In short
- For an uncovered terrace, the starting point is technical porcelain stoneware with water absorption ≤ 0.5%: that is what stops water from entering the tile and cracking it the first winter.
- On safety, the usual reference outdoors is R11 (ramp test) and Class 3 under the Spanish building code (Rd > 45). Beside a pool or on a steep slope, go up to R12.
- 20 mm thickness is not a luxury: it is what allows dry laying —on adjustable pedestals, gravel or grass— and what takes outdoor use without relying on the adhesive.
- Mallorca adds three factors of its own: very strong sun, salt air near the coast and hard water, which attacks the grout long before the tile.
- You can see and walk on the outdoor collections at our showroom in Palma, Carrer de Calçat, 16.
A terrace is the hardest-working floor in the house and the one we think about least. Indoors we choose flooring for how it looks; outdoors we also have to choose it for what it will endure: twelve hours of August sun, the first October rain falling on stone at forty degrees, the salt carried on the wind, and bare feet coming back wet from the pool.
Porcelain stoneware handles that job well — but not just any porcelain. This guide explains what to look at, and in what order, so you don’t find out two summers too late.
What a Mediterranean terrace demands from a floor
The sun
The sun does two things at once. First, it expands: an outdoor surface moves far more than an indoor one, and that movement needs room to breathe through properly resolved laying joints and expansion joints. Second, it heats. A very dark floor on a south-facing terrace can become impossible to walk on barefoot at midday; sand, bone and warm grey tones give back part of that light instead of storing it.
On colour, porcelain has the advantage: the pigment is fired into the body, so it does not fade over the years the way other outdoor materials do.
Salt air and hard water
Near the sea the air is salty, and across much of the island the water used for irrigation and washing down is hard. Neither really attacks a well-chosen technical porcelain: if the tile barely absorbs water, it does not absorb the salt dissolved in it either.
The weak point is elsewhere. What suffers is the grout. Ordinary cement-based grout gets dirty, crumbles and leaves lime marks long before the tile does. So in exposed areas, or where the terrace gets hosed down often, the grout deserves the same care as the tile itself.
Autumn rain
It does not rain much in Mallorca, but when it rains, it rains all at once. A terrace has to drain: a fall towards the outlet, enough gullies, and a floor that does not turn into an ice rink when wet. This is where the slip class comes in, and it is the figure most often underestimated.
The four figures that decide the purchase
Everything else is taste. These four are technical, and they are written on the product data sheet. If you want the detail on how to read them, we cover it in full in our guide to how to read a tile data sheet.
1. Water absorption
This is the parent figure. Porcelain stoneware is defined precisely by absorbing ≤ 0.5% of its weight in water (ISO 10545-3). A more porous material can work in a dry interior; on an exposed terrace, the water that gets into the tile is what breaks it when the temperature drops.
If you are hesitating between glazed stoneware and technical porcelain, the difference is set out in stoneware or porcelain: which to choose for each use.
2. Slip resistance
Two scales coexist, and both are worth checking:
- R9–R13 (ramp test, DIN 51130). For an uncovered terrace, R11 is the usual reference; R12 where there is a steep fall, an outdoor shower or a pool edge.
- Class 0–3 under the Spanish building code. An uncovered outdoor area calls for Class 3 (Rd > 45).
American data sheets also quote DCOF, with ≥ 0.42 as the threshold. All of it — equivalences and pitfalls included — is in our guide to R9, R10, R11 and slip ratings. And if the terrace wraps around a pool, the criteria shift slightly: we explain that in anti-slip pool flooring.
One nuance that saves grief: a very rough surface grips more, but it also holds more dirt and is harder to clean. The right answer is the middle ground, and that is not decided on a screen — it is decided by standing on a wet sample.
3. Frost resistance
The data sheet must declare the frost resistance test (ISO 10545-12). Frost is rare in Mallorca, but it does happen inland and at altitude, and one cycle with the tile saturated with water is enough to chip an edge. It is a box to tick, not a negotiation.
4. Thickness
Outdoors we work with two thicknesses: the usual 10 mm or so, and 20 mm, which is the standard for outdoor paving. The difference is not only strength — it is the laying system. That gets its own section below, because it deserves its own decision.
10 mm or 20 mm: when each one pays off
The usual thickness (≈10 mm) makes sense when the terrace is bonded onto an existing slab in good condition, and when you want visual continuity with the interior without a step — the case for the same floor inside and out. It is lighter, allows large formats and gives a perfectly clean plane.
20 mm changes the rules. At that thickness the tile supports itself, and that opens three doors: laying on adjustable pedestals, on gravel and on grass or soil — all of them dry and reversible. It also takes point impact far better (a falling pot, a dragged chair) and absorbs irregularities in the ground.
Rule of thumb: if there is a slab and you want continuity, 10 mm. If it is new outdoor work, you need to bridge level differences, or you want to be able to lift the paving one day, 20 mm.
