Residential Outdoor Spaces
Beljn exterior porcelain tile (carbon-neutral)
A New Home Trends Institute survey in 2022 revealed a “connection to the outdoors/nature and outdoor entertaining” ranking high on the top 10 list of residential design drivers. Following value and cost considerations, the survey showed a connection to the outdoors and nature as the most significant driver of home design choices through 2025. Additionally, according to the study, open yards ranked low among design professionals compared with more multifunctional options. Only 28% of respondents chose open yard space, compared with other features, such as covered outdoor rooms/open-air rooms (73%), patios (68%), and decks (55%).
Outdoor Spaces in Multifamily Environments
Stone Fiction porcelain tiles with exterior finish
Outdoor living areas, however, are not just design drivers for the residential segment. The demand for versatile outdoor areas in multifamily environments is also on the rise. Residents have higher needs and more demands than ever, including the desire for outdoor spaces that can accommodate a variety of activities, such as areas for relaxation, social gatherings, and fitness. Multifamily properties are responding by creating areas for outdoor fitness classes, movie nights, communal dining, and social gatherings.
Outdoor Spaces at Hotels
Owen Stone grip finish porcelain tiles for exteriors
As travelers increasingly seek immersive outdoor experiences, the hospitality segment is experiencing a surge in demand for high-quality outdoor accommodations. Outdoor lounging areas, pools, and open-air rooftop bars are amenities found at any hotel property that can accommodate them, and the fitness landscape is evolving beyond the traditional workout space, with hotels embracing diverse fitness options, such as outdoor yoga studios and workout spaces.
Outdoor Spaces at Healthcare Facilities
Portugal porcelain exterior tile
In the healthcare market, facility design is moving beyond design elements that only optimize diagnosis and treatment to creating environments that promote health, healing, and recovery. Hospital outdoor space has emerged as a key design element for healthcare facilities to address its users’ physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Outdoor Spaces at the Workplace
Portugal porcelain exterior tile
A Texas A&M study showed that unplugging from an office and connecting outside can improve our relationships with others, whether at home or the office. Employers and facility designers now understand the importance of giving employees opportunities to untether from technology and take healthy breaks outdoors. Patio spaces with flexible seating allow employees to gather or dine al fresco. In urban spaces, rooftop gardens or balconies can create a tranquil outdoor environment.
Designing Outdoor Spaces
Portugal exterior tile for the decking, with a plethora of Crossville tiles suitable for outdoors throughout the project.
Whether commercial or residential, the surfacing specified for the design of outdoor spaces is integral to the overall design. Outdoor flooring must be as safe as possible, and all surfacing must be highly durable to withstand the elements. Surfacing should also be easy to maintain and not prone to chipping or cracking. Above all, outdoor surfacing should be beautiful.
Porcelain Tiles for Outdoor Use
Owen Stone exterior grip-finish tiles
Porcelain tile products, in general, are ideally suited for exterior surfacing because the tiles are moisture-resistant, mold and mildew-resistant, extremely strong, and tough enough to withstand most weather conditions. While natural stone is a beautiful surfacing material, porcelain tile is generally considered more durable for outdoor flooring than natural stone tiles, which are more susceptible to chipping and cracking. Porcelain is a very dense and hard material that’s highly resistant to scratches, stains, and water damage, making porcelain tile ideal for commercial environments that receive heavy traffic as well as for residential outdoor surfacing that is long-lasting and easy to maintain.
Tiles for Enhanced Traction Outdoors
Owen Stone exterior porcelain tiles
When it comes to tile flooring indoors and outdoors, slip resistance is always an important consideration, but it becomes even more important in outdoor environments. Unlike indoor flooring that may be subject to spills here and there, outdoor flooring can become very wet and potentially slippery from pool splashes or precipitation. Porcelain tiles are considered impervious (water does not penetrate them) and offer good traction when wet. Still, special finish exterior porcelain tiles offer even more traction in wet, outdoor environments — these are the exterior tiles with a textured finish for enhanced grip (sometimes called grip finish tiles).
For interior flooring, ANSI A137.1 requires tile flooring products to have a DCOF of 0.42 or greater if recommended for use in a level interior space intended to be walked upon when wet. (Learn more about DCOF here.) Crossville offers textured exterior finish porcelain tiles, designed to an average minimum 0.60 DCOF (.60-.70) for enhanced traction.
Explore our tile porcelain tile collections with an exterior finish (or grip finish) option. These stunning tiles mimic beautiful stones such as travertine, Italian Pietra di Cardosa, Portuguese Atlantic Dark limestone, and Belgian Bluestone. They are perfect for outdoor communal gathering spaces, dining areas, cafes, pool decks, patios, and more, in both commercial and residential spaces.
Beljn Porcelain Floor Tile
Inspired by Belgian Bluestone, a unique limestone with an incredible history that dates back approximately 350 million years, our new carbon-neutral Beljn porcelain tile collection is highly versatile, with an unpolished finish featuring Crossville’s unique FeatherSoft finish and a bush-hammered style exterior finish designed for grand scale and high fashion in outdoor spaces.
.jpg "beljn-workspace-(1).jpg")
Owen Stone Porcelain Floor Tile
Taking its cues from the elegance of Italian Pietra di Cardosa and United State’s Vermont Slate and merged with technical advancements, Owen Stone porcelain tile is unlike any before. The Leathered finish offers a buttery, cashmere-like feel that is unique to Crossville, and the textured outdoor tiles feature DCOF suitable for commercial applications that require enhanced traction.
Portugal Porcelain Floor Tile
Inspired by Portuguese Atlantic Dark limestone, our Portugal porcelain tiles collection is graced with natural beauty found only in the Mediterranean. The look of the limestone captured in this line is different from others of its kind, featuring a subtle, organic surface that delivers a sophisticated, tactile elegance. Flow from indoors to out with matching exterior finish tiles.
Stone Fiction Porcelain Floor Tile
Our Stone Fiction porcelain tile collection is the elegantly effortless alternative to travertine. Stone Fiction’s soft, swirling surface graphics and mild, neutral color palette emulate what Mother Nature created in travertine’s distinct mineral deposits. Each tile convincingly reinterprets stone’s naturally dramatic pits in subtle, easy-to-clean depth. Stone Fiction takes its allure from indoors to outside with both an unpolished finish and an exterior porcelain tile option suitable for outdoor walkways and pool surrounds.
Porcelain Slab & Countertops
Crossville Porcelain Slabs and Countertops are perfect for the outdoors. These beautiful porcelain countertops offer a range of gorgeous looks and are UV-, Stain-, and frost-resistant to ensure your outdoor space looks as good next year as it does today.
Suspense porcelain waterfall countertop
More Tile for Outdoors!
In addition to our grip-finish tiles for outdoor flooring, Crossville has many other tile collections suitable for outdoor use. Consider our featured tile collections that offer ideal finishes for use anywhere outside the home or commercial facility.
LOVE WHAT YOU SEE? GREAT DESIGN STARTS WITH A SAMPLE!
You can quickly and easily order a sample of any Crossville tile through Crossville’s Sample Express. To quickly order free tile samples, just set up an account here to get started. Once you have an account, ordering a tile sample is as simple as clicking a button — and samples are always free.
Other Great Reasons To Set Up An Account
- Order complimentary samples.
- Save your favorite products and resources.
- Create and organize projects.
- Review sample order history.
