My 2-Car Porcelain Tile Install....

[Matstock4]

Is there always moisture on the surface of your concrete floor?

Nope just when it's raining. The last couple months it's been dry. The indoor humidity of the garage is elevated compared to the outside most of the time. I tested with two hydrometers (inside and outside) to confirm that. Unfortunately I was unaware of the floor moisture test (with the plastic taped to the floor) until after the rainy season. I was hoping that the Ditra and/or another solution would protect my 65 year concrete slab from ground moisture coming up. Or would it be worth waiting to commit capital and time on tile flooring until after testing moisture? Thanks for helping out!!

 

[Dakota00]

^^^ Sent you a PM.

 

[rbkool]

Dakota00, how slippery do you find the tile with snow/ice in the winter? Didn't see it in mentioned. Thanks.

^^^ The tiles are not slippery at all, unless you are extremely careless. Never had any issues walking on the slush and snow that I track in or my vehicles. Even the vehicles themselves do not loose any traction with snow under the tires.

You weren't asking me, but I'll chime in anyway. My tiles have a lower COF rating than Dakota's and are still good with plain water. Slush makes them a little worse when it packs in under your shoes, so if possible go for something with a higher COF (I think the recommendation is to stay above 0.6 or so IIRC).

I hope it is ok to quote this thread rather than start a new one (figure this thread will get more views and it's a free bump for Dakota00 ), but I have a related question... I had tile installed last Spring, and it worked out great for the summer/fall. I recall having a discussion about COF rating with the installer, but can't recall (and don't have anyway to check) the actual COF of the tiles that were installed.

Walking grip is fine when the tile is wet (similar to concrete), but now with colder weather, they are like ice when there is any snow/slush on the tile or on our shoes when we walk in the garage. I fear I know the answer, but is there anything that can be done to provide more grip to tiles that are already laid? Laying down cardboard is one solution, but obviously looks like **** and is not a long-term solution. Related (and more concerning), our vehicle also slips and slides on the tiles when coming in from our snow-covered lane (elevation change between lane and garage).... laying down cardboard won't help for that!

Any suggestions?

 

[Dakota00]

Really there's not much you can do. You can lay down an exterior carpet runner (during the winter) along the side of the vehicle to make it more safer (foot traffic) when entering the garage and existing the vehicle once parked. As for the vehicle, there's nothing that will help with traction. Just take extra care when parking.

 

[rbkool]

Really there's not much you can do. You can lay down an exterior carpet runner (during the winter) along the side of the vehicle to make it more safer (foot traffic) when entering the garage and existing the vehicle once parked. As for the vehicle, there's nothing that will help with traction. Just take extra care when parking.

As i feared, I will just have to live with it. The carpet runner is a good idea, thanks for that.

 

[gerryw]

How about a curb stop for the car (hard rubber curb)?

Just a thought.

Gerry

 

[therest]

Looks great!

I notice in post #18 where you were patching the “horrible slope” did you use self leveler compound? If so, does it level to the slope by itself? What would you have done if the gap in the back of the garage was about 3/4”, do you just use more whatever you used to fix it?

 

[Dakota00]

I don't use floor leveling compound under areas that are getting tiled. I use thin set that is thinned out so it can be workable with a straight edge, it's a heck of a lot cheaper this way for the same results. Hard to see in the pic, that low area in the back was about 5/8"-3/4" lower. It was all filled in with thin set. Filling anything deeper than 3/4" would require a second application, only after the first coat had ample drying time.

 

[therest]

I don't use floor leveling compound under areas that are getting tiled. I use thin set that is thinned out so it can be workable with a straight edge, it's a heck of a lot cheaper this way for the same results. Hard to see in the pic, that low area in the back was about 5/8"-3/4" lower. It was all filled in with thin set. Filling anything deeper than 3/4" would require a second application, only after the first coat had ample drying time.

That's really interesting to be honest, I would have never thought that.

 

[Dakota00]

Secrets of the trade...

 

[therest]

I don't use floor leveling compound under areas that are getting tiled. I use thin set that is thinned out so it can be workable with a straight edge, it's a heck of a lot cheaper this way for the same results. Hard to see in the pic, that low area in the back was about 5/8"-3/4" lower. It was all filled in with thin set. Filling anything deeper than 3/4" would require a second application, only after the first coat had ample drying time.

Did you have a lot of high/low spots? So how do you keep the pitch when "leveling" the floor?

