Tiles, flooring and coverings for outdoor spaces in porcelain stoneware

Beyond the aesthetic aspect, further elements such as exposure, frequency of use, presence of water, area size and other specific requirements should be considered. Porcelain stoneware for outdoor use guarantees strength and allows you to design floors suitable for any climate condition, from persistent rain to the most extreme temperature fluctuations, without losing its integrity.

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Thickness, size, surface finish and installation system determine how the floor is installed, experienced and perceived over time, affecting the actual performance of the flooring.

For outdoor spaces, porcelain stoneware combines resistance to atmospheric agents, color stability, ease of cleaning and a wide variety of visual effects, but the choice of suitable collections must also consider conditions and intended uses: a covered balcony has different requirements than a poolside, a walkway or a driveway. The presence of water, barefoot use and the connection with indoor rooms may also suggest different solutions.

The 20 mm thick porcelain stoneware is recommended when the outdoor floor must offer, in addition to high strength, also installation versatility. It is a solution designed for driveways, poolside areas or, more generally, for passages subject to intensive use and areas where a solid and durable floor is desired.

20 mm porcelain stoneware collections offer surfaces designed for outdoor spaces and are available in various material effects, making it possible to choose a high-performing outdoor floor without sacrificing the aesthetic consistency of the project

If you want to bring the authenticity of natural stone to your outdoor spaces, stone effect porcelain tiles are the perfect solution. The faithful reproduction of materials like travertine, slate and granite allows you to recreate the charm of natural stone, but with all the advantages of porcelain stoneware, such as easy maintenance and resistance to atmospheric agents.

Available in several sizes, these tiles can adapt to any design requirement, both for garden and terrace floors and for cladding external walls. The stone effect gives outdoor spaces a rustic and elegant appearance, perfect for those who love the beauty of nature but seek a practical, durable and easy-to-maintain solution.

The large sizes enhance wide surfaces (such as terraces and verandas) because they reduce the visual presence of joints and give a more continuous and orderly effect. Medium sizes and small sizes, on the other hand, offer great design flexibility and are well suited for balconies, walkways, articulated areas or spaces with stairs, edges, cuts or connections. They allow easier management of installation and make it possible to create balanced layouts even in small surfaces.

Assess these aspects from the start with a qualified professional in order to identify the most suitable collection and achieve a proportional and functional outdoor floor.

Among ceramic materials, you can choose porcelain stoneware both for floors and wall coverings, as it guarantees resistance to atmospheric agents, long-term stability and high safety standards even in humid conditions.

Marazzi outdoor collections are designed precisely to meet these requirements, offering solutions suitable for different installation techniques (adhesive, dry, raised, ...).

The installation possibilities are many and allow you to adapt the project to the characteristics of the space, the architectural context and the desired final result. For Marazzi Extra Thick 20mm porcelain stoneware, in addition to adhesive installation, there are dry installations on gravel, grass, sand and for outdoor raised floors.

For more details on the different installation techniques, you can consult the page dedicated to tile installation. In every case, the choice of the most suitable installation method should always be evaluated together with qualified designers and installers, who will analyze the characteristics of the space and indicate the most technically appropriate solution on a case-by-case basis.

Outdoor spaces require strength and frost resistance, but some considerations about size, slip resistance, thickness and installation may vary from case to case.

For outdoor floors it is important to pay special attention to exposure to water, frequency of use and the grip level of the surface. In the presence of rain, humidity or areas used barefoot, safety becomes an essential criterion: for this reason, it is important to select tiles with a high slip resistance coefficient (grip).

For external wall coverings, on the other hand, the choice of porcelain stoneware allows you to enhance walls, facades and vertical surfaces with a compact, durable and stable material, even in variable weather conditions.

Let's look in more detail at the specifics of each outdoor space and how outdoor porcelain tiles respond to the requirements of each case.

Terraces and balconies are often the meeting point between indoors and outdoors. For this reason, the choice of floor must bring together everyday comfort, visual consistency with the house’s rooms and resistance to weather conditions.

When the surface is intended for residential use, collections with outdoor surfaces are an effective solution to obtain elegant, practical floors coordinated with the interior style. They are recommended, for example, for balconies, covered terraces or outdoor spaces connected to the living area, where a seamless surface is desired and visually harmonious.

