Tiles · Outdoor
Outdoor tiles that are still there after the seasons turn.
External tiling fails for predictable reasons: water absorption, slip and frost. Our outdoor ranges are selected against those three failure modes before anything else, and inspected by our own QA team before a container is closed.
≤ 0.5% porcelain
Absorption
R11 – R13
Slip ratings
20 mm available
Paving thickness
ISO 10545-12
Frost resistance
Overview
One supplier for terraces, pool decks, paths and parking
We hold no manufacturing bias, so we can put the correct external product on your order rather than the one a factory needs to move — including the surface finish and thickness the load actually requires.
Outdoor tile lives under water. Water absorbed into a tile body expands when it freezes and the surface spalls, which is why external specification starts with absorption: porcelain at or below 0.5% (group BIa under ISO 13006) is the safe answer for any climate that reaches freezing, and frost resistance should be confirmed by ISO 10545-12 cycling on the technical sheet.
Slip resistance is the liability question. A wet terrace or pool surround needs R11 as a floor, and ramps or continuously wet zones justify R12 to R13 with a structured or grip surface. We state the DIN 51130 rating on every external range we quote, because a polished external tile that photographs beautifully is unusable in most jurisdictions.
The third variable is thickness and installation method. Standard 9–10 mm external tile is bonded to a screed; 20 mm paving can be laid dry on gravel, sand or adjustable pedestals, which is what makes a rooftop terrace or a garden path viable without wet trades. Pedestal-laid 20 mm porcelain also lifts out for access to services underneath, which is why it dominates commercial roof terraces.
At a glance
- Materials
- Porcelain, natural stone, ceramic, mosaic
- Common sizes
- 300×600, 600×600, 400×800, 600×1200 mm
- Thickness
- 9–10 mm bonded; 20 mm dry-lay paving
- Test standards
- ISO 10545-12 frost, DIN 51130 slip, ISO 10545-3 absorption
- Lead time
- 25–35 days from confirmed order and approved sample
How we work
We source from India's established brands — we do not manufacture
Akarta Exports is a sourcing and export house. We do not own factories and we do not claim to. Our value is that we know which well-known Indian brands and manufacturers make what, to what standard, and at what price — and we buy from them to the exact specification you give us.
01 — Your specification, written down
We start from your specification, not from a catalogue. Grade, dimension, tolerance, finish, test standard, pack, artwork and labelling are put in writing and confirmed with you before a single enquiry goes out.
02 — Matched to the right Indian brand
We place that specification with established, well-known Indian brands and manufacturers in the cluster that genuinely makes the product — Morbi for tiles, Rajkot and Ludhiana for machinery, Meerut and Jalandhar for sports goods, Kerala and Gujarat for spices.
03 — Offers compared on merit
Because we own no plant and owe no factory a minimum offtake, we compare offers openly on quality, consistency, capacity and price — and tell you where a lower price will not hold up in your market.
04 — Inspected, consolidated, shipped
Our own inspectors clear the goods at the brand's plant and again before loading. Multiple brands and multiple divisions consolidate into one container, one invoice and one document set.
Brand names are disclosed to you on the offer and named on the inspection report, so you always know whose production you are buying. Where a buyer already has a preferred Indian brand, we are happy to source that brand and handle only the inspection, consolidation, documentation and shipping.
The range
Outdoor tile types we export
External applications differ more than internal ones. A pool surround, a driveway and a roof terrace need three different products.
- Outdoor porcelain — 9/10 mm
- The strongest all-round external option, bonded to a prepared screed. Absorption below 0.5%, frost tested, and available in anti-slip finishes across large formats.
- 20 mm porcelain paving
- Heavy-section paving laid dry on gravel, sand or adjustable pedestals — no adhesive, no curing, and lift-out access to what sits below. The standard choice for roof terraces and garden paths.
- Natural stone tiles
- Granite, sandstone, limestone and slate prepared and sealed for exposure, for buyers who want genuinely material texture and are prepared for periodic maintenance.
- Pool-surround ranges
- R12–R13 barefoot-safe surfaces with matching coping, bullnose and grate pieces so the pool edge is detailed properly rather than improvised on site.
- Mosaics
- Small-format mesh-mounted sheets in ceramic, porcelain and glass for pool interiors, water features and detail bands.
- Ceramic outdoor tiles
- Kiln-fired glazed ranges for lighter external duty in warm climates, at a competitive price for volume residential projects where frost is not a factor.
- Driveway & vehicular paving
- 20 mm porcelain and thick stone with the breaking strength for vehicle loads when laid on a properly compacted bedding.
Technical data
Specifying by external application
Indicative figures for the grades we ship most often. Exact values are confirmed per factory and per production batch on your quotation.
