In talking with customers and businesses in the tile industry there is a very obvious need for a proven well developed product for the tile industry to embrace the use of tile in an outdoor applications. Rather than trying to make a tile setter a waterproofing expert (which I have yet to find) why not take a waterproofing expert and have them install a product that not only waterproofs but also readies the project for tile? What tile setter wouldn't love to walk onto the job ready to lay tile? I have learned that in the past years it was the tile setter walking onto to job wondering how they would keep water out.
Sure there are sceptics out there because nothing they or the other contractors they know has come up with a product that works. That is part of the problem, it is not a product that is needed. The solution is a system. A tested, approved system that includes all the materials and components that are used. Each of those components has the manufacturers approvals for it use in the system. Without the proper approvals and a professional installation you may as well start saving for the repair cost and good luck getting somebody to warranty the work.What I struggle with is the decision to use a tile that costs $5000 then to save a couple dollars by using unproven less expensive ideas on how to protect the tile and the home?
These pictures are of Tiledek installed following the instructions with a couple steps left out. We have purposely introduced water and ice into play. Though a finished project would never be subjected to this kind of treatment we thought we would do it just for kicks. This is why we are so confident we have the correct system to eliminate the past frustrations and extreme cost associated with outdoor tile.
This is a small trapped deck that we made and it is lined with Tiledek. Water was added, to the top of the tile, about a half inch or so. It is left outside the shop and freezes over night. Each morning we bring it inside and place it under a heat lamp to greatly speed up the freeze thaw process. Here is a sample of what happens -
10:10am 26 degrees Solid ice
10:20 40 degrees Ice on top of tiles melted as well as the area closest to the lamp
10:30 48 degrees 1/2 of ice melted and the tile itself is warm to the touch
