Wood Plank Porcelain Workshop

AB9NZ · Apr 1, 2015

I finished up the tile in my workshop. I found the 3x24 tiles on sale for two bucks a square foot. I had to move all of my cabinets and machinery around as I set the tile, so it took a couple months of weekends and also my winter break
to get the job done. I'm pretty happy with our new floor.

AB9NZ · Apr 1, 2015

Here's another shot.

DC73 · Apr 1, 2015

That looks great. Where did you find the tiles?

DC

AB9NZ · Apr 2, 2015

Thanks for the kind words. I bought the tile here http://www.tileshop.com/home.do

Dakota00 · Apr 2, 2015

Looks great man!

12ozd · Apr 2, 2015

That looks really nice!!

I like it. :thumbup:

WJW · Apr 2, 2015

Man that looks great!!!!
Just so happens that the 'this old house show' this week is using same tile, maybe a longer one but still x3. Guy said that it is made like using a ink jet printer spraying the pattern on it. What size notch trowel did you use?
Nice lookin shop.

KULIWOBBY · Apr 2, 2015

Awesome floor. Great decision. do you have any more pics of the floor?

lilredex · Apr 2, 2015

Good choice, but be sure not to drop anything on them.....they are very brittle.

Also saw that TOH episode, where the "resident tile man" laid similar tiles. There was a bit of a WTF moment where thin set was spread on the floor and the tiles and it all squished up between them. They never showed the cleanup or the grouting processes.

We laid similar tiles in our basement over the past winter, but not in any of work areas.

Angelfire · Apr 2, 2015

lilredex said:
Good choice, but be sure not to drop anything on them.....they are very brittle.

Also saw that TOH episode, where the "resident tile man" laid similar tiles. There was a bit of a WTF moment where thin set was spread on the floor and the tiles and it all squished up between them. They never showed the cleanup or the grouting processes.

We laid similar tiles in our basement over the past winter, but not in any of work areas.

Are you saying the tiles are brittle specifically due to their shape/size? Reason I ask is porcelain is harder than concrete and shouldn't crack except in the most extreme cases if properly installed. its a misnomer that tiles will crack easily. They will if not installed with 100% coverage. Install them properly and you'll have a difficult time breaking them (view Jack Olsens video where he beats his ceramic floor with a sledge with nary a mark.

AB9NZ · Apr 2, 2015

When I installed the porcelain I used a 1/4" trowel and back buttered each tile. As far as the durability, yesterday an anvil from my english wheel [about the size of a sledge hammer head] fell 40 inches to the floor without even a chip in the tile. I rolled my bridgeport mill into place on short steel rods without a chip or scratch too. I'm rather happy with the durability of this floor.

Track t-4 · Apr 2, 2015

I'm almost finished with my porcelain tile floor. Dropped a hammer from about 4 feet yesterday with no damage whatsoever.

AB9NZ · Apr 2, 2015

What can be deceiving is that the loose tiles are very brittle. Set and grouted they get very strong.

243 · Apr 2, 2015

Replacing a tile is a breeze once you bust it out

, if the grout is dark you will never notice the repair.

Jack Olsen · Apr 3, 2015

Even ceramic tile is generally stronger than the concrete it's sitting on.

Like the concrete, it will crack if it's not properly supported.

This is an old clip, but it makes a good point. Cheap ceramic tile meets a 4-lb sledge hammer. I'm hitting it pretty hard -- it's making the camera jump.

(Click on the image to see the video.)

Kevin54 · Apr 3, 2015

Jack Olsen said:
Even ceramic tile is generally stronger than the concrete it's sitting on.

Like the concrete, it will crack if it's not properly supported.

This is an old clip, but it makes a good point. Cheap ceramic tile meets a 4-lb sledge hammer. I'm hitting it pretty hard -- it's making the camera jump.

(Click on the image to see the video.)

Well if that isn't a selling point for porcelain tile, then there isn't any out there. :scared:

Jack....you need to send that to the porcelain tile dealers and get a commission. That would sell me in....oh let's say :06 seconds :thumbup:

Oh...and for the OP.....that tile looks fantastic. I was going to say that first, but got amazed at Jack's video clip, which BTW....proves he's got some pretty big balls too. :lol_hitti

Angelfire · Apr 4, 2015

What's even more impressive is that Jacks floor is ceramic, not porcelain. Porcelain is even harder that what he used. That says a lot

KPSquared · Apr 5, 2015

I'm amazed we are still having the "is tile strong enough" discussion. I thought that argument had been put to bed years ago...

That plank looks amazing. I might have to hunt some down for my brewing space in my new shop!

Denwood · Apr 5, 2015

I was looking at the same type of tile for my shop. Awesome that you used this as I could find zero pics online of these type of tiles used in a shop.

Can you post a few more pics?

WJW · Apr 5, 2015

Just saw the TOH show again about this and the size they used was 5" x 32" wood grain. So it looks like it is in a few different sizes in the wood grain.

upndown · Apr 5, 2015

Your floor looks great! My brother just had that done at his house, he loves it. Got me re-thinking putting down hardwood my place!

AB9NZ · Apr 5, 2015

My ham radio station is in the south east corner of the garage.

AB9NZ · Apr 5, 2015

Here I'm gluing up some drawers for the shop's cabinets.

AB9NZ · Apr 5, 2015

Milling the drawers out of baltic birch.
I'm in the autumn of my life [53] so it's nice to finally be getting my workshop into shape. Start young guys!

AB9NZ · Apr 5, 2015

Here's my beautiful boy making mini bike motor mounts on the Bridgeport. Snuck that shot into the flooring forum

.

duneslider · Apr 6, 2015

KPSquared said:
I'm amazed we are still having the "is tile strong enough" discussion. I thought that argument had been put to bed years ago...

This is because so many people have paid for nice looking floors that were installed SO POORLY that dropping a butter knife on them cracks them. Victims of poor workmanship and then the general population thinks the product is bad rather than the hands that installed it. I am sure we have all heard it, "I have been doing it this way for 20 years so it must be right, I have never had a call back." Then add to it that many people aren't willing to spend a little more to get it done the right way.

Well, ALL my customers called me back and paid me more money to to do more work for them. I like call backs. :rocker:

Its hard to change 30 years of determined work to do it the wrong way.

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