Tiling my fish room... PLEASE HELP, my contractor is an idiot (I think)

iopusl

iopusl

Member
Hi BT
I'm a union NYC tile setter. it sounds like you should be fine, but a lot depends on the materials your installing. What size is the tile your setting. What sort of "industrial" tile is it, as in ceramic, porcelain, or a stone. What type of thinset are you using, home depot versabond, mapei, laticrete, tec or something else. Also how flat is the slab that your setting on is, if it's waving you might want to flash it or self level it. and what size notched trowel is your husband planning on using.
If you went with a premium porcelain, which is the strongest type of tile you can use in terms of PSI's, that's around a 12x12, on a reasonably flat floor, with a 1/2" by 1/2" notched trowel, and a premium thinset you should be fine after a week.
Most premium thinsets are around 95% of their finished strength after a couple of days. I've seen scissor lifts go on floors days after being set and how they hold up usually depends on how well they were set.
any questions i'm happy to help
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by iopusl http:///forum/thread/383278/tiling-my-fish-room-please-help-my-contractor-is-an-idiot-i-think/60#post_3351721
Hi BT
I'm a union NYC tile setter. it sounds like you should be fine, but a lot depends on the materials your installing. What size is the tile your setting. What sort of "industrial" tile is it, as in ceramic, porcelain, or a stone. What type of thinset are you using, home depot versabond, mapei, laticrete, tec or something else. Also how flat is the slab that your setting on is, if it's waving you might want to flash it or self level it. and what size notched trowel is your husband planning on using.
If you went with a premium porcelain, which is the strongest type of tile you can use in terms of PSI's, that's around a 12x12, on a reasonably flat floor, with a 1/2" by 1/2" notched trowel, and a premium thinset you should be fine after a week.
Most premium thinsets are around 95% of their finished strength after a couple of days. I've seen scissor lifts go on floors days after being set and how they hold up usually depends on how well they were set.
any questions i'm happy to help
You're like my knight in shining armor right now, LOL.
As far as thinset, it's the more expensive stuff that you can buy in Lowes/Home Depot, if that matters? Off the top of my head, I have no idea what brand, or what the tile is made of other than it's "Industrial Grade". I'm going to assume it's ceramic, although I have no idea what the difference is between a ceramic and a porcelain tile. Thus far I've only purchased one box, so it can be changed easily for this room.
What brand thin set would you recommend?
The slab is completely level, I was anal about having it level from day one. It's been complete since Feb. of last year, so I'm fairly sure it's settled/cured enough for a floor to go on.
The trowel has not be purchased yet either.
 
iopusl

iopusl

Member
Hey BT,
if your going with Laticrete brand thinset, I would recommend pretty much only their "platinum" type, which i don't think they have at lowes. I personally don't have a lowes too close to me so I'm not positive. To my recollection, I think they only carry Laticrete gold or Laticrete 317. If it was up to me I wouldn't use either one of those in my house.
It sounds like your trying to keep it somewhat simple and cheap at the end of a long job. If thats the case I would go with home depot's Versabond. In my experiences I've never had a problem with it. I use on my side jobs all the time. I know it to be a stronger product than either of those I mentioned at lowes. If you go with a tile supply house I would recommend Mapei Ultrafex 2, , Mapei Ultraflex 3, Tec Superflex, or Laticrete Platinum.
Also I would ditch the ceramic unless it is a quarry tile like you used to see at burger king. If its a glazed ceramic, meaning that the bottom of the tile is a different color from the top of the tile, ditch it. You don't want that under a lot of weight. You want it in a guest powder room. Find a porcelain based tile. Porcelain is the strongest material you can use on a floor in terms of tile. Its stronger than granite in pounds per square inch. I recommend it to all my customers. It stronger than stone and cheaper and will not lose its luster. Its more expensive than ceramic but way better. You can usually find a decent 12x12 for around $3 a foot.
Again I hope the tips help
Anything else let me know
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
So, my husband has discovered Saltillo tiles (the ones that are usually terra-cotta) that have animal tracks in them and has demanded that they go somewhere in our house. He wants them in the fish room, I think this is a BAD idea. I said kitchen or foyer. They're really cool tiles, my grandfather has them in his house in Georgia and they're a nice conversation piece as well as flooring.
Thoughts?
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
LOL.
I think they're cool tiles, I just don't think they can hold the weight of the fish tanks. Even if I tile around the 180, there are other tanks going in this room, and one of them may be a 155. I know that the Saltillo tiles are usually much weaker and have a whole different drying process involved with them. I just want to get my fish room done! LOL
He's going to have a man cave, maybe we can put the tiles in there, LOL
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
LOL, of course, and his loud video games that I can't watch because I'm one of the few people that the "may cause seizures" warning is for on the box
. He's an artist (graffiti and tattooing) and I told him he could graff all the walls up in that room. Our current house has a huge graffiti mural in the bedroom (here before I moved in) and I refuse to have that in any "normal" part of our new house.
A man cave with decorative animal print terra cotta tiles, how g@y does that sound? LOL! he's going to kill me
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
tell him that the curtains in the room will be pink, and where the tile wont be will be a nice shag carpet. Make a "path" from the door to the recliner in tile. Then setup the chi tank with a sand box and rake next to it.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
He has a full fridge, microwave and a 57" LCD, that's good enough, guess I might as well consider our marriage over once we move, LOL
 
desertdawg

desertdawg

Member
I just tiled last fall, concrete slab, regular tiles.
I put my 120 back in 1 day after the groout was sealed.
Think of it this way, your ok to walk on the tiles 24 hours after they were layed, they grouted mine the next day.
All that pushing and scrubbing, crawling and walking didn't affect any of the tiles...
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
True. I'd tile the whole room, it's hubby that's wishy-washy on the whole issue. He knows if they crack he has to fix them, so I guess I'd be scared if I was the one doing the work as well. He really wants these damn Saltillo tiles with the animal print, but I just don't think they're strong enough. The idea is cool, but I don't know if it's practical.
The tiles that I have now are porcelain, industrial grade, so I know they're not going to crack. We just haven't put any of them down yet.
 
desertdawg

desertdawg

Member
The saltillo tiles are all over the place out here, they haul truck loads of them out of Mexico.
Most people that put them in are advised to buy plenty of extras, if you drop something like a plate or bowl on one it will crack.
 
iopusl

iopusl

Member
i think you going to be sweeping up saltillo tiles in a year or 2. We never use them in commercial installs, and there is a reason for that
 
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