My 2-Car Porcelain Tile Install....

[ultimakf7]

I would probably finish up to the garage door, leaving the outside threshold concrete.

If i sloped the transition, how could i address the slope and the "level" garage slab? Would grout be alright? or are there any particular transition pieces that would work for this?

 

[poppakap]

anyone see a a good deal on garage tile?

 

[Dakota00]

I would probably finish up to the garage door, leaving the outside threshold concrete.

If i sloped the transition, how could i address the slope and the "level" garage slab? Would grout be alright? or are there any particular transition pieces that would work for this?

If you're honoring the transition with tiles, the point at the slope and where the level garage slab starts would need a "break line" cut in the tiles to deal with the contour change. I would remove that small step by building up the slope a bit with thinset. This way the change in grade point looks cleaner with the tiles and grout can be used to fill the joint.

 

[OJ Bartley]

I tiled right out to the edge of the pad, and used a metal ramp lip at the edge, it looks and works great. Im on vacation right now or I'd post pics. It's a schluter reno ramp, I really like how it turned out.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

 

[Angelfire]

Thanks! Pictures would help!

Hiya. Finally got around to getting some pictures. Let me know if you want a different angle. As you hopefully can see from the pics, I took my Reno U up to where there is a bullnose troweled into the slab. I thought about building up the bullnose into a square edge but decided it just wasn't worth the effort and would have ended up a bit weak anyway.

 

[ultimakf7]

Hiya. Finally got around to getting some pictures. Let me know if you want a different angle. As you hopefully can see from the pics, I took my Reno U up to where there is a bullnose troweled into the slab. I thought about building up the bullnose into a square edge but decided it just wasn't worth the effort and would have ended up a bit weak anyway.

I like the way that came out. Thank you.

 

[protegeV]

I was googling about porcelain and I came upon a picture that I knew I recognized from somewhere....

https://allgaragefloors.com/porcelain-tile-garage-floor/

 

[jaydubya]

This is a very helpful thread. Thank you.

You quickly referenced crack repairs at the beginning but I don't see any later references. My slab is old (30+ years). It has some fairly serious cracks but the surrounding concrete seems quite stable - no discernible movement for 7+ years. There are no checkerboard patterns resulting in small 'pieces'; the cracks are just wavy lines that sometimes go off by themselves or run into others in a more perpendicular pattern. Some are barely noticeable; others are obvious and require a little filling (1/16' - 1/8" at first glance). Would you recommend grinding these out and using a two part epoxy? Or should I simply clean them up and use thinset to fill and level them?

I'm new to this board; it seems I cannot post pictures directly but instead must link to a hosting site. I've never done that but could figure it out if pics would be helpful.

 

[Dakota00]

Sent you a PM.

 

[jaydubya]

Thanks so much, Dakota00. As I plan the layout, I am copying the look of your design. I plan a two foot (two 12" tile) wide 'aisle' in the middle of my double garage door, separating two parking pads of a different tile color. The problem is the 30 year old, formed control joint (no insert) runs 3" off center. I am a bit obsessive compulsive about square, plumb, and level . . . and to that, add 'balanced and evenly proportioned'. I want to turn that control joint into a caulked tile joint. Unfortunately, if I push the joint between the two 12" tiles to center over that control joint, the 'parking pads' will be misaligned with the doors. Another option would be to create a seam in the tiles by cutting the tiles for the full length of the joint; I could use tile-matching caulk alternating with grout matching caulk, but all of that will be a royal pain to apply and in the end, I think it will look bad., The only other option I can come up with is to fill the existing joint and cut a new one where I want the center seam; this option seems a little crazy, but aligned with my obsessiveness. Thoughts?

 

[Dakota00]

Jaydubya, send me a few pics of your whole garage floor showing the control joint(s).

 

[northside]

would love to tile my garage floor after seeing dakota's floor. what a great job! however my floor was done by somebody that didn't know what they were doing my house was built 60 years ago i've been in it for 24 years. i would say the floor was redone about 30 years ago. i would like to put a flush mount lift in , but the floor is so uneven i'm not sure how far you can go with patching to get it level enough to tile let alone getting the lift to be flush. putting a level on it looks like an inch in some places. i really can't afford to have a new floor poured. there's no cracks anywhere it's just uneven. any advice? this is my first time posting so forgive me if i'm doing something wrong.

 

[Dakota00]

One way of getting the floor flat would be doing a dry packing base prior to tiling. The hard part is finding an experienced tile setter who knows how to do it, or a crew who specializes in this field.

