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I have a small(ish) - about 12ft x 12ft concrete pad on the back of the house covered by the house's roof with 2 walls exposed. The concrete pad appears to be solid - no major cracks, flat and level.

Dad and I just finished laying ceramic tile for my brother in a sun room on a concrete pad also - we used a blue tile membrane (tile store recommended it) and it worked out really well - easy to use, cut, install and the tile feels nice and solid.

Using this same material and installing my porcelain tile on it; preparing the surface properly (scraping, cleaning with power washer, etc...) is there any reason I can't or shouldn't install tile outside in a state where it can snow pretty significantly in the winter? In Buffalo, NY, so we can expect 1 foot of snow or 12 any given season. Even when it snows, the roof keeps most of the pad pretty clean.

The purpose is just to dress up the space. I built a brick pizza oven on this pad years ago; have this tile left over so... why not use it.

lsiunsuex
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    The primary concern is the freeze/thaw cycle and the amount of moisture that your slab will absorb. If it doesn't have a slope there's not a lot you can do to prevent movement. If it does, do everything you can to waterproof and isolate the tile from any potential movement. – isherwood Sep 14 '16 at 15:21
  • The pad doesn't have any expansion joints so I would assume, assuming it doesn't crack down the middle (it's been here for > 6 years; I think late 90s) I would think the pad would move as 1 solid piece? On one side of the pad is a flag stone patio with 6 inches of gravel below it so drainage should be good there. On the otherwise is the neighbors driveway separated by a foot of dirt. I can check for level and see if there is a pitch to it. – lsiunsuex Sep 14 '16 at 16:15
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    I'm in a worse climate than you and I see the occasional clay quarry tile outdoors. It'll break up over the years, but I'm not saying you shouldn't do it. Be aware of how slippery porcelain could be, though. – isherwood Sep 14 '16 at 16:33

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