Ceramic or Porcelain tile flooring for garage

[slickgt1]

I haven't paid close enough attention over time to the uneven slabs, so I can't say for 100% sure whether or not they move with the transition of seasons. All I can say is that it's not noticeably different, so if it does move - I THINK it's minimal. I really don't want to monitor the movement for an extended period of time...

Given where I'm located, would I get more votes to "honor" the joints? I'd hate to have to, in the long run, continually replace cracked tiles between seasons. Would it be advisable to treat each slab section as it's own tile install? And if so, would I then be better off using Sikaflex or a similar product for those tile joints that follow the slab joints?

I've seen lots of comments about Legacy Industrial's HD-821 and wondering if that would be highly recommended for my garage?

Oh - quick note about the floor drain grate. There aren't any visible screws holding it down, and I can't imagine the whole cover is a screw type. That just doesn't make sense to me that it would be designed that way taking into consideration where it's used.

I would image some of you out there who install floor coverings have come across hard to remove floor drain grates. Can any of you comment on experiences and how they were removed?

I have no input on that drain, other than apply a healthy dose of muscle. First check it is somehow mechanically attached, then got at it with some tools.

As far as the joints. I have to be honest with you. I didn't honer any of them. I figured it this way. If someday the joint cracks, I will replace that row, and then honor the joint. So far I have had no issues. It's not like you need to color match some paint sample or something to have it looking new again. Chip out old tile, and replace.

 

[hobie1dog]

A local CL ad has 24x24 gray German porcelain tile and has exactly the amount I would need with a few spares, but it works out to about 2.50/sq.ft. I'm wondering if that is still too much money to put into a garage floor considering how much more the labor is going to be?

 

[slickgt1]

A local CL ad has 24x24 gray German porcelain tile and has exactly the amount I would need with a few spares, but it works out to about 2.50/sq.ft. I'm wondering if that is still too much money to put into a garage floor considering how much more the labor is going to be?

Well that tile is very big. I wouldn't go that route. Maybe buy it and cut it up into 4.

The price is too high anyway. You should be able to get it done for less than $1

 

[BUCKNERBUCK2]

Yeah I am in a similar situation. CL tile for $1.25 a sq ft for 18x18 tile. PEI 4 porcelain.

 

[hobie1dog]

Well that tile is very big. I wouldn't go that route. Maybe buy it and cut it up into 4.

The price is too high anyway. You should be able to get it done for less than $1

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to keep it in the larger pieces, as they use it like that in most high end industrial applications.

 

[PecosBill]

Um, neither of these posts are correct. Ceramic and Porcelain can both be used in exterior freeze/thaw applications. You just have to have tile that's rated for it. PEI ratings (which go up to 5) have nothing to do with freeze/thaw; they're a hardness rating. Tiles are given a PEI rating, and also a coefficient of friction rating (which allows them to meet particular building codes, and has to do with how slippery they are), and also a mosture content rating. It's the moisture content rating that will determine the suitability of that particular tile for freeze/thaw conditions. Too much water and the tile is subject to break when it freezes and expands.

I hate to argue with you, Jack, but you aren't quite right there. Absorbancy is the factor that effects a tile's ability to be freeze/thaw stable. When a tile absorbs moisture, and then freezes, it can cause fractures in the tile. Porcelain tiles are denser, especially the finer the porcelain, than a standard ceramic, so it does not absorb as readily. If you will look at manufacturer ratings, you will find it very tough to find a freeze/thaw rated ceramic. Porcelains are definitely more freeze/thaw stable. It is also important to remember that the setting materials you use are susceptible to freeze/thaw conditions.

 

[PecosBill]

A local CL ad has 24x24 gray German porcelain tile and has exactly the amount I would need with a few spares, but it works out to about 2.50/sq.ft. I'm wondering if that is still too much money to put into a garage floor considering how much more the labor is going to be?