 

[1jjpop]

Looking great.l love it.

 

[Geteos]

Wow, great job on that floor! It has me seriously thinking about tiling my garage now instead of epoxy. I have about 450sqft to do, so it seems doable as a DIY project. Couple questions for you since you're in my neck of the woods.

Is this something I would have to hold off until spring to do? Will the mortar set at our current temperatures (~0C)? I plan on heating the garage, but that system probably won't be in for a few months.

I had a new concrete pad poured a few weeks ago and my actual garage should be up by next week. I was thinking of sealing the concrete to prevent salt stains over the winter. Am I better off holding off on that and just waiting until April/May if I want to go with tiles?

Any leads for a good tile dealer in the GTA for porcelain?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dakota00]

Wow, great job on that floor! It has me seriously thinking about tiling my garage now instead of epoxy. I have about 450sqft to do, so it seems doable as a DIY project. Couple questions for you since you're in my neck of the woods.

Is this something I would have to hold off until spring to do? Will the mortar set at our current temperatures (~0C)? I plan on heating the garage, but that system probably won't be in for a few months.

I had a new concrete pad poured a few weeks ago and my actual garage should be up by next week. I was thinking of sealing the concrete to prevent salt stains over the winter. Am I better off holding off on that and just waiting until April/May if I want to go with tiles?

Any leads for a good tile dealer in the GTA for porcelain?

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I would recommend doing the installation when overnight temps are no lower than 5C. Best would be starting in the late spring.
If you're planning to do tiles, sealing the concrete isn't necessary.

As for tiles, look on Kijiji you might find contractors unloading overstock of tiles from jobs, as well as tile shops clearing out old inventory too. You might get lucky on what you find. Or try visiting some of the shops in Vaughan on Jane St. Most places have a 30-40% mark up, ask for a deal if you find a tile of your liking.

 

[TylerRNEMT]

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:
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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

Love the Bullitt! I’ve always been partial to New Edge Mustangs! Probably because my first car was a 2001 Mustang. I’ve had 5 different New Edges over the years. I’ve also had both C5 and C6 Corvettes. Couple years ago I sold the vette and bought a Wake boat and decided I missed having a “fun” car so I bought a pretty stock 03 Mach 1. The special edition New Edge stangs in my opinion are a great value! For little money you can have something unique, fun to drive, and sort of “special”.

Here’s my Mach

Love the tile BTW!

-Tyler

 

[Dakota00]

Love the Bullitt! I’ve always been partial to New Edge Mustangs! Probably because my first car was a 2001 Mustang. I’ve had 5 different New Edges over the years. I’ve also had both C5 and C6 Corvettes. Couple years ago I sold the vette and bought a Wake boat and decided I missed having a “fun” car so I bought a pretty stock 03 Mach 1. The special edition New Edge stangs in my opinion are a great value! For little money you can have something unique, fun to drive, and sort of “special”.

Here’s my Mach

Love the tile BTW!

-Tyler

Great looking Mach! I spent a lot of time searching for a Mach and wanted it in the same Azure Blue. But at the time, I couldn't find the right car. I stumbled onto this Bullitt and I just had to have it. For sure, these cars are fun to drive with the character to back it.

 

[RUBADUBDUB]

Really nice tile pattern. I redidi my old garage with 24"x24" it so nice to have a floor like that.

 

[Ries]

That was a good solid read. Thanks for sharing Dakota00.

I’m really thinking porcelain tile is the solution for me. I’ve looked at just about every option out there and the robustness, finish, and cost makes the most sense with the porcelain tile solution.

So I live in MN and we certainly see the extreme swings in weather. We finally were able to build a house that we designed and I included a 1700sqft garage/shop. The concrete slab as laid back in June 2018 so we’re almost to a year. The majority of the slab is 4” there are two 5’x5’ pad sections that are 6” thick with rebar re-enforcement for a future 2 post lift. The pads have expansion joints. In the front of the garage I have placed two long floor drains with snap in grates for cleaning. They sit about 2’ in front of the doors and the floor has a “V” such that it directs all the water to them. The back half of the shop floor is flat, which is about 20’ in.

I plan to use a light grey, dark grey, and a darker red tile layout to tie in with the general theme I have going. I’d like to trim, level and fill in the expansion joints if I can around the lift pads. Reading through it sounds like the key take aways are...

