Tiling outdoor patio


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Old 06-29-17, 10:46 AM
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Tiling outdoor patio

I have an upcoming project for our screened in Patio. The slab is roughly 30+ years old and has some cracks on outside perimeter of the slab causing some uneven area's resulting in roughly 1/4" of unevenness some areas slighly more.

I'm assuming these cracks were a result of water damage over the years and I've been doing some reading on how to ensure the tiles a lay are even. I've read self leveling products can help level first before leveling. I have little tiling experience and this project will be the largest tiling project thus far at roughly 230 sq.ft.

Is there any trick or tips I can use to ensure my tiles come out level aside from self leveling type products?

Thanks
 
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Old 06-29-17, 11:57 AM
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The slab is roughly 30+ years old and has some cracks on outside perimeter
I'm assuming these cracks were a result of water damage
It's difficult to say, but if it lasted 30 years I'd say you got your monies worth.

Here is the problem, regardless of what caused the slab to crack if you tile over the crack and it moves, your tile will crack with it.

They do make isolator membranes, essentially a mid-level membrane that allows some give between the slab and tile but it's more for small hairline cracks not something significant that would cause a 1/4" drop.
 
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Old 06-29-17, 04:28 PM
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Is the crack difference higher toward the edge of the patio than toward the middle. In other words, is the main floor of the patio relatively level and it is raised near the edge?
 
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Old 07-01-17, 07:14 AM
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[ATTACH]82506[/ATTACH
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Hopefully these pics show my concern

The crack infront of the doorway is the most unlevel at around 1/2"
 
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Old 07-01-17, 12:07 PM
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Yes that is correct the main center of the slab is relatively level its on the outer edges seen in the photos where the issue is. The highest point is the entryway
 
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Old 07-13-17, 07:01 AM
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So what do you suggest I do to prevent cracking after tile is installed?
 
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Old 07-13-17, 11:41 AM
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What size tile are you installing, what pattern will you be following as far as layout?
 
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Old 07-14-17, 09:52 PM
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The tiles are 6x12 and installing offset pattern
 
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Old 07-15-17, 04:09 AM
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I would try to feather out the height difference with a product like SpeedFinish (found at big orange store). I would possibly prime the area to be feathered with a cement patching primer to ensure good adhesion. If you set the 6x12 tiles so that the long axis is parallel to the crack, the shorter 6" side will be better able to handle the transition as the height rises. I would also loose lay about 6 feet of tile to see how it looks before starting to mortar them in place. Your test lay will tell you if you have to do more feathering.
 
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Old 07-15-17, 04:16 AM
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If you do not use a product like this you will be back asking how do I remove my cracked tile.

https://www.schluter.com/schluter-us...TRA-XL/p/DITRA
 
 

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