BajaNomad - Patio flooring

Patio flooring

Diver - 8-27-2007 at 10:01 PM

What is the existing surface and in what condition ?

Diver - 8-27-2007 at 10:30 PM

1. Tile is one obvious choice.
A glazed tile will be easier to maintain but the surface can be slippery when wet. Use a dark grout and a few coats of sealer but count on it getting stained.
2. Pavers or cut brick or stone make a less level surface that will stain easier.
3. There are a number of epoxy-concrete surfacing materials that are great.
The offering started with a product called "Kool-Deck" in the late '70's and there are now many similar products available. Problem would be in finding an installer in your area. The decks can be bulletproof and colored to your liking.
4. Possibly the best alternative if you like the look is to apply an acid stain (color to the bare concrete (clean with dilute acid first)) and then apply a clear sealer immediately after the acid stain dries. The stain can be applied in colors as you like, the slab can also be cut 1/4" deep into square or diagonal tiles (and grouted). Most good concrete sealers are bulletproof and can be re-applied as needed after another light acid cleaning. (Look for one that requires Xylenol or Xylene for clean-up.)
5. Whatever you do; don't paint it !!!!!

.

Bajagypsy - 8-27-2007 at 11:38 PM

Mr. Gypsy here...
I second Divers thoughts,
And additionally if you pick tile and you want trouble free grout, you can buy an epoxy grout (it is basically fiberglass resin with colored sand of your choice), near indestructable stuff, wont stain, never requires sealant.

The saw cutting and acid staining your concrete is also a very nice way to go, if done correctly, will look just like tile. (and it isnt real hard or expensive to do)

Personally havent had a whole lot of luck on the epoxy surfacing....seemed to chip or flake after a few years, but who knows...(I may have srewed up the surface prep.)

[Edited on 8-28-2007 by Bajagypsy]

Crusoe - 8-28-2007 at 08:00 AM

Another Option.......Only when the tile/surface it is to hot to walk on, (June-Nov.) you can use large woven grass mats,10'x10' sq.. Keep stored and roled up and swept up and handy. Nice walking surface for bare feet. ++C++

Diver - 8-28-2007 at 08:04 AM

The only way to keep the deck surface cooler is to use a lighter color material.
Or move to Washington State !! :lol:

Don Alley - 8-28-2007 at 08:20 AM

We've used various tiles on floors and out favorite is saltillo. Readily available, and should some need replacement in the future they will probably still be available. Not sure you can do that with all the glazed tiles. We have some indoors, and some outdoors.

Pescador - 8-31-2007 at 06:47 AM

All of the RV places like Quartzite or Yuma sell an oriental woven mat for RV usage that works really slick on top of concrete. We used one on our patio for a long time and I think we paid around 50 bucks for a 10 x 12. They basically let the dirt fall through since they are woven from hollow plastic material. They are comfortable on bare feet and do not overheat. I think that I even saw some at Wal-mart.

BajaBruno - 8-31-2007 at 07:00 AM

My little patio is flagstone. It's a nice transition from the interior tile. I sweep it every coiuple of days, hose it every week and it looks fine and is easy on bare feet. I assume it is La Paz local material, but I wouldn't swear to it.

Just an option.

aquaholic - 9-1-2007 at 10:47 AM

...I had the same problem when it came time to surface my sundeck. I wanted something that would withstand the climate, would be easy to clean, keeps slips to a minimum, and would be OK to walk on without frying feet. I poured a mortar base contoured and sloped to drain the deck, and installed white 1' x 1' paver tile with an anti-skid surface. I used the best thinset and white grout available, and the tile has held up for over 12 years, with no problems. It drains well, is easy to clean, and is fine to walk on in the hot days of summer.

longlegsinlapaz - 9-1-2007 at 11:17 AM

:rolleyes:

Hmmmmm....Now who was that who told you white/light colored tile is the best way to go for minimal heat retention? :?:

Light colored finish will also help "visually enlarge" your small back yard.

comitan - 9-1-2007 at 11:25 AM

Using light colored material is cooler but you will need sun glasses because of relection.

Debra - 9-1-2007 at 11:30 AM

I'm using laminate (.98 per sq ft.)........cheap, easy to clean, durable, flexable installed on concrete, looks nice. (looks like a hardwood floor) I talked to the locals about it and they all said "good idea"

DENNIS - 9-1-2007 at 12:21 PM

Indoor-Outdoor carpet? Good quality is durable. Probably best if the slab has a bit of fall to it so the carpet doesn't sit in water longer than necessary.

Barry A. - 9-1-2007 at 12:30 PM

If you ever go thru Owens Valley in the "eastern Sierra", stop in the little town of Independence and check out the front deck of the Winnedumah Hotel right across from the Inyo Courthouse----------they just "cut and stained" the entire front concrete deck of the hotel to look like flag stone, and it is incredible good looking------we are going to to this to our back patio which right now is bare old concrete.

The guys who did this job on the Winnedumah Hotel are Mexican artisans from LA, and they certainly know what they are doing (don't have their names or addresses, tho).

Beautiful job!!!!

DENNIS - 9-1-2007 at 12:33 PM

Barry........

How do they cut it on curves, as flagstone? Or, is it a bunch of straight line cuts on different angles?

Barry A. - 9-1-2007 at 12:42 PM

Dennis------

Wow, great question.