24's are definitely more labor intensive, but if using professional labor, they lend themselves to a very nice installation. You will notice that a lot of auto showrooms are done in a large format, rectified edge, tile. We are installing one right now, only in 18's, with 3/16" joints. I am charging about $5/sf for labor, whereas 24's with -1/8" joint would have been in the $8 range. The tile is a Daltile product, and my wholesale price was in the 2.25/sf, where as the originally specified 24" polished Crossville product was about twice the price. It's also important to remember that these prices are for a 6000+sf project, and a residential garage is going to tend to be a little more expensive per sf.

Prices will very, of course, depending on locale.

 

[hobie1dog]

The guys I would be having put down my porcelain tile do it for 2.00 /sq.ft. and told me that the 24x24 would not be a problem. Although we are still in discussion on what kind of grout to put in.

 

[PecosBill]

That would be an unbelievable price over here, we charge more than that for lick-and-stick 4 1/4 wall tile.

While I am not a fan of epoxy in the house, in a garage environment, I would use Mapei Kerapoxy. It is definitely a pro level product, and not do-it-yourself friendly though.

 

[hobie1dog]

That would be an unbelievable price over here, we charge more than that for lick-and-stick 4 1/4 wall tile.

While I am not a fan of epoxy in the house, in a garage environment, I would use Mapei Kerapoxy. It is definitely a pro level product, and not do-it-yourself friendly though.

That is what we are trying to figure out, as my guys have not used it before.( hence the their low cost)

 

[Steves32]

The guys I would be having put down my porcelain tile do it for 2.00 /sq.ft. and told me that the 24x24 would not be a problem. Although we are still in discussion on what kind of grout to put in.

It could be a problem & I'll tell you what happened to me. My entry floor in my house is 12'x14' & used to be 10x10 tiles. I hired a pro & had them install a travertine floor in a 20x20 tile. I was out of town on a job when they did the install. While the 10x10 laid flat, the 20x20 was a nightmare. Each area where the 4 corners met- each corner was at a different height. When I complained, they told me it was the concrete floor, not the installer (********).
I held back their final payment, they opted to never come back. Bothers me to this day.

 

[slickgt1]

That would be an unbelievable price over here, we charge more than that for lick-and-stick 4 1/4 wall tile.

While I am not a fan of epoxy in the house, in a garage environment, I would use Mapei Kerapoxy. It is definitely a pro level product, and not do-it-yourself friendly though.

Hi Bill, question for you, and maybe it will help others here. Is it normal for 24"x24" tile to have that slight curve that the 12"x24" have? I have a project where people want 12"x24", and those same tiles are supposedly available in 24"x24", so I was thinking of cutting them in half if they don't have that arch. If they still have that arch, I'm subbing it out. lol.

As far as my experience goes, 24"x24" is huge, and requires a pro level of installation. If your floor is not absolutely the straightest possible, I can see going back over the set tiles and constantly adjust them with the setting of the next tile. It would be a huge ***** to adjust those 24" edges, especially if you go in a brick pattern. And adjusting 24" tiles for an garage purpose is not as simple as pushing an edge, it usually requires you to remove the tile, add thinset, set, squeeze out, adjust, ...... Yea no way in hell would I do 24" tiles myself. Way too heavy and beyond my comfort level.

 

[PecosBill]

Oblong tiles tend to want to warp during production, but higher end tiles are culled and the shipped product tends to be flatter than lower end products. With warped tile, it doesn't matter how much skill you have, you can't get it totally flat. But, there are some beautiful installations out there with warped tile, especially in settings that lend themselves to an aged look.

24's are really at the pro level. Besides just being really heavy, they are harder to get flat, and impossible to cut without the right equipment. That being said, nothing looks like large format, and there is a lot to be said for less grout. The key is to use a Medium Bed Mortar, or Large Tile Thinset, and the correct trowel, plus you will be back-buttering every tile.

 

[chiefrdm]

This is my first post, I am wanting to tile my garage floor and need all the advice I can get. What is the best type of tile to use? Thanks for any and all advice.