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Hi everyone;
I am debating on installing ceramic tile for my solarium. I live in New Engalnd. The room measures approx. 50 x 10; currently a cement floor and a southern exposure. I'm looking for pros & cons about ceramic tile or going an easier route with the linoleum. I have done a smaller room (12 x 12) in ceramic tile before and swore that I would never do it again. I want to save some $$$, so, I'll be doing the work myself. Any tips/help is appreciated.
I have put down small areas of each and ceramic tile is a lot easier to do! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
Tile
pro:
once it's there, it's there
easier to keep straight when laying
very pretty (subjective)
con:
more expensive than vinyl (true linoleum isn't commonly available anymore)
colder on bare feet
harder to patch
light colored grout is hard to keep clean
vinyl:
pro:
faster and cheaper
easy to clean
con:
harder to lay for novice (gotta get it straight and fitted)
not as durable
must apply baseboard trim to prevent curling over time
glue smells bad [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
I've done both, and tile is easier to lay if more tedious
Hi Ian,
Go for the tile. Over the concrete it would be a better choice. Not cheaper but better.
Rent a wet saw and go to it.
Good luck,
Tim
Go for the ceramic tile. I just layed about 750 sq ft. of tile plus ceramic baseboard. If you can, use the larger tiles (if the room can handle it). the job goes much quicker. A wet saw is definitely needed. Check out the price of purchasing vs. renting. I picked up a saw for $150.00 with decent HP. Saves a lot of time and energy. If you can, go with a darker grout. You will not see the dirt as readily as a lighter grout. As for cost, ceramic is more costly, as you know, but in the long run, you will need to replace the linoleum sooner than the ceramic. So long term, costs are probably about the same.
I was just in a tile store - looking for linoleum - but the tile was priced the same! -- I'm taking another look at tile ... [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
After comparing the various flooring at the local stores, my wife and I decided on natural slate. At $2.34 per sq/ft its not cheap, but, I want to do it right. We have over 400 sf that we will be covering. For kicks...we asked a few of the places how much for install. The cheapest was $2300.00 NOT including the material. As I noted in my original post, I once tiled a smaller room and hated the grouting portion of the project. With my selection of slate I was told that I would not need to grout (just use extra mortar when placing the slate so the excess pushed up aroung it; this is due to the fact that the slate is uneven and traditional grouting methods would not work. I know I could use a pastry type bag to squirt the grout in, but, if I can avoid this grouting step I would be a happy guy [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ) So, my next question is: What is the purpose of grout?
Thanks again for everyone's input...
Purpose of grout? Never thought about it. All I know is you are supposed to grout with ceramic. My thought is to provide more stability to the tile, hold it in place. Also, for aesthetics (that is why grout comes in different colors) If you look at the ingredients in grout, there is concrete. So, the mortar you use for slate should do the job between the joints. I also heard you don't need to grout with slate. Boy, bet it is going to look fantastic when the job is complete.
Purpose of grout?
- Fill the voids between the material instead of dirt/debris
- keep the water/moisture on top of the floor not under it
- keep the tiles in position
- fill any voids under/around the tiles to prevent cracking
As to using the mortar mix instead of grout this must be done while laying the slate so makes for a longer process (slower) to place the slate, fill the gaps, clean up around the slate then move on to the next piece.
You will probably need to do a mild acid wash on the slate once dry to remove the excess mortar from the surface as well put a sealer over the entire area when done.
Carl
Common sense reasons for grout. Hey, what is the best sealer for grout? I picked up some sealer from TileLab(Home Depot), but unsure if it is a good quality product. I compared it to others, and it seems okay. But there are other products that are more costly. Are they better?
Ian,
I love slate and have used it on several projects I have done. There are a couple of things you need to note about slate if you don't know already. Slate, or any natural stone, will require a sealer after it is installed. The sealer will change the color so you may want to buy a couple of pieces and seal them to see if you like the look. Slate is also sold two different ways. There is gauged slate, which is consistent in thickness, and ungauged which will vary not only from tile to tile but also with in a given tile. Ungauged slate is much harder to lay without leaving edges that will stub a toe. Also because of the irregularities of slate it is harder to keep clean. Mopping tends to leave residue in all the little variations. Keep that in mind while grouting or removing excess thinset mortar. Make sure you keep up with the cleaning before the mortar starts to set.
Don't get me wrong, I think slate is a beautiful look but it is harder to install than a regular ceramic tile, in my opinion.
MarkV
Good advice there. Make sure your mortar base is thick enough to support any irregularites in unguaged tile. I have seen as much as a 3/4inch notch trowel needed for some natural rock tiles.
If you can afford the tile -- go with tile. It will look better, last longer, etc.
Get yourself some knee pads from Home Depot, wet saw for cuts, and make sure you lay out your lines with a chalk line.
Back when I lived in Florida, I put down about 1100 sq. ft. of tile over concrete. It was getting pretty rough on my back by the end -- but what a great feeling of accomplishment when I was finished.