I'm looking to tile my garage floor that's currently made of concrete, but the concrete is in pretty rough shape. There are a lot of cracks, and in some places, the surface has raised up by nearly an inch. Unfortunately, replacing the concrete isn't an option for me due to costs. I'm hoping to find alternatives that would let me lay down tile without risking more cracks over time. Any advice would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
Honestly, with the kind of cracks and the heaving you're describing, it sounds like you have some structural issues that are impacting your garage floor. Patch jobs might not hold up, so I’d really recommend getting a professional assessment first to see what's going on underneath. Trying to put tile over such a problematic surface could lead to more issues down the line!
Before laying any tile, do some serious grinding on the high spots to level it out. After that, using a self-leveling compound might help create a smoother surface. Just be cautious because not all leveling compounds hold up well under vehicle weight, especially if your garage will see a lot of action.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely look into how well the leveling compound will hold under weight.
If you're keen on going ahead with tiling, you might want to consider options like foam jacking to lift the concrete and then using a decoupling membrane before laying the tile. That might help with some of the unevenness. Just remember that if the underlying problems persist, you could still see cracks in the tile later on.
That sounds like a solid plan! I'm definitely leaning towards using a membrane to prevent future issues.
That's a good point! I hadn't thought about the structural assessment. I guess it could save me more headaches later.