How much weight can tile take?
- Thread starter brad23
- Start date
douggiestyle
New member
tile has a hardness scale. it should be on the box. you have the pei and mohs. mohs is often used for stone tile. pei is often listed as class 0-5.
so on the box you may see class 4, thats good stuff
class 0 is wall tile.
if there is excessive flex in the floor, class will have little bearing
so on the box you may see class 4, thats good stuff
class 0 is wall tile.
if there is excessive flex in the floor, class will have little bearing
cstires
New member
I would definitely tile under it. I've been tiling for a while and tile is suprisingly strong if the weight is distributed evenly. Like "30Mini" stated, you don't want any pressure points!!!
I would personally not tile around it, you're not saving that much money by not tiling it, and in my opinion it just doesn't look very professional to tile around obstacles.
I would personally not tile around it, you're not saving that much money by not tiling it, and in my opinion it just doesn't look very professional to tile around obstacles.
InvaderJim
Coral Junkie
You should be able to tile under it without any problems.
Jasen Hicks
Premium Member
I tiled the top of my 75 gallons 8ft stand I built. No problems at all.
Go Gators!
Go Gators!
zuzecawi
Member
My sweetie lays tile, and I wouldn't recommend laying tile straight on the concrete floor, and then applying weight to it. Lay down hardibacker first, it's like a concrete board with give, and it will make an even flat surface. The best of concrete floors has a little wave to it, and under tile, that can be a real bummer. Also, use a "flexible" thinset. Not only will it give the tile a slight amount of elasticity so to speak under your aquariums weight, it also makes it a lot less likely you'll break a tile if you drop something heavy on it (like a large piece of live rock). I would recommend a smaller gap between the tiles if you're using unsanded grout, that way you don't have to worry about cracking your grout. And SEAL YOUR FLOOR!!!! We reseal ours every six months and have never had a bit of fading or staining on grout or tile. Sealing is more important than most people think, especially if you have something as corrosive as salt water spilling about.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
do not put hardibacker over concrete. if your concrete is that unlevel pour self leveling concrete over the top just make sure you use a latex primer first. any latex modified thinset will do. the most important thing is to use large enough trowel that you get 100% coverage under it. unsanded grout is for joints under 1/8 inch sanded grout is for joints over 1/8 inch the sand helps prevent shrinkage. sealing grout is a great money maker for me. but ive never sealed a floor in my own home (i do use enhancer on stone floors). some tiles are harder than others but unless your point loading it wont matter.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
The savings in money will be negligable. Even with expensive tiles... the savings will be less than $75
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
To answer a few questions here....
How you finish the concrete floor depends on it's moisture level year round. Does the floor have any cracks?
If it has a moisture problem or any cracks you will need to lay down an isolation membrane like "ditra".
Small imperfections can be fixed with SLC (self leveling compound). Of course hardibacker, durock (or any other cbu (cementitious backer unit) can be used over concrete. It will need to be laid down with thinset as well. The SLC is likely a better option. I used cbu because I had areas that I had to build up 1"-2". I used CBU and SLC to bring everything up to level for carpet in one area... the tile will be in the spring.
WIth regards to the "flexible" thinset. You will want to use a high quality modified thinset like "flexbond" from custom or one of the laticrete products. You will likely want to use the add-mix to strengthen it and aid in sticking. You may also have to prime the concrete with a special primer before you lay down the thinset and/or SLC. NEVER EVER EVER USE PREMIXED THINSET OR SLC. The stuff is garbage and glorified GLUE. It should be illegal, but the big box stores sell it by the truckload.
The larger the tiles, the more prone to breaking they are.
With regards to grout. This is a perfect application for the laticrete EPOXY based grouts. "Spectralock" is the consumer version and can be purchased at Lowes (it is the same as the pro version). There is also a commercial/industrial version. Out of all of the epoxy grouts, i think this stuff is the best. They are waterproof and stainproof. They are kind of a pain to install but they are by far superior to portland based grouts. Stay away from the "stainmaster" or any other "pre mixed grout" it is glorified caulking in a tub.
I would choose a solid porcelain tile (not a porcelain glazed tile!) You simply will not break them and they will not chip. IF they do chip the base color goes all the way through and they still look good.
You will have no problem putting the tank on the tile as long as the tile is installed correctly.
If you have any more questions we can help, but I suggest a trip to Johnbridge.com it is a board like RC but dedicated to TILE!
