Porcelain tile in the man cave
- Thread starter Pay2play
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Cave Creek Ray
Well-known member
The unexpected surprise when you get the floor all done is how much better you cars will look when parked there. Its a weird result...
What color grout are you going with? Low-contrast tan or light brown?
Your phone should have adjustments for white balance.
Forgot to mention: If you don't already have one, get a nice big squeegee. They are your best friend. Hose down the garage once or twice a year and squeegee off. Chase that with a towel draped over your squeegee and its sparkly clean. In between times I use an electric weedie blower.
What color grout are you going with? Low-contrast tan or light brown?
Your phone should have adjustments for white balance.
Forgot to mention: If you don't already have one, get a nice big squeegee. They are your best friend. Hose down the garage once or twice a year and squeegee off. Chase that with a towel draped over your squeegee and its sparkly clean. In between times I use an electric weedie blower.
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Looked at grout samples yesterday. Looking at a lighter gray to avoid a tan color that may be a bit too peachy. Yes, I did pick up a squeegee. However, there is a good amount of pitch to the drain. The floor can get really dirty in the winter with snow and slush dripping off the heated garage. I have a hose hooked up inside for washing cars, I'll use the squeegee more with the tile floor than I did with the bare concrete. I'll post more pics tonight.
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Pics. 
Day two is looking good. Not as peachy with more tile down. There is so much pitch in the floor to the drain, there will be some thinking to get the tiles to follow the complex angle and be flat at the garage door opening. Some sort of cut tile maybe. He's experienced and knowledgeable. I'm confident it will look right when it's done.
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Day two is looking good. Not as peachy with more tile down. There is so much pitch in the floor to the drain, there will be some thinking to get the tiles to follow the complex angle and be flat at the garage door opening. Some sort of cut tile maybe. He's experienced and knowledgeable. I'm confident it will look right when it's done.
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Cave Creek Ray
Well-known member
He's doing it the right way, starting at the joint and working back. I wasn't as confident in my ability to get the tiles cut at the Schluter Ramp if the joint and the door edge weren't parallel. So, I started at the door and cut the joint tiles square.
You are gonna have one upscale garage! Great if you need to entertain and the weather looks "iffy!"
I took my iPad over to the tile folks at Home Depot to show them what I used all their tile for. The lady said tiled garages are getting very popular with lots of questions about tile types and choices. She had never seen one completed before.
You are gonna have one upscale garage! Great if you need to entertain and the weather looks "iffy!"
I took my iPad over to the tile folks at Home Depot to show them what I used all their tile for. The lady said tiled garages are getting very popular with lots of questions about tile types and choices. She had never seen one completed before.
Thanks Ray! I trust his experience. He is very, very detail oriented. I know whatever he does it will look "right" when completed. So far it is exceeding my expectations. No more concerns I had when I thought the tiles were peachy.
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Tonight's pics. Most of the first half is tiled. Needs to be grouted and I can get the benches, tools and stuff moved over to the finished side so the floor can be cleaned, primed and tile started. 
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Dakota00
Well-known member
Looking good! Coming along very nicely.
TTA579
Well-known member
Between Pay2Play and Dakota00, I'm taking notes for my own garage. Looking good.
piratius
Well-known member
Looking great! If you don't mind my asking - how much was the tile per square foot? I'm considering it for my garage (versus epoxy).
Thanks!
EDIT: What color grout are you going to use?
Thanks!
EDIT: What color grout are you going to use?
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Angelfire
Well-known member
Looking great! Should be a fantastic floor for whatever you want to do in there. Can't wait until I get to the point to put mine down.
Which raises a question. I see he's honoring the lengthwise joint the full length but it looks like he's tiling right over the perpendicular joint (assuming widthwise). From a guy who doesn't profess to know all the answers, just curious to know if that's a problem?
Cheers.
Which raises a question. I see he's honoring the lengthwise joint the full length but it looks like he's tiling right over the perpendicular joint (assuming widthwise). From a guy who doesn't profess to know all the answers, just curious to know if that's a problem?
Cheers.
dislexiclawyer
Well-known member
The progress so far looks great. Do you have any plans to cover up the block on the bottom of the wall with tile as well?
Cave Creek Ray
Well-known member
Angelfire,
The prevailing wisdom among tile pros is, as long as you are within 6" of a concrete joint, any cracking should migrate through the mortar, usually along the mortar/concrete or mortar tile joint and end up at the grout line. In other words, the tile won't break but a small section of the tile will become unfastened from the floor. The only way you'll know is a crack may show up in the groutline and the tile may sound "hollow" when struck. In the future, you could always pull a hard grout product out of that area and replace it with something color-matched that is flexible. Or, just re-grout it.
