My 2-Car Porcelain Tile Install....

[OJ Bartley]

I'll price out the K/K and see how much more it is. I'd really rather just do this the best way and be done with it, if it isn't ludicrously more expensive. Does the Ultracolor Plus require initial/repeated sealing, or is it inherently waterproof?

 

[Dakota00]

Hey,

With the Keralastic latex, you can water it down to 60/40, 40 being water. So this alone will save you quite a bit of money.

Ultracolor Plus doesn't require a sealer, but for added protection I sealed my grout joints.

 

[cagullett1]

Hey Dakota, I read through most of this thread, and your floor looks awesome! I've been against tile for a while, thinking epoxy would be a good idea, but I'm on a tight budget. I finally decided to just leave my floor as bare concrete and not do the floor until I read this thread. My only question, how does a creeper handle on the structured tile? I use my creeper quite a bit, and was wondering, how "textured" is the tile. On the other end of the spectrum, I love that the tile is structured so that it limits any slipping on a wet floor.

 

[Dakota00]

Cagullett1,

Thanks for the compliments!!

You feel a little of the structure finish when using a creeper, but nothing to cause an issues. Last week I used an engine hoist to put together my 4 post lift and no issues with grout lines or with the tiles finish.

 

[Hesketh]

Now this is the thread I remembered reading about a while back and which I was looking to read up on before finally making my mind up on going for a tiled floor in the new place. Have to say Dakota your detailed description of what, why and how you went about this has been a huge help with my decision process.

I have to say one of the big selling points of the tiles is that I am planning to do half the garage then move all the “stuff” over to do the other half, I can’t see epoxy letting me do this and looking good…

Now the only big thing is how to handle the ramp.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Hesketh, what kind of a ramp are we talking about? How big? If it's just a little transition, I picked up a Schluter reno ramp that looks like it will be great at the front of the garage.

Here you go... Reno Ramp.

I haven't installed mine yet, but I'm hoping to get started sometime soon. It seems like a great option for a lip transition.

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[Hesketh]

HaHaHa I fear my English English was miss read / used.

When I said ramp I meant a lift, as in scissor lift

However that link you posted looks like a very clever and smart idea, as a possible solution to the tile lip. I have however not seen anything like that over this side of the water.

But I may well have a look. I was actually thinking of leaving the lip as I would think it would be less than 1/2 an inch and IF I managed to line it all up correctly I could try and get the door to close just in front of it? Thinking it might just help keep the weather out?

 

[Orestp]

If the concrete is sealed, is there anything that needs to be done (like acid etch, diamond grinding, etc.) to avoid problems with thin set adhesion?

 

[slickgt1]

Take a tile. Put some thinset on it and set it. Then see what effort it takes to remove. Tiles don't generally jump off on their own. If the surface is rough, i have a good bet you will be fine.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Something like six years for me, and I've never had a tile come loose. My concrete was poured in 1925, and had been oil stained for many decades. I cleaned it with a cheap power washer.

 

[Dakota00]

If the concrete is sealed, is there anything that needs to be done (like acid etch, diamond grinding, etc.) to avoid problems with thin set adhesion?

There's no issue if the concrete is already sealed. Actually it would help against sucking water out of the thinset when the tiles are being set. Give the slab a good wash, let it dry overnight and you're ready to start tiling.

 

[C2 Turbo]

I have heard seal free grout and in-fact the tile guy did use that in our current kitchen ( we are building another house though) but the grout still gets dirty as if it was never sealed

How dirty does your grout gets and does it look different (dirty) at different spots?

What if the house settles?

Great floor though

 

[Dakota00]

^^^

I don't know what kinda of grout your tile guy used, so I'm not going to comment without knowing all the details. On my floor I used a grout that is waterproof and stain proof plus I sealed it for some extra protection.

I gutted my basement last week and pulled ALL the demo material through the basement walk up into the garage. My garage floor takes a beating including what winter throws at it with sand, salt, slush and etc...

This is what my garage looked like on Saturday morning just before completely filling a 20 yard bin full of demo material.
View media item 43875
This is what the floor looked like on Sunday morning after a sweep and quick wash was done on Saturday afternoon. Notice near the car there's still drywall dust. Next weekend I plan to fully wash out the garage to remove all dust.
View media item 43874
The floor looks fantastic, like it was just installed and as you can see the grout color is uniformed and not stained, spotty or dirty!

