My 2-Car Porcelain Tile Install....

[fireberd350]

Dakota,

Any issues w/ the structured surface retaining dirt compared to a smooth surface?

Great job BTW. An inspiration for us all!

 

[Dakota00]

^^^ Excellent question Steve.

After this loooong nasty winter we had this year. Salt, sand, dirt you name it did a real number on my floor. With the structured surface, there's really not much of a difference compared to a smooth tile when it comes to retaining dirt. The structured surface cleans fairly easy. Finally was able to give the floor a quick wash the other day and I mean a quick wash spent a total of 2 mins. It turned out great with a garden hose and a push broom which was used for a couple of heavy soiled areas.

Can't wait for spring to give the floor a good washing!!

Here's a before and after picture
View media item 38680View media item 38681

 

[CAM D]

How does it hold up when you work on the car or do other heavy work?

 

[Dakota00]

The floor holds up great!! You wont crack, chip, scratch, mark or stain these tiles... I do a lot of vehicle and woodworking stuff in the garage, I needed a floor to withstand everything I throw at it. Tiling meets those needs. If you look back on my thread at post #106 you'll see some pics using a floor jack for changing my wheels.

 

[TheGunCollector]

Man, I've spoken with you in the past via PM, and to this day look at your floor and say to myself that that is the floor I want. I know you do tile for a living, and your work looks awesome. I wish I can get my cousins in here from Italy to help me as there generations of guys there that have been laying marble.

I'm not a tile guy, but have a critical eye, and have seen some atrocious DIY jobs(uneven corners, crooked grout lines/spacing). I've also seen good ones.

I have a question:

Being the perfectionist I am, what are the chances of a first time tile project ( with some prior practice) coming out even remotely close to yours?

 

[OJ Bartley]

I would also like to know this, hoping to do my garage in the spring. I'm specifically concerned about tiles settling and leaving uneven lips.

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[slickgt1]

I would also like to know this, hoping to do my garage in the spring. I'm specifically concerned about tiles settling and leaving uneven lips.

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What do you mean by tiles settling. They don't move once the thinset dries. Don't walk on them wile it is drying.

After that, you can beat them to all hell.

Dakota, in comparison. After all this dirt from the winter, I couldn't see my tiles at all. I bought a 24" squeegee for a broom stick. Works very fast on our floors. I wet the whole garage with a hose, and then squeegee it out the door. The whole job takes 2 min.

 

[OJ Bartley]

They don't? Then why the hell would anyone end up with uneven floors?

Thanks slick. That gives me a measure of confidence.

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[Tone-NY]

Awesome job thanks for sharing. Hope to get mine done in a similar fashion soon.

 

[kj_mustang]

They don't? Then why the hell would anyone end up with uneven floors?

Non-level base (dips and humps), non-uniform thickness of thinset or slanted tiles

 

[tc-cad]

I love this flooring. I live in WI and my concrete floor looks like yours did before the wash. I just don't understand the people who buy the plastic perforated tiles that can allow water and debris through the mesh.

Nice job of installation also.

TC

 

[mitchtr25068]

i have just one small area in my garage where water comes up through the floor when it's wet out. what would i have to do to prep that area or the whole floor for porcelain tile? thanks, and agree your floor looks amazing!

 

[JakeKohl]

They don't? Then why the hell would anyone end up with uneven floors?

Thanks slick. That gives me a measure of confidence.

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The levelness of the floor (or lack thereof) can get you in real trouble. Suppose your tiles start angling up or down but then need to shift to accommodate a change in the floor...you could quickly end up with a real mess on your hands if you didn't plan to handle that well...tiles don't bend and they need to line up on all four edges.

 

[slickgt1]

The levelness of the floor (or lack thereof) can get you in real trouble. Suppose your tiles start angling up or down but then need to shift to accommodate a change in the floor...you could quickly end up with a real mess on your hands if you didn't plan to handle that well...tiles don't bend and they need to line up on all four edges.

