Lavishly large! Our guide to 20mm outdoor tiles
Whether you want to create a beautiful outdoor path, or a perfect patio, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to outdoor tiles. Create a seamless look from indoors to outdoors with matching interior and exterior tiles, use wood effect tiles as an alternative to decking, or create a quintessentially English cottage style with quarry tiles. The sky’s the limit, as long as your tiles are frost-resistant and anti-slip.
Why choose 20mm outdoor tiles?
There’s nothing worse than having to compromise style over sturdiness (or vice versa) when it comes to choosing floor tiles. Thankfully, our new range of 20mm outdoor tiles solves that problem, offering the winning combination of gorgeous designs and gargantuan durability.
Rodano tiles
Benefits of 20mm Outdoor Tiles
Super Strength
Typical outdoor tiles are often just 9–12mm thick. The 20mm format offers superior strength, resisting loads, stress, and temperature changes with ease.
Durability
20mm tiles can withstand the great British weather, vehicle traffic, and heavy footfall. They’re frost-resistant and resilient to mould, moss, and stains — making them super easy to clean.
Anti-Slip Surface
Water-prone areas need a safe surface. With an R11 rating, these tiles help reduce the risk of slipping, making them ideal for gardens, pool areas and patios.
A Bespoke Look
Move over plain concrete! With a wide range of colours, textures and finishes, 20mm outdoor tiles offer the flexibility to create everything from stylish terraces to quaint country walkways.
Versatile Installation
20mm tiles can be laid using a variety of methods — adhesive-free for easy repositioning, raised supports for drainage, or traditional adhesive for high-traffic areas.
Indoors to Outdoors
Create flow in your home by continuing your indoor tiles out to a patio or balcony. 20mm porcelain tiles are suitable for both interior and exterior use.
Bejin Beige Porcelain Garden Tiles 60x90
How do 20mm Outdoor Tiles Compare?
Wondering 20mm outdoor tiles measure up to other popular outdoor materials? Here's a quick side-by-side comparison to help you decide.
| Feature | 20mm Porcelain Tiles | Decking | Natural Stone | Concrete Slabs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durability | ✅ Excellent | ❌ Can rot/split | ✅ Good | ✅ Good |
| Maintenance | ✅ Low effort | ❌ Regular treatment | ❌ Prone to moss | ❌ May stain/crack |
| Slip Resistance | ✅ R11-rated | ❌ Often slippery | ✅ Textured | ❌ Varies |
| Style Options | ✅ Wide range | ❌ Limited tones | ✅ Natural only | ❌ Uniform |
| Weather Resistance | ✅ Frost & UV safe | ❌ Can fade | ✅ Naturally hardy | ❌ May need sealing |
What are 20mm outdoor tiles suitable for?
Residential use
Balconies, driveways, garage floors, gardens, hard landscaping, indoor floors, paths, patios, raised pavings, swimming pool surrounds and walkways.
Commercial use
Any heavy traffic areas, car parks, pavements, shopping centres and urban areas.
Carleen Sand Outdoor Porcelain Slab
How to lay 20mm outdoor tiles
Another beauty of 20mm tiles is the choice of installation options, with four methods to choose from.
Raised flooring with supports
This practical solution offers numerous advantages. The raised installation allows room for pipes and systems underneath, which can be easily inspected, as well as offering high heat insulation and effective water drainage. The tiles can also be installed quickly and used straight away. You can use this method on existing floors and new surfaces.
Installation on gravel or soil
Installing 20mm tiles on gravel or soil is a quick and easy method, and avoids the need for using adhesives or grout. Other advantages include more efficient water drainage, the option to remove the tile altogether, and you can walk on the surface immediately after laying.
Dry installation on grass
If you’d like to create a pathway or feature area in your garden, position the tiles on a layer of gravel to add stability and create a more level surface. We recommended leaving enough space between the tiles for grass to grow through.
Installation with adhesives
High traffic or heavy load area? Adhesive is the best solution, but make sure your floor is perfectly level first!
How NOT to install 20mm outdoor tiles
Avoid laying your tiles on semi-dry sand and cement mix, as they tend to come loose over time, especially in main walkways, such as around a washing line, etc.
Essen Sand Porcelain Paving Tiles
Caring for Your 20mm Outdoor Tiles
These tiles are built to last, but a little care goes a long way:
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Sweep regularly to remove dirt and leaves.
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Clean with mild detergent and a soft brush or mop.
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Avoid harsh chemicals that may erode the tile surface.
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Use a pressure washer occasionally on a low setting.
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Check grout lines or supports annually for wear or movement.
Duplostone Ivory Porcelain Paving Tiles
Common Questions & Myths About 20mm Outdoor Tiles
Are 20mm porcelain tiles too heavy or tricky to cut?
No — they can be cut using a water-cooled tile saw. Most landscapers and DIYers can handle them with standard tiling tools.
Will porcelain tiles crack in winter?
Not if they’re frost-resistant (ours are!). As long as they're installed correctly, they handle freeze-thaw cycles far better than concrete or natural stone.
Are they slippery when wet?
Our outdoor tiles are R11-rated for slip resistance — ideal for British gardens, pool areas and patios.
Rodano Dark Grey Outdoor Tiles
A fabulous Customer Project
Bethan's 1990s house in South Wales needed a modern refresh. With her partner's carpentry skills, they took on much of the renovation themselves, aiming for a blend of modern and classic style. The garden, initially filled with grass, trees, and ivy, was transformed into a stylish space with a new patio area.
After searching for the perfect outdoor tiles, she found the Lake Grey Anti Slip 20mm outdoor tiles at Direct Tile Warehouse. These 60cm x 60cm x 20cm tiles had the exact grey, washed look she wanted and were affordable compared to other options.
"We wanted large, square porcelain tiles that were grey but had a ‘washed’ look that consisted of different tones and needed to be anti-slip. We did some browsing at other tile stores and online, but when we popped into our local Direct Tile Warehouse we fell in love instantly. In the centre of the store sat these new tiles and exactly what we were both looking for. We picked the Lake Grey Anti-Slip porcelain tiles. I couldn’t believe the price of them in comparison to other tiles I’d seen in other stores, and the quality of these were better."
Read more about Bethan's project here.
Explore our full range of 20mm outdoor tiles and create a garden that’s both practical and picture-perfect.
If you need any help in choosing 20mm outdoor tiles, give our team a call on 01792 773015, or email info@directtilewarehouse.com