Outdoor Flooring, Turf and Tile Products for 2024
See the latest materials for patios, decks and yards displayed at the recent Surfaces trade show
Although The International Surface Event trade show this past January in Las Vegas focused on interior surfaces, it also featured plenty of options for artificial grass, exterior flooring and tile for outdoor kitchens, patios and pool areas. And the influence of indoor design is definitely carrying over outside.
“People are expecting a higher level of design for their outdoor spaces than they have demanded in the past,” Michelle Corley of Daltile says. “Exterior spaces are becoming more important, in both new homes and remodels, where the level of interior design for the outdoors is needing to rival the high level of design historically found indoors.”
Whether you’re updating your patio hardscape or building from scratch, here’s plenty of inspiration from the Surfaces event — as the trade show for the tile, stone and floor coverings industries is known — for getting the most out of spending time outdoors.
“People are expecting a higher level of design for their outdoor spaces than they have demanded in the past,” Michelle Corley of Daltile says. “Exterior spaces are becoming more important, in both new homes and remodels, where the level of interior design for the outdoors is needing to rival the high level of design historically found indoors.”
Whether you’re updating your patio hardscape or building from scratch, here’s plenty of inspiration from the Surfaces event — as the trade show for the tile, stone and floor coverings industries is known — for getting the most out of spending time outdoors.
This is Sedona square-edge decking from Cali. The company’s composite decking is made of 60% reclaimed wood fiber and 40% high-density recycled plastic, a combination that Jackson says makes it eco-friendly and resistant to moisture, rot and termites. “You’re getting a deck that’s good for the planet and your peace of mind. Then there’s the look and feel of the boards. A contemporary matte finish paired with authentic hardwood texturing gives your outdoor space a clean, modern vibe without the hassle of splinters,” he says.
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Here are some decking samples from Cali that were on display at the Surfaces event.
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This is Cali’s Denali square-edge decking up close.
Here’s a closer look at Cali’s wood-and-plastic composite decking in a color called Glacier.
Along with composite decking, Cali also showed its outdoor rugs at the event.
Here, Emser Tile’s Kathy Greene displays Emser’s Radiant porcelain tile flooring, a new addition to its existing Radiant wall tile collection. Made of extruded glazed porcelain, the flooring can be enhanced with LED lights.
This is Emser’s new Radiant porcelain tile, in the color Beach. The tiles come in six colors and two sizes — 8 by 8 inches and 8 by 35 inches. There’s also an 8-by-48-inch solid plank for stair treads and pool coping. Porcelain is a durable outdoor flooring material that is hard-wearing, water-repellent and often frost-resistant. It’s also mold- and mildew-resistant.
Here are Emser’s new Radiant porcelain planks in Beach with green LED lights. The planks can be used with or without flexible LED strips, which are inserted into the tile’s channels. The LED strips are sold separately, and the company recommends using a professional electrician for installation.
Emser will be offering an app that will allow users to choose colors and adjust the light’s intensity. “You use the app to actually change the colors. So if you don’t want to change, you can set it up for just blue, for example. If it’s Valentine’s Day, you can change all the lights to red. It’s fun,” Greene says.
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Emser will be offering an app that will allow users to choose colors and adjust the light’s intensity. “You use the app to actually change the colors. So if you don’t want to change, you can set it up for just blue, for example. If it’s Valentine’s Day, you can change all the lights to red. It’s fun,” Greene says.
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This is Emser’s Radiant tile in the color Sand. The channels allow for efficient water drainage, Greene says. “In addition to having the light capabilities, it’s also water-shedding. You can put it outdoors, and water will drain from it, so it’s perfect for really wet areas. And it has an R11 antislip finish, so it’s perfect for around pools, spas and showers indoors and outdoors,” she says.
R11 refers to how nonslip a surface is. R stands for “ramp test,” and the rating is from 9 to 12 (from least to most antislip), based on someone’s walking on a ramp.
R11 refers to how nonslip a surface is. R stands for “ramp test,” and the rating is from 9 to 12 (from least to most antislip), based on someone’s walking on a ramp.
Here’s Emser’s new Radiant porcelain decking in Pearl.
