Dekmax Blog: Utah Decks

Outdoor tile, done right.
May 17, 2010

Quite a while ago I attended a training class in Baltimore MD. Duradek had offered a new product to market, Tiledek was supposed to be the answer to the confusion and lack of confidence when using tile outdoors.

Knowing the way that Duradek does things I was very interested in this opportunity and hoped that it would offer our customers some solutions. In virtually every meeting I had with tile companies and tile setters all I heard was life is wonderful. "We have never had an issue doing tile outdoors" "We only use xxxx (brand) and it has always worked." I was hearing it yet on the flip side from the investigations being done with failed projects and the research that was done prior to Tiledek's development I was very hesitant to believe it.

It took a while and we finally decided we need some help. We were fortunate to locate a local person with more than twenty years of experience in the tile industry. After numerous discussions and meetings the truth started to come to light. What was really happening was a game of finger pointing and passing of blame when there was a failure and they are as common as I had thought. Armed with this information I began to dig a little deeper and have found some very interesting common threads. I would have to say the number one concern is that the manufacturers recommendations are not being taken into consideration. As an example; Tile is going to be installed over cement board (CBU) but all cement board is not the same. Some have manufacturers approval for use outdoors while others clearly state it is water and mildew resistant. While they do not make it clear use outdoors is not recommended or supported, it is being assumed by the contractors and you know what that means. Now we are in a game of "finger pointing" and to often the home owner is left with a mess, a very costly mess.

This issue reaches into all products being used in outdoor tile. It can be as simple as the owner choosing the tile without the basic knowledge of what will work. Tile manufacturer's will tell you what is approved, generally right on the tile display. If unsure ask the questions of the tile setter. "Is this tile approved for use outdoors? By the manufacturer?

Waterproofing is not an area to be playing games with. Done right it can seem like an easy thing but done wrong it can be a nightmare. What I have learned is the concern is over the appearance and little thought is given to what is under the tile. Here is where the problems begin. Once the surface is covered with tile it looks great! Soon it is forgotten, the problems are at work under the tile. Water will penetrate the tile and grout and search for a place to go. It make take some time, years even but it will continue to work and sooner or later you will find a failure.

Tiledek accomplishes eliminating the big risk factors.

1. Only trained dealers (applicators) are used so waterproofing becomes a focus rather then afterthought.
2. Tile setters are given specifications as to which products are to be used. No skimping.
3. Tiledek's warranty information is available with easy access on line -
http://www.duradek.com/_customelements/uploadedResources/Tiledek10yrWarrantygeneric.pdf
4. Decades of roofing experience has been applied to the use of tile and the result is the best of both worlds.

We will be continuing our focus on Tiledek in the coming weeks with some specific work being performed both in the Salt Lake area as well as the mountains.

 

 

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