Since we last checked in on the sunroom last Thursday, Sherry and I have managed to check four more items off the to-do list: installing two ceiling fans, thoroughly cleaning the concrete floor, leveling low spots with self-leveling concrete, and cutting tile while dry-fitting our pattern. We intended to publish a fan installation tutorial first, but we’re so excited about the tiling progress that we want to share the floor prep steps right away. Weekend progress was better than expected, and we’re thrilled with the tile pattern we settled on. If all goes well, the tile will be fully installed and grouted within a week.
Here’s how we got the tiling train moving. Our three main prep tasks were: eliminate lingering odors in the concrete, level the floor to prevent water pooling since the sunroom is now open to the elements, and finalize the tile layout (border or no border, running bond or grid, and where to start the pattern). First up: deep cleaning the concrete to remove any smells from the previous wall-to-wall carpeting that had gotten wet over time. Even though the tile will cover the slab, we didn’t want any old odors to resurface on hot, humid days.
We used a commercial odor-removing cleaner recommended by others who had tackled similar projects. After scrubbing the concrete and letting it dry, the more obvious smells disappeared. With the glass doors removed and the room aired out, the space was already much fresher, but taking the extra step to treat the slab gave us confidence that nothing would re-emerge after the tile went down.
The next issue was dealing with a few low spots in the slab. With the doors removed, the sunroom does collect moisture when it rains. While most of the surface dries quickly, small puddles formed in a couple of low areas closer to the house—places where we might place furniture. To avoid furniture sitting in puddles after heavy rain, we used self-leveling concrete to even out the surface and create a very gentle slope away from the house.
Self-leveling concrete seemed intimidating at first, but after watching a few instructional videos and following product directions it wasn’t difficult. We bought the recommended primer to help the new layer bond to the existing concrete and a six-gallon mixing bucket (the five-gallon bucket was too small). One bag of mix covers roughly 15 sq. ft., and we used four bags total for the areas that needed attention. A measuring bucket for the water helped ensure consistent mixes, and we mixed each batch with a paddle attachment on a drill so the consistency was right.
The mix is very fluid—more like a thin sunscreen than thick cake batter—and that liquid quality is what allows it to self-level. It doesn’t do every bit of work for you, but it does most of the leveling. We used a broom to guide puddles together and into corners, and the material flowed to create a smooth, flat surface. The area was firm enough to walk on the next day, at which point it was ready for the next stage: planning tile placement.
With the slab cleaned and leveled, we began dry-fitting the 20″ x 20″ square tiles to settle on a pattern. We were leaning toward a running-bond (brick) pattern, but we weren’t sure about a border or where to start the layout. Dry-fitting confirmed a couple of important things. First, we needed to cut the bottoms of the door jambs so the flooring could slide under the trim—this yields a much cleaner edge and avoids intricate tile cuts around the trim. We used a flat saw and protected the tile with cardboard while determining the correct height.
Second, the dry-fit made it clear that a border would define the space and give it a more finished, high-end appearance. A border also simplified cuts around the posts. Instead of complex notches, we matched the border width to the posts so the outer edge would be clean and square, and the interior field of tiles would require fewer cuts. To make the border pieces we cut the square tiles on a wet saw, getting three border pieces from a single tile, which kept waste to a minimum.
Creating the border required cutting eight tiles to produce 24 border pieces. It wasn’t the most enjoyable task, but the result is worth it: the border defines the edge of the sunroom, helps visually transition the slight step up from the deck, and will speed up the actual tile-setting days because so much of this cutting was completed during prep.
Because the tile edges are exposed to the deck, we chose metal edging pieces to protect the cut tile edge and provide a clean transition. The edging trims easily to size with metal snips and gives the perimeter a thin charcoal line that complements the tile without exposing the chalky cut edge.
My plan is to have all the tiles set by tomorrow, after which the job will only need grouting and cleanup before the big before-and-after reveal. The fan installation tutorial is coming soon as well. What did you work on this weekend?