Parkay Floors displayed the four colors of its faux-wood hollow-core decking at its Surfaces booth. The company’s decking boards are 5½ inches wide by 16 feet long. “They’re a composite material made of 95% recycled material,” Parkay’s Jose Garcia says. “It’s very durable. You just put it on, and that’s it.”
These are Parkay’s composite deck tiles, which measure 12 inches by 36 feet and come in the same colors as its decking.
Pavers. Whether natural or imitation, stone pavers continue to be a popular option for outdoor flooring. As with indoor tile, porcelain paver tiles and slabs are getting ever more realistic, whether they mimic slate, travertine, concrete or marble.
Daltile’s Xteriors display at Surfaces showed the range of colors and surface textures in its porcelain pavers. The Xteriors collection also includes natural stone slabs.
What’s New in Tile for 2024
Daltile’s Xteriors display at Surfaces showed the range of colors and surface textures in its porcelain pavers. The Xteriors collection also includes natural stone slabs.
What’s New in Tile for 2024
Here’s a close-up of a Daltile Xteriors porcelain paver. The collection includes 2-centimeter-thick stone, wood, concrete and terrazzo looks in various sizes. Daltile says its Stepwise nonslip coating is 50% more slip-resistant than regular tiles. Along with flooring, Xteriors offers wall tile, facade cladding, pool tile and countertops.
Daltile says its new Calgary stone-look porcelain, shown here in 12 by 24 inches, was inspired by stone found in the English countryside. It comes in four colors and is available in matte finishes and large sizes.
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Indoor-outdoor continuity is possible with Daltile’s new Calgary pavers, shown here in 24 inches square.
Daltile’s Michelle Corley says the company’s Stepwise slip-resistance coating makes it easier to transition the pavers between inside and outside, and it won’t wash or wear off. “This added slip resistance means that the tile can now be used outdoors; thus the same high level of design found in interior tile styles is available for exterior use also. It also means that the flooring can flow from the kitchen through the breakfast room and out into the exterior living space. This flow of design from the interior to the exterior is a big trend in home design right now,” she says.
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Daltile’s Michelle Corley says the company’s Stepwise slip-resistance coating makes it easier to transition the pavers between inside and outside, and it won’t wash or wear off. “This added slip resistance means that the tile can now be used outdoors; thus the same high level of design found in interior tile styles is available for exterior use also. It also means that the flooring can flow from the kitchen through the breakfast room and out into the exterior living space. This flow of design from the interior to the exterior is a big trend in home design right now,” she says.
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Here’s a closer look at Daltile’s new Calgary stone-look porcelain, in Fawn. The pavers come in three sizes: 12 by 24 inches, 24 by 24 inches and 24 by 48 inches. The collection is suitable for indoor flooring, walls and countertops as well as exterior flooring.
Daltile’s Rekindle terra-cotta paver is on the floor here. The 2-centimeter-thick, 24-by-24-inch version in two colors, white and terra cotta, is an addition to Daltile’s existing Rekindle collection of outdoor porcelain pavers. The collection has five colors and includes coordinating herringbone and dot-shaped mosaic wall tiles.
Here’s a closer look at Daltile’s Rekindle terra-cotta porcelain paver. “Rekindle embodies the dry-touch aesthetic, which is very on trend right now. One of the exterior paver colors is a nice terra-cotta color, which is also very on-trend currently, and we see terra cotta as really becoming a new neutral for the foreseeable future,” Corley says.
This is Daltile’s Rekindle concrete-look white large-format porcelain paver, introduced along with the terra-cotta paver.
Here’s a selection of pavers from QDI Surfaces shown at The International Surface Event. QDI’s pavers come in natural stone, faux-stone and faux-wood porcelain in a variety of colors, as well as four sizes: 24 inches square, 24 by 48 inches, 30 inches square and now 48 inches square. The pavers are commonly used for pool coping edges as well as flooring and walls. The Freska paver, shown in front here, is a natural limestone that QDI says is perfect for pool areas as well as indoors.
QDI’s new Fior di Bosco marble-look 24-by-48-inch porcelain paver has a hammered finish for slip resistance and is suitable for exterior or interior use. A silk-finish version is available in a 48-by-48-inch size.
Borgo porcelain pavers are part of Arizona Tile’s new Outer Limits collection of outdoor products; shown here is the 24-inch-square option in color Ombra. The pavers are the 2-centimeter-thick outdoor nonslip-surface version of indoor tiles from the same collection, making it easy to connect indoor and outdoor spaces. The outdoor pavers come in four colors and two sizes: 24 inches square and 24 by 48 inches.
