How hard is tile?

[JackOfDiamonds]

I'm setting up an office nook at the end of one bay of my garage. I was just looking for something quick and cheap to improve on the bare concrete for aesthetic/comfort reasons, to make it more like an office and less like a garage. Considered rugs, matts, industrial carpet, interlocking tiles...

The local Home Depot has some 12 inch tile for 9 cents per square foot. Basically consider that to be free tile. But I don't know how to put down tile or if it's a good floor material for a garage. If I end up not liking it, it seems really hard to get rid of. But it's 9 cents...

 

[The Cobbler]

sounds like VCT tile . good wearing, easy to install, $0.09 is a great price

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

No, it's ceramic tile.... like you would use in a shower or something .

 

[The Cobbler]

ahh. quite a bit harder to work with .

 

[nadogail]

How hard is a a Tile Floor?

Hard enough to pretty much guarantee that any glassware dropped on it will break.

 

[JRC3]

The tile itself is cheap. The labor is expensive for a reason.

If you want quick and cheap go buy and install some vinyl plank. $2/sq.ft with no special tools and have it done in 1/8th the time and not look like a 1st time tile job.

 

[JackOfDiamonds]

I've done a bit of vinyl plank and I like it but in my estimation it's pretty picky about having a flat floor. I'm not sure my garage slab is flat enough.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I've done a bit of vinyl plank and I like it but in my estimation it's pretty picky about having a flat floor. I'm not sure my garage slab is flat enough.

If you don't think your floor is flat enough for vinyl plank, then it's nowhere near level enough for tile... We had some (reproduction) roman style floor tile we wanted to look "ancient" so our tile setters deliberately re-bedded our floor with a SLIGHT warble in it for that effect - and they fought that bedding tooth and nail, every step of the way, to get the tile to adhere.

I rented a slumlord apartment for work for a while, the floors were in deplorable shape, the landlord decided to put in Vinyl plank, and it corrected the entire mess that had been made of the floor before... I would say it's a LOT more forgiving than tile is.

 

[Shea]

This ought to answer your questions.

Dispelling the Myths of Porcelain Tile for a Garage Floor | All Garage Floors

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about porcelain tile for a garage floor. Does it crack, withstand jacks, get slippery when wet, and more.

allgaragefloors.com

Unfortunately, Jack made his video private for some reason after it was public for many years.

 

[mogandave]

I have ceramic tile in my "shop" (as well as everywhere else) and I am not partial to it. If you drop a hammer on it, it will often chip or break. Also, be aware that some tile is VERY slippery.

It has been my experience that setting tile is not complicated and does not require a lot of special tools. You do need a decent floor/area to start with, but the first time I tried it came out fine.

That said, while (in my opinion) it is not that difficult, it is HARD A** WORK. Tile is HEAVY. Thin-set is HEAVY. My fat a** pushing down on my knees it HEAVY. It is a little better than roofing in that at least you have shade, but make sure you're up to it before you start.

 

[Cairo94507]

I would go with the tile. Easy to roll your chair around and keep clean. I had porcelain tile in my last garage and that stuff took a beating with no issues at all. The caveat being it must be installed correctly. Each tile needed to be fully back buttered before placing it on the floor that was fully buttered. No voids under the tile.

 

[JRC3]

I really doubt $0.09/sq.ft. tile is going to hold up well near a garage. I find cheap tile to be soft and chip very easily. Will probably also crack with any swing in temperature, like in a garage.

 

[Fav Onefour]

That price is crazy cheap. Honestly it's worth going for the tile. Keep some extra. It isn't too hard to chip out a broken tile and replace if needed.
A lot of tile fails early because of the installation. Most of the bad cracks were the substrate moving or poor mortar contact. You don't have the flex problem like many of the early fail projects. Use the right mortar and notch to get solid contact with the whole tile. Sounds like the tile would be laid on top of the floor just in your office area. Floor height change is always a stress point. Protect the edge with a solid transition and mortar right to that piece. That edge will get the most abuse. I've redone a few tile projects on properties that I've picked up. It is amazing how quickly you can chip and smash tile with a bad mortar contact.
I hate doing the grouting, but I take the time to make sure it is done solid. I use epoxy in bath locations and I wouldn't recommend the hassle. Just use a good grout. It may be worth looking at thinner breaks with all the shop tracking the floor may see. Grout is the stuff that needs cleaning most.