I had a "wandering" expansion joint that wasn't straight nor parallel in my garage. As it turned out, my tile joint was a couple inches past the joint so I did the same thing this installer did: I tiled over the joint.
As long as you are within 6", you should be good. Hope that helps.
For "new" builders, its super handy if your concrete guys suspend rebar in the areas they plan to saw cut. That ensures when the concrete cracks, the two slabs will be "pinned" to each other, minimizing movement.
Ray
The prevailing wisdom among tile pros is, as long as you are within 6" of a concrete joint, any cracking should migrate through the mortar, usually along the mortar/concrete or mortar tile joint and end up at the grout line. In other words, the tile won't break but a small section of the tile will become unfastened from the floor. The only way you'll know is a crack may show up in the groutline and the tile may sound "hollow" when struck. In the future, you could always pull a hard grout product out of that area and replace it with something color-matched that is flexible. Or, just re-grout it.
I had a "wandering" expansion joint that wasn't straight nor parallel in my garage. As it turned out, my tile joint was a couple inches past the joint so I did the same thing this installer did: I tiled over the joint.
As long as you are within 6", you should be good. Hope that helps.
For "new" builders, its super handy if your concrete guys suspend rebar in the areas they plan to saw cut. That ensures when the concrete cracks, the two slabs will be "pinned" to each other, minimizing movement.
Ray
Only ideas from my garage. I didn't have the nerve (or time) to tile this myself. Thanks though!
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It's over $10 per sq ft. It wasn't a cheap tile. That will have a big impact on your cost. To me, it's a lifetime product. That's why I chose tile vs epoxy. I can't trust something that is poured out of a can to last a lifetime.
Light or medium gray grout.
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I don't think he's actually honoring any joints. The center is the low point for how the slab was poured for drainage. The floor was primed with a waterproofing membrane product from laticrete. I'm hoping that will provide any give in the future. However, in my area of Michigan, shifting soil isn't an issue I'm aware of. My slab is six years old, poured over foam insulation with radiant tubes for floor heat. No cracks except for a couple at the end of the saw cuts to the wall. They were supposed to do that. I'm hoping the heated floor provides some stability too. All speculation on my part. Fingers crossed.
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Good points Ray. My floor had a steel grid for rebar which the heat tubes were tied to. The tiles would gap about 9" at most. I still hope if there is a crack it migrates to the grout. Time will tell.
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Yes, it became the most noticeable ugly in the room with the tile down. I'm going to paint the block and use a galvanized flashing to cover the wood that matches the wall steel. It may come down the block a couple inches. Not sure on paint color yet. That's what I have in mind for now. Any suggestions?
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Cave Creek Ray
Well-known member
Isn't it funny how, once you get a nice floor in, other stuff starts looking goofy?
Grout and a few more tile laid today. Had a little slowdown due to the wrong grout color being ordered. Back on track now! Moved most of the awkward stuff to the finished side. Here are a few pics. I like the grout color. It brings out more of the gray in the tile. 
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Cave Creek Ray
Well-known member
Great choice on the grout. You can hardly see it. Save an extra bag of grout in case you need a little in the future.
So, how does half an awesome garage make the unfinished half look? LOL!
So, how does half an awesome garage make the unfinished half look?
LOL!TTA579
Well-known member
That looks absolutely spectacular.
10$/sq ft for tile alone is pretty spendy for me, but it looks amazing. I think my family, wife's side are all Michigan country folk, would never let live down spending that much work on a floor.
10$/sq ft for tile alone is pretty spendy for me, but it looks amazing. I think my family, wife's side are all Michigan country folk, would never let live down spending that much work on a floor.
It's laticrete product. Pretty much a glue like looking waterproofing product. The grout and thinset are laticrete products too.
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I know it's stupid pricey, but, I'm just picky about the garage. I want it to be an entertainment space when I'm not parking cars and snowmobiles in there.
The installer hasn't done many garage floors. But, I'm much more confident with this vs an epoxy product for durability and long lasting good looks. I'm doing it for me, and I'm very happy so far!
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TTA579
Well-known member
I'm totally with you, I decided to tile as well but I'll be going with something cheaper. FIL is a mechanic and told me "just paint it".
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stangman69
New member
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- Sep 27, 2016
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Looks very nice.
Never would have thought to tile a garage...will it handle floor jacks and dropped tool/parts?
Has anyone ever heard of Schluter products? They've got a product you put down under tile floors to separate the tile from the substrate to prevent cracks. I used it as well as their backer board product when I had my bathroom redone a while back. Pretty cool stuff.
