A huge new Tile Mountain opened in Hull recently and we were asked to visit and review some of their porcelain outdoor tiles. We visited over the summer and were impressed by how large the store was (as well as the easy free parking!).
There were so many choices of tiles:
As well as sinks, baths and taps etc!
We’ve had our hot tub for around 15 years now and it used to look pretty around it. Those years took their toll on the formerly shiny decking leading to it, so when the opportunity to review the outdoor tiles arose, we were delighted.
We placed our order online for 20mm thick Ebor Beige outdoor porcelain tiles. We were promptly advised of a delivery day and within a few days, a jolly chap delivered them on a pallet. Now, they are heavy, so don’t expect them to be delivered to your garden. We employed a grumpy/sleepy teenager to assist.
We recently put a new fence in around the hot tub, leaving this spot to its right as bare earth.
We set to work preparing the spot for them to go with a concrete base and a small retaining wall. We’d just got the dirty work out the way before the shiny tiles arrived.
I should say that you can either lay porcelain tiles on a concrete base with a suitable tile cement like we have in this spot. Or if you are starting from scratch, it’s more usual to prepare a base of MOT type one and lay them on sand/cement.
As we had a number of angled cuts to make, we laid the whole tiles out first, then carefully measured and marked for the cuts. We used a diamond disc in an angle grinder which worked for a clean cut, with liberal water for cooling and dust suppression. My tip would be to lie the tile on something like an offcut of insulation as a buffer to avoid breakages.
Once down you can admire and grout the next day. We went for a contrasting grey grout. It looks good and should stay that way.
Our hot tub area is starting to look amazing and is a lovely secluded seating area. Mrs Wonders worked her magic with the decor and of course fairy lights (she is obsessed with fairy lights!).
The only unfortunate thing is, it looks too good so now I am planning to embark on a much larger garden landscaping project. With steps leading up to the hot tub, paving, raised planters, and a covered outdoor seating area and outdoor kitchen. I may have got carried away here, watch this space!