 

[Track t-4]

I have a two-year old concrete garage floor but had a transmission fluid spill on it about 9 months ago. Most of the spill was caught by a tarp that I temporarily placed under the cars but some managed to get on the concrete. Am getting ready to lay porcelain tile. Do I need to prep that area before starting? Is a power wash sufficient?

Also, how long should I wait before parking cars on the tile?

 

[JimVonBaden]

I have a two-year old concrete garage floor but had a transmission fluid spill on it about 9 months ago. Most of the spill was caught by a tarp that I temporarily placed under the cars but some managed to get on the concrete. Am getting ready to lay porcelain tile. Do I need to prep that area before starting? Is a power wash sufficient?

Also, how long should I wait before parking cars on the tile?

Power wash is more than fine.

As for parking, wait a few days.

 

[TheGunCollector]

If there wasn't a cold cellar under the garage floor or cracks in the concrete, no I wouldn't have used the Aqua Defense.

Once the floor is completed, it'll be waterproof like a pool.

Hey Dakota-

I've been following your project since the inception, and have been mulling/planning a tile install in my garage(s), and then after re-reading the thread, it seems that your garage is similar to mine, although mine has a second garage beneath the upper one.

What is the sub-floor design of the garage? Were you concerned with movement of it?

My upper garage is 4" of fiber re-enforced concrete on steel decking, which is then on top of 12" LVL beams, 24" on center. There are some cracks, front to back, that were there when we bought the house which haven't gotten worse or moved for that matter, that still raise questions in the back of my mind if they'll crack tiles.

 

[Dakota00]

I have a two-year old concrete garage floor but had a transmission fluid spill on it about 9 months ago. Most of the spill was caught by a tarp that I temporarily placed under the cars but some managed to get on the concrete. Am getting ready to lay porcelain tile. Do I need to prep that area before starting? Is a power wash sufficient?

Also, how long should I wait before parking cars on the tile?

I good power washing will do the trick, but hitting those spot soaked areas with a degreaser wouldn't hurt either.

Wait at least 5 days before parking on the tiles. I don't know where you are located, if the garage is not heated you'll need to wait a bit longer.

Hey Dakota-

I've been following your project since the inception, and have been mulling/planning a tile install in my garage(s), and then after re-reading the thread, it seems that your garage is similar to mine, although mine has a second garage beneath the upper one.

What is the sub-floor design of the garage? Were you concerned with movement of it?

My upper garage is 4" of fiber re-enforced concrete on steel decking, which is then on top of 12" LVL beams, 24" on center. There are some cracks, front to back, that were there when we bought the house which haven't gotten worse or moved for that matter, that still raise questions in the back of my mind if they'll crack tiles.

As I mentioned in my previous post, below my garage I have a cold cellar that spans the whole side to side distance of the garage and about 1/3 the length.
8" concrete foundation walls make up the walls in the cold cellar which also support the garage floor. The garage floor is 6" thick.
I wasn't concerned with movement as the slab is 30yrs old and the settling already had occurred. I did however have a crack in the slab right where the foundation wall is under the slab spanning the whole side to side distance of the garage. I patched and waterproofed the crack and the rest of the slab, it's now been over a year that the tiles have been installed. I wasn't expecting any cracking nor did any occur. Even with a 4 post lift installed nothing has happened.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Has it been a year already!? I had to actually check the first post to be sure. I still refer back to this thread often, I guess maybe that makes it seem fresher.

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[Dakota00]

A little update... I've been getting a few PM's about the lift I installed. In May of this year, I purchased and installed (myself) a Direct Lift 4 post lift in the man cave. I thought I would share some pics with you guys.
As you can see, the tiled floor was NOT covered for protection. As many always ask, there was no issues with grout lines (didn't even feel them) operating a 2-ton engine hoist and 3-ton floor jack in aiding the assemble of the lift.

I'll let the pics do the talking...

Before lift:
View media item 44178
Setting up the lift.
View media item 44180View media item 44181View media item 44182
Being bolted down, as you can see the lift is sitting on top of the tiles.
View media item 44179
The finished pics.
View media item 41594View media item 44183View media item 41595

 

[Rod N]

Very nice. At any point did you have to drag the lift posts along the tile? I worry about scuffing it.

 

[Dakota00]

To move the lift into the final resting spot I used the caster wheels that came with the lift. I did have to drag the lift over about 4-5" to the exact spot, no scuffing of the tiles occurred.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Dakota, it looks amazing. Your 2-car just became a 3-car and it still looks great. Well done!