I just finished the master bathroom with porcelain tile and epoxy grout.
ALso... PLEASE PLEASE NEVER USE THE "STAND N SEAL" grout sealer. It has reportedly put dozens of people in the hospital with permant lung damage.
How you finish the concrete floor depends on it's moisture level year round. Does the floor have any cracks?
If it has a moisture problem or any cracks you will need to lay down an isolation membrane like "ditra".
Small imperfections can be fixed with SLC (self leveling compound). Of course hardibacker, durock (or any other cbu (cementitious backer unit) can be used over concrete. It will need to be laid down with thinset as well. The SLC is likely a better option. I used cbu because I had areas that I had to build up 1"-2". I used CBU and SLC to bring everything up to level for carpet in one area... the tile will be in the spring.
WIth regards to the "flexible" thinset. You will want to use a high quality modified thinset like "flexbond" from custom or one of the laticrete products. You will likely want to use the add-mix to strengthen it and aid in sticking. You may also have to prime the concrete with a special primer before you lay down the thinset and/or SLC. NEVER EVER EVER USE PREMIXED THINSET OR SLC. The stuff is garbage and glorified GLUE. It should be illegal, but the big box stores sell it by the truckload.
The larger the tiles, the more prone to breaking they are.
With regards to grout. This is a perfect application for the laticrete EPOXY based grouts. "Spectralock" is the consumer version and can be purchased at Lowes (it is the same as the pro version). There is also a commercial/industrial version. Out of all of the epoxy grouts, i think this stuff is the best. They are waterproof and stainproof. They are kind of a pain to install but they are by far superior to portland based grouts. Stay away from the "stainmaster" or any other "pre mixed grout" it is glorified caulking in a tub.
I would choose a solid porcelain tile (not a porcelain glazed tile!) You simply will not break them and they will not chip. IF they do chip the base color goes all the way through and they still look good.
You will have no problem putting the tank on the tile as long as the tile is installed correctly.
If you have any more questions we can help, but I suggest a trip to Johnbridge.com it is a board like RC but dedicated to TILE!
I just finished the master bathroom with porcelain tile and epoxy grout.
ALso... PLEASE PLEASE NEVER USE THE "STAND N SEAL" grout sealer. It has reportedly put dozens of people in the hospital with permant lung damage.
douggiestyle
New member
ditra is generally used as a alternate for hardibacker type products. ditra is an excelent product for that type of installation.
when working with concrete i prefer to spec in something similar to this noble product http://www.noblecompany.com/sheet.htm cracks are an issue as well as controll joints. with a thin product, such as desribed above, you can place the membrane in only the necessary areas. this type of product is the standard in the industry so do not be wary of its thin design. you can thinset it to the floor or glue it (use recomended glue) for a thiner profile. if there are a lot of cracks, cover the entire area. if floor is relatively crack free, use a premium modified mortar, then all you need to do is cover the control joints. i spec 1' of membrane on either side of the joint. these types of products are not cheap so you do want to controll there use.
if you are using tile inside i would save some dough and not use the latex additive but use a premium type of modified thinset mortar.
if it is a stone tile or if the tile is being installed outdoors in a freeze/thaw enviroment use a latex additive. large tile (in excess of 16"x16") should always be used with an additive based product. i prefer mapie kerabond/keralastic for all these installations.
i base choosing morter color on the grout color. light colored grouts use white mortar, dark use gray.
most stone should be used with white. but check first with the tile manufacturer.
when working with concrete i prefer to spec in something similar to this noble product http://www.noblecompany.com/sheet.htm cracks are an issue as well as controll joints. with a thin product, such as desribed above, you can place the membrane in only the necessary areas. this type of product is the standard in the industry so do not be wary of its thin design. you can thinset it to the floor or glue it (use recomended glue) for a thiner profile. if there are a lot of cracks, cover the entire area. if floor is relatively crack free, use a premium modified mortar, then all you need to do is cover the control joints. i spec 1' of membrane on either side of the joint. these types of products are not cheap so you do want to controll there use.
if you are using tile inside i would save some dough and not use the latex additive but use a premium type of modified thinset mortar.
if it is a stone tile or if the tile is being installed outdoors in a freeze/thaw enviroment use a latex additive. large tile (in excess of 16"x16") should always be used with an additive based product. i prefer mapie kerabond/keralastic for all these installations.
i base choosing morter color on the grout color. light colored grouts use white mortar, dark use gray.
most stone should be used with white. but check first with the tile manufacturer.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Yeah the add mix can get expensive... I use it anway because I tend to overdo things 
I use the keralastic in the fishroom because I had a lot of cutback adheasive residue. It was kinda spendy even for my overkill tastes!