Generally, if it was my kitchen or main bathroom, I would say yea, the floor needs to be level and all that. But this is a garage. What most of us want it something that doesn't dust, easy to clean, and tough as can be. Look at Jacks garage, he didn't bother leveling ****, and it looks just fine.

Plus, you can always "play" with thinset a bit to even out the tile and floor.

 

[Garage Customz]

i have just one small area in my garage where water comes up through the floor when it's wet out. what would i have to do to prep that area or the whole floor for porcelain tile? thanks, and agree your floor looks amazing!

I have this issue also. When it really rains or is humid for a long period, my floor sweats. I am sure there was no vapor barrior installed when they poured. What prep can be done to facilitate a tile install, or do you not recommend for a floor with moisture issues?

 

[dannyman]

The floor holds up great!! You wont crack, chip, scratch, mark or stain these tiles... I do a lot of vehicle and woodworking stuff in the garage, I needed a floor to withstand everything I throw at it. Tiling meets those needs. If you look back on my thread at post #106 you'll see some pics using a floor jack for changing my wheels.

Dakota00,

Stunning job!

Do you still have plans to install some form of border tiles? I'm looking forward to the pictures of them installed.

You previously mentioned that you don't tile set with a mallet. Would you care to share what your technique is to ensure no voids? Answer here or PM works for me if proprietary concerns. I can keep a secret!


Dannyman

 

[slickgt1]

You lean on it like you want to choke it out. While doing so, you wiggle it slightly to spread the mortar.

 

[OJ Bartley]

You lean on it like you want to choke it out.

Lol.

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[Dakota00]

Sorry guys for the delay in my responses, been on the busy side. I'll try to answer all your questions!!

Man, I've spoken with you in the past via PM, and to this day look at your floor and say to myself that that is the floor I want. I know you do tile for a living, and your work looks awesome. I wish I can get my cousins in here from Italy to help me as there generations of guys there that have been laying marble.

I'm not a tile guy, but have a critical eye, and have seen some atrocious DIY jobs(uneven corners, crooked grout lines/spacing). I've also seen good ones.

I have a question:

Being the perfectionist I am, what are the chances of a first time tile project ( with some prior practice) coming out even remotely close to yours?

Being a perfectionist, you have good chances of doing a pretty good job for a first timer. Plan ahead!! Follow the caulk lines you lay down, use spacers and take your time. Once you start laying the tiles you'll get the feel for it, but it'll take time!!

I love this flooring. I live in WI and my concrete floor looks like yours did before the wash. I just don't understand the people who buy the plastic perforated tiles that can allow water and debris through the mesh.

Nice job of installation also.

TC

Thanks for the compliments!! I'm not here to bash other flooring options, everyone has their opinion of which flooring works best for their needs. For the type of work I do in my garage, (Jack and Slickgt will agree with me) ceramic/porcelain tiles were the only option to go with, other than keeping a bare pitted concrete slab.

i have just one small area in my garage where water comes up through the floor when it's wet out. what would i have to do to prep that area or the whole floor for porcelain tile? thanks, and agree your floor looks amazing!

You need to address why you are getting water coming up through a small portion of the slab when it's wet outside. Something is not right, water is leaking through somewhere?

I have this issue also. When it really rains or is humid for a long period, my floor sweats. I am sure there was no vapor barrior installed when they poured. What prep can be done to facilitate a tile install, or do you not recommend for a floor with moisture issues?

There is a few ways you can go about dealing with a sweating floor that wont affect you from tiling your garage floor. When you're ready to do the floor send me a PM and I'll go into detail regarding your concerns.

Dakota00,
Stunning job!

Do you still have plans to install some form of border tiles? I'm looking forward to the pictures of them installed.

You previously mentioned that you don't tile set with a mallet. Would you care to share what your technique is to ensure no voids? Answer here or PM works for me if proprietary concerns. I can keep a secret!

Dannyman

Thanks for the compliments!!

Tiling up the walls might not get done... I might be putting the house up for sale, it's not certain as of yet. I don't want to do extra work, when I don't need to..

