Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Quickish fix ideas - kitchen tiles outside back door

11 replies

1984isnow · 15/03/2021 22:54

I took down an old wooden lean to recently, to find that there was no actual ‘floor’ but that it sat directly onto the patio, and the slabs were replaced by kitchen tiles. So now I have a section of bright orange tiles in my garden.

The tiles are old, uneven, a nightmare in wet weather and look awful. Oh and there is also one small section which is laminate Confused

The entire patio and garden path needs replacing, and will cost a fair bit but we have other more pressing works to do in the house. This is a long way down the list, as we will need to save up again, and I don’t think there’s much point in getting just this section done properly right now.

My ideas so far have been:

-An outdoor rubber/bristle mat to cover them, but I can’t find one big enough.

-Take/smash the tiles up - but not sure after that? If it is just soil below the adhesive, then it will end up being a constant mudbath at the door.

-paint them as close to a concrete colour as possible, so they at least do not stick out so badly, but the odd bit of laminate will still be there. They will still be slippy in wet weather, unless there is a suitable paint that adds a bit of texture?

I would just leave it as it is if we could replace the patio in the next couple of months, but next year is more realistic, and I don’t think I can live with it until then.

Any ideas welcome!

OP posts:
highlightsonlyplease · 15/03/2021 23:10

Can we see a photo? I'm finding it hard to picture.

My immediate reaction is that the tiles are open to the elements and will be walked upon them painting them will be a mistake as the paint will quickly be weathered/worn off.

Lurleene · 15/03/2021 23:15

Can you cover them with gravel?

WaxOnFeckOff · 15/03/2021 23:28

What about some rubber car mats or similar and then just put a few pots planted up on top?

Rollercoaster1920 · 15/03/2021 23:52

Astro turf. About the only time I would recommend. We have a bit to cover some rubbish concrete path so we can walk barefoot from house to real grass in summer.

MaryIsA · 16/03/2021 07:18

Astroturf is the answer.

Persipan · 16/03/2021 08:11

I also want to see a photo. I'm not having trouble picturing it, I just want to see it!

I'd definitely go with some sort of mat, outdoor rug or similar. If you can't find one big enough, use two!

1984isnow · 17/03/2021 10:40

Sorry for not coming back to this sooner, it has been a busy few days.

No photos of the tiles unfortunately, even though it’s an anonymous forum and not my doing, I am far too embarrassed blush

To explain further, I have a brick shed just behind my kitchen, and to the right is the gate leading to an alleyway (terrace house). The space between the back of the house and the shed was enclosed with this lean to, similar to the photo. But except for a proper floor being added over the concrete like in this photo, they just took up a few concrete slabs and laid the tiles onto the soil.

I thought about filling the section with gravel, but I I need to wheel the bins out this way so I imagine the gravel will get everywhere.

Similar with astro turf, it is nowhere near the lawn so it would just be a random patch. I think the mats and plant pots to one side will be the way to go.

Or another idea I had was to get a cheap pack of decking and just cover this section. I’m sure I spotted some at B&M, but no idea how it would turn out!

OP posts:
1984isnow · 17/03/2021 10:41

Example photo attached..

Quickish fix ideas - kitchen tiles outside back door
OP posts:
Lizardcentral · 17/03/2021 19:14

Heavy duty non-slip floor paint, is suitable for outdoor heavy traffic areas like factory and garage floors.
Quick and easy apply with a roller.

FrogFairy · 17/03/2021 19:37

You could cover it with an outdoor rug if you can find one the right size.

highlightsonlyplease · 18/03/2021 18:20

I probably would go for decking if you can get it done

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread