Laying Porcelain floor tiles

[bluenun20]

I am going to lay 300 x 300 brown porcelain tiles to an indoor porch.
The tiles are 9.5mm thick.

The area is 1.2 meters by 3.2 meters.

I just read the sticky above but want to make sure I have understood it all.

I will use a powdered fast drying adhesive like Feb fastset 5kg.
Use 4 or 5 mm spacers.
Buy a special tile cutter because Porcelain tiles are harder. Is it an electric saw type?

I want to use a white grout, will that look OK on brown tiles?

 

[gcol]

Assuming your floor is solid (not floorboards) just use a powdered adhesive that states it suitable for porcelain adhesive. You should have enough with one 20kg bag.

4 or 5mm spacer are fine.

You don't specifically need an electric cutter for porcelain tiles - any half decent score and snap type cutter should be fine. You may struggle if you need to cut a thinnish piece with a cheapo score and snap type though.

You don't want to be using white grout on any floor really - in a porch it'll get really grubby in a couple of days.

 

[bluenun20]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes it is a solid floor, just under 4 square meters.

I do have a score and snap type cutter that I used to tile the bathroom walls so will try that before I upgrade and buy anything else.

I always enter and leave my property by the back door and so do visitors, so the front door and porch rarely get stepped in.

What colour would you suggest for grouting of brown tiles?

 

[dextrous]

Not sure I'd use anything fastset, especially if you're a novice. Workability time can be somewhat limited, as the name suggests, and you will be inclined to try to get the tiles down quickly at the expense of having a nightmare cleaning adhesive spills off the surfaces.

Best to do it piecemeal, making sure you clean surfaces as you go, and allow one section to go off overnight before attacking the next.

 

[bluenun20]

When you say do it piecemeal what do you mean, use an adhesive that takes longer to go off?

The solid floor is slightly uneven, can I use a liquid latex like this one?

http://www.transtools.co.uk/store/p...ilders/level-master-liquid-latex-5-litre.html

 

[gcol]

A fast or rapid set will go off in about 2-3 hours; a non fast setting adhesive can take 24 hours. This different in setting time will only allow you to remove tiles easier after they have been laid. The pot life (how long it remains workable after mixing) is very similar for rapid set or non-rapid set at about 25 mins.
Personally I don't see much reason not to use a rapid setting adhesive.

Grey is my colour of choice for floor grout.

By peicemeal, he means do small amounts at a time.

That latex product needs to be used with a powdered floor leveller - it's not just to be used on its own.