My 2-Car Porcelain Tile Install....

[Dakota00]

Beautiful job!

A couple questions...
The thinset you used seems a premium one. Where is the best price on it?

Best price is depended in the area you live in, I can't help you with that.

What size notched trowel did you use?

1/2" notched trowel

Did you back butter the tiles and use a rubber mallet to set them?

Back butter yes, rubber mallet no. I don't install tiles with a mallet, I was taught different techniques.

What size spacers did you use?

1/8" spacers

Any additives used?

I used Keralastic latex additive with the thinset.

And how about cutting?

What about cutting?

I know they're not the best, but will they work for my garage?
Are they solid color through the body, or not (Since the surface is a glazed finish)?

The link you provided goes to the home page.

 

[Hingebird]

Hello Dakota00,

Your garage looks definitely spectacular!

Any advice for installing porcelain tiles in a garage in Phoenix, Arizona. Salt and water are definitely not an issue, but a garage in the summer can reach 135F when parking a hot car. I am afraid that the tiles where the wheels sit will come loose. Thank you.

Best regards,

Conrad

 

[Dakota00]

Hello Dakota00,

Your garage looks definitely spectacular!

Any advice for installing porcelain tiles in a garage in Phoenix, Arizona. Salt and water are definitely not an issue, but a garage in the summer can reach 135F when parking a hot car. I am afraid that the tiles where the wheels sit will come loose. Thank you.

Best regards,

Conrad

Hi Conrad,

Any half decent thinset will do the job in your climate. You wont have to worry about tiles coming loose due to heat. Degrease and wash the slab good. Let it dry and start laying tiles!!

 

[MN4x4]

So tell me more about tiles in your climate? I am wondering how reliable these would be for Minnesnowta winters. Can I use jack stands on them? A racing jack? A pallet jack?

Enquiring minds want to know!

 

[JakeKohl]

So tell me more about tiles in your climate? I am wondering how reliable these would be for Minnesnowta winters. Can I use jack stands on them? A racing jack? A pallet jack?

Enquiring minds want to know!

Porcelain tiles are harder than concrete...so yes. The tile is only as good as it's bond to the concrete so as long as you have a quality installation, they will be extremely durable under all normal garage use.

 

[slickgt1]

So tell me more about tiles in your climate? I am wondering how reliable these would be for Minnesnowta winters. Can I use jack stands on them? A racing jack? A pallet jack?

Enquiring minds want to know!

There is this link in my signature. Click it. Plus Dakota shows u a pic of his car on a jack.

Im in NYC. So north east. The amount of snow and salt that goes into my garage varies, but i have no issue doing anything. Im sure same applies to everyone that installed tile.

 

[MN4x4]

Porcelain tiles are harder than concrete...so yes. The tile is only as good as it's bond to the concrete so as long as you have a quality installation, they will be extremely durable under all normal garage use.

'Harder' often means more brittle, so that's my concern. I know that they would scratch or stain, but breakage from a point load like a jack stand? I'm not yet convinced that they'll be OK, but I'm still considering them.

 

[JimVonBaden]

'Harder' often means more brittle, so that's my concern. I know that they would scratch or stain, but breakage from a point load like a jack stand? I'm not yet convinced that they'll be OK, but I'm still considering them.

So all the testimony and photos of jacks, hammers and such is not enough? Seems there is no way to convince you!

Hard means brittle ONLY if not attached evenly and completely. Stains will happen ONLY under very rare circumstances, and scratches would take some effort to do.

If you are looking for perfection, it does not exist.

Jim

 

[slickgt1]

'Harder' often means more brittle, so that's my concern. I know that they would scratch or stain, but breakage from a point load like a jack stand? I'm not yet convinced that they'll be OK, but I'm still considering them.

Seriously, my 5000 lbs X5 on one jack, half car lifted, jack on corner of a tile, and you aren't convinced. I stained my tile with Zar wood stain. That stain will stain a steel door. It came off my tile with a wire brush, no scratches. I dont know what else to say.

 

[Rod N]

I plan on putting a lift on top of mine.

 

[Dakota00]

^^^ same here, planning for a 4 post in the spring.

 

[Rod N]

^^^ same here, planning for a 4 post in the spring.

I plan on drilling right through the porcelain. Is that what you are doing?

 

[Dakota00]

I plan on drilling right through the porcelain. Is that what you are doing?