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[dubber]

Sweet addition, congrats!

 

[Dakota00]

Thanks guys!

It's a hell of a lot cheaper to add a lift verses buying a house with a 3 car garage in this housing market. Next up is finishing the ceiling, then I'm done, or maybe not?!?!

 

[dubber]

Thanks guys!

It's a hell of a lot cheaper to add a lift verses buying a house with a 3 car garage in this housing market. Next up is finishing the ceiling, then I'm done, or maybe not?!?!

Hahaha, famous last words. It will never be done.

 

[BobRae]

Thanks guys!

It's a hell of a lot cheaper to add a lift verses buying a house with a 3 car garage in this housing market. Next up is finishing the ceiling, then I'm done, or maybe not?!?!

I'm thinking of adding to my 25 x 25 two car to turn it into a 3 car and then add a lift for tinkering on my sports car. My wife wants a new kitchen though.

By the way, it looks like your garage floor has a slope to it. I'm e has a 2% slope down towards where the ad drives in. I was planning on installing a slot drain when I pour a new floor. You wrote that snow melts off your car in the SI Ted. Where does the water go? Also, do you think the grout will stain and discolor over time? I really like the look.

 

[slickgt1]

Damn that is awesome. Too bad my garage is only 8" high. I wish I could do this. Might have to take some "space" from the tenants' apartment.

 

[Dakota00]

I'm thinking of adding to my 25 x 25 two car to turn it into a 3 car and then add a lift for tinkering on my sports car. My wife wants a new kitchen though.

By the way, it looks like your garage floor has a slope to it. I'm e has a 2% slope down towards where the ad drives in. I was planning on installing a slot drain when I pour a new floor. You wrote that snow melts off your car in the SI Ted. Where does the water go? Also, do you think the grout will stain and discolor over time? I really like the look.

Yeah the garage has a severe slope. As you can see the 2 front base plates are built up on 2" of hydraulic concrete painted black to match and the ladders in the post are adjusted close to max to get the runways close to level as possible.
What ever snow that does melt off collects at the end of the garage doors, there's nothing I can do about it.
The grout I used is stain proof, it's not suppose to discolor over time. I never had a problem with this grout on other jobs exposed to the elements. For added protection I sealed the grout joints as well.

 

[david63]

Very good job!

 

[gerryw]

Quick question, is white kerabond the same ?
Its on clearance @ lowes.ca For $4 off.

Thanks
Gerry

 

[Dakota00]

^^ Yes it's the same!! White is used so the thin-set will not bleed through lighter porous coloured stones like marble and limestone.

Went to check it out on Lowes.ca, $14.99/bag - $8.00 savings. That's an excellent price!!

 

[OJ Bartley]

Jackpot! I might have to go pick up a bag for insurance. Thanks for the tip, Gerry!

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[gerryw]

correction Its $8 off as Dakota00 stated! ($4 cheaper than the grey stuff)

order online for pick up (to secure your order) as its a clearance item (not a sale item)

Gerry

 

[GKreamer]

How late in the year is too late to install tile? I live 50 miles south of DC. My garage is unheated.

 

[JimVonBaden]

How late in the year is too late to install tile? I live 50 miles south of DC. My garage is unheated.

As long as the temps stay above freezing you are fine!

 

[OJ Bartley]

GKreamer, I still have a little way to go on mine, and I'm not TOO worried. I think ideally you want temps to stay a few degrees above 0 overnight for a couple days to get a good cure. You can always put a heater in the garage if it needs a little help on cold nights.

 

[Rod N]

It's says on my thin set 10 degrees Celsius

 

[slickgt1]

It's says on my thin set 10 degrees Celsius

It will just cure longer. I did my garage when it was freezing outside. I tried to keep the doors closed. I have a steam pipe running through it, so it stays about 60 F in there. The only tiles that gave me issues, were the ones by the side door. All 3 against the door popped up over night. That sucked. A halogen light on them over night, and tiles stuck fine the second attempt. Those were the only tiles that gave me any problem.

 

[GKreamer]

Thanks for the replies. Dakota your floor is beautiful! I'm hoping that I can get something done half as nice!

 

[GKreamer]

Does it matter if the porcelain tile is glazed? Also, do you just back butter the tiles or did you build up a base of thinset?