Parking tiles are heavy-duty outdoor tiles with a textured, slip-resistant face, made for driveways, porches, car parks and walkways. For light vehicles on a good concrete base, a dense porcelain tile in the thicker range is usually right; for open-ground laying or heavier traffic, 20 mm pavers are the safer choice.
The word "parking tile" is a trade name, not a standard. Two products sold under it can differ widely in body, thickness and strength, so you buy on the specification, not the label.
What a parking tile is made of
Morbi factories make parking tiles in two main bodies. Some are ceramic tiles with a thick glaze and a raised pattern. Others are vitrified (porcelain) tiles with water absorption of 0.5% or less, either glazed or full-body.
The porcelain versions are the better choice for export. A dense body resists frost and water uptake, and it is stronger at the same thickness. Ask for the water absorption on the test report; our guide on water absorption and vitrified tiles explains the groups.
Parking tiles usually come in smaller squares, such as 300x300 or 400x400 mm, with patterns like chequer, stone, cobble or grooves. Small formats spread the load over more joints and are less likely to crack on a slightly uneven base.
How thick should they be?
There is no single correct thickness. Parking ranges in Morbi catalogues typically start at the thick end of standard floor tiles and go up to 20 mm porcelain pavers. The right choice depends on four things:
- The traffic: foot traffic and bicycles need less than cars, and cars need less than vans or delivery trucks.
- The base: a tile fully bedded on a rigid, reinforced concrete slab can be thinner than one laid on gravel or sand.
- The tile body: a porcelain tile is stronger than a ceramic tile of the same thickness.
- The format: a small tile carries a point load better than a large one of the same thickness.
Thickness alone does not tell you strength. What you need is the breaking strength measured to ISO 10545-4 at the thickness you will buy. Our article on what load heavy-duty parking tiles can take covers how to read that figure.
Surface and slip
Parking areas get wet, oily and dusty, and cars turn on them. The surface should be textured enough to grip but not so rough that it traps dirt. Ask for the slip rating on a test report, such as R11 under DIN 51130 or a pendulum value, rather than the word "anti-skid" in the catalogue.
Glazed parking tiles can wear on the raised parts of the pattern where tyres turn. For drive lanes, many buyers prefer full-body or unglazed porcelain, where wear does not reveal a different colour underneath.
What to put in your order
- The body type and water absorption group, ideally BIa (0.5% or less).
- The nominal size and thickness, with the tolerance the factory works to.
- The breaking strength to ISO 10545-4, from a report on current production.
- The slip rating and the test method used.
- Frost resistance to ISO 10545-12 if your market has freezing winters.
Next step
We shortlist plants that make parking ranges in a true porcelain body, check samples and test reports, and supervise loading. You can see the wider range under ceramics on our sourcing page, or book a free sourcing review.