Garden Tile Ideas
As we look back over the year on outdoor projects, there are so many garden tile ideas and inspiration we have gathered. If you are looking to create your own perfect outdoor space using garden tiles, whether it be an entirely original and new project or renovating an existing space, then we have some helpful and inspirational garden tile ideas for you. No matter the type, size, or style of garden you have, this post will help you to understand what outdoor tiles we can provide and how they can be used to enhance your next garden project.
Chastleton Ivory Porcelain Pavers
Tile Ideas for Indoor-Outdoor Spaces
For homes that have bi-folds or French doors opening onto the garden space, a popular trend is matching indoor and outdoor tiles. This extends the flow of your beautiful natural stone or porcelain tile flooring out to your garden tiles, making for that seamless look that many people love.
The Dorchester Aged White is an elegant and authentic stone effect porcelain option that is available as both an indoor tile and as garden tiles, allowing for an uninterrupted transition from indoors to outdoors. The soft, ivory tones and tumbled effect edges pair well with many styles of country homes, and the durable porcelain finish features an R11 rated anti-slip coating on the outdoor version for use in all weathers.
If you are thinking of a classic limestone paving option that can be laid inside to out, then look no further than the Dijon Tumbled limestone. This softly tumbled, honey-toned natural stone tile features a subtly rustic look that suits both contemporary and traditional gardens and is available in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses to suit both internal and garden tiling.
Cobble Tile Ideas
Cobbles have always been a go-to as garden tiles for many different types of outdoor project. Their versatile size means they are perfect for small patio spaces, intricate shapes, pathways or simply as edging stones.
For a unique laying pattern, why not try a herringbone cobble, available in many of our popular natural limestones such as the Dijon Tumbled herringbone cobbles. These can be laid either as a classic herringbone pattern or as a regular ‘brick’ bond, and their thickness also means they are suitable for driveways.
As another cobble garden tile idea, the Sorrento Aged Tumbled cobbles provide a beautifully rustic option when used as a full patio. Their rich texture, fossils, and aged edges complete the look in this country cottage garden, complimenting the look of the house bricks.
Tile Ideas for Small Gardens
When it comes to smaller spaces, there are plenty of garden tiles you can use to enhance the area whilst fitting in with smaller patio sizes or more intricate shapes of garden.
Perhaps one of the most perfect options for small garden tiles are our Sorrento Aged Tumbled limestone pavers. Available in a slightly smaller than usual paver size of 400mm wide, this stone forms the perfect accessory to any small garden project, with the versatile format and rustic charm meaning these popular natural stone garden tiles can fit to suit many shapes of small patios or pathways.
Pathway Tile Ideas
If you are considering garden tiles for a pathway, the key is versatility and ease of maintenance, with these areas sometimes forming the main walkway from house to garden or from one patio to another.
One ever-present choice for pathways is a traditional natural stone cobble. Their small size and durable, hardy surface make for a particularly long lasting and usable pathway garden tile choice. This garden project using Clermont Gris Aged Tumbled limestone cobbles features an intricately designed pathway leading away from an elegant gateway, with the cobble format allowing for this unique pattern.
Another wonderful idea is to utilise the same garden tiles from your patio to extend into a pathway, such as in this project featuring our Dorchester Aged Grey porcelain pavers. Much like the indoor-outdoor garden tile trend, this provides a seamless transition between pathway and patio.
Step and Coping Stone Tile Ideas
Many people choose to incorporate other features into their garden project, beyond the traditional patio area. Swimming pools, steps, and wall copings are all now popular considerations when planning out garden tile ideas.
This outdoor pool featuring Versailles Softly Aged limestone pavers shows how our pre-made bullnosed coping stones can be laid to ensure the pool surround matches perfectly with the other areas of paving.
For another finishing touch, why not continue your outdoor garden tiles into any stepped areas, by matching a bullnosed step piece to the rest of your outdoor pavers. For this traditional, country garden project, the owners chose to do just that, by finishing their steps with matching Dijon Seasoned limestone coping stones, which carry on the look of the rest of their garden tiles.
Garden Tile FAQs
How thick do my garden tiles need to be?
For outdoor installations we recommend a thickness of at least 20mm for both natural stone and porcelain.
What is an R rating for garden tiles?
All of our internal and external porcelain tiles are R rated for grip. For outdoors, our porcelain paving has an R rating of 11. Natural stone is not rated in the same way, due to the natural variation in surface texture, with this texture also providing the required grip for outdoor use.
How should I clean garden tiles?
For porcelain, we recommend a mix of dry and wet methods to keep your porcelain paving looking its best. Regular sweeping is great to remove fallen leaves, berries and dirt. Always sweep in dry conditions to obtain the best results. Wet methods of cleaning can involve a hosepipe alongside a stiff sweeping brush. We recommend using the Lithofin Intensive Clean - diluted at a ratio of 1:10 to remove external dirt and staining.
For natural stone, the same processes apply, but with different products that are suitable for natural stone paving. We recommend Lithofin Power Clean, in the same ratio of 1:10.
For further information, please read our cleaning and maintenance guides.
Can I jet wash my garden tiles?
We recommend using a Pressure Washer with caution. Spray from at least half a metre away to clear light debris and staining. It is also best not to jet wash your garden tiles too regularly, keeping to once or twice a year for a deep clean.
Do I need to seal my garden tiles?
Our porcelain paving does not need to be sealed to remain looking its best. With natural stone garden tiles, sealing is down to personal preference. Sealing your limestone paving will slow down the weathering process, however if you are happy for your pavers to start weathering in naturally once they have been laid, then they can be left unsealed.
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Hopefully this rundown of our year’s findings on garden tile ideas and inspiration has provided you with plenty of options to consider when planning your next outdoor paving project. Read our blog on 10 patio flooring trends for further inspiration. As always, you can view our ranges by visiting our showrooms, and for more information on any of the garden tiles shown here then do feel free to contact us.
