Wood look tiles for car porches and patios: grip, rain and oil

In most terrace houses and semi-Ds the car porch is the first floor you see and the hardest working one. The car rolls on and off it twice a day, the afternoon storm blows rain across it, and the family walks through it in wet slippers to reach the front door. Many owners want it to match the wood look floor inside, and the usual worry is whether a tile that looks like timber can take that.

It can, if the surface, the size and the laying are chosen for the job. This guide covers car porches, patios and open terraces in the Malaysian climate.

Why real timber does not belong on a car porch

• Rain and sun every day: timber decking outside goes grey, cracks and lifts in a climate that alternates heavy rain with strong sun.
• Termites: a timber floor at ground level is food for them.
• Oil and tyres: engine oil soaks into timber, and tyres turning on the spot scuff the surface.
• Upkeep: an outdoor timber floor needs oiling every year. Chengal and balau last longer than cheaper timbers, but none of them is maintenance free.

Why wood look tiles work outside

Every design can go outdoors

Every Metro design can be used outdoors, on car porches, patios, terraces, balconies and pool decks. Some designs, such as the Ipe Out and Deckwood series, are styled as decking for this use.

The glaze takes the weather

Our tiles are glazed ceramic. The body absorbs 6 to 8% (group BIIb under EN 14411, the standard our factory certifies to), and the glaze on top is what faces the rain and the sun. Oil drips wipe off the glaze if you clean them while they are fresh.

Matt Texture for grip

Outside, choose Matt Texture. It has grain relief you can feel underfoot, and it is the surface we suggest for any floor that gets wet. Households with elderly parents ask about grip before they ask about colour, and on a car porch they are right to.

The curve edge suits an outdoor floor

Every Metro plank has a curve edge formed in the mould. The rounded edge and a 3 to 5 mm joint give the floor the look of separate boards, and a wider joint is also easier to keep filled outdoors.

When the rain comes

The heaviest rain in most of Peninsular Malaysia falls in October and November, and on the east coast from November to January, as MetMalaysia sets out. Those are the months a badly laid porch shows its faults: water ponding in a dip, grout washing out, a tile that sounds hollow. Get the slope and the bed right before the monsoon, not after.

Where it is not the right product

A porch that takes lorries or commercial vehicles every day needs a heavier outdoor slab or concrete, so talk to us first. A floor laid straight onto soil or a cracked old slab will fail whatever tile goes on it. And a car porch that turns into a pond in a storm needs its drainage fixed before any tile goes down.

Choosing a size for outdoor floors

• 150x900mm: the narrowest plank. Ipe Out Nature has a ribbed decking face in a warm brown.
• 200x1000mm: the Deckwood designs, styled as decking boards. They have the Satin Texture surface, so keep them for a covered patio rather than an open porch.
• 200x1200mm: the widest choice of Matt Texture designs, for a large patio or pool deck. East Teak is a six-face Matt Texture design in a teak brown.

Run the planks from the gate towards the house so water and the eye both follow them.

What to check before ordering

• Surface: Matt Texture for every outdoor floor. Wet the sample and stand on it.
• Water absorption: ask for the tested figure. Ours is 6 to 8% under a glaze.
• Edge type: curve edge or rectified. Ours needs a 3 to 5 mm joint.
• Slip rating: if your architect or developer needs a rating, ask for the test report for the exact tile.
• Quantity: add 10% for cuts and order from one batch. The coverage calculator on each plank page does the sum.

Specifications are in our downloadable catalogue.

Laying notes for car porches and patios

• Slope first. The base needs a fall towards the drain or the garden so rain runs off instead of ponding.
• Full bed under every tile. On a car porch there can be no hollow spots: use a full mortar bed or full adhesive coverage, with slurry on the back of each tile.
• Let it cure. Leave the bed 3 to 4 days before grouting, and keep the car off until your contractor says it is ready.
• Quarter offset, arrows one way. Offset each row by a quarter plank, never a half, with the arrows on the backs pointing the same way.
• Joints of 3 to 5 mm. Use spacers of at least 3 mm and an outdoor grade grout.
• Movement joints. A large outdoor floor in full sun needs movement joints at the edges and across the area where the contractor judges.

The short version

On a car porch or patio, the surface and the laying matter more than the design: Matt Texture for grip in the rain, a full bed with no hollow spots, a proper fall to the drain, and a cured floor before the car goes back on. Read how the same tiles do in bathrooms and wet kitchens, or contact us for samples and test them on your porch in the rain.

Frequently asked questions

Can wood look tiles be used on a car porch?

Yes. Every Metro design can be used outdoors, car porches included. Use the Matt Texture surface and lay every tile on a full bed with no hollow spots.

Are wood look tiles slippery when wet?

A shiny tile can be. Matt Texture has grain relief that gives more grip in the rain, which is why we suggest it for every outdoor floor.

Will engine oil stain the tiles?

Oil on the glazed face wipes off if you clean it while it is fresh. The grout joint is the part that can mark, so clean drips promptly.

What size is best for a car porch?

The 200x1200mm plank has the widest choice of Matt Texture designs. The 150x900mm Ipe Out designs have a ribbed decking face if you want the look of timber decking.

How long before I can park on a new tiled porch?

Leave the bed to cure 3 to 4 days before grouting, then follow your contractor's advice on when the car can go back on.

Do the tiles need oiling or sealing outside?

No. The design is printed and fired under the glaze, so there is no oil, stain or sealer to renew the way timber decking needs every year.