In case of exposure to rain and humidity, it is wise to opt for outdoor surfaces with higher grip, able to provide safer use without sacrificing visual results. In these cases, Marazzi outdoor collections with StepWise technology (such as the Mystone Limestone collection and the Cementum collection) combine slip resistance, softness to the touch and ease of cleaning: characteristics especially suitable for outdoor spaces used every day.

Traditional installation is suitable for stable, permanent surfaces, while raised solutions for terraces can be considered in cases where slopes, inspectability or running systems under the floor are needed.

Gardens, verandas, walkways and driveways require floors able to withstand different stresses: frequent use, exposure to sun, rain, frost, soil humidity and outdoor furniture.

If you are looking for ideas for garden flooring, consider both standard thickness outdoor collections and 20 mm collections. For verandas and paved areas adjacent to the house, the choice may go to outdoor collections with marble effect (such as Allmarble), wood effect (such as Vero), stone effect (for example Mystone Pietra di Sicilia), according to the home’s style and the desired level of continuity with the interiors. 

If the outdoor space needs to be driveable, as in the case of driveways, garage entrances or small maneuvering areas, 20 mm thick collections installed with adhesive are the preferred choice, always with technical planning appropriate to the substrate and the type of load expected. Among the Marazzi Extra Thick collections the range includes the cement effect of Cementum20 , the stone effect of Mystone Pietra Ligure 20, the wood effect of Vero 20 and the terracotta-cement effect of Slow 20 and Slow Cold 20.

Read also Which material should you choose for a driveable outdoor floor? 

Marazzi collections designed for poolside outdoor areas are offered in 20 mm thick porcelain stoneware, a solution suitable where the constant presence of water and barefoot walking require grip, strength and surface comfort.

From a visual standpoint, the variety of porcelain stoneware proposals makes it possible to define the pool edge with natural and material effects, such as stone, concrete or wood, creating studied and original combinations. The choice of the most suitable collections for pool and surrounding area cladding can thus contribute to an integrated, elegant and functional space as well as technically advanced.

In architectural projects, thin porcelain stoneware slabs can also be used to clad ventilated façades of buildings, contributing to the visual and functional definition of the building.

A ventilated façade in porcelain stoneware allows you to enhance the external envelope with resistant, durable surfaces available in a wide range of effects, colors and sizes. It is a solution designed for residential, commercial and public projects in which the external cladding becomes an integral part of architectural identity.

Marazzi outdoor surfaces in porcelain stoneware are also suitable for installation on ventilated façades.

The choice of porcelain stoneware for ventilated façades must always be evaluated together with designers and specialized technicians, in order to identify the most suitable sizes, anchoring systems and solutions for the characteristics of the building.

One of the advantages of Marazzi porcelain stoneware is the ability to design coordinated and continuous surfaces, creating a harmonious dialogue between the rooms of the house and outdoor spaces.

The indoor-outdoor collections are designed to maintain the same visual identity, offering surfaces suitable for domestic life in the interiors and more structured for outdoor use.

Continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces does not necessarily require the identical tile in every room. A wood effect floor indoors, for example, can dialogue with a stone effect or a concrete effect porcelain stoneware outdoors, to achieve contemporary and personalized combinations.

Also color and size help to build balanced pairings. Neutral tones, similar shades or different sizes allow for a visual link between indoors and outdoors without making the choice uniform.

Marazzi collections allow you to explore many different design possibilities to identify the most suitable combination for the home’s style, the intended use of the spaces and the desired level of continuity between indoors and outdoors.

Porcelain stoneware is a practical solution also for daily maintenance of outdoor spaces.

To learn more, read our guide on how to clean porcelain stoneware: regular maintenance helps preserve the material effect of the tile and keeps the floor pleasant to use in every season. Special attention should also be paid to proper end-of-site cleaning.

The most frequent questions mainly concern thickness, installation and technical specifications. The answers help clarify the main criteria, but the final choice should always be checked with specialized personnel, based on the selected product and the characteristics of the space.

Not always. 20 mm porcelain stoneware is useful when the project requires dry installation, raised installation, driveways, gardens, terraces or more heavily used outdoor spaces. In other cases, standard thickness solutions with outdoor surfaces may be suitable.

It depends on the use of the space. In areas exposed to water it may be useful to consider finishes with higher grip, always checking classifications and technical indications with a qualified professional.