Adapting to the ever-increasing desire to create indoor-outdoor connections in today’s new homes, flooring companies have developed some innovative outdoor flooring options for the residential building sector.
To help unpack some of the latest outdoor flooring materials, New Homes spoke with Brian Burke Homes Group Managing Director Michael Burke to get his take on the most practical and popular options.
“Concrete flooring is a very popular style that is practical and durable,” he said.
“It is low-maintenance and can offer a consistent look inside and outside the home and garage.”
For a more classic design, Mr Burke said he consistently used masonry, granite, travertine and limestone pavers.
For high-traffic areas such as driveways and pathways, Mr Burke said to consider opting for cobblestones.
“Cobblestones can be used as a feature or driveway option,” he said. “Their small size lends themselves to creative patterns and unusual features.”
According to Mr Burke, innovative flooring such as Technifirma by Eco Outdoor and Remastone’s porcelain paving range were also great options.
“The Technifirma range uses raised pedestals and is a great option for balconies and terraces,” he said.“Remastone porcelain pavers are a low-maintenance paver with 20mm depth and can withstand heavier loads.”
To enhance an indoor-outdoor connection, Mr Burke said to consider using the same flooring in both areas.
“Using the same tile internally and externally with large open doorways and windows is a great way to seamlessly transition between areas,” he said.
“Recently we used rectified porcelain tiles in a client’s home to reflect the warmth of a timber floor but without the maintenance of real timber.”
For potential homebuilders, Mr Burke said a collaborative approach between the client, builder, interior designer and supplier always resulted in a stylish, functional and long-lasting solution.
“It is important for owners to understand the maintenance requirements for their chosen material,” he said.
“For example, travertine is a beautiful stone to use outdoors, but it needs to be properly treated because it is also extremely porous and can flake away if in contact with the elements in its untreated form.
“Installation is equally as important – you need to use a trade which correctly installs the flooring without cutting any corners.”