Nate
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Never would have thought to tile a garage...will it handle floor jacks and dropped tool/parts?
Has anyone ever heard of Schluter products? They've got a product you put down under tile floors to separate the tile from the substrate to prevent cracks. I used it as well as their backer board product when I had my bathroom redone a while back. Pretty cool stuff.
Nate
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machsnell
Well-known member
Looks amazing especially with the walls and that blue looks killer.
For tile guys is there a way to have the joints flush instead of a dip?
I am considering tile and don't want the clackety clack when rolling everything around.
Also do you have close up of your baseboard trim? Can't tell what it is but looks great
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For tile guys is there a way to have the joints flush instead of a dip?
I am considering tile and don't want the clackety clack when rolling everything around.
Also do you have close up of your baseboard trim? Can't tell what it is but looks great
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Cave Creek Ray
Well-known member
Schluter makes good stuff but the tile underlayment system is designed for smaller spaces like showers. Using one on a 1000sqft garage would raise the price a bunch and in most applications isn't really necessary, unless you have moving concrete. You can use a membrane like Schluter makes for those areas that look like they might move.
We are three years into a complete renovation of a house. One of the first things I did was to bust up 2500 sqft of Saltillo Mexican tile. Saltillo is plain old clay, the same stuff that flower pots are made of. Saltillo gets a glaze over that but it add zero strength. Its the weakest tile you could imagine installing. The strongest part of the tile is the grout.
While wailing away with my Bosch jackhammer in the entryway, I hit black tar roofing felt. Under the roofing felt was a huge crack in the slab, probably 1/4" wide. With that opportunity for movement, not even the grout had cracked on the tile surface. Nada. The el cheapo roofing felt isolated the el cheapo tile enough that it held up for a decade or more since installation.
When my tile guys installed my porcelain over that area, they first ground the crack level as it was pitched on either side. Then, they used a fabric isolation membrane and some kind of tile glue and basically "fiber-glassed" the crack area, extending past the crack a tile width in every direction. Two years and no sign of cracks...
Custom makes an isolation sealant called RedGard. Widely used in showers, its mostly a water-proofer and an isolation membrane you roll on. I used that on a few little cracks in my workshop then, I used their crack isolation mortar that can accept up to 1/8" movement -and a tad more if set on RedGard.
Porcelain tile is VERY hard to break once you set it in mortar. You can "chip" the glazing on it but, that takes real work. I dropped a five pound tool steel cutter head on my workshop floor and it bounced as high as my hand about five times... that is how hard porcelain is. On one of those bounces, the knife-sharp cutter edge chipped a tiny fleck of the glaze off. It looks like a water drop that dried there. No other damage. Had it been epoxy, every strike would have chipped concrete, though it wouldn't have bounced as much. If it really bugs me, I pop out the tile and replace it and nobody knows.
Some tile has an edge that allows for **** jointing but getting tile paid perfectly without a grout line is VERY difficult. Many tile styles have rounded edges and that makes joints less "clunky" though, there will always be some noise. If it really bugs you, get a jack with nylon wheels. I am sourcing nylon wheels for my floor jacks now and they are available.
Tile has a way or transforming a space. A buddy and his girlfriend saw my garage for the first time last weekend. His girlfriend said, "I could just live in here..."
I am not sure most women would say that about your average garage...
Ray
PS: Your daughter's smile tells me she can't wait to park her Mazda Miata in there when she gets her drivers license!
We are three years into a complete renovation of a house. One of the first things I did was to bust up 2500 sqft of Saltillo Mexican tile. Saltillo is plain old clay, the same stuff that flower pots are made of. Saltillo gets a glaze over that but it add zero strength. Its the weakest tile you could imagine installing. The strongest part of the tile is the grout.
While wailing away with my Bosch jackhammer in the entryway, I hit black tar roofing felt. Under the roofing felt was a huge crack in the slab, probably 1/4" wide. With that opportunity for movement, not even the grout had cracked on the tile surface. Nada. The el cheapo roofing felt isolated the el cheapo tile enough that it held up for a decade or more since installation.
When my tile guys installed my porcelain over that area, they first ground the crack level as it was pitched on either side. Then, they used a fabric isolation membrane and some kind of tile glue and basically "fiber-glassed" the crack area, extending past the crack a tile width in every direction. Two years and no sign of cracks...
Custom makes an isolation sealant called RedGard. Widely used in showers, its mostly a water-proofer and an isolation membrane you roll on. I used that on a few little cracks in my workshop then, I used their crack isolation mortar that can accept up to 1/8" movement -and a tad more if set on RedGard.