 

[hpw]

I don't use floor leveling compound under areas that are getting tiled. I use thin set that is thinned out so it can be workable with a straight edge, it's a heck of a lot cheaper this way for the same results. Hard to see in the pic, that low area in the back was about 5/8"-3/4" lower. It was all filled in with thin set. Filling anything deeper than 3/4" would require a second application, only after the first coat had ample drying time.

mix to the consistency of ? and do you use a latex additive or water?

.........what would ample drying time be?

 

[Dakota00]

Other than that low spot in the pic, the rest of the slab wasn't too bad.
When leveling I set guide markers to the height I need prior to laying down the material and then float the straight edge on top of the guides. In the same picture you can see against the wall the voided area, that's where my guides were. After the thin set dries, I'll remove the guides and fill in the voids.
It all depends on the situation and what technique is needed for leveling. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Dakota00]

mix to the consistency of ? and do you use a latex additive or water?

.........what would ample drying time be?

Consistency would depend on how much material you need to build up. Generally you would like to have the mix that can easily spread but hard enough to hold its form. Basically a bit thicker than pancake batter. I would use a latex additives only in freeze/thaw climates.

Ample drying time can vary on thickness of material laid, mixture, temps, etc... Usually 1-2 days should be dry enough to work, fully cures like concrete in 28 days.

 

[therest]

Dakota, what do you think of this product for my low spots? Some of my low spots seems as low as 3/4 of an inch.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-60-lb-Sand-Topping-Mix-110360/100318505

 

[therest]

I don't use floor leveling compound under areas that are getting tiled. I use thin set that is thinned out so it can be workable with a straight edge, it's a heck of a lot cheaper this way for the same results. Hard to see in the pic, that low area in the back was about 5/8"-3/4" lower. It was all filled in with thin set. Filling anything deeper than 3/4" would require a second application, only after the first coat had ample drying time.

Might be a dumb question, but did you use a primer so that the thinset could adhere to the cement? I assume you didn't.

 

[Dakota00]

Dakota, what do you think of this product for my low spots? Some of my low spots seems as low as 3/4 of an inch.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-60-lb-Sand-Topping-Mix-110360/100318505

I have never used this product before, therefore I can't recommend it. Just to note, this product can not be floated from 1/2" to 0. My personal opinion, don't use it for leveling.

Might be a dumb question, but did you use a primer so that the thinset could adhere to the cement? I assume you didn't.

No I didn't use a primer as it's not needed with the thinset I used.

 

[Cairo94507]

Dakota00 is the reason that my 3-car garage is being done in porcelain tile as I type this. I went with 12x12 PEI 5 rectified tiles in a 1/2 off-set patter. No contrasting colors. 8" Porcelain tile base around the garage. My garage is 40 years old and the floor was not perfectly flat despite bringing. So we felt the 12x12 was the best way to go. Here is an in-progress picture:

 

[EliseHome]

Dakota00, your thread has been fantastic and really helpful. I think good threads like this stand the test of time, as yours has done.

Having read the entire thread at one sitting, I guess I still have a couple of questions that have not been raised yet, at least in this context. I would appreciate your insights....

I am building a 60x60 foot hangar. The foundation pour was in November, 2017. It's all enclosed now, and will shortly be heated. The floor is "flat" up to the large door where, four feet in, it begins to slope down by about 3/4 inch. It is a broom-type finish, and was poured over a vapour barrier. At 30 days, the concrete was at 3900 psi, and I expect it to flatten out at around 4100 psi or thereabouts.

In using a 9-foot spirit level, I have found maybe 12 low spots so far, the most being 1/4 inches within that span (I'm not finished looking yet). The property is in North Texas. Oh, and I've never tiled before.

With this in mind, here are my questions.

First, given my location, is it still your recommendation to wait a year for settling/cracks to appear?

Second, is this just too much for a rookie to attempt, in your opinion? I've been trying to reduce my ignorance, but at some point, there's no substitute for experience.

I plan to use 12x24" and 24x24" tiles, take my time (I'm recently retired), and be pretty self-critical throughout the process.

Thanks for your great thread once again. I have learned a great deal.

Stephen.

 

[Dakota00]

Stephen,

Thank you for taking the time in reading my whole thread.

I'm no concrete expert, but in my years being in construction before becoming a tile setter. I've seen concrete slabs do some weird stuff, mostly relating to some kind of human error. That's why I recommend waiting at least a full year before doing any kind of tiling work. You never know how a slab will behave 6-8 months down the road.

Being this is your first time tiling, you're taking some pretty big steps! 60'x60' and laying 2'x2' tiles, wont be an easy task for a rookie and understand it's very labor intensive. With that in mind, it's still very doable. As long as you have a plan, do your prep, follow the proper installation techniques and take your time. Surely the end result will be a great looking floor that you can be very proud of and get many years of enjoyment out of!

