Porcelain on new floor

[GS-Louie]

They are supposed to start the excavation for the new garage Wednesday or Thursday. I have a couple of questions I hope I can get answered here. I am planning to do a porcelain floor in part of the garage and just a sealer in the other part.

1. What kind of finish should they do on the floor - smooth, brushed, power trowel or?

2. Should the tile area receive a sealer?

3. When should the expansion joints be cut?

4. Should I have a lip poured on the floor to match the tile height for a smooth entrance or should I use wedge trim strip?

Thanks for any advice.

Lou

 

[509SC]

1) typically power troweled

2) absolutely not (you mean the concrete underneath the tile I assume)

3)usually they return the next day, I believe they should be 25% of the pour depth 4"=1"

4)tough call, are you pitching the floor towards the door, or are you planning on a floor drain? I have floor drains at the center of my garages, so the entire garage slopes from the perimeter to the center drain. Outside my door, the concrete is sloped away from my door, but in a driving rain I get water under my seal and it runs toward the drain. I could get a Tsunami seal, but tile with the edging would do the same thing. If pitching toward the door, a flush transition would be nice, assuming the contractor can carry it out properly.

 

[GS-Louie]

Thanks for the info. The floor will slope toward the drain in the middle. Around here they put an indent in the floor that the door drops in to when closed to prevent rainwater coming in. I was thinking that the indent could slope up to the floor and then keep sloping up to the tile. I'll have to talk to him about it, I guess.

Thanks.

Lou

 

[Gerald O]

The area to be tiled should get a 'light' broom finish after steel trowel. This gives some tooth for the thinset for better bonding.

 

[MisterMike]

Just make sure you use a tile with lots of grip. Not to be too much of a Debbie Downer, but my dad had his garage covered in a porcelain tile that appeared to be pretty well textured. Nonetheless, he slipped on it when it was wet, suffering a subdural hematoma and bleeding on the brain. This all led to his decline and death.

Don't mean to be a rat, but my personal family experience makes me pretty leery of tile in a garage setting.

 

[GS-Louie]

Thanks. I thought that a lite broom finish would be helpful for adhesion.

Lou

PS: Like the Buick. I got a '72 GS to go in the new garage.

 

[GS-Louie]

Sorry about your dad, Mike. I plan to make sure that the tile is pretty slip resistant.

Lou

 

[RossABQ]

Do you have a thick vapor barrier under the slab?

I'll echo the thoughts on slip resistance. There are OSHA or other code standards for tiles that are safe for handicapped people when wet. Even those are pretty slick IMO.

 

[MisterMike]

Sorry about your dad, Mike. I plan to make sure that the tile is pretty slip resistant.

Lou

Thanks. Not trying to dampen the occasion.

You can find information on tile friction ratings here: http://www.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/Ceramic-Tile-Articles/Skid_Resistance_Scale_for_Tile_Flooring.aspx