Replace Flooring With Porcelain Tile

[roswald253]

I'm doing some homework before we change the flooring in our 2008 Winnebago Journey 39Z. We want to replace the carpet and peel & stick vinyl squares from the front of the coach throughout, including the kitchen and bathroom (carpet to be replaced in the bedroom and on the slides later). Other threads on this topic are mostly with carpet, linoleum, and manufactured floating floors, not tile. We found a porcelain tile we are considering and have a few questions:

 

What should the maximum thickness of the tile be?

Is using synthetic grout a good idea? 

Will our slide work properly coming over the areas we would like to tile without damage to the coach or flooring? 

Should we use a runner rug under the slide when pulling in the slide to protect the new flooring? 

Is the extra weight an issue for this coach?

[manholt]

roswald.  Welcome to the Forum!

Weight in your coach could be an issue.  What is your engine and chassis?

Carl

[roswald253]

Cummins 350 engine on a Freightliner chassis

[blakeloke]

Roswald,

Welcome to the forum.  I would also be concerned with weight.  Look at the cargo carrying capacity of your coach.  When considering tile install you'll need to factor in the actual weight of the tile and include weight of the thin set and grout.  If you haven't done so, go to a CAT Scale and weigh your coach.  Compare the actual weight to your GVWR and factor in the added weight of the remodel.

We have 3/8" ceramic tile and carpet.  Six of those tiles are cracked.  Erniee (from this site) will be replacing all of our flooring with engineered wood flooring next month.

Blake

[roswald253]

I've double checked on the weight Carl and we are below the GVWR.

The tile cracking is a another concern. How did your tiles crack Blake? Were they all in the same area or different locations throughout? Were they original to your coach?

Thanks,

Renee

[wolfe10]

Renee,

Even if you are below GVWR, you might want to consider options before adding that much "ballast" to the coach.  There are some high quality products that look very similar to the much heavier tile but are a fraction of the weight. Most can be installed grouted or non-grouted.

Here is one:http://www.congoleum.com/product_options.php?collection=DuraCeramic

[roswald253]

We will not be using the porcelain tile. Too much weight going down the road, twisting and turning. We'll save that for our next stick home.

Thank you wolfe10. This is an excellent option. 

[erniee]

16 hours ago, roswald253 said:

We will not be using the porcelain tile. Too much weight going down the road, twisting and turning. We'll save that for our next stick home.

Thank you wolfe10. This is an excellent option. 

Smart choice.

[roswald253]

I respect your experience and advice Erniee. Do you have a manufacturer that you recommend for the engineered flooring?

Thanks,

Renee

[blakeloke]

Hi Renee,

Sorry for the late response.  Yes, the tiles were original to our coach.  We've had it since brand new.  We have broken tiles in different places in the coach.  Transition from carpet to floor in living room.  In front of the kitchen sink.  Bathroom hallway.

All of the tiles have broken at different times during the life of our travels.  Some we noticed after rough interstate travel and others just appeared.

Once we get back home I'll be doing the demo on the carpet and tile before taking up to Erniee.  Hopefully I'll be able to determine the cause but am guessing at this point is that it's normal flexing of the coach's frame and subfloor.  Tile is unforgiving and doesn't flex.

Blake