 

[mygarageone]

Dakota , I know porcelain tile is what you recommend but I wanted to get your opinion on my project. I am turning my garage into a multi purpose room , family area etc. I will still be parking my classic cars in there and they never see rain or snow , I have heated foor .
And if they should see rain ( doubtful ) I would most likely put a tarp on the floor anyway to catch any oil / transmisson leaks.

I will still be doing work on my car , nothing heavy . Mostly tire changes , tune ups , waxing.

There will be very little water on floor except maybe some spilling a pop or coffee.

What's your opinion regarding me using ceramic rather than porcelain ? I am looking at the cost factor .

 

[KDubU]

Mygarageone, go with porcelain. Ceramic does not have the harness ratings needed as inevitably you will drop a tool of some sort on the tiles and while you can easily replace a tile, you will get tired of doing so. Price for porcelain with a hardness rating of 4-5 if I recall my numbers correctly. HD has tiles that fall into this category for $1-3 sq ft.

 

[Dakota00]

There's nothing wrong with using a quality ceramic tile. It wont be as strong as a porcelain tile, but it will be strong enough for your intended use. Now considering cost, porcelain tiles in the last few years have come down in price. Where it's easy to find a PEI 4-5 rated tile at your local big box store for under a buck a sq.ft. when on sale.
There's minimal savings going with ceramic over porcelain, unless you find a killer deal.

 

[mygarageone]

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.

Mygarageone, go with porcelain. Ceramic does not have the harness ratings needed as inevitably you will drop a tool of some sort on the tiles and while you can easily replace a tile, you will get tired of doing so. Price for porcelain with a hardness rating of 4-5 if I recall my numbers correctly. HD has tiles that fall into this category for $1-3 sq ft.

Thank you .

 

[jjscott]

Dakota - the floor looks amazing. I have a three car garage with two floor drains. How would you handle the tile next to the drains so that it looked good? Do they make a standard grate spacer or extender that would lay on top of the existing drain grate so the tile would be flush against it?

 

[Dakota00]

It all depends on the type and style of floor drains you have. Pic?

 

[jjscott]

Here are a couple pics. One closeup and the other with a better look at the garage floor...

View media item 81391
View media item 81390

 

[Dakota00]

You could tile around the drain, even using a tile edge protector as a finishing touch. Then place a new drain cover over top of existing cover, sitting less than flush with the tiles height.

Or take existing drain cover raise it with shims to desired height.

Or you could get creative and do something like this? Just as long no vehicle's tires drive over the tile cover.

There's many ways you can go about dealing with this floor drain.

 

[Matstock4]

You could tile around the drain, even using a tile edge protector as a finishing touch. Then place a new drain cover over top of existing cover, sitting less than flush with the tiles height.

Or take existing drain cover raise it with shims to desired height.

Or you could get creative and do something like this? Just as long no vehicle's tires drive over the tile cover.

There's many ways you can go about dealing with this floor drain.

Wow that looks sharp!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[B0Z]

Hey Dakota. You mentioned that you used Mapei Ultracolor Plus and that it was very fast setting. A few questions for you... (and an opportunity to bump your thread. )

About how long did it take to set? From what I recall you did your entire garage in a single session so I'm guessing you were working as fast as you could.

My garage is about the size of yours (~400+ sf), but I'm using 24 x 24 inch tiles. Stands to reason I probably need roughly half of the amount of grout that you needed. Would a 10lb bag be sufficient? (1/8 spacers).

As you've already seen, I'm doing the traditional B&W checkerboard layout. I'm thinking the black color would be best. As a pro, do you have any reservations about using the black Mapei?

Lastly, what did you use for sealer?

 

[foodie]

Dakota00 is the reason that my 3-car garage is being done in porcelain tile as I type this. I went with 12x12 PEI 5 rectified tiles in a 1/2 off-set patter. No contrasting colors. 8" Porcelain tile base around the garage. My garage is 40 years old and the floor was not perfectly flat despite bringing. So we felt the 12x12 was the best way to go. Here is an in-progress picture:

Where did you get your tile??

 

[foodie]

I hope it is ok to quote this thread rather than start a new one (figure this thread will get more views and it's a free bump for Dakota00 ), but I have a related question... I had tile installed last Spring, and it worked out great for the summer/fall. I recall having a discussion about COF rating with the installer, but can't recall (and don't have anyway to check) the actual COF of the tiles that were installed.