This is Arizona Tile’s Futura 24-inch-square, 2-centimeter-thick porcelain paver in beige. Along with Borgo, the nonslip Futura tile is part of the Outer Limits collection — outdoor versions of the company’s indoor porcelain tiles. The Futura outdoor pavers come in 24-inch-square and 24-by-48-inch sizes, in four colors: beige, greige, ivory and silver.
If you like quartzite but are bummed you can’t use it outside, consider Arizona Tile’s Oro Gate tile, seen here. It’s 24-by-36-inch quartzite-look rectified glazed porcelain, available in both matte and R11 antislip finishes.
Here’s how Arizona Tile’s Oro Gate 24-by-36-inch porcelain tiles look on an outdoor floor.
MSI’s paver in a new Livingstyle Travertino color, seen here, is part of its Arterra outdoor collection of slip-resistant porcelain pavers. The Arterra collection already existed and now includes new larger sizes: 16 by 47 inches, 18 by 36 inches and 24 by 48 inches. The collection also includes a 24-inch-square size. Porcelain pavers are a good alternative to natural stone, because of their moisture resistance, MSI’s Fallon Crawford says. “When you have an area prone to freeze-thaw, then you don’t have to worry about that trapping moisture and breaking when you have a freeze,” she says.
Here’s an outdoor floor with pavers from MSI’s Arterra collection in the new Livingstyle Travertino color. “Probably our biggest-growing area is our outdoor space selection, kind of the indoor-outdoor lifestyle. We’ve always carried natural stone pavers, and we’ve expanded on that in the last couple years to veneers, manmade stone veneers, natural stone veneers and porcelain pavers, which are exploding on the market because they give you so much more durability than a concrete or cement paver,” Crawford says.
2. Turf
As more homeowners are saying adios to their water-hogging lawns, artificial turf is having its moment. Some companies that produce tile and flooring are now offering faux grass, which is increasingly looking like the real thing, with shades of regionally appropriate green and even brown.
Shown here is a selection of MSI’s turf products on display at Surfaces. One trend in turf is using it in new spaces. “Turf is being put everywhere, not just in your backyard or your front yard. It’s going on rooftops, playgrounds and sports fields and even on walls. The trend is there,” MSI’s Teresa Portillo says.
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As more homeowners are saying adios to their water-hogging lawns, artificial turf is having its moment. Some companies that produce tile and flooring are now offering faux grass, which is increasingly looking like the real thing, with shades of regionally appropriate green and even brown.
Shown here is a selection of MSI’s turf products on display at Surfaces. One trend in turf is using it in new spaces. “Turf is being put everywhere, not just in your backyard or your front yard. It’s going on rooftops, playgrounds and sports fields and even on walls. The trend is there,” MSI’s Teresa Portillo says.
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MSI showed a combo of pavers and artificial turf at the event.
MSI’s new Evergrass Meadow Green Pet Turf has antimicrobial and odor-control properties, and is soft to the touch and fast-draining, making it appropriate for kids and pets.
Crawford says all of the company’s turf is appropriate for pets, but Meadow Green has added features. “What makes it great is that it has added drainage, and the profile is a little bit shorter — so the messes don’t get stuck in it, so it’s easier to clean,” she says.
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Crawford says all of the company’s turf is appropriate for pets, but Meadow Green has added features. “What makes it great is that it has added drainage, and the profile is a little bit shorter — so the messes don’t get stuck in it, so it’s easier to clean,” she says.
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MSI’s Evergrass Summer Gold synthetic turf “has a little gold in it to make it look more natural, so you’re not going to have a bright green, to make it a little more friendly for your region,” Crawford says,
Cali showed its three styles of turf at its Surfaces booth. They vary from the dense turf of The Pebble Beach, to the lengthy grass blades of The Torrey Pines and the shorter, manicured blades of The Cypress Point. Brownish blades scattered with the green give Cali’s turf a realistic look, especially for drier West Coast landscapes.
Here’s what The Pebble Beach looks like installed in a yard. It’s the company’s densest turf, with added thatch fibers for a more natural look.