Three ways to lay outdoor porcelain
Bonded. The traditional system: adhesive over a slab, with back-buttering, a generous laying joint and expansion joints planned from the start. It is the most permanent and the one that best resolves drainage falls. The general criteria are in our guide to laying porcelain floor tiles.
Raised on adjustable pedestals. The 20 mm tile rests on height-adjustable supports. Water drains through the open joints, the surface levels out over uneven ground, and a void remains underneath for services. This is the system used on technical terraces and roof decks; it comes apart tile by tile if you need to reach what is below.
On gravel or grass. The lightest option: the tile sits on a compacted gravel bed or directly on the grass, forming paths, seating areas or the route from the pool to the house. No building work, and it can be redone whenever the garden changes.
Wood effect, stone effect or cement effect
Wood effect. This is what most people want for a Mediterranean terrace, and it is where porcelain beats real wood most clearly: no oiling every season, no splinters, no greying in the sun. The full comparison is in wood-effect porcelain versus parquet.
Stone effect. The most natural choice on an island made of stone. Warm stones —sandstone, travertine, golden stone— age very well outdoors and do not show dirt loudly, which you will appreciate on a terrace with trees nearby. We develop it in stone-effect porcelain.
Cement effect. The quietest of the three: it competes with neither the landscape nor the furniture. It works particularly well in contemporary architecture and on large terraces, where a strong vein would eventually tire the eye.
The outdoor collections we carry
These are the outdoor families we hold in porcelain flooring, and you can see them all at the showroom:
- Kronos — a selection of ceramic cements, stones and woods dedicated specifically to outdoor use, in 2 cm thickness with special pieces (steps, trims) designed to resolve the whole project. Its Les Bois collection, in wood effect, is suitable both indoors and outdoors.
- Coem — the Sinai collection, stone-effect porcelain inspired by Egyptian Golden Sinai, is made in an R11 Soft & Safe anti-slip finish, suitable for outdoors and pools, with 20 mm pieces. Five colours, from the luminous Avorio to Terra.
- Ragno — a complete range of floor and wall tiles for indoors and out, with StepWise anti-slip technology. The RealStone family is the reference in natural stone effect.
- WOW — Abbey Stone and Marble, aged stone and a tribute to marble in small modular formats, with an anti-slip finish for wet areas and outdoor use.
- Keope and Apavisa — high-performance technical porcelain in stone, cement and wood effects, for indoors and out.
If the terrace wraps around a pool, the choice overlaps with another set of criteria; that is resolved in pool tiles in Mallorca.
Five mistakes that cost dearly
- Choosing from a photo. The colour of an outdoor floor changes completely under the island’s light. You have to see the tile in the sun, not on a screen.
- Watching the R and forgetting the cleaning. A very rough R12 is extremely safe and exhausting to maintain. Find the right point for how you will actually use it.
- Continuing the interior without changing the tile. Visual continuity is a good idea; using exactly the same polished finish outside is not. Many collections offer the same design in two finishes for precisely this reason.
- Leaving the grout until last. Outdoors, grout is a technical material, not a finishing touch. It is the first thing to get dirty and the most visible when it does.
- Forgetting the special pieces. Steps, skirtings, trims and drainage grilles have to be ordered with the paving: finding them later, in the same shade and the same series, is far harder.
Where to see it in Palma
Outdoor samples need to be walked on, and ideally wet. At our showroom we keep the outdoor collections on display and in large format, which is the only honest way to decide.
Gomila Cerámica
Carrer de Calçat, 16 · 07011 Palma (Mallorca)
Tel. 971 732 343 · info@gomila-ceramica.com
Opening hours and how to find us
You can browse the full catalogue in ceramic floor and wall tiles.
Frequently asked questions
What slip rating does an outdoor terrace need?
For an uncovered outdoor area, the usual reference is R11 on the ramp scale and Class 3 under the Spanish building code (Rd > 45). If the terrace has a steep fall, an outdoor shower or sits beside a pool, go up to R12.
Do I need 20 mm porcelain for a terrace?
Not always. The 20 mm format is necessary if you are laying dry —on adjustable pedestals, gravel or grass— or if you want to be able to lift the paving. Over an existing slab in good condition, outdoor porcelain in the usual thickness, correctly bonded, works perfectly well.
Does salt air damage porcelain paving?
Not technical porcelain with water absorption of 0.5% or less: if the tile does not absorb water, it does not absorb the salt dissolved in it either. What does suffer in salty air and hard water is the grout, so the grouting material should be chosen with care.
Can I use the same floor inside and outside?
Yes, and it is one of the best project decisions there is: it visually enlarges the house. The correct way is to keep the same design and change the finish, using the anti-slip version of the same collection outdoors.
Can outdoor porcelain be laid on grass?
Yes, with 20 mm pieces. They sit on a compacted gravel bed or directly on the ground, forming paths and stepping areas. No building work is required and it is reversible.
Does a dark floor get very hot on a terrace?
Yes. Facing south and in high summer, a dark tone can be uncomfortable to walk on barefoot. Sand, bone and warm grey tones reflect more light and stay cooler.