Walking grip is fine when the tile is wet (similar to concrete), but now with colder weather, they are like ice when there is any snow/slush on the tile or on our shoes when we walk in the garage. I fear I know the answer, but is there anything that can be done to provide more grip to tiles that are already laid? Laying down cardboard is one solution, but obviously looks like **** and is not a long-term solution. Related (and more concerning), our vehicle also slips and slides on the tiles when coming in from our snow-covered lane (elevation change between lane and garage).... laying down cardboard won't help for that!

Any suggestions?

Yes there are products for slippery tile. Liquid Traction is one product. If you Google slippery tile floor treatment you will find a number of products.

 

[Dakota00]

Hey Dakota. You mentioned that you used Mapei Ultracolor Plus and that it was very fast setting. A few questions for you... (and an opportunity to bump your thread. )

About how long did it take to set? From what I recall you did your entire garage in a single session so I'm guessing you were working as fast as you could.

My garage is about the size of yours (~400+ sf), but I'm using 24 x 24 inch tiles. Stands to reason I probably need roughly half of the amount of grout that you needed. Would a 10lb bag be sufficient? (1/8 spacers).

As you've already seen, I'm doing the traditional B&W checkerboard layout. I'm thinking the black color would be best. As a pro, do you have any reservations about using the black Mapei?

Lastly, what did you use for sealer?

Hey,

The grouting was done in sections, as I was restricted for time due to the fast setting nature of this grout. You could do quarter sections (100sq.ft) at a time so you are not rushing. Consistence on how the grout is mixed, how hot it is outside all play a role on setting speed of the grout. Usually it's about 20min working time for the contents mixed up in the pail.

10lbs bag will not be enough, you'll end up using about 15lbs if everything goes smoothly that's not counting any wasted product. Buy (2) 10lbs bags. Dry mix both contents of the bags, with will unsure color consistency with the grout.

Only issue with using black grout, during the washing phase it'll requires extra cleaning to remove residue left behind. Change water bucket frequently when washing and please wear gloves.

The beauty of this grout, it doesn't require a sealer!

 

[B0Z]

Hey,

The grouting was done in sections, as I was restricted for time due to the fast setting nature of this grout.

Ok... I was literally just getting ready to order this grout from Lowes when, out of curiosity, I checked the reviews on the website.

HOLY ****!

I want the best for my floor, but I might have to pass on this stuff. It sounds like it's for Professionals only. Obviously there's going to be a percentage of people who don't read the instructions or make assumptions about how to grout from previous jobs, but that many bad reviews doesn't seem like it should be dismissed. Even if it's totally workable in smaller batches, this will be my very first time grouting anything and I'm already pretty surprised with how much work is involved in laying the tile I bought.

TL;DR the grout is awesome. sets up way too fast.

EDIT: I'm not knocking it. I'm unsure of my ability to apply it correctly given the time limit and my novice.

EDIT2: One guy in the reviews said it worked great using 4 people to grout (2 wipers, 1 grouter, 1 bucket runner.)

 

[Dakota00]

It's not that fast setting as people in those reviews make it out to be. If the UltraColor Plus is not to your liking. Seeing you're in Phoenix, you could get away with using regular cement based grout, which is UltraColor sanded. Then follow up with a premium sealer.

 

[B0Z]

It's not that fast setting as people in those reviews make it out to be.

Yeah... I figure most of them are DIY'rs who have done a grout job or 2.

 

[ultimakf7]

For a porcelain tile install, how would you address this transition within the garage? Level the concrete? Tile around the transition and install Schulter Reno?

 

[Angelfire]

For a porcelain tile install, how would you address this transition within the garage? Level the concrete? Tile around the transition and install Schulter Reno?

I am currently dealing with a very similar profile. Mine however is smaller meaning it doesn't project as far into the garage as yours does. What I've done is install the Reno U right up to the edge of the slab before it drops down to accommodate the garage door. Because mine was so much smaller, I'll won't be installing tile in the profile itself (well no plans to anyway). You could install the Reno U right at the edge as I did, than place a tile where the garage door comes down if you think the concrete clashes with the tile too much.

I ran my Reno U around all the edges of the profile (3). I can get pics later if it helps.
Cheers.

Edit: Looking at yours a bit more, you could slop it down using a mortar and just tile down below the door....just another option for you.

 

[ultimakf7]

Thanks! Pictures would help!

 

[Dakota00]

Angelfire provided some good options. How would you like to finish the transition? Do you want the tiles to finish pass the garage door to the outside edge? Finish just up to the garage door, leaving the outside threshold concrete?