1. Membrane coating on the concrete such as flexbond or K/K to allow it to flex and seal out moisture.
2. Use a tile that has a PEI of 4/5 and a DCOF of 0.42 or COF of 0.6
3. Use a epoxy grout to prevent staining a water ingression
4. Seal off the grout for extra protection

Did I miss anything? Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I’ll start a thread when I get this going for sure. I’ll also probably hire this out too just to ensure it will be finished in a timely manner and have it done right the first time. I have laid tile before in our last home remodel... but the size of this floor is daunting to me. Any recommendations for an outfit in MN would also be great.

 

[gerryw]

Im a rookie, i just followed Datoka00’s advice ,( same weather concern as you)
Couldnt be happier, did not use epoxy grout, did not seal grout and have had no issues.
(Garage over basement) This thread gave me to confidence ( and a good kick in the ***) to do it ( had the tile in boxes for a year and a half!)

Gerry

 

[Dakota00]

Hi Ries,

Thank you for taking the time to go through my thread.

A crack isolating membrane is a bonus to use, but if your slab is solid with no cracks it's really not necessary. As for grout, using a premium polymer-modified grout like Mapei UltraColor Plus or Laticrete Permacolor provides excellent flexibility and stain resistance. Many here know, I'm not much of a fan for epoxy grout.

 

[Ries]

Ah good deal. For some reason I was thinking the Mapei UltraColor Plus was an epoxy grout. Well thanks for clearing that up. I have yet to look into all the materials details as I was just making a list off of this thread. I’ll try to post up some pics of my garage floor in a separate thread as to not clutter this one.

 

[f6john]

Im a rookie, i just followed Datoka00’s advice ,( same weather concern as you)
Couldnt be happier, did not use epoxy grout, did not seal grout and have had no issues.
(Garage over basement) This thread gave me to confidence ( and a good kick in the ***) to do it ( had the tile in boxes for a year and a half!)

Gerry

Garage over basement? Does that mean steel beams and a metal pan to support the concrete?

 

[f6john]

I am intrigued by the use of a a 1/2” notched trowel and back buttering the tiles too. That sounds like an extraordinary amount of mortar. But I like learning new things. Are there special techniques or hurdles to look out for using this method?

 

[dchasins]

f6john, you’re right that it takes a lot of mortar! I am about 3/4 done with putting porcelain tile down in my new workshop, which is 30’ x 40’. In previous garages I have had plain concrete, epoxy, Race Deck, and polyurea and haven’t been really satisfied with the durability and clean-ability of any of them. Inspired by this thread’s clear guidance, and since this will be my last and “forever” shop, I decided to take the plunge. I am doing the work, and I will confess that there are times when I wondered “what was I thinking?”

It’s a big project for an amateur, but I am retired so I am taking it one 50 lb bag of mortar at a time. I brought home 2 & 1/2 tons of 12”x24” tile from Floor and Decor. It’s PEI 4, at $1.28 sf. So far, I’ve bought 1 ton (40 bags) of large format tile mortar. Laying down mortar, and back buttering every tile with the 1/2" notched trowel does use a lot of mortar. And I think I will need 5 or 6 more bags before I am done. I'm taking it on faith that doing it this way, as advised by Dakota, provides full support for every tile and gives enough mortar base to make sure that tiles are level and even, with the minimum amount of lippage, with I now know can be a challenge with large format tile. But, based on results up to now, I am thrilled with how it's coming out. I completed the first half with grout and sealer, before moving everything that’s in the shop so far, to that side, to work on the other side. It’s good looking, and I expect it to hold up well to everything I throw at it, spills and heavy drops included. I will be putting in a 2 post lift when it is done. Here’s a shot of the first half:

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And here is one of the other side, as of today. I figure another couple of weeks and I'll be done with the tile, and I can get on with moving in and setting up the shop.

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I'd like to give major props to Dakota for posting this thread with so much practical and useful advice. Thank you!! It definitely gave me the confidence that porcelain tile was what I wanted to do, and enough practical tips to keep me out of trouble. Of course reading the tech info from the mortar and grout suppliers makes a difference too (Mapei, in my case).

I think any pretty competent DIYer can do this with some patience and taking it one step at a time. And, don't forget a really good set of knee pads!

 

[f6john]

That a big first time job! Hats off to you for tackling it. I have set a lot of tile over the last 25 years for myself and paying jobs for others but I have picked up some new ideas from this thread alone. I’m in the middle of a house refresh that involved tearing out old tile and backer board that was 20 years old and poorly done. I have a 2 car garage and a single car garage in the basement level that I may consider tiling once everything else is done and I am able to move in.

 

[Angelfire]

That was a good solid read. Thanks for sharing Dakota00.

