Tiling a concrete floor>

[Kempo]

Anyone have experience tiling over a concrete floor? My basement family room has had minor flooding from an outside source three times in the last 20 years, and I'm tired of pulling up carpet each time. I would like to tile it, and I kinda think I could do it myself, but in looking on various websites I see a lot of advice to not tile an area that may get water. But that's the reason I want to tile it. I don't quite get why tiling it would be bad. What is supposed to happen if I get 1/4 inch of water on it as long as it's removed promptly?

[mattsilf]

we tile concrete floors all the time. as long as the concrete is pretty level and void of any big humps, you should be alright on your own. As for the water, if its coming in only once every few years, you'll be fine.

[27hand]

I just did my own floor. I have a small 1952 ranch which has 4" of slope to the centrally located floor drain.

I installed about 700 sq ft of 16" X 16" porcelain tile over my existing 9" X 9" asbestos floor tile.
I used a thinset morter base and did my layout starting at the drain. Just had a very few spots where the hi/low of the floor tile was off due to the corners of that large tile hit on 2 corners. I dry fit tile at the drain and at the far side of the room and pulled string lines to verify concrete was not too radically humped. I chopped a bit of existing tile out if it was.

If you use smaller tile, a floor with a fairly radical slope can be done easily.
Buy a $80 wet saw from Home depot, wear safety glasses.

I installed a secondary floor drain in my shower room and the square floor drain top worked out perfectly with the side of one tile which was a bonus and i didn't have to cut a tile to make it work.(clarification-I had to cut the tile but the drain edge was exactly along the edge of the tile edge---I got lucky)

One thing that makes me completely nuts about tile installers is the fact that they take almost no precautions to make sure the hi/low is perfect at toilet bases. I use a piece of plywood and press it down on the tile around the toilet flange so the plumber ( ME ) doesn't have to shim the toilet. I guess it's because they get paid for square footage and the faster they are done, the more money they make. Still makes me want to slap most of them .

27theplumberhand

[Kempo]

My floor is almost perfectly flat and level with no drain, and is perfectly square as far as the corners. Once before I re-did it with 20 X 20 commercial carpet squares I was given by someone who had some excess. I only had to trim a few pieces around the door jam. I didn't even glue them down and it worked and looked great for about ten years. I think if I do try to tile it I shouldn't have too hard of a time with it.

My outside flooding source is a storm drain in my driveway apron just outside the garage door, which is connected to the borough storm sewer. It takes a seriously heavy rain to back it up, but every few years we get that kind of rain. Last time was about two weeks ago when we got 2 1/2 inches in 30 minutes. The storm drain backs up and the water runs around the garage door and up thru the basement to the family room. It was just enough to soak the carpet.

[27hand]

My floor is almost perfectly flat and level with no drain, and is perfectly square as far as the corners. Once before I re-did it with 20 X 20 commercial carpet squares I was given by someone who had some excess. I only had to trim a few pieces around the door jam. I didn't even glue them down and it worked and looked great for about ten years. I think if I do try to tile it I shouldn't have too hard of a time with it.

My outside flooding source is a storm drain in my driveway apron just outside the garage door, which is connected to the borough storm sewer. It takes a seriously heavy rain to back it up, but every few years we get that kind of rain. Last time was about two weeks ago when we got 2 1/2 inches in 30 minutes. The storm drain backs up and the water runs around the garage door and up thru the basement to the family room. It was just enough to soak the carpet.

Install a trench drain to a receptor within the garage. Put a battery backup pump on it to discharge the water to the outside away from the driveway.

Backup battery for power failure.

It's not that hard an install. Good luck

27hand

[Tequila Sunrise]

Prefill the cracks, get some self- leveling cement for low spots and tile away. The worst that will happen is a tile or two may pop out if the water gets underneath. Let it dry out and reset.

[RobW]

I guess everybody is assuming ceramic tile. I used Armstrong acrylics (industrial type el-cheapos less than $1/sf.) and they worked out great. Easy install, scrape the floor and fill the cracks, pre-size with adhesive (paint the floor with thinned out glue) and then glue the tiles down. Piece of cake with a level/square room.

--RobW

[TinGLOCK]

Kempo, I don't have any advice for you other than that I, too, have seen the finished product of tile over a concrete floor (and it's fine). I'm curious, though. Where's the water coming from?

[spabula]

Tiling over concrete is great..... you dont have to spend all that money on cement board!! If youre trying to save money, I know HD and Lowes both carry a very neutral color ceramic tile (tannish color) for betweeen $0.75 and $0.80 per tile. I think HD are 12"x12" whereasy Lowes' are 13"x13" Water shouldnt be an issue if it is very infrequent for ceramic, natural stone type tile and slate are a little different story when it comes to water though. Only other suggestion i have is that most ppl start from the center of the room and work out, which is great. But I would lay out tiles dry first to make sure you dont end up with a sliver of a tile along one wall. Shift your center as need be to avoid the slivers.... good luck!!