Slickgt said it pretty well, lmao!! There's no secret...
I was taught that way, I have a better feel. I know if/when the tiles are full underneath with thinset using my hands to set verses using a mallet.

 

[Kevin54]

I don't get into the Flooring Forum much, but I do want to say that I love the looks of your floor. I so much want to do something with the house garage, and I'm leaning towards tile. I know the wife would love to have it too.

Great job and a lot to be proud of!!!!!

 

[Dakota00]

Thanks Kevin for the compliments!!

 

[OJ Bartley]

Dakota, I'm going to hijack your thread to ask a question to you and the other experts, since my tile thread is about a year old now. I'm starting to get ready to do this, and I plan to use the Schluter Reno Ramp as a transition at the front of the garage. My question is, should I set the ramp and start my first row from there, or should I lay my first tile in the centre like usual and just cut to fit the ramp?

 

[slickgt1]

Dakota, I'm going to hijack your thread to ask a question to you and the other experts, since my tile thread is about a year old now. I'm starting to get ready to do this, and I plan to use the Schluter Reno Ramp as a transition at the front of the garage. My question is, should I set the ramp and start my first row from there, or should I lay my first tile in the centre like usual and just cut to fit the ramp?

It all depends on your skill, and initial layout.

I suggest you take your tiles, and lay them out in a huge *** PLUS sign. Garage door to back of garage, and side to side. Sometimes starting in the center won't give you the best off cuts at the walls, and shifting everything over may net less cuts and a better look.

I have laser squares and levels, so I was able to figure out how square my space was, and actually started by the back wall. A few snapped chalk lines should work about the same. But I always lay out my length and width no matter what I do.

 

[BRIANBB]

I would start at the garage door and work your way back. That way you will have a full tile at the entrance and you will have a factory edge along the schluter ramp. After all when you are showing all the neighbors your shrine the first steps into it are usually by opening the garage door so they get the full effect.

 

[Dakota00]

Dakota, I'm going to hijack your thread to ask a question to you and the other experts, since my tile thread is about a year old now. I'm starting to get ready to do this, and I plan to use the Schluter Reno Ramp as a transition at the front of the garage. My question is, should I set the ramp and start my first row from there, or should I lay my first tile in the centre like usual and just cut to fit the ramp?

Are you tiling up to the edge of the concrete in front of the garage door(s)? Are you doing any patterns or boarders? This will also affect on how you start your floor!!

If you are using the same tiles throughout the space than you want to keep the tiles in front of the garage door(s) as big as possible without making the tiles against the back wall a tiny strip. Like Slick said you also need to check your side to side as well. You might need to split the difference of the tile to have bigger pieces at the ends which will obviously look better too. Meaning, the tiles center point (not the edge) could be the center line of your floor.

Just to add to what Slick said. If you're very handy with a measuring tape. You can also layout 10 or so tiles with spacers in place. Take that measurement and your starting point and mark to see where the tiles will end. With those few tiles already laid out you can always refer back to them seeing if you need 54" to the wall how many tiles it will take and how big that last tile is going to be. You can readjust your floor if need be with the markings. It's so much faster and easier to use a measuring tape than moving a bunch of tiles around. BUT if you're more of a visual person that needs to see the tiles laid out to understand, then lay them out!

 

[CT2012]

your floor looks awesome.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I'm no pro, but I do know that most wall to floor meeting areas in a garage tend to get hidden by shelving and other equipment, so that is where I am least concerned about the size/look of the tile. There are exceptions of course.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Awesome, thanks everyone for the quick comments. Slick, I think I will use your big plus sign layout trick to get an idea of placement. JimVonBaden is correct, the back wall will be completely hidden by the workbench, so I'm not concerned about how it meets up.

Dakota, same tiles throughout, no pattern... at most I might try an offset by 1/2, but that might be ambitious for my first tile job. Let me see if I can show you with a quick crude Word sketch...