I’m really thinking porcelain tile is the solution for me. I’ve looked at just about every option out there and the robustness, finish, and cost makes the most sense with the porcelain tile solution.


1. Membrane coating on the concrete such as flexbond or K/K to allow it to flex and seal out moisture.
2. Use a tile that has a PEI of 4/5 and a DCOF of 0.42 or COF of 0.6
3. Use a epoxy grout to prevent staining a water ingression
4. Seal off the grout for extra protection

Did I miss anything? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I put down porcelain in my garage last summer. It is a lot of work but honestly, I'm still quite happy with it. Dropped a hunk of granite on it just the other day, not a scratch (can't say the same for the granite).

Here's my thread if you want some other ideas although if truth be told, Dakota mentored me through mine. Great guy and I couldn't have done it without his insight/expertise (Thanks D!). https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=388934

Anyway, some nice to have's on the tile itself. If you are planning for thin grout lines, see if you can locate rectified tile that isn't outrageously priced. This just ensures everything is square on the tile. Secondly, if you are able to find TBT (through body tile), this is another nice to have. It basically means the tile is colored throughout vs. just on the surface. So if you do happen to chip it at some point, you probably won't even notice it. I ended up purchasing my tile through Build.com on a clearance and got a killer deal. Was even better when I phoned them as they cut the shipping way, way down. I originally found the tile and it was too pricey...kept checking in, and one day several months later, bam, it went on clearance.

In any case, there are a number of us that have done porcelain and are willing to offer up advice. Don't hesitate to ask!
Cheers.

 

[gerryw]

Garage over basement? Does that mean steel beams and a metal pan to support the concrete?

Totally mispoke, Garage shares a wall with basement.

Gerry

 

[gerryw]

That tile looks amazing!

Gerry

 

[f6john]

Totally mispoke, Garage shares a wall with basement.

Gerry

That’s ok, only reason I asked is that I bought a house last year with just that configuration. The garage is approximately 22 x26 and the basement has 10” poured concrete walls. The first owner wanted a storm shelter so they used 12” steel I beams 3 foot on center and corrugated galvanized metal pans and then poured over that. House was built in 1999 and not a crack in the floor. The extra space in the basement is what really attracted me to this particular house.

 

[Dakota00]

dchasins,

Man that's a great looking floor, it's coming along nicely.

I just want to thank you guys for the kind words, it sure does mean a lot.

 

[Jsun]

this is such a great read!

 

[LX-Markham]

every time this thread pops back up I start getting ideas...

...then I wake up and get back to work.

 

[Dakota00]

So here we are, closing in on almost 6 years since I've tiled my garage floor. Amazing how the time flies. Last week was the first time in all those years that the floor received a good mopping. I thought might as well take a picture and post it up. Other than that, nothing else to report. The floor is still in perfect condition as it was just laid, no chips, no cracks, no nothing!

 

[Angelfire]

Great Pic Dakota. People just don't want to accept the fact that a tile floor is probably the best choice out there. I know I'm very happy with my porcelain install and I haven't had to worry about tire marks, hot tire pick up, dropping tools (or a ******! DAMHIK), or any of the other pitfalls that epoxy brings. Thanks again for all your help on my install!
Cheers.

 

[dchasins]

I agree with Angelfire. I finished my floor, pix of progress above, some weeks ago. After getting a compressor and my long awaited Bendpak lift installed, I did my first big messy job last week, getting a mothballed 15 year old daily driver back on the road, involving dropping the gas tank, new fuel pump, building up a new exhaust after removing the old rusted out pipes and mufflers. Plus an oil change. My new floor was a mess by the end. But 20 minutes with a wet mop yesterday and it looks great and is ready to go again. Makes the weeks spent putting down tile seem more than worthwhile, for sure. So far, couldn't be more pleased.

 

[Dakota00]

Great Pic Dakota. People just don't want to accept the fact that a tile floor is probably the best choice out there. I know I'm very happy with my porcelain install and I haven't had to worry about tire marks, hot tire pick up, dropping tools (or a ******! DAMHIK), or any of the other pitfalls that epoxy brings. Thanks again for all your help on my install!
Cheers.

Angelfire,

I'm happy to hear you're giving your floor a good workout.

Glad to have been a part of your install!

 

[foodie]

Dakota a picture speaks a thousand words,...so beautiful. I love my porcelain tile floor everyday thanks to you.

 

[Dakota00]

Hi foodie,

It took some time, but your floor turned out gorgeous! That was quite the adventure, surely the both of us will never forget any time soon!

Talk soon.