Base under porcelain decking

[Hotbobcool]

Base under porcelain decking

I'm going to be installing porcelain decking around my pool. Is it worth it to lay concrete first or is sand and mortar fine?

PB says concrete is overkill but they'll do it if I want for about $7k more. Ground beneath is Georgia clay.

 

[JamesW]

I would do concrete, mortar and grout.

If you put the stones on sand, you don't use mortar.

How thick are the stones?

 

[Hotbobcool]

I would do concrete, mortar and grout.

If you put the stones on sand, you don't use mortar.

How thick are the stones?

2cm.

Sorry, maybe I'm miscommunicating - mortar and polymeric sand.

 

[JamesW]

2 cm is only about 3/4" (0.7874"), so it definitely needs the concrete base and mortar and grout.

2 cm will not work well on a sand base, in my opinion.

You only use mortar to secure the tiles to concrete and you do not use mortar unless you have a concrete base.

2 cm is a tile and not really a stone.

Stone needs to be about 2" thick to go on sand without a concrete base.

 

[JamesW]

It can be done without the concrete, but, in my opinion, it is not as good as using concrete.

It really depends on the skill of the installers.

 

[kimkats]

Thin like that they could very well crack if some thing is heavy it put on them ;(

 

[JamesW]

Ask to see a job that is a few years old to see how it looks after a few years.

Thinner pavers are almost impossible to get exactly right to where they will not move, shift or crack.

Some contractors can probably do it, but they would have to be very good.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Share more details about what exactly is being proposed by this contractor. Porcelain tile that thin is not really intended for high traffic outdoor use. Porcelain is thin and delicate - if you put something heavy on it without a solid base supporting the tile will fracture. Or sounds like you’re trying to use indoor tile for an outdoor application. Please elaborate.

Also, porcelain tile is incredibly slippery when wet. Using tile around a pool is a dangerous slip & fall hazard.

 

[Hotbobcool]

Ask to see a job that is a few years old to see how it looks after a few years.

Thinner pavers are almost impossible to get exactly right to where they will not move, shift or crack.

Some contractors can probably do it, but they would have to be very good.

Share more details about what exactly is being proposed by this contractor. Porcelain tile that thin is not really intended for high traffic outdoor use. Porcelain is thin and delicate - if you put something heavy on it without a solid base supporting the tile will fracture. Or sounds like you’re trying to use indoor tile for an outdoor application. Please elaborate.

Also, porcelain tile is incredibly slippery when wet. Using tile around a pool is a dangerous slip & fall hazard.

Thank you all,

This builder has only been in Georgia for a little over a year, came from Florida but I did visit 3 pools they've done. One porcelain at 12 months old and 2 travertine that were around 6 months.
They were laid similarly to what we're doing and they were level; I didn't notice anything off but I may just bite the bullet and pay for the concrete base.

Regarding porcelain, this isn't a shower tile. MSI Arterra is our top choice; figuring out color.

 

[MWolf81]

I did concrete and added footers for a bird cage down the road, deck is now just over a year old. We used a product from Daltile with stepwise and traction has been good.

 

[Hotbobcool]

I did concrete and added footers for a bird cage down the road, deck is now just over a year old. We used a product from Daltile with stepwise and traction has been good.

Looks great! Do you remember any more of the tile details? I like the look.

 

[MWolf81]

Yep, SD84636S1PR Farmhouse Xt, Plank, 6X36, Matte.

They make alot (stone look etc) more with stepwise if you look up their site "Daltile"

 

[JamesW]

Check out NPT stones in sandstone, limestone and porcelain pavers.

https://www.nptpool.com/hardscapes/handcrafted-stone/porcelain-pavers/

NPTHardscapes_Brochure

view.flipdocs.com

 

[Tax2023]

We went with porcelain deck supplied by hardscape.com. We looked at NPT porcelain but felt like hardscape.com has more options and felt more solid. We did not go with concrete as we felt it’s overkill and went with gravel and fine black sand mixed, pounded, watered and heavily compacted. We looked at few pools PB built with this setup and felt comfortable. I felt like Tile contractor is an expert with this setup and guaranteed his work for years to come.

I think there is a misconception in this forum about porcelain pavers. Outdoor porcelain is rough, abrasive and not slippery at all. I felt these pavers are much stronger than other pavers.