Swipe table to see all columns →
| Application | Recommended product | Slip rating | Laying method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terraces & balconies | Porcelain 9–10 mm | R11 | Bonded to screed |
| Roof terraces | 20 mm porcelain | R11 | Adjustable pedestals |
| Garden paths | 20 mm porcelain / stone | R11 | Dry-lay on gravel or sand |
| Pool surrounds | Barefoot-safe porcelain | R12–R13 | Bonded, with coping pieces |
| Ramps & slopes | Structured porcelain | R12–R13 | Bonded to screed |
| Driveways | 20 mm porcelain / thick stone | R11 | Compacted bedding |
Frost resistance per ISO 10545-12, slip rating per DIN 51130, absorption per ISO 10545-3. Confirmed per range on the technical sheet issued with your quotation.
Applications & markets
Who we supply outdoor tiles to
External projects are usually specified by an architect and bought by a distributor, so both the paperwork and the assortment matter.
Landscape & paving distributors
- 20 mm paving programmes with matching 10 mm interiors
- Pedestal systems and accessories sourced alongside
- Palletised loads planned for yard handling
- Repeat availability across a season
Project contractors
- Slip rating and frost test data for specifier sign-off
- Batch-matched quantities for continuous terraces
- Coping, bullnose and step trims supplied together
- Phased delivery aligned to the build programme
Hospitality & resort buyers
- Barefoot-safe pool-deck surfaces
- Coordinated indoor–outdoor shade matching
- Attic stock reserved for later replacement
- Large-format ranges for uninterrupted terraces
Division in numbers
20 mm
Paving thickness available
Dry-lay and pedestal systems
R13
Highest slip rating supplied
For ramps and continuously wet zones
≤0.5%
Porcelain water absorption
Group BIa under ISO 13006
50+
Manufacturers in network
Concentrated in Morbi, Gujarat
Quality assurance
Nothing leaves India until our own inspectors clear it
Akarta runs an in-house quality department with inspectors assigned to each division. Goods are checked at the factory during production and again before loading, against the written specification agreed on your purchase order — not against the factory's own grading.
- Pre-production sample approved by the buyer before bulk manufacture begins
- In-line checks during production for shade, calibration, dimension and moisture
- Pre-shipment inspection with photographic report before container sealing
- Third-party inspection (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) arranged where required
ISO 9001:2015
Certified quality management system
Govt. approved
Registered Indian merchant exporter
In-house docs
Export paperwork prepared by our team
Packing & shipping
Packed the way your market receives it
20 mm paving is roughly twice the weight of standard tile per square metre, so external orders are planned around container weight limits and yard handling from the start.
- Standard export cartons on shrink-wrapped, strapped pallets
- Heavy-duty pallets and edge protection for 20 mm paving
- Anti-slip grade and frost test data confirmed per consignment
- Mixed-format container loading built to a written plan
- Buyer-specified carton printing, barcodes and shipping marks
- Private-label packaging under your own brand
Documentation
Paperwork prepared in-house, not outsourced
Every consignment travels with a complete document set, prepared by our own documentation team and checked against your letter of credit or contract terms before dispatch.
Technical data sheet
Water absorption, frost resistance cycles, slip rating, breaking strength and thickness per range.
Pre-shipment inspection report
Shade, calibre and thickness verification with batch numbers and photographs.
Commercial set
Invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and fumigation certificate where required.
Global reach
Quoted in your currency, shipped from your nearest Indian port
Enquiries reach us from importers, distributors, contractors and retail chains across five continents — Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. We quote FOB, CFR or CIF, load from Mundra, Kandla, Nhava Sheva or Pipavav depending on your routing, and keep one commercial contact accountable for the consignment from purchase order to bill of lading.
Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa
Middle East
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq
Europe
Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom
Americas
United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile
Asia-Pacific
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan
Load ports
Mundra · Kandla · Pipavav · Nhava Sheva
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF · EXW on request
Correspondence
English, with documentation to buyer-country requirements
Buyer questions
What importers usually ask us first
Will these tiles survive freezing winters?
Porcelain at or below 0.5% water absorption, frost tested to ISO 10545-12, is specified for freeze–thaw climates and we supply the test data with the range. Glazed ceramic outdoor tile is only appropriate where frost is not a factor, and we say so rather than letting a cheaper option through.
What is the advantage of 20 mm paving over standard tile?
It can be laid dry — on gravel, sand or adjustable pedestals — with no adhesive and no curing time, and individual units lift out for access to drainage or services below. That makes it the practical answer for roof terraces, garden paths and any surface that may need to come up again.
Which slip rating do I need around a swimming pool?
R12 to R13 with a barefoot-safe surface for the deck itself, and R11 as a minimum for adjacent circulation. We quote the DIN 51130 rating on every external range so the specification can be signed off before ordering.
Can I match an indoor floor to an outdoor terrace?
Yes, and it is one of our most common external enquiries. Many ranges exist in both 10 mm interior and 20 mm exterior versions in the same shade, so a floor can run visually straight through a sliding door onto a terrace.
Common enquiries
Specifications buyers most often ask us to quote
These are the enquiries that reach this desk most weeks. If yours is on the list, we already have the grades, packing and loadability worked out — send the quantity and destination port and we will price it.
Export desk
Request a quotation
Send your product type, grade, quantity and destination port. Our export desk replies with available grades, packing options, loadability and indicative pricing — usually within one working day.