Yup!

 

[Hingebird]

Hi Conrad,

Any half decent thinset will do the job in your climate. You wont have to worry about tiles coming loose due to heat. Degrease and wash the slab good. Let it dry and start laying tiles!!

Thank you very much. I will be awaiting for some porcelain tile sale in the area. Meanwhile, I am entertaining myself running a 220v, and two 110v 35 amp circuits in the garage all in conduit. The main challenge is bringing the runs into the garage because the electrical box is on the opposite side of the house.

Conrad

 

[JakeKohl]

Thank you very much. I will be awaiting for some porcelain tile sale in the area. Meanwhile, I am entertaining myself running a 220v, and two 110v 35 amp circuits in the garage all in conduit. The main challenge is bringing the runs into the garage because the electrical box is on the opposite side of the house.

Conrad

Installing a sub panel will make this much easier....

 

[tc-cad]

Great pictures.

Did you mention the Name brand and color of the tiles that you used?
They look to be textured also?


Thanks
TC

 

[ScaldedDog]

Great pictures.

Did you mention the Name brand and color of the tiles that you used?
They look to be textured also?


Thanks
TC

See post #74.

Mark

 

[Hingebird]

Installing a sub panel will make this much easier....

JakeKohl,

Sounds like a great idea, but I still have to bring electricity from the opposite side of the house via trenched conduit into the garage? Don't I?

Thanks,

Conrad

 

[JakeKohl]

JakeKohl,

Sounds like a great idea, but I still have to bring electricity from the opposite side of the house via trenched conduit into the garage? Don't I?

Thanks,

Conrad

Assuming the garage is detached, yes. If it is attached, you can run through the attic or crawl space, etc. We're getting a little off topic - the Lighting and Electrical forum will have a lot of advice to offer in this regard.

 

[dmeadow]

Question for those that know. Can you have a lift like a Maxjak using bolts drilled in the floor with a tile garage floor? Thanks

Scott Barron

I put my MaxJax on top of my porcelain tile. I drilled through it with a diamond Ridgid tile bit I got from Home Depot. Works great!

 

[profil32]

Dakota, when you will come to do mine in Montreal ? ;-))))

MArtin

 

[CobaltB5]

Dakota, I am taking possession of a 1 year old home in 2 weeks and have been exploring all the options for finishing the garage floor. After seeing how spectacular yours and a few others have turned out, I am sold on porcelain tile, but am wondering if I need an uncoupling mat under the tile. I live in Calgary, Alberta where the ground does go through freeze/thaw cycles. The concrete has 1 crack in it, less than 1/8" wide (I am assuming from the house settling) and the concrete has never been driven on or used. I will be parking in there year round and working on my car and motorcycles.

Shawn

 

[Hingebird]

Assuming the garage is detached, yes. If it is attached, you can run through the attic or crawl space, etc. We're getting a little off topic - the Lighting and Electrical forum will have a lot of advice to offer in this regard.

You are correct, I didn't mean going off topic.

Conrad

 

[slickgt1]

Dakota, I am taking possession of a 1 year old home in 2 weeks and have been exploring all the options for finishing the garage floor. After seeing how spectacular yours and a few others have turned out, I am sold on porcelain tile, but am wondering if I need an uncoupling mat under the tile. I live in Calgary, Alberta where the ground does go through freeze/thaw cycles. The concrete has 1 crack in it, less than 1/8" wide (I am assuming from the house settling) and the concrete has never been driven on or used. I will be parking in there year round and working on my car and motorcycles.

Shawn

Do not do the uncoupling mat under the tile. Read Dakotas installation again. He uses a liquid membrane, that does the same and more.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Dakota, a quick question for you. I had originally hoped to use a fancy lip at the entrance, something like the Schluter Reno Ramp, but it seems more reasonable to just build it in by offsetting the first row and sculpting up a triangular ramp profile with the quick set. Is it durable enough for that, or is it a terrible idea? I just want to ease the transition from the edge of the concrete pad to the tiles. There is already a bit of a lip from the asphalt driveway to the concrete, which I'll also try to fill in a bit with Sakrete or something.

