Transform Your Patio With These IKEA Tiles
Patios, decks, and other outdoor spaces are a major luxury during the warmer months of the year. They give you the chance to bask in the sun, enjoy cool nighttime breezes, or comfortably keep an eye on children and pets as they play outside. If you're looking to revamp your space, however, renovations can get expensive.
Outdoor tile installation can range from $9 to $65 per square foot — not including the cost of any necessary demolition or removal of existing flooring. Thankfully, however, courtesy of TikTok creator @lovedaci, there's a new way to spruce up your patio without having to completely overhaul your existing outdoor area: IKEA deck tiles.
In her now-viral TikTok, the creator installs these tiles as a way to cover up and bring some texture to basic concrete flooring. This hack is cost-effective, easy to achieve, renter-friendly, and can be pulled off in a matter of minutes. So, if you're looking to make some major changes without a ton of time and effort, you've come to the right place.
How to use these IKEA tiles
In the video, TikTok user @lovedaci uses the RUNNEN decking in dark gray from IKEA, which retails for $29.99 for nine square feet of coverage. Conveniently, these tiles simply sit on top of your surface and don't require any real installation, so your cost of materials is pretty much the only money you'll have to spend to achieve this look.
To recreate her flooring design yourself, measure the size of your deck or patio, then order the proper amount of tiles to cover your space. These tiles lock into one another to create one large sheet, but the edges can look a bit rough thanks to the locking mechanism. To combat this, IKEA also sells RUNNEN edging strips to help create a cleaner final product.
In her video, the creator also alternates the pattern of the tiles to create an almost parquet look, but there's room for customization with different colors, layouts, and patterns to cater to your personal taste. Once everything is locked in, you're set. Return your furniture to its original spot, and you're ready to enjoy your newly-renovated outdoor area.
What to keep in mind with this hack
While this approach to switching up your flooring doesn't require as much effort or money as a typical renovation, it's still important to determine if it will work in your space. In her video, the TikTok creator is renovating a fairly small patio area with flat, concrete flooring. If you're in a similar situation, this is perfect, though the cost of materials will climb as you increase the square footage. It's also important to ensure that your space is flat. These tiles lock together, so uneven surfaces will cause them to appear bumpy and uneven, or even disconnect altogether.
Additionally, it's possible that these tiles won't perfectly fit in your space. In the listing for the RUNNEN decking on IKEA's website, however, the brand says that the tiles can be easily cut to size to fill in gaps or fit rounded edges, though the thick plastic will likely require some effort to saw through. If you're willing to put in the work, you can trim down pieces as necessary, or you can simply fill in uncovered space with planters or décor for a lower-effort approach.