Installing porcelain tile?
cdmar...@gmail.com
I have a question i'm hoping you all can help me with. i have a large
terrace/pool area which is about 2000 sf. right now, i have about 20
year old porcelain tile on there. it was well put and it has not
cracked but it's just old and ugly. we've tried cleaning it and
sealing it, but it's just really ugly, old and grey. so we've been
shopping around the last few months and found a great deal on about
2500 sf of new outdoor non-slip 18x18 solid porcelain tile. it's
regularly priced at $3 a foot, but they are going of business and will
sell me their last 2500 sf for $1 a foot. so now my issue is, how to
install? i can't do it myself bc i'm 5 months pregnant but i'm
shopping around for good installers. i've had about 5 installers come
out and everyone gives me a different opinion:
1) first guy said he's lay it right on top of the current tile w
"multi bond" and it would be just fine.
2) guy # 2 said we had to pull out all of the old tile that is there
now bc the new tile will just come off in a few months or in a year if
you lay it right on top of what is there. he says there is no way
porcelain tile will absorb any thin set or bonding and that it will
just start coming off, especially since it's outside and with the
change in weather. i live in north florida, and it gets really hot,
and in the winter it gets cold.
3) guy #3 said he would simple scratch it up with some tool so that it
will absorb. no need to pull it all off. it's hard messy job to pull
everything out and they want to do that just to charge more. he just
scratches the bottom tile up really good and puts plenty of bonding
and thin set on it and it should last another 20 years.
4) 4th guy said he uses this special new material called "PORCELAIN
SET" and it the best. it's $14 a bag but this stuff will bond
porcelain better than anything else, no need to scratch anything.
before you think he wants to scam me, he doesn't sell it. they
actually sell it in the store where i bought the tile. he says most
folks just want to buy the regular multibond product they sell in home
depot that's $6 a bag. but he says that he's noticed that this
particular product that they sell in the specialty floor stores works
really well.
5) last guy said the PORCELAIN SET stuff is just an excuse for you to
pay more $ for bonding. he insists that regular multipurpose thin set
and bonding will be just fine. he says it all depends on what is
there now. since what is there now is in good shape and is not
cracking or coming up, then laying new tile on top should be no
problem. If we scratch it up and put in regular thin set and bonding,
we should be just fine for at least another 12-14 years.
So you see, i've gotten a different story from everyone. they all add
on another $1 a foot for pulling it out and charge about $1.50 to
$1.75 to install it. so if i can save 2K and not have to pull it out,
that would be the best. i need to find a good contractor at a decent
price and w the construction business the way it is in Florida, i
think i can find one at a good price since it's a big job and there's
just not as much construction work out there as there used to be. i
just want to know what you all think is the safest way to go. this is
a big investment and i want it to last me a long time. i don't want it
falling apart in a year. but on the other hard, i don't want to go
crazy and pull out 2000 sf of tile when it's possible there are
alternatives.
any ideas? thanks very much!!