Question for Porcelain Tile Owners

[NCtim]

Hey Folks,

Sorry if this has been addressed five hundred times. I have limited bandwidth and I've used up quite a bit trying to delve into this.

Question: How do you guys get your grout joints so smooth that you can drag welding tables, floor jacks, engine stands, etc. over them and not chip the tile or interrupt the smooth rolling or dragging of an object across the floor? Also, what about gravel stuck in tire treads scratching the surface?

I've done a lot of kitchen and bath tile while building some houses and no matter the width of the joint I can still feel the joint with my fingers. And does anyone have trouble with the "softer" grout chipping out while under extreme use?

Thanks for your indulgence.
Tim

 

[Reborn996]

From what I have read on this if you use rectified porcelain tiles you can have almost no grout line. This might be one of the better options.

David

 

[NCtim]

From what I have read on this if you use rectified porcelain tiles you can have almost no grout line. This might be one of the better options.

David

Thanks David. My shower has almost no grout lines but I can still feel the joints. I'm concerned that steel wheels and rollers are going to give a hiccup while rolling a nicely finished aluminum block across the floor and jostle it off the table or stand.

Tim

 

[Sawbladz]

That won't happen. Just how small are the wheels on this cart you plan to roll across the floor? A rectified tile with tight grout lines will offer a very smooth surface.

 

[SapesOfIndia]

To help with the lippage use leveling system. LASH and TLS are couple of favorites. I am going for LASH due to lower cost and initial investment as well as availability at Home Burrito.

 

[Shea]

You are not going to completely eliminate lippage in your tiled floor. However you shouldn't have any problems with creepers, rolling tool boxes and etc over the tile, especially if it is rectified with a spacing of 1/8" to 3/16" and level. The size of the wheels will bridge these gaps without feeling much more than a click.

Epoxy grout is the smoothest and very strong, but it is expensive. There are many sanded grouts that are extremely strong however and you shouldn't have any problems with it in regards to gravel in tires.

 

[NCtim]

You are not going to completely eliminate lippage in your tiled floor. However you shouldn't have any problems with creepers, rolling tool boxes and etc over the tile, especially if it is rectified with a spacing of 1/8" to 3/16" and level. The size of the wheels will bridge these gaps without feeling much more than a click.

Epoxy grout is the smoothest and very strong, but it is expensive. There are many sanded grouts that are extremely strong however and you shouldn't have any problems with it in regards to gravel in tires.

Thanks, you've help ease my mind on this. I'm really inclined to use porcelain as I will be welding and painting in there and it'll hold up to heat and solvents.

Cheers,
Tim