Here’s what The Pebble Beach looks like installed in a yard. It’s the company’s densest turf, with added thatch fibers for a more natural look.
The Torrey Pines from Cali has longer, wilder faux grass blades in a deeper green.
The Cypress Point artificial turf from Cali, which has a short, freshly cut look, is shown here.
Parkay Floors displayed its three styles of special-order artificial turf.
3. Walls, Countertops and Tiles
With the popularity of outdoor living continuing to rise, tile and flooring makers are getting ever more creative with their offerings for tile, porcelain and natural stone slabs for walls, countertops, cladding and pools.
Emser Tile’s new Mizzoni 6-by-6-inch pool tiles are shown here in Aqua, one of four watery colors in the company’s new collection of matte-finish porcelain tiles.
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With the popularity of outdoor living continuing to rise, tile and flooring makers are getting ever more creative with their offerings for tile, porcelain and natural stone slabs for walls, countertops, cladding and pools.
Emser Tile’s new Mizzoni 6-by-6-inch pool tiles are shown here in Aqua, one of four watery colors in the company’s new collection of matte-finish porcelain tiles.
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Emser Tile introduced its Swirl glass mosaic tiles, shown here in Fog, last year.
These are Emser’s Swirl glass mosaic tiles in the color Sky.
Emser Tile’s Swirl glass mosaic tiles come as squares or rectangles on mesh in 12-by-12-inch pieces, and can be used indoors and outdoors. Shown here are the rectangular tiles in Sky.
Arizona Tile’s Trav Sand 12-by-24-inch travertine-look porcelain tiles are on the wall here. The company’s Borgo 24-inch-square tiles in the Caldo color are on the floor.
MSI’s displayed its Rockmount stacked stone in Alaska Gray at the Surfaces event. “Alaska Gray is probably our No. 1 color overall, but it depends on the region. People in the Northeast tend to like bluestone slate, and the desert likes more beiges,” says MSI’s Fallon Crawford.
Alaska Gray is cut from marble and available in split-face and honed finishes as well as a mix of both. It’s appropriate for cladding of exterior structures, support beams and retaining walls.
Alaska Gray is cut from marble and available in split-face and honed finishes as well as a mix of both. It’s appropriate for cladding of exterior structures, support beams and retaining walls.
Here’s a selection of MSI’s Rockmount stacked-stone panels on display at the show. The collection includes 4½-by-16-inch and 6-by-24-inch panels. Both come in natural stones such as marble, sandstone, slate, quartzite and travertine in a variety of colors. The panels can used for barbecue surrounds, planter walls and exterior architectural features.
QDI Surfaces displayed a selection of its outdoor stone at the show. The patterned tiles in the second row here are 6-by-6-inch Village tiles, which are appropriate for pool waterline use — just below the pool’s coping and above the water.
QDI introduced 27 new 6-by-6-inch tile designs in an array of patterns and colors. “We are seeing stripes make a comeback, and black and white and fun patterns. They’re good for pools, patios, sunrooms, powder rooms or kitchens and accents. Tans are also trending for pools and decks. Turquoise is also gaining some traction,” says Cami Rose of QDI. Shown here is QDI’s new Seasons Noir 6-by-6-inch porcelain tile. Here it’s indoors, but it also can be used on pool waterlines.
This is QDI’s new Atlantico porcelain tile in the Sand color. The wavy pattern of the 6-by-6-inch tile makes it a good match for pool waterlines, and the tile also comes in four swirly blue patterns.
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Wood-and-plastic composite decking dominated the outdoor product displays at the Surfaces event, as did large-scale pavers in both natural and faux stone. And in terms of innovation, there was an eye-catching porcelain deck tile with LED lighting.
Decking. With homeowners putting more effort into their outdoor spaces during the past few years, pros are seeing more deck remodels using low-maintenance composite materials, says Doug Jackson, president of Cali floors. Although composite decking tends to be more expensive than wood, it’s often more durable and requires less maintenance, making it economical in the long run.
“Composite decking is a very practical and cost-effective way to go. Traditional wood decks require frequent maintenance and need to be replaced more often, but composite boards require no sanding, sealing, painting or staining, and are resistant to rot and termites. Plus, they come in multiple color options designed to complement the home exterior,” Jackson says. Cali’s Yosemite decking and LaJolla outdoor rug are shown here.
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