Interlocking outdoor deck tiles - experiences?

[jollystomper]

I am looking for a simple (by “simple” I mean no messing with glues/adhesives/nails/sand/etc ) cosmetic way to improve the look of our outdoor backyard concrete patio. It is 10 ft x 24.75 ft, level, and water drains off it well. The concrete is in good shape, just old and ugly. I scrub it several times a year, and it will look “better”, but not fresh.

I started exploring the world of interlocking deck tiles, like this type (just an example, I am not yet sold on any one or on where to purchase it from: https://www.homedepot.com/p/12-in-W...eck-Tiles-Pack-of-30-Tiles-DG-30G72/325848476 . I like the concept (similar to to the laminate I put down in a couple of rooms) of just interlocking the tiles on top of an existing clean surface. All the videos I have seen show the installation to be a breeze. Has anyone here tried installing and using this type of product on an outdoor patio? If there is already a thread on this, just point me to it. Thanks!

 

[ERD50]

No experience with these, but your links are messed up. Your Home depot link took me to Amazon!

I think they were meant to be two separate links?


https://www.homedepot.com/p/12-in-W...eck-Tiles-Pack-of-30-Tiles-DG-30G72/325848476

https://www.amazon.com/Goovilla-Interlocking-Flooring-Outdoor-All-Weather-Waterproof/dp/B0BR39DF4Y

Note that one is actual wood, the other plastic - different maintenance I imagine.

-ERD50

 

[jollystomper]

No experience with these, but your links are messed up. Your Home depot link took me to Amazon!

I think they were meant to be two separate links?


https://www.homedepot.com/p/12-in-W...eck-Tiles-Pack-of-30-Tiles-DG-30G72/325848476

https://www.amazon.com/Goovilla-Interlocking-Flooring-Outdoor-All-Weather-Waterproof/dp/B0BR39DF4Y

Note that one is actual wood, the other plastic - different maintenance I imagine.

-ERD50

Sorry about that - do not know why, I had been looking at both, but thought I put the Home Depot link in. Fixed in original post now. They are different materials, I do not have a strong feeling for the material type right now.

 

[zinger1457]

Never used them but an issue I see is that since they are real wood you'll have the same maintenance issue as you do with real wood decks, annual staining and/or sealing. Are these available in composite decking type material? You'll also probably need to start with a very flat deck to get these to connect properly.

 

[jollystomper]

Never used them but an issue I see is that since they are real wood you'll have the same maintenance issue as you do with real wood decks, annual staining and/or sealing. Are these available in composite decking type material? You'll also probably need to start with a very flat deck to get these to connect properly.

Yes, they are available in composite decking material (like the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Goovilla-Interlocking-Flooring-Outdoor-All-Weather-Waterproof/dp/B0BR39DF4Y).

Due to things you point out I would lean towards composite/plastic. I checked the user manual after your post:

Decking Tile is pre-treated with water-based wood strain to make the surface durable enough for outdoor usage. The best way to extra the life of your Decking Tile is by cleaning it correctly, not leaving it outdoors unprotected more than necessary and re-staining it on a regular basis.

Too much work for me, so composite it likely is .

 

[triangle]

If your concrete patio is in good shape I would investigate staining it. I have never done that, but I believe their are stains or epoxies that can be "painted" on, like what would be used in a garage.

IMO adding tiles over the top is just moving the maintenance up to this new layer. If you are wanting to avoid mildew discoloration, products like "Wet & Forget" can help keep concrete looking fresh for longer.

This does not sound like your situation or need, but youtuber Steve Ramsey just published a video where he added a floating deck over his cracking concrete patio to make it look fresh. He used lots of nails and screws but did not need to anchor as it was laying on the concrete and wedged into place.

 

[braumeister]

I got a similar type (Norsk brand) from Home Depot for my garage. The previous owner had an epoxy coating on the floor but it wasn't well done and became very slippery when wet. Rather than go through the hassle of redoing the floor, I put the interlocking tiles on it and I've been very happy with it.

The concrete on my very small patio was also getting a bit shabby so I put the same thing down there. Even though they are not specifically rated for outdoor use, it still looks good on the patio after several years.

Easy to install and I like that there are air channels on the bottom side so little chance of mold forming.

 

[street]

Interesting product. I didn't realize something like was on the market.

 

[JoeWras]

Me too. I have never seen this. Fascinating.

 

[Jerry1]

I’d look into staining or epoxy. Looking at that product the first thing that comes to mind is how much stuff will get stuck in those crevices.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I'd be worried that it would impact the drainage and possibly just hold moisture in place, causing mold/wetness issues over time. You wouldn't really know that impact until it was in place, I suppose.

 

[pacergal]

DD and DSiL are looking into these tiles for their new deck. They look fairly simple to install.

Are you specifically looking for a wood surface?
Another option could be to resurface the concrete, and add a concrete tint if you wanted a different look.
I have no idea abut price and/or labor for either one of those options.

Home ownership--it's always something!

 

[jollystomper]

If your concrete patio is in good shape I would investigate staining it. I have never done that, but I believe their are stains or epoxies that can be "painted" on, like what would be used in a garage.

IMO adding tiles over the top is just moving the maintenance up to this new layer. If you are wanting to avoid mildew discoloration, products like "Wet & Forget" can help keep concrete looking fresh for longer.

This does not sound like your situation or need, but youtuber Steve Ramsey just published a video where he added a floating deck over his cracking concrete patio to make it look fresh. He used lots of nails and screws but did not need to anchor as it was laying on the concrete and wedged into place.

Thanks. That video is nice, but *way* too much work for what I want . Ditto for staining, which would require a lot more prep work as well.

The composite tiles seemed to designed in a way that maintenance is just washing them off with a hose... which I do to the current patio already. I use "Wet & Forget" as well, but it still does not look as nice as I hoped.

 

[jollystomper]

Are you specifically looking for a wood surface?

Not at all. Another day of investigating has me focused more on composite surfaces. It does look simple to install, and my labor is cheap .

 

[Chuckanut]

A neighbor had a thin colored concrete topping put on top of his concrete patio and then stamped with a tile like pattern. It looks great.

 

[jollystomper]

I'd be worried that it would impact the drainage and possibly just hold moisture in place, causing mold/wetness issues over time. You wouldn't really know that impact until it was in place, I suppose.

One of the nice things is that, since it not anchored to the concrete (just to each other), it seems fairly easy, if needed, to take it up if any thing needed to be done below it. The tiles seem designed to allow for drainage beneath them.

 

[CaptTom]

I bought something similar for the boat. The head originally had teak grid flooring, but somewhere along the way that got removed. These things looked like a good replacement.

And they are. But I'm not so sure about outdoor use. They seem rather flimsy. The wood isn't all that solidly connected to the plastic, and the plastic seems pretty fragile. I can't see dragging heavy lawn furniture around on them, or any of the other indignities an average patio or deck is exposed to.

At least any broken ones would be easy to replace. I'd keep plenty of spares on hand.