Porcelain tile is VERY hard to break once you set it in mortar. You can "chip" the glazing on it but, that takes real work. I dropped a five pound tool steel cutter head on my workshop floor and it bounced as high as my hand about five times... that is how hard porcelain is. On one of those bounces, the knife-sharp cutter edge chipped a tiny fleck of the glaze off. It looks like a water drop that dried there. No other damage. Had it been epoxy, every strike would have chipped concrete, though it wouldn't have bounced as much. If it really bugs me, I pop out the tile and replace it and nobody knows.
Some tile has an edge that allows for **** jointing but getting tile paid perfectly without a grout line is VERY difficult. Many tile styles have rounded edges and that makes joints less "clunky" though, there will always be some noise. If it really bugs you, get a jack with nylon wheels. I am sourcing nylon wheels for my floor jacks now and they are available.
Tile has a way or transforming a space. A buddy and his girlfriend saw my garage for the first time last weekend. His girlfriend said, "I could just live in here..."
I am not sure most women would say that about your average garage...
Ray
PS: Your daughter's smile tells me she can't wait to park her Mazda Miata in there when she gets her drivers license!
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Thanks, Machsnell. My grout is pretty flush. There is no more variation in that than the face if the tile that has some stone texture stamped into it. Plus, they are 18x18" tiles. I don't have baseboard up yet, just block. When I figure out what I'm doing there, I'll share it. Any ideas?
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Schluter makes good stuff but the tile underlayment system is designed for smaller spaces like showers. Using one on a 1000sqft garage would raise the price a bunch and in most applications isn't really necessary, unless you have moving concrete. You can use a membrane like Schluter makes for those areas that look like they might move.
We are three years into a complete renovation of a house. One of the first things I did was to bust up 2500 sqft of Saltillo Mexican tile. Saltillo is plain old clay, the same stuff that flower pots are made of. Saltillo gets a glaze over that but it add zero strength. Its the weakest tile you could imagine installing. The strongest part of the tile is the grout.
While wailing away with my Bosch jackhammer in the entryway, I hit black tar roofing felt. Under the roofing felt was a huge crack in the slab, probably 1/4" wide. With that opportunity for movement, not even the grout had cracked on the tile surface. Nada. The el cheapo roofing felt isolated the el cheapo tile enough that it held up for a decade or more since installation.
When my tile guys installed my porcelain over that area, they first ground the crack level as it was pitched on either side. Then, they used a fabric isolation membrane and some kind of tile glue and basically "fiber-glassed" the crack area, extending past the crack a tile width in every direction. Two years and no sign of cracks...
Custom makes an isolation sealant called RedGard. Widely used in showers, its mostly a water-proofer and an isolation membrane you roll on. I used that on a few little cracks in my workshop then, I used their crack isolation mortar that can accept up to 1/8" movement -and a tad more if set on RedGard.
Porcelain tile is VERY hard to break once you set it in mortar. You can "chip" the glazing on it but, that takes real work. I dropped a five pound tool steel cutter head on my workshop floor and it bounced as high as my hand about five times... that is how hard porcelain is. On one of those bounces, the knife-sharp cutter edge chipped a tiny fleck of the glaze off. It looks like a water drop that dried there. No other damage. Had it been epoxy, every strike would have chipped concrete, though it wouldn't have bounced as much. If it really bugs me, I pop out the tile and replace it and nobody knows.
Some tile has an edge that allows for **** jointing but getting tile paid perfectly without a grout line is VERY difficult. Many tile styles have rounded edges and that makes joints less "clunky" though, there will always be some noise. If it really bugs you, get a jack with nylon wheels. I am sourcing nylon wheels for my floor jacks now and they are available.
Tile has a way or transforming a space. A buddy and his girlfriend saw my garage for the first time last weekend. His girlfriend said, "I could just live in here..."
I am not sure most women would say that about your average garage...
Ray
PS: Your daughter's smile tells me she can't wait to park her Mazda Miata in there when she gets her drivers license!
Thanks Ray. Great suggestions as always. My daughter is a cutie, so kind and caring. She has me skipping the Michigan vs Wisconsin game tomorrow for a Daddy Daughter dance. Wouldn't miss it. However, there won't be any Mazdas in my garage, lol. We live near farm fields and grain elevators, in very rural, Michigan! We love it here, it's home.
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Pics from tonight. The final tiles were laid today and the Schluter Reno ramp set. Grout is Dove Gray and will be finished Monday. I wish it would be done so I could get the garage back in order. But, Monday it is.
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