Porcelain tile advice, how to do it right?

[southwow]

I'm an expert in a lot of things... tile is not one of them.

I know I need to buy something that is PEI 4 or 5 (it will be 5) and that it needs to be throughbody, and have a high friction coefficient. But, I've never done more to a concrete slab than level it, add a subfloor, and install finished flooring.

My use case: garage/shop floor with occasional scissor lift use, lots of spilled fluids, etc. No welding (a skill I wish I'd learned from my dad), but possibly using oxy/acetylene torch to braze/cut occasionally and some grinding. Read auto shop with some woodworking going on.

The questions:
1.) Are there particular brands/types of tile that I should avoid? Its going to be porcelain, but are there patterns that should be avoided like wood look or fabric look or thicknesses that I shouldn't consider? Maybe give me a particular tile you've had great luck with.

2.) What's the proper way and material to level the slab for maximum adhesion? We 4 have seasons here in Indiana.

3.) What about the expansion gaps? Should they be filled?

4.) I know I can DIY, but should I?

5.) If I talk to an installer, how do I tell a liar from a pro?

ex: Most guys just want to come in, do the least work possible, make the maximum profit, and warranty nothing claiming you should have paid them more to do a better job after the fact. I want to avoid this.

I use my garage daily and can't just remove everything on a whim to have half of the tile ripped out, floor ground, and done the correct way a second time. Not to mention the expense.

I'm wanting to get this done ASAP, and see varying brands of mortar, grout, etc recommended. Please educate me a little. Some say epoxy, some say latex, some don't say anything. LOL

 

[southwow]

I'm going tile shopping tomorrow. I expect to hear the usual:

Why would you want to tile your garage, we won't warranty that type of installation?

You'll end up with cracked tiles everywhere, , we won't warranty against that!

Tires and oil/grease/looking at it wrong will stain the tile, we won't warranty against that.

Will report this round of stupidity back to you all and see if anyone has an opinion. I'm just ready for this to be DONE.

I typically end up doing stuff like this myself because of bad experiences paying installers to do simple tasks in the past. Most recently, a finish 'carpenter' who insisted on an incorrect miter and a mess of caulking in every corner rather than just taking 2 extra minutes and coping them for a perfect fit.

 

[LX-Markham]

everything you need to know here:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212509

 

[StRacerDuke]

I'm in the middle of doing this right now. Here's what I'm doing on a fresh slab (90 days old).

- 48x8" wood look porcelain, PEI 4. Bought 1,400 sqft of it for a 1280 garage.
- 100% silicone all fresh expansion joints, then covered with mesh joint tape.
- 2 roller coats of RedGuard
- 1 very heavy layer of RedGaurd over the expansion joints, 12-14" on each side
- MegaLite Mortar (Home Depot special order)
- SPECTRALOCK 2000 IG grout (special order, 100% epoxy solids for industrial use and chemicals/heat)

Follow this when doing your tile. This is the reason I'm on my hands and knees doing it myself rather than hiring it out. I'm about half done and almost 30hrs into it

Edit, I'm doing a video of the process too, but it will be some time before I finish and get around to editing it/publishing it.

 

[southwow]

Thanks LX-Markham and StRacerDuke!

I did visit a national chain tile store last Saturday. They claimed that it wasn't a good idea to put tile of any kind in a garage as expected and were willing to install it, but would not guarantee the work or product if I were using it as a garage.

Funny enough, their "Certified Professional Installers" web page and the same picture on a display in store actually showed a picture of a guy swirling mortar under a large format tile. When I pointed that out, I received no response.

Looks like I'm shopping for a tile installer or DIYing it.

I'm really liking this tile because of the look of exposed aggregate. I'll probably buy something in several shades and do a pattern so that a dropped bolt or nut doesn't disappear on a black tile: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ivy-Hill-Tile-Rizzo-Dark-Gray-24-in-x-24-in-x-9mm-Semi-Polished-Porcelain-Floor-and-Wall-Tile-3-pieces-11-62-sq-ft-box-TLRPFTRZANT24X24/308067398?keyword=rizzo+porcelain&semanticToken=223t0000011_20190626669628_f18n+223t0000011+%3E++st%3A%7Brizzo+porcelain%7D%3Ast+cnn%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+cnr%3A%7B7%3A0%7D+cnb%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+f%3A%7Bb%7D+cnv%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+vc%3A%7B1%7D+oos%3A%7B0%3A1%7D+rt%3A%7Brizzo+porcelain%7D%3Art+dln%3A%7B525154%7D+tgr%3A%7BEnriched+Product+Info%7D+qu%3A%7Brizzo+porcelain%7D%3Aqu

 

[Dakota00]

If you plan to DIY it, let me know I'll guide you through it.

 

[southwow]

If you plan to DIY it, let me know I'll guide you through it.

You still around? I'm getting ready to start tiling. I ended up renovating the entire garage, installing a home theater, mini-split, more storewall slatwall, new 220 outlets everywhere, crown with drop crown and LED strip lights, a locking server rack for gaming equipment and a bunch of other stuff (like the mandatory fridge).

Ready to do this!

I've seen vinyl self leveler recommended for leveling. Is this a bad idea? What did you do for the expansion joints?

 

[Dakota00]

You still around? I'm getting ready to start tiling.

Still here... Send me a PM to further discuss any questions you may have.

 

[Los_Control]

I am biased on my opinion, so my opinion will not please you. But it is good to ask and discuss and make your own opinion.
And thats my opinion

The floor is not level, it is designed to wash it out and water runs outside .... is it really that important for you to add tile and level the floor? You do not need to do this to add tile. The floor is sloped in directions for a reason, makes no difference if it is concrete or tile on top of concrete.

I just picture in my own mind, I would like a black & white checkerboard pattern. I think would be cool in my mind. Your pattern may vary.

If you have a lift, you drop a wrench off of the lift, it hits the floor it will crack the tile.
If you spill oil, it will stain and darken the grout before you can fix it.
Tile bonds very well to concrete. I like the Bulldog hammer drill, It has a option to use a chisel to remove old tile. .... if you mess up, you will be replacing the tile next to it. And digging it out ... removing concrete from concrete. Not a easy job.
IMHO, you just created a future maintenance to take up more of your free time.

While at the same time, I suggest vinyl commercial tile. Applied properly it last forever.
I say look at Walmart.
They use VCT on their concrete slabs, They have thousands of people walking across it every year, they run fork lifts and other floor washing equipment across it. They always keep it looking respectable.

If you're asking, I internally chuckle at people with a tile floor in their garage ... I promise I would not say anything bad.

If I saw a VCT floor, I would instantly think the owner has more IQ then the one with a tile floor.
Such is life and the internet.

I hope you find your decision.

 

[ScaldedDog]

I am biased on my opinion, so my opinion will not please you. But it is good to ask and discuss and make your own opinion.

And thats my opinion



The floor is not level, it is designed to wash it out and water runs outside .... is it really that important for you to add tile and level the floor? You do not need to do this to add tile. The floor is sloped in directions for a reason, makes no difference if it is concrete or tile on top of concrete.



I just picture in my own mind, I would like a black & white checkerboard pattern. I think would be cool in my mind. Your pattern may vary.



If you have a lift, you drop a wrench off of the lift, it hits the floor it will crack the tile.

If you spill oil, it will stain and darken the grout before you can fix it.

Tile bonds very well to concrete. I like the Bulldog hammer drill, It has a option to use a chisel to remove old tile. .... if you mess up, you will be replacing the tile next to it. And digging it out ... removing concrete from concrete. Not a easy job.

IMHO, you just created a future maintenance to take up more of your free time.



While at the same time, I suggest vinyl commercial tile. Applied properly it last forever.

I say look at Walmart.

They use VCT on their concrete slabs, They have thousands of people walking across it every year, they run fork lifts and other floor washing equipment across it. They always keep it looking respectable.



If you're asking, I internally chuckle at people with a tile floor in their garage ... I promise I would not say anything bad.



If I saw a VCT floor, I would instantly think the owner has more IQ then the one with a tile floor.

Such is life and the internet.



I hope you find your decision.

Seriously? Having had a tile floor in my last place, I can tell you that some if what you are passing off as fact is incorrect. Cracking a tile by dropping a wrench? Ahh, no. In fact, you won't crack a tile no matter what you do, if installed properly. I did take a divot out out of one tile by dropping something, but it didn't crack.

Oh, what I dropped to make the divot was a Dana 44, not a wrench. All the wrenches, suspension parts and whatever else I dropped over the years had no effect, at all. (Other than bouncing higher than they did on the concrete floor I had before the tile.)

Grout can be stained, but it can also be sealed. If I was going to done one again, and I'd love to, but I don't have it in me to do that much work anymore, I'd choose a medium dark tile with a slightly darker grout. The floor will be maintenance free, and will look good when your kids sell your house after you're dead.

VCT is an easy, cheap to install choice, but is nowhere near as maintenance free as a well done tile floor. I didn't do anything to mine other than hose out the garage, and it still looked good enough to be a big selling point when we sold that house.

Mark

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Dakota00]

Los Control,

Your opinion is well, just that. With no previous experiences in having a tiled garage floor, what you said doesn't hold an ounce of truth. I'm not here to convince you or explain to you that a tiled garage floor is the best flooring option, because it isn't for everyone, which is perfectly fine. There's other flooring options one can pick to better suit their needs.
But I will correct you on what you said. I tiled my garage floor over 7 years ago. In all that time I have dropped tools from my lift a few times, haven't yet broken, chipped or even scratched a tile. I don't baby my floor, I use and abuse it as if it were a plain old concrete slab. That's one of the reason why I went with tiles in the first place. The grout I used is stained proof, everything I've spilled on it over the years didn't damage or cause any stains.

Your suggestion on using VCT flooring in a garage, I nearly LOL!! Best to leave the concrete slab as is. In my field I work with VCT on almost a daily basis. I would never recommend the installation of VCT in a working garage. VCT requires on going maintenance to keep up the protection and finish, ie: stripping and waxing. When wet, the surface is extremely slippery to walk on. If water does manage to get under the tiles, they'll come loose. I've done my fair share of water damage repairs just on that alone.

 

[jkeyser14]

I am biased on my opinion, so my opinion will not please you. But it is good to ask and discuss and make your own opinion.
And thats my opinion

The floor is not level, it is designed to wash it out and water runs outside .... is it really that important for you to add tile and level the floor? You do not need to do this to add tile. The floor is sloped in directions for a reason, makes no difference if it is concrete or tile on top of concrete.

I just picture in my own mind, I would like a black & white checkerboard pattern. I think would be cool in my mind. Your pattern may vary.

If you have a lift, you drop a wrench off of the lift, it hits the floor it will crack the tile.
If you spill oil, it will stain and darken the grout before you can fix it.
Tile bonds very well to concrete. I like the Bulldog hammer drill, It has a option to use a chisel to remove old tile. .... if you mess up, you will be replacing the tile next to it. And digging it out ... removing concrete from concrete. Not a easy job.
IMHO, you just created a future maintenance to take up more of your free time.

While at the same time, I suggest vinyl commercial tile. Applied properly it last forever.
I say look at Walmart.
They use VCT on their concrete slabs, They have thousands of people walking across it every year, they run fork lifts and other floor washing equipment across it. They always keep it looking respectable.

If you're asking, I internally chuckle at people with a tile floor in their garage ... I promise I would not say anything bad.

If I saw a VCT floor, I would instantly think the owner has more IQ then the one with a tile floor.
Such is life and the internet.

I hope you find your decision.

They also wax and clean their floors almost daily...

 

[southwow]

you can buy black and white porcelain tile for the chessboard look. VCT won't hold up in my garage because I weld, grind, use floor jacks and jack stands and have a portable scissor lift that will grind anything abrasive right into the face of the tile. I appreciate the feedback, and if my garage were more of a hangout/showroom 8d have gone that route, but I'm absolutely 100% positive porcelain is what I want.