Tiling external patios, terraces and verandas

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in Building in Portugal, buying property in portugal, Construction land, How to . . ., Living in Portugal, low cost build, property problems, refurbishment November 27, 2012 0 comment

Tiling external patios, terraces and verandas

I was looking at ways of protecting the tiling and natural stone that we are going to lay on a large first floor terrace. I thought that the information I found may be useful to DIY property refurbishment fans as ultimately they will be tiling on cement screed floors and wooden bathroom floors.

The problem is the same for both applications. Floor tiles that crack due to microscopic movement of the timber floor when weight is put on it and the screed when it heats up and cools down each day.

Pool patio tiles — Tiles move as they heat up and cool down every day

The repair and replacement of tiles and stone in these area is a real pain as even when done properly you rarely have a good colour match so that the terrace or floor takes on a patchwork appearance.

natural stone floors are beutiful but require care in installation — Don’t waste money laying expensive natural stone without the correct method of installation. Its just a matter of time before you will be taking it up again

I was thinking that a Webber product that I had used for sealing a large flat concrete roof would be good to seal this terrace as I have some bags of it left. So I called the Webber excellent technical department and asked them what was the best product they had for sealing an external screeded terrace.

They recommended a product from a German company which was surprising.

http://www.prosourcecenter.com/servlet/the-716/Schluter-Systems-Ditra-Ceramic/Detail

This schluter product will mean that you don’t have cracked terrace tiles you can also use it on the bathroom floor as it helps stop cracking.

There are no doubt cheaper copies/variants about too.

Don’t waste money laying expensive natural stone without the correct method of installation. Its just a matter of time before you will be taking it up again.

Based in Portugal Castelo Construction Lda strives to deliver the best building solutions to our clients. www.casteloconstruction.com

Tags central portugal Wood Worm damp damp proof course ideal refurbishment property insulation outside dining Outside Dining Rooms pool tiles problems stone walls terraces and verandas tiling external patios traditional

About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders

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