So imagine the "Poured floor" goes all the way on to the back wall. The lip is slightly outside the door, which is where the ramp will be. Schluter has assured me that it is suitable for outdoor use and for the weight of a car. The ramp will be flush with the lip of the pad, centered between the door frames, and I'll have to add a little tile to trim it out at the very edges.

I thought it would make sense to start with a full tile after the ramp, and that appears to be the consensus. Thank you all for the input, and sorry for the interruption. Please resume praising Dakota's awesome work!

 

[slickgt1]

I'm no pro, but I do know that most wall to floor meeting areas in a garage tend to get hidden by shelving and other equipment, so that is where I am least concerned about the size/look of the tile. There are exceptions of course.

Yes the visual is one point. We don't know that though, and my walls are exposed, maybe not all but I can see them all.

The other aspect of splitting the difference, is to not screw yourself. You don't want to be laying 12" tile, and at the end of the wall, all of a sudden you need to cut up 100pc of 1" strip. These huge differences in tile, are eye catching, and are a ***** to lay out due to such a small size. Let alone a 1" strip will require a wetsaw, while 6" will take a score cutter no problem.

 

[Dakota00]

In my garage all my "floor to wall" meets are exposed. I have pretty much nothing on the floor. The end cuts should be as big as possible, for the eye and to work with as mentioned.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Yes the visual is one point. We don't know that though, and my walls are exposed, maybe not all but I can see them all.

The other aspect of splitting the difference, is to not screw yourself. You don't want to be laying 12" tile, and at the end of the wall, all of a sudden you need to cut up 100pc of 1" strip. These huge differences in tile, are eye catching, and are a ***** to lay out due to such a small size. Let alone a 1" strip will require a wetsaw, while 6" will take a score cutter no problem.

Of course you take that into account. Visually it is important to make the most exposed places the best looking. Also, you absolutely should lay out the tile so if you have a 1/2" strip at the back you can work around that by using a variety of techniques from slightly wider grout lines to a smaller accent tile in a pattern throughout the design.

I was just making the point that many garages have little exposed wall space at the floor level, so that should be taken into account.

 

[slickgt1]

In my garage all my "floor to wall" meets are exposed. I have pretty much nothing on the floor. The end cuts should be as big as possible, for the eye and to work with as mentioned.

About 40% covered for me. But it would piss me off to no end if i saw a fat grout line or a 1" strip where the cabinets end. I would have to kill myself. But i rather not.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Hey guys, has anyone used Kiesel products before? I went to a local tile shop to order my reno ramp and asked about kerabond / kerelastic and they don't carry it, but recommend this servoflex trio.


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[Dakota00]

I haven't used Kiesel products before. So I can't speak on how good their products are. Curious though, how much do they charge per bag?

 

[OJ Bartley]

I believe it was about $32 per bag, which should cover 80 - 100 sq ft.

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[Dakota00]

^^^ You can get flexbond thinset from Home Depot (see if they will give you contractor prices) you get more product for the same price. $32 for 50lbs vs Kiesel for $32 for 44lbs.

Don't expect 80-100sq.ft of coverage. Figure around 60sq.ft per bag.

 

[OJ Bartley]

I've looked at the flexbond, and I think seen it mentioned around here. Would it be comparable to the K/K thinset, or is the Mapei stuff clearly superior?... From a "I only want to do this once and do it right" perspective.

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[slickgt1]

I've looked at the flexbond, and I think seen it mentioned around here. Would it be comparable to the K/K thinset, or is the Mapei stuff clearly superior?... From a "I only want to do this once and do it right" perspective.

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Honestly, I used the cheapest thinset, been a while with not a single issue.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Slick, you're in New York, right? So basically the same as Toronto for freeze/thaw.

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[Dakota00]

Also Slick's installation was done on a dry pack bed, using epoxy grout which makes a difference too. Mapei's K/K system is one of the best out there, but you should be fine with flexbond as well.
Use a quality grout like Mapei Ultracolor Plus which is waterproof and stain proof. This way liquids will not penetrate the grout joints causing problems in the winter months.