-bonded?
That ONE, and ONLY ONE job, was very unique. I found the photos from Feb.
HTH
Steve
Heart surgery pending?
Hi Steve,
In the photos, the "chunks" do look rough -- they don't look like they'd be comfortable for bare-feet. I'm also concerned about it being from "That ONE and ONLY ONE job".
=3D=3D=3D
I did a little Google- Made from recycled rubber tires, Envirotile=99 is an environmentally- friendly product that is the ideal re-surfacing solution to renew, restore and resurface many outdoor and indoor flooring spaces. Resurface old, worn, cracked floors in a snap. Designed to look like concrete pavers but has the ease of a do-it-yourself application - no contractor required. Lightweight and portable, you can place envirotile=99 directly on top of any existing flat surface; i.e. wood, concrete, patio tiles. Envirotile=99 will not warp, crack, peel, ship or crumble. If you want to secure the tiles together, connector clips are sold separately.
Quick & easy, do-it-yourself, no mess All-season and weather-resistant Just rinse off with a garden hose Removable: Lightweight & portable Noise and impact-absorbing Drainage: Channels underneath protect from water buildup.
There's also a warning: "Like most patio pavers, in direct sunlight and high temperatures, Envirotile=99 will retain hear. (Please exercise caution: footwear is recommended in extreme heat."
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
I'm always a bit skeptical about items sold by DIY-type centers (like Home Depot or Lowes). Sometimes, the products are second- (or third- rate) quality. Sometimes, the products are sold only by one retailer (at HD but not at Lowes) which limits comparison shopping.
"gcotterl" wrote
Quick & easy, do-it-yourself, no mess All-season and weather-resistant Just rinse off with a garden hose Removable: Lightweight & portable Noise and impact-absorbing Drainage: Channels underneath protect from water buildup.
There's also a warning: "Like most patio pavers, in direct sunlight and high temperatures, Envirotile? will retain hear. (Please exercise caution: footwear is recommended in extreme heat."
===============
I'm always a bit skeptical about items sold by DIY-type centers (like Home Depot or Lowes). Sometimes, the products are second- (or third- rate) quality. Sometimes, the products are sold only by one retailer (at HD but not at Lowes) which limits comparison shopping.
Most tire products I have seen have the problem of transferring black to whatever touches it...............
Steve
This stuff is not cheap. It is fantastic. Very comfortable in barefeet.
I'll trade you 2002 Saturn for either of those yellow things.
"gcotterl" wrote
I like the 'rubberized tile' items they've posted but the cost may be quite high. Here's a simpler solution and one you may not have thought of because the industry has changed a lot. Outdoor carpets aren't just fake green grass anymore.
We have one in our 13x11ft sunroom. A nice berber, shades of brown. Heavy rain causes the floor to get wet but everything back there is designed around that. I'm in the hurricane area of east coast.
The screened porch at 13x44ft has the old type fake grass but that piece has been there for close to 20 years now. We just roll both up (every year or so) and take to the backyard to clean underneath then hose the carpets down well and put them back in place once dry.
The rest of the time, we use a vacumn cleaner on them.
The green grass one isn't what you are looking for I know, but I mention it for the longevity. The berber is a high traffic area with cats, kids, 3 dogs, and gets sopping wet at least along the outer edges of the sunroom as much as 6 times a year. A piece of the berber was trimmed and used for the edging on the porch leading out to the sidewalk and gets wet every time it rains (1/2 in direct sun, the rest inside screened porch). The berber is holding up fine, with 4 years of that.
If I were to redo the screened porch carpet, I'd get more of the berber though the faster drying grassy stuff has it's point. I'd change the color though ;-)
"Tony Miklos" wrote
The Dino was at San Diego Balboa Park Museum of Automotive History Ferrari Exhibit for two weeks. The Porsche 911 was sold for lack of use, and to fund the ongoing restoration of the Maserati 3500. Will get pics on how the Maser is doing on the next visit.
Steve
Heart surgery pending?
A concern with indoor-outdoor carpets; soft, spongy tiles; or tiles made from recycled tires is with water retention.
Several times a week, I use a garden hose to wash "debris" off the concrete slab. (This "debris" comes from shrubs in nearby beds; potted plants on a multi-tiered display rack on the slab; nearby trees and shrubs; grass-clippings from adjoining lawns, etc).
Accordingly, the material that "overlays" the concrete slab must allow for the frequent hosing-off of this "debris"; to permit the water to drain quickly; and to dry fast.
Several times a week, I use a garden hose to wash "debris" off my current concrete slab. The debris comes from shrubs in nearby beds; from potted plants on a multi-tiered display rack on the slab; from nearby trees and shrubs; from grass-clippings from adjoining lawns, etc. Accordingly, the tiles must permit water to drain quickly and they must dry fast
Any recommendations?
A small baby-size electric leaf blower. Unless the debris has been rained on and stuck-to or stained the concrete, no need to introduce water into the area except when you actually want to scrub the deck. Seriously. My 85 YO father keeps a blower leaning in the corner of his covered patio for quick cleanups- due to shape of house and prevailing winds, anything loose ends up on the patio.
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