Help!: Concrete floor advice needed

[Linear Tiler]

Hi all. Looked at a job which is an integral double garage. My client has ordered 900 x 450 slate effect porcelain tiles in black. The floor area is just over 27sqm. The floor is concrete and in pretty good nick in terms of flatness and being level.

The reason I need a bit of advice is it will still be used as a garage and the tiles will have an M3 sat on them every night.

So...

Will the substrate need to be 100% (not just close to) flat and level?
Would an uncoupling membrane (such as Schluter ditra or ditra-XL) be needed?
Any ideas on edging to entrance of garage? (was thinking stainless steel sq edge?)

and just to check, as I don't normally have cars running over my installations, will a flex addy be good enough or do I need to be adding some sort of ad mix to give extra flex?

Help and advice much needed!

[Alan.P]

You shouldn't have any problems as long as you maintain 100% coverage, I would go with a minimum of 13mm round notched trowel, back butter the tiles with the flat side of the trowel as well, just to make sure that you are getting 100% coverage, as for trim, I would go for an angled trim rather than square, but that's just me. No need for a membrane but use a good flexi adhesive.

[Scott]

What he said ^^

[Linear Tiler]

Thanks Alan and Scott!

[Rich]

Agree with above, if the customer is willing to pay for a decoupling mat then brilliant, but it is not a must, it is much more important to get a good coverage under the tiles.

[Linear Tiler]

as for trim, I would go for an angled trim rather than square, but that's just me.

None of my tile shops sell angled trim that is suitable for a car being driven over it apparently. does anyone know what I can use?

[Rich]

If they are vitrified porcelain, you shouldnt need a trim, the tile will be stronger than any trim you can buy.

That is of course if it looks right without a trim?

[deanotile]

i have done a few car showroom and they always use Schlüter-Systems fot the trims

[Alan.P]

I was just trying to find a link for them ?????

[akinsontiles]

This may be suitable from schluter and would be available special order from your CTD http://www.schluter.com/1_2_reno_ramp.aspxou

However before you order it check that they agree it would be suited to have the weight of a car going over it daily.

I agree that from an expansion point of view the slab shouldn't need expansion joints running through the field of tiles but I would leave 4-5mm expansion at all the edges where tiles meet the walls and fill with silicone to allow for potential lateral movement from the forward motion of the car pulling away.

[jay]

This may be suitable from schluter and would be available special order from your CTD http://www.schluter.com/1_2_reno_ramp.aspxou

However before you order it check that they agree it would be suited to have the weight of a car going over it daily.

I agree that from an expansion point of view the slab shouldn't need expansion joints running through the field of tiles but I would leave 4-5mm expansion at all the edges where tiles meet the walls and fill with silicone to allow for potential lateral movement from the forward motion of the car pulling away.

have to agree with that a bit of a concern

[Rob Z]

The link above wasn't working, so here it is again. I think that Remo is OK for loads from a car, because at ~40 psi the tires have less load than a hand cart might exert on the trim. It's been a while since I sat through the Schluter class that covered all of this stuff, so definately give them a call and ask.

Schluter-RENO-RAMP - Schluter-Systems