Doug have you tried the spectralock epoxy? Great stuff man.... but expensive and a pain to install. I have used it on two bathrooms (floor and wall) but think I will forgoe it on the basement floor as I don't feel like the hastle. I don't see needing the stainproof or waterproof properties anyway. Sholda used it in the fishroom though.
Bean
I use the keralastic in the fishroom because I had a lot of cutback adheasive residue. It was kinda spendy even for my overkill tastes!
Doug have you tried the spectralock epoxy? Great stuff man.... but expensive and a pain to install. I have used it on two bathrooms (floor and wall) but think I will forgoe it on the basement floor as I don't feel like the hastle. I don't see needing the stainproof or waterproof properties anyway. Sholda used it in the fishroom though.
Bean
The McReefersons
Premium Member
I have a 240 and it is on top of tile, not a problem. If the tile is mounted to a hard substrate (basement slab in your case) you would be hard pressed to damage the tile IMO. Like an earlier poster said it depends on your stand design and how it spreads the load to some extent, but even considering this, I would think you should be fine. Plus, if you tile around instead of doing the whole floor you are tied to this one setup forever unless you want to retile later on...
Oops, missed your post saying it is a wooden stand, you'll never have a problem in this case IYAM.
-Dave
Oops, missed your post saying it is a wooden stand, you'll never have a problem in this case IYAM.
-Dave
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
by all means visit the johnbridge site with your plans. Those folks will critique every aspect of the plan and set you (OR YOUR CONTACTOR) straight. Don't settle for sub-par when the right way is at your fingertips.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
MY latest tile project.
Tub surround is 6x6 and 12x12 PEI 5+ solid porcelain. Grout is Spectralock epoxy grout (about 3/4 done in the photo) Nice thing is that you don't have to worry about color matching or cold joints between batches. I started one day... finished the next week when I had time! No lime problems etc.
The Floor is 18x18 PEI 5+ solid porcelain and I added a photo to show the radiant heat mats that I installed under the tile. The floor grout is also spectralock epoxy (off white this time).
I have shown the grout detail... it does NOT look like plastic and look how nice it transitioned to the glass block. I did not take any grout specific photos, but can if you want more grout texture detail.
Subfloor is 3/4" pine 1by coverd with OSB (should have used plywood but that is a long story) and then 1/4" hardibacker. Tub surround is 1/2" greenboard covered with a 6mil vapor barrier then 1/2" hardibacker. Another long story... but I could not hang the hardi directly on the framing. To finish that rough edge you see, I used counter top cove edging to match the tile. The edging cost almost as much as ALL of the tub tile!!!! Talk about crying in your beer for making a dumb decision before looking at pricing!
Just thought it might give you an idea for your own project.
Tub surround is 6x6 and 12x12 PEI 5+ solid porcelain. Grout is Spectralock epoxy grout (about 3/4 done in the photo) Nice thing is that you don't have to worry about color matching or cold joints between batches. I started one day... finished the next week when I had time! No lime problems etc.
The Floor is 18x18 PEI 5+ solid porcelain and I added a photo to show the radiant heat mats that I installed under the tile. The floor grout is also spectralock epoxy (off white this time).
I have shown the grout detail... it does NOT look like plastic and look how nice it transitioned to the glass block. I did not take any grout specific photos, but can if you want more grout texture detail.
Subfloor is 3/4" pine 1by coverd with OSB (should have used plywood but that is a long story) and then 1/4" hardibacker. Tub surround is 1/2" greenboard covered with a 6mil vapor barrier then 1/2" hardibacker. Another long story... but I could not hang the hardi directly on the framing. To finish that rough edge you see, I used counter top cove edging to match the tile. The edging cost almost as much as ALL of the tub tile!!!! Talk about crying in your beer for making a dumb decision before looking at pricing!
Just thought it might give you an idea for your own project.
badpacket
Premium Member
Agreed. Just remodeled my kitch, and had tile countertops cemented on top of the plywood top. 16 oz. framing hammer took a lot of abuse before I could get the tiles to even start cracking. These were the thin ceramic ones, but I guess its possible the cement helped a lot.
Very surprising.
Very surprising.
