If you dont want wood tiles,or stone tiles and concrete tiles are out. What exactley are you looking for ???

J.

"Deck tiles" may be more accurate than "patio tiles".

Wood tiles will begin to deteriorate in a couple of years.

Stone tiles (like slate or flagstone) or concrete tiles need grouting.

Just google up ipe deck tiles. East Teak sells them along with most all South American lumber Co.

Ipe will defentley not begin to deteriorate in a couple of years. J.

What is the problem?

You use too much water spraying off the deck? Or is the wet concrete slab the issue? Are you aiming for an aesthetic upgrade?

What value are you trying to achieve with a new patio surface? I don't think we are really understanding your question. (But we're glad to help)

I've lived in my condo for almost 30 years during which I've used muriatic acid (straight from the bottles) three or four times on the concrete slab to remove left-over adhesive from old indoor-outdoor carpet (the green stuff); to remove paint spills and rust stains; and for general cleaning.

The concrete is now rough to walk-on bare-footed and it has developed some hairline cracks.

I first considered just painting the concrete but that wouldn't solve these problems.

My goal is to use interlocking deck-tiles to hide these problems and to upgrade my patio's appearance.

I don't want a surface that will absorb and retain water (either from the hose or from rain). Any water needs to run through the tiles so it can drain away quickly. (I don't want a soggy surface).

I sent this e-mail to: tileinfo@handydeck.com.com
"You claim that the 'Interlocking Base' '�not only allows water to drain freely under the tiles�and also allows good air circulation, helping to prevent mold or mildew in damp and dark locations'.

My e-mail asked: "What prevents water and debris (dirt, mud, leaves, etc) from collecting between the tiles and the underlying surface (like a concrete slab)?"

Their response was:

"Indeed there is nothing to stop dirt etc. from collecting underneath the tiles but generally this wouldn't build up sufficiently so that it reached the 5/8" height of the plastic base. If you do feel the need to clean underneath the tiles, they can be lifted as required and the surface below them cleaned with e.g. a pressure washer".

------

In light of this "maintenance nightmare", can anyone suggest an alternative product?

That not exactley a nightmare.Anything placed out exposed to the weather is going to require maintenance.

The ipe deck tiles have surface joints in them that will require cleaning every now and then. If even that is a big problem for you remove the slab and have a new one placed. John