How to lay travertine tiles on a patio?

I have a patio that has an old cracked concrete slab that I would like to lay tiles on. The cracks are surface cracks and probably only about 1mm or 2 deep at the most. I have checked the slab with a level and it appears to be level. I have fallen in love with Travertine and found an amazing quote but its for tiles - can you put tiles on a cracked slab? I thought you would need to use pavers? Also how do you lay tiles on concrete? And how do you tile around a column? My patio rather annoyingly has columns which seems super daunting for a first time tiling/ paving job

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Comments

MitchellMc

Hi @lakiita,

You can tile over a concrete slab, but whether you can tile over a cracked concrete slab depends on whether there is still movement present. If the slab continues to move, you should expect, at a minimum, cracked grout lines. The cracks in your slab themselves aren't too much of an issue, and they sound small enough not to even bother about filling.

In regards to the travertine tiles being suitable for your purpose, that is possibly a question best posed to the supplier. I can't see any reason why you couldn't use them. Typically, pavers are used in areas with no solid substrate, like over soil. They need the extra thickness to avoid cracking under load.

Tiles would be laid over concrete using a tile adhesive. It's the same process as laying internal tiles, but you'll need an adhesive suitable for external use, like Dunlop 2kg Tile-All Tile Adhesive. To tile around a column, you'd cut out the shape of the base of the columns from the tiles that butt up against it. This would be best done with an angle grinder and a diamond blade. If you haven't performed this type of work before, I'd certainly recommend you spend some time becoming familiar with the angle grinder and wearing appropriate PPE, including safety glasses and a dust mask, whilst doing so.

Here's a step-by-step guide that I'm sure you'll find useful: How to tile an outdoor area.

You might like to consider tiling the whole area and then leaving the cutout sections to a tiler. They'll make quick work of those sections and could save you some stress.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

lakiita

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/25527#Comment_25527

Thanks for that - will take a look at those resources - I plan to buy some practice cheap tiles to play with before the final product. I still have no idea what design would be best for a beginner tiler. I'm worried about my lines being wonky and ruining the entire project

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/75447#Comment_75447

Practising on some cheap tiles sounds like an excellent idea @lakiita.

Were you thinking of a fancy design? Obviously, a standard design would be easiest. The key is ensuring that your first course of tiles is perfectly straight. Once you have that line, your tile spacers will ensure that the rest of the tiles are square. You can measure every few courses to ensure you are on track; if not, you can make small adjustments to your tile spacing to bring everything back in line.

We're here for support, so if anything goes wrong, shout out, and we'll assist.

Mitchell

lakiita

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/101476#Comment_101476

I am waiting on some sample tiles to arrive as I have decided on this gorgeous travertine tile. when I'm next at bunnings I'll get an angle grinder and some cheap tiles to play with laying around my columns. I am currently thinking a Herringbone pattern could be the easiest most forgiving to try - taking in to account that I have 5 columns to tile around

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117697#Comment_117697

Hello @lakiita

Just to add to the suggestions made, I recommend having a look at an Ozito 7m Range 90° Tile Laser TLR-090A. It can work for both straight tiling and herringbone pattern layouts. I also propose looking at QEP Lash Tile Levelling Clips for a perfect level layout of the tiles.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

lakiita

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127129#Comment_127129

Oh thanks for those recommendations - I def want those levelling clips - they have been on all the DIY video's I've watched - not sure about the tile laser or how I would use it

would you recommend angle grinder or table top tile saw for cutting tiles??

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133365#Comment_133365

Hello @lakiita

If you are doing the herringbone pattern, you'll need to cut a fair number of tiles on an angle. You'll need to keep these cuts fairly straight so that the edges line up. I suggest renting an Electric Tile Saw Table rather than purchasing a unit that you'll only use for this area. Investing in an angle grinder is always a plus as it serves many purposes other than cutting tiles.

The Ozito laser is a handy guide that lays down laser light on the ground so that you can see if you are running your tiles in a straight line.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to the start of your tiling project.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

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