Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Topic: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone. (Read 1231 times) previous topic - next topic

Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

October 30, 2016, 05:25:47 pm

How is this for doing a tile job in your RV? Dry interesting and looks easy and makes sense for RV's.
What say you?
John M.

Silicone Rubber Grout Demo - YouTube

Tips and Help on how to tile your RV

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #1 – October 30, 2016, 11:00:43 pm

I had all ceramic tile installed five years ago with regular grout and have never had a problem.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #2 – October 31, 2016, 01:15:19 am

Quote from: Twig – October 30, 2016, 11:00:43 pm

I had all ceramic tile installed five years ago with regular grout and have never had a problem.

I have also done ceramic floors and walls behind sinks etc and never a problem, but it does come down to prepping right.
JohnH

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #3 – October 31, 2016, 09:12:38 am

Would someone please answer the original question. I'm interested in this topic, as well.

Marilyn

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #4 – October 31, 2016, 09:26:04 am

Marilyn, check out the video video link. It can be used in our rv's. The system will be very flexible and the grout will stay very clean and sealed from liquids and grime.

John M.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #5 – October 31, 2016, 09:32:09 am

I have tile installed by FOT, don't know the method used, but regular cement grout was used with no problem. Some RV's, I suspect, have to much flex in the floor to make them good candidates for tile. I, personally, would NOT want 2 or 3" tile used in my coach, don't like the look.
If I ever had it done again I would install heating elements in the floor....that tile gets COLD !

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #6 – October 31, 2016, 11:47:35 am

Quote from: Forewheelers – October 31, 2016, 09:12:38 am

Would someone please answer the original question. I'm interested in this topic, as well.

Marilyn

What is it you want answering as we have posted our thoughts and think it is not needed, but each to their own?
JohnH

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #7 – October 31, 2016, 12:24:49 pm

The original question was regarding non-cement grout and anyone that had actually used it in their coach.

I have seen several cracked floors in coaches so I am interested in non- cement based grout.

Thanks John. I will review the video. I hadn't done that before I posted. - but that still doesn't answer the question, "has anyone used this stuff..."

Marilyn

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #8 – October 31, 2016, 01:06:51 pm

I am seriously thinking of incorporating this technique in a high grade vinyl tile with a grout line and use the silicone in the grout line.

John M.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #9 – October 31, 2016, 03:28:18 pm

I know MOT uses silicone to put down floors and a flexible grout as well.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #10 – October 31, 2016, 04:00:42 pm

The video used ceramic tiles. For some reason, I inferred that John M. wanted to use the specific grouting product demonstrated in the above video on vinyl flooring. The question in my mind was, "why this specific product" ? What makes this silicone grouting better than others?

I had already seen photos of finished floors by some of the Forum posters. Yes, they are really nice. I enjoy viewing the photos of coach upgrades and renovations. Did these posters also use this specific product, or are these silicone grouting products all the same?

Marilyn

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #11 – October 31, 2016, 05:42:55 pm

In my many years of Ceramic tiling floors and walls the main reason for cracking of grout and tiles is not the bonding method ie cement or silicone, it is the flexing of the sub base that causes it. 99% of floors are done with a 8/10/12" tile or so and even with this silicone if the ply base is not firm they too will crack without a doubt. The grouting may be fine but the tile not so. Now if you used a mosiac tile then it should be ok as the cross section is so small that any movement will have more chance to dissipate the surface tension, thereby reducing cracks.

I know this again does not answer your query Marilyn but wanted to give you my reason for not using it .
JohnH

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #12 – October 31, 2016, 05:50:18 pm

Thank you.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #13 – October 31, 2016, 06:32:55 pm

Here is the tiled floor I did the day after driving home from LA with coach after I bought it 8 yrs ago. With proper re-inforced ply base I have never had a crack in tiles or grout. Job looks the same as it did then
JohnH

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #14 – October 31, 2016, 06:35:50 pm

John,

What material/what product did you use for tile? grout?

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #15 – October 31, 2016, 07:58:39 pm

Brett, I use tiles for floor that are Porcelain, the thin set I mix acrylic additive with (not water) and grout is regular sanded (I use "custom" make but others are fine).
On the FT I removed floor covering and cleaned, then 100% glued (white) and stapled 3/8th ply every 4" (not the kind used for framing homes) as you do not want any separation of ply's. This now gives you a 1" ply base which is what I class as the minimum to give good support for the tiles.(even in homes).
I also make the grout a bit "sloppy" so it bleeds under the edges of tile helping the thin set to support the edges. I have been doing this way on wooden floors for 30+ years. The acrylic additive makes it almost impossible to remove a tile without pulling up a few layers of the plywood. If one puts tile down without this extra layer then that is asking for future problems and to me is a waste of tiles and labour.
JohnH

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #16 – October 31, 2016, 08:18:18 pm

When looking at the video the main purpose of this type of installation is to make the floor flexible. That will only happen as long as you keep the tiles 3" square or less. What I like about the entire system is to use the silicone grout instead of a sand type grout. I would prepare the tile base and lay the tiles the conventional way. Make sure you have a could base before grouting. I think the silicone grout will stay cleaner and brighter.

John M.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #17 – November 01, 2016, 12:19:16 am

In actual fact the silicone used as grout on a floor WILL discolor in time. How do I know- I had tried it many years ago thinking it would stay as new, but it did not. The big problem then is now you have a real problem removing that stuff and getting regular grout to stick to tile is impossible because of the film left from it.
Realistically there is no way this method will make the job any quicker or better than the old fashioned long time proven method.
To me doing the grouting was always the time I hated most but once done that was that. On floors I always used a grout sealer to help stop stains. I also gave it many coats if possible.
JohnH

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #18 – November 01, 2016, 10:05:00 am

JohnH

This is the answer I was looking for. 1 what works, 2 what doesn't, and 3 why.

Thank you for your detailed response.

Marilyn

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #19 – November 01, 2016, 10:30:43 am

"I am seriously thinking of incorporating this technique in a high grade vinyl tile with a grout line and use the silicone in the grout line.
John M." (Manually quoted. Quotes no longer work with iOS10)

I would use caution if using silicone adhesive as shown in the video with a vinyl floor tile. They are flexible and with beads of goo applied to the back the ares where there is silicon and not might show through the vinyl tiles. A uniform layer of adhesive under the vinyl tiles or planks and a roller will get you the best results. The silicone might work fine if it is spread out in a uniform layer.

Re: Installing Floor Tiles with silicone.

Reply #20 – November 01, 2016, 01:54:07 pm

I would use the recommended tile adhesive s nd installation procdure and just use the silicone grout for the grout lines.

John M.

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