Just be sure to use porcelain tile outside and you should be fine.

I wish we could do that newhomebuilder, but the concrete is messed up in a couple of places & that's why I want to cover it.

I thought of putting Trex over it, but the grooves would collect debris and water could settle under it and rot or something.

I think I will look for some big tile that look like that though. The only thing I've ever seen is those square red tile that look like 1970.

I wonder if they make outdoor tile that looks like deck?

You no longer have to use that ugly red tile. LOL

Take a look at the porcelain tiles from Shaw.

http://www.floormania.com/flooring/shaw_outdoor_porcelain_tile.html

Also...........

Here is a link that might be useful: Outdoor tile ideas

Wow newhomebuilder, I love that pebbled tile! I also like one of the porcelin. I had no idea there was so much for outside now. Thank you!

We put in slate tile last year on our front porch.

We sealed it after it was in place and so far, so good. It really gives a much more elegant look to our entry. I feel it holds up better because we elected to do the edges in brick. Slate is very flaky and doesn't always get a smooth cut plus I do not like any sharp corners that you get when you butt up two edges of tile to each other. I much prefer some type of quarter round look to it.

Cracked tiles can happen when the mud bed is not properly prepared and/or level or there is not a good layer of mortor/thinset between the tile and the foundation so all these things are impt. Still, if I were having any heavy furniture brought in on a dolly, I would put blankets below.

I also wanted to add that you can get flagstone cut into tiles as well--beautiful. There are unlimited choices for the outdoors and it would be best to visit your local building supply showroom. In many cases these can go right over a cement porch--as long as you have afford to sacrifice the height--in terms of where it butts up to the foundation.

Here is ours, perhaps you have something like it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Materials Showroom Example

That is really pretty valinsv. I really like the way that blends with the pavestone & brick.

Our house is a plain little ranch so I don't know what will look good with it.

I have tile on my patio and I love it. I will look and see if I have a picture. I was told to use porcelain that was for outdoors as it has a rougher finish and not so slick when wet. That was a concern for me as mine was painted and slick when wet. The tile is a little slick but not like paint.

How much did it raise the height. We've only got 2 inches or less to the threshold of the front door.

We put porcelain slate on our covered screened room last year. We LOVE it. Totally non-slip and so easy to clean with a hose and broom! We sealed only the grout lines and it has held up beautifully. This is the most used room in the house. Also put it on the covered front porch and have had no problems. In fact, when tropical storm Fay came ashore about two miles from us the pool patio was totally under water for hours. No problems whatsoever. Best $600 I ever spent. We did the work ourselves. Backbreaking but so worth it.

This was put down over a concrete slab that was cleaned well in advance and the total height of the tile and thinset was about 1/2 inch.

Please don't mind my "decorating". Someday .... :)

This is what we used for the stoop or whatever you call that small step up into the house. This was from the front porch install and obviously before grout, but it is what we used on the back patio also, going into the house thru the slider.

~Betsy

A few years ago we tiled our concrete front porch with a random mixture of tiles from our Habitat Re-store. Porcelain and ceramic both, some of very high quality because of the store who had donated them all. It wasn't difficult and has garnered many compliments from friends and strangers alike, and was a positive component in the recent (yay!) sale of the house. We're moving this weekend in fact.

It has held up just fine through all our Oklahoma extreme weather and ice storms.

We were careful to leave seams where we know the steps expand and contract, and found good traction ones for the steps.

This is the only photo I have that shows any of it - its really of a nest I found.

We have slate on the front walkway as well as the terrace.
It has been sealed, but as is the nature with slate, some flaking does occur. This is about 18 months old. We love it.

Thank you all. I think I need to start shopping.

We did travertine right over the existing tile that was there. We love it.

Such beautiful porches!!!

gk5040--your porch looks wonderful. We are thinking of doing the same thing. Did you have it done or was it DIY?

Sboxx, we hired someone who was pretty reasonable. He had to saw cut the existing tile that is on the step up to the front door threshold....we did not want to remove the front door to get the tile out from under it. You could not go over the tile on this step or it would be hire than the bottom of the door jam. So the old tile is under the front door jam and the new tile is right up next to it. Hope that makes sense....that was the only tile that had to be removed. I dont think the rest of the work was hard to do, but since i dont own a wet saw it was worth it to hire someone. He charged us $450 dollars to install and grout...and it was done in 2 days:) I sealed it the next day.

We did slate as well... this pic was taken before I painted the underside of the porch and what not, but I am SOOOOO pleased... sure beats the heck out of our flaking cement slab. I am hoping to do the pathway in the spring (once I get my hands on an industrial sized sander for the rounded edges we'll have....)

WOW...I am amazed at all the tile work on the porches. They look great!