Hi, I am planning on tiling my concrete garage floor with porcelain tiles. The concrete was laid down several years ago by a previous owner, and it looks like it was also polished and sealed - however several areas of the floor have turned to a rougher surface, and whenever I tested acid washing in the past it instantly turns the surface into a similar rough texture. The floor has no cracks whatsoever, and the sealer does not 'peel' (feels like its ingrained in the concrete itself. Furthermore it only has a few stains that are easily removed with an acid wash.
My plan was to acid wash the floor to completely clean it and get it to be rougher than the existing smooth surface, which I would imagine should make the adhesive more effective. Once done with the acid wash, I was planning on pressure washing and leaving the floor to dry 1-2 days before the tiles get installed directly on the concrete floor with tile adhesive. Finally, I was planning on grouting with epoxy grout (Mapei Kerapoxy).
The minimum suggested tile adhesive grade I’m seeing recommended is C2 S1, however I’m wondering if it would be safer to step up to C2 S2, since I read that it can help if the concrete ever cracks in the future given that I will not be using a decoupling mat (this is not a big concern, just trying to be safer). I will also have a scissor lift and several cars on the floor, so I was thinking that S2 adhesive might fare better given the weight. S2 is almost double the cost where I live (around €425 for the S1, €800 for the S2), which does add up since the garage is around 100sqm. However, I’m willing to pay the difference if it means that the tiles will adhere better to the concrete and last longer (I know installation plays the biggest factor here, but I’m trying to compare the two assuming they are both installed correctly)
The adhesives I’m considering are Isomat AK22 (S1) and Isomat AK25 (S2). Mapei is also available (Keraflex Maxi S1), however costs considerably more than the Isomat.
Given the above, is it worth stepping up to the S2 adhesive, or will I be wasting money with no difference in the result?
Thanks
My plan was to acid wash the floor to completely clean it and get it to be rougher than the existing smooth surface, which I would imagine should make the adhesive more effective. Once done with the acid wash, I was planning on pressure washing and leaving the floor to dry 1-2 days before the tiles get installed directly on the concrete floor with tile adhesive. Finally, I was planning on grouting with epoxy grout (Mapei Kerapoxy).
The minimum suggested tile adhesive grade I’m seeing recommended is C2 S1, however I’m wondering if it would be safer to step up to C2 S2, since I read that it can help if the concrete ever cracks in the future given that I will not be using a decoupling mat (this is not a big concern, just trying to be safer). I will also have a scissor lift and several cars on the floor, so I was thinking that S2 adhesive might fare better given the weight. S2 is almost double the cost where I live (around €425 for the S1, €800 for the S2), which does add up since the garage is around 100sqm. However, I’m willing to pay the difference if it means that the tiles will adhere better to the concrete and last longer (I know installation plays the biggest factor here, but I’m trying to compare the two assuming they are both installed correctly)
The adhesives I’m considering are Isomat AK22 (S1) and Isomat AK25 (S2). Mapei is also available (Keraflex Maxi S1), however costs considerably more than the Isomat.
Given the above, is it worth stepping up to the S2 adhesive, or will I be wasting money with no difference in the result?
Thanks
