LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL SURFACES
Bringing the inside out
Peter Wilson of Setcrete explains how an internal living space can be seamlessly extended onto an outdoor terrace with the help of floor tiling
T
he trend amongst homeowners to ‘bring the outside in’ is well established, driven to a large
degree by the boom in bi-fold doors for garden rooms and kitchen/diners, which can fully open an entire wall to provide an unbroken view of their garden space. Taking this one step further, a growing number of property owners are seeing an evolution of this trend by extending the interior living space out onto an adjoining terrace or patio. And they are using porcelain tiles to create a truly unbroken connection between the inside and outside of a property.
This not only visually extends the living
area of a home, but creates usable living space outside that mimics the aesthetic quality of the internal floor. As well as delivering a clean, high
sep/oct 2021
quality visual appeal, porcelain tiles are able to withstand the varying seasonal weather conditions experienced in the UK, while being easy to clean and maintain.
BE PREPARED What’s crucial in achieving the perfect finish is to ensure that the subfloor is perfectly prepared, which means it must be sound and stable, as well as super smooth, level and at the same height as the internal floor. This makes the installation process easier and quicker to achieve that all-perfect finish; indistinguishable from the inside. A typical concrete screed, while
providing the solid base required, is unlikely to be laid so that it precisely matches the height of the internal
flooring screed and certainly would not achieve the same level of smoothness as a purpose-designed levelling compound. Levelling compounds are designed to deliver the perfect subfloor base as part of the tiling installation. The best performing ones are formulated to make the preparation process simple and quick, with super fast drying and setting times.
EXTERIOR PERFORMANCE Importantly, for exterior applications, a specialist external levelling compound must be used to withstand what the British weather can throw at it; from severe winter frosts to 30°C plus summer sunshine and everything in between. Furthermore, having made the investment in good quality tiles, you’ll want to ensure that the levelling
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