 

[Dakota00]

Dakota, a quick question for you. I had originally hoped to use a fancy lip at the entrance, something like the Schluter Reno Ramp, but it seems more reasonable to just build it in by offsetting the first row and sculpting up a triangular ramp profile with the quick set. Is it durable enough for that, or is it a terrible idea? I just want to ease the transition from the edge of the concrete pad to the tiles. There is already a bit of a lip from the asphalt driveway to the concrete, which I'll also try to fill in a bit with Sakrete or something.

Why is it more reasonable to build and sculpt a ramp profile than using a Reno U edge protector?? The idea you have will not be durable enough and will come apart after little abuse.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Thanks Dakota. I wasn't sure if I was over thinking it before and making extra work for myself or not. I'll put in a proper transition.

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[jonathan75]

I really want to do this but I just don't know how to handle the raised bump on my large control joints. Filling it won't be so bad I think but leveling the top is my problem. Not sure the best way to grind it down level.

 

[slickgt1]

Do what I do. Take a hammer drill, big *** one, rent it if you have to. And break that bump off with a chisel blade. Smooth out with concrete mix and go to town tiling. I dont think i will ever use a grinder on anything that will be overlayed. Doesnt make sence to me to waste time like that. And the mess.

 

[jonathan75]

Do what I do. Take a hammer drill, big *** one, rent it if you have to. And break that bump off with a chisel blade. Smooth out with concrete mix and go to town tiling. I dont think i will ever use a grinder on anything that will be overlayed. Doesnt make sence to me to waste time like that. And the mess.

Can I get an attachment for my angle grinder and smooth it out also? I really am hesitant to be too aggressive. Something so final about it.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I think it will look beautiful. My only concern is if you have rocks in your tires. Wouldn't they act like little punches and crack the tiles possibly. I could be wrong on that thought.

 

[bdamico]

I think it will look beautiful. My only concern is if you have rocks in your tires. Wouldn't they act like little punches and crack the tiles possibly. I could be wrong on that thought.

nope

 

[Dakota00]

I think it will look beautiful. My only concern is if you have rocks in your tires. Wouldn't they act like little punches and crack the tiles possibly. I could be wrong on that thought.

rocks in the tires will do absolutely nothing to the tiles.

 

[skicrave]

That's the primary reason that porcelain is at the top of my list; we have at least one vehicle with studded tires during the winter, and nothing that I've tried so far stands up to that abuse.

 

[SapesOfIndia]

Dakota, a quick question for you. I had originally hoped to use a fancy lip at the entrance, something like the Schluter Reno Ramp, but it seems more reasonable to just build it in by offsetting the first row and sculpting up a triangular ramp profile with the quick set. Is it durable enough for that, or is it a terrible idea? I just want to ease the transition from the edge of the concrete pad to the tiles. There is already a bit of a lip from the asphalt driveway to the concrete, which I'll also try to fill in a bit with Sakrete or something.

I did something similar to what you are describing. I also had an inch or so lip already and tile+thinset made it around 2 inches. I used Quikrete and picked higher quality within what was available. I made sure to keep it wet a week for slow cure. One year later no issues with my two 4500lbs vehicles going over it.

 

[jonathan75]

I did something similar to what you are describing. I also had an inch or so lip already and tile+thinset made it around 2 inches. I used Quikrete and picked higher quality within what was available. I made sure to keep it wet a week for slow cure. One year later no issues with my two 4500lbs vehicles going over it.

Is that a optical illusion or your garage is around 3" higher then the outside? Will the tile and thinset really build it up that much?

 

[OJ Bartley]

Thanks sapes, great pic for reference.

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[Dakota00]

I did something similar to what you are describing. I also had an inch or so lip already and tile+thinset made it around 2 inches. I used Quikrete and picked higher quality within what was available. I made sure to keep it wet a week for slow cure. One year later no issues with my two 4500lbs vehicles going over it.

Seeing you had 2" in height difference, it's easier to pack and build a ramp in front of the tiles with concrete. BUT if your floor was like mine, with a tiled floor finish height of roughly 1/2" then a edge protector like the Reno U is all you need. Doing what OJ Bartley wants to do wouldn't last with such a tiny ramp.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Thanks Dakota. If I'm going to do it, I want to try to do it right, and have it last.

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[SapesOfIndia]

Is that a optical illusion or your garage is around 3" higher then the outside? Will the tile and thinset really build it up that much?

Top of the tile is 2 inches higher than the outside. It does appear to be more in the photo. Tile is 18"