Porcelain tile supplier help..

[iluv69s]

I am shortly going to put porcelain tile on half my garage floor that I really only use for light assembly and the future bar area...($$ permitting)..

I have a few ?s and hope I can get some opinions...

My garage is 2 years old..the concrete is flat as it was 'hydroplaned'..is that waht they call that?? haha....it has never been coated or sealed, but has some oil light oil stains, overspray here and there...do i need to sand? prep the concrete first? It does get cold at times....minus freezing..I turn off the water for the winter...may start keeping it warmer with small gas heatar that is installed.

Does it need to be very hot to install the tiles?


It is overwhelming when searching online for porcelain tile and epoxy, grout, etc.

Can someone that has already ordered and installed porcelain tile give me a reliable supplier name with product number..of course price is a big factor too..

Here is what Id like...

... checkered pattern with black and light gray checkers. Would settle for white if gray not available.
... Prefer 16" tiles...Would this be a mistake?
...Total 1100 SF....550 SF black, 550 SF gray

..I am not opposed to Home Depot, or Lowes type store..I just did not see 'porcelain' tiles on thier site...

..and what about the epoxy?? What type?? supplier that will ship? I am near philadelphia/ trenton area...would like better to pick up...And a dark colored grout for sure..do I need a special grout?? or a sealer?


I will post some before and after pics once I get started..hopefully my experience can help somone else...

thanksin advance for any ideas suggestions/ help

 

[rlitman]

Are you doing this yourself?
Have you set tile before?
16" sounds like a good idea, because you'll have less tiles, BUT in reality it is much more difficult to get looking right with such large tiles, because getting such large tiles perfectly level so the corners all match height is very hard.

 

[slickgt1]

My build here. Look at tile posts.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90047

Tile durability post.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95966

Go to lowes and HD. Look for the cheapy stuff. I got mine under $1 sq-ft. for PEI 4 and 5.

You don't need to sand anything on your slab. You should set tile in a warm environment. Even so that you don't get sick. You will be sitting on the floor with a lot of moisture around you. And if stuff starts to freeze, your tile is not going to set properly.

Finding tile online is hopeless. Go to supply houses, HD, Lowes, see what they have that is old, and what is cheap. You will find it.

 

[Greggles]

1100 ft is a major project if you've never tiled before. 500 ft took me many weeks working several hours on weekends and 1-2 hours after work. YMMV

I'm sure metro PHL has at least a few discount tile warehouses with remainders and seconds.
Shopping on-line is a waste. Shipping and liftgate delivery will be hundreds to get it to your door. I echo the advise of using 12"x12" vs. larger tile.

Dark sanded grout is the way to go. Avoid the epoxy. It's just too expensive