I did not actually witness the "cutting", but I talked to them about it and they indicated that the cuts were 1/4 inch deep and they went really fast. I can't remember if the cuts were straight, or curved, but they were irregular. I wished I had taken a picture. They did the entire front deck in one day, I believe, and the deck and entrance stairs cover an area about 150 feet long by 8 to 10 feet wide. 3 artisans were really moving fast for about 12 hours, and they did spend the night at the Hotel gratis. Great guys!!! The deck was ready to walk on by the next day. They spent many mins. explaining their "work" to me, and were really proud of it-------justifiably so, in my opinion. It is really impressive.

DENNIS - 9-1-2007 at 12:45 PM

Thanks Barry.....
It makes the imagination buzz. I'd sure like to see it. Are you getting the same crew?

Barry A. - 9-1-2007 at 12:47 PM

If I was willing to pay for them to come up to Redding, they would come!!!! they said. But, I can't afford that---no matter how good they are. No, I will try and find some local artisans. :tumble:

Barry

Barry A. - 9-1-2007 at 12:57 PM

On "cutting and staining"-----------I forgot to mention that the "process" really stinks for at least a couple of days until the "stain" sets completely and drys out. But that is a small price to pay for the beauty accomplished------after 3 days I could barely smell it, and then we left town.

BajaBruno - 9-1-2007 at 01:02 PM

Barry A.,
Sunset magazine had an article on that process a couple of years ago. They showed several options, including one that was patterned after a geometric Indian blanket motif with several colors. I thought it was pretty impressive, too, and I was just looking at photos.

Barry A. - 9-1-2007 at 01:08 PM

Bruno------

Yep!!! tho I did not see that article. I liked it (the idea) because my 30 something year old patio has cracks in it, and I am afraid to put tile on top of a cracked base-----eventually the tile will crack if you do, I am thinking, even if floating on a "membrane". With this "cut and stain" they just work around the existing cracks, and encorporate them into the new motif-------I swear that this is the best solution that I have seen, and it looks sooooooooo greattttttt!!!

The almost 100 year old deck at the Winnedumah Hotel had dozens of existing cracks, and when they were thru you could not tell which was a "cut" and which was a "crack".

Barry A. - 9-1-2007 at 01:28 PM

Kate-----

Sorry, I did not get any quotes yet, but I can tell you that the Winnedumah is not what you would call a real "money maker" so I am sure that it was not too bad. It is possible that these artisans were friends of the owner, tho, so they may have gotten a really good deal. I know that the artisans were really enjoying themselves the evening after their job------sitting on the front deck of the Hotel with their drinks and talking to everyone coming and going----very happy campers.

Fun, fun. I am thinking that whatever it costs, it is worth it when you get something that looks this good, and is so compatible with cement----especially cement that very well may crack in the future (which is ALL cement, in my experience) :lol:

Barry

Paula - 9-1-2007 at 09:56 PM

Kate if your concrete surface is smoothand pretty there are beautiful things you can do with stains and dyes, then wax or acrylic polish to give sheen and depth. When we built I had visions of a gray stone look, with accents of bright green lichen here and there, rather like granite in a cool shady forest. I thought of the floor as a canvas, and I was going to "paint" what I wanted. It never happened, partly because the pour wasn't smooth. We ended up tiling most of the floors, and I love our saltillo and regret the glazed tile we used on one part to save money. Saltillo is pricy now, but a friend in Loreto found beautiful cement tile with a saltillo look in La Paz. The color is fairly light, and may be good for the heat issue, and the cost was reasonable. I don't remember where we picked it up, but I could find out. We have stone on our patio, and I puton my shoesor burn my feet. Of course you could always build a ramada over the patio to shade the surface of choice :yes:

oldlady - 9-2-2007 at 04:18 AM

Kate,
I have been thinking of that type of concrete work on the decking at the house we are building. Right now I have some guys doing stone work at our house. They are definitely artisans! Everytime I have asked them "Do you do....." they say yes and then send me off to a house where they have done that type of work. I'll ask them about the concrete. If they don't do it, it's likely they will know someone who does.

sylens - 9-2-2007 at 05:04 PM

how does the cut and stain process (and result) compare with "stamped concrete?" we had that done and i am regretting it. the first part was ok. the guy got in a hurry on part 2 and it is already cracking :no:

DENNIS - 9-2-2007 at 05:21 PM

Stamped concrete is a method far removed from the forms available at HomeDpo. It's an art. It's also ball busting work. I used to do it.
What I'm saying is that there are plastic forms available for the homeowner to try his hand with. They normally produce disaster.
Find an expert for a long lasting beautiful result.

dennis,

sylens - 9-2-2007 at 05:54 PM

yeah. we thought we had an expert. he's the guy that put in the stamped concrete at the cespe office and at the malecón here in ensenada. like i said, first part (in front) came out fine. the second part he was a bit too engrossed with his new lady friend, i'm afraid, and he rushed it...

edinnopolo - 9-2-2007 at 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by morgaine7

I'm thinking more and more that this a space where dogs will pee and humans will spill red wine and habañero sauce ... and where I personally would rather lie around making Hawaiian Tropic slicks than do anything even remotely like cleaning or polishing. Maybe I really am an astroturf sort of person. :lol:

Kate

If you're afraid of spils, definitely stay away from saltillo. Takes lots of sealer and waxing to keep it nice.
Not for a patio with lots of use. Have lots of glazed tile patio myself, covered and uncovered, and very happy with it. Throw rug here and there where it is in the sun.