Installing Ceramic Tile Floor / SAM 3
 

We are having our living room ( approx. 450 Sq.ft.) carpet replaced with 20" x 20" porcelean ceramic tile in our condo in Fla, total cost is $4300.00.

The floor is concrete and the contractor will reduce the price of the installation by $1000.00 if we do not have him install the "SAM 3 crack suppressor". He recommends this to protect the new tile from existing and possibly future cracks forming in the concrete floor thus affecting the tile.

Is this the real deal, or is it just a cost that is not really necessary? Any information you have on this would be appreciated.

Thanks

I would say it depends on how stable the concrete floor is; i.e., is it likely to expand/shift and thus crack? worst case = any concrete movement will surely result in the ceramic tile cracking, most likely at a grouted joint but could be worse and crack a tile.

OTOH, it's a "crack suppressor" not a "crack eliminator" and I have no long term experience with how well it suppresses.

You have a choice. Go by TCA guidelines, or roll the dice. The Tile Council or North America offers a wealth of information. I've stuck by their standards, and have no callbacks after 20 years in business.

You might check with other contractors in the area. I had some tile installed with this stuff but I live in a cold winter climate. Guess I just wouldn't want to take the chance if I'm already spending money on the tile. Plus, 20" tiles don't have the flexibility of 2" or 4" pieces.

I just had about the same square footage installed for $1600. That included concrete backer board, tile, labor and all materials. I went with 12" tile. The price on yours seems a little high. I would get a second or third opinion.

Yo have to figure the price of the actual tile and then installation, which should be around $4-5/foot unless you use complicated patterns, on the diagonal, etc. $1600/450' = $3.55/foot, which is a good price for a job with minimal cuts and no base boards.

Always use all applicable TCA specifications.

Concrete
First, you need to determine if the floor is level and if there are any surface cracks. If the floor is not level, leveling products are available at your local tile center. Minor cracks will need to be filled with concrete repair products, or some type of crack isolation membranes. Always refer to the TCA handbook and ANSI specification manual for proper techniques to prepare floors. Next, check to see if the concrete is clean. Concrete should be free of grease, oil, waxes, curing compounds, sealers and other adhesives. These contaminants will affect the bond between the tile and the slab. It is recommended that the concrete should have a textured surface. Please refer to the TCA handbook for surface texture prior to installation.

Level, condition, cracks, clean, You need to address all these factors. Any expansion, etc. joints need to also be expressed in the tile.

Any real tile guy should be able to quote tca specs. If they say "what's tca?" then run away and find someone who doesn't scratch their head when you mention it.

Here are some good pointers:
http://www.thetiledoctor.com/install...urfaceprep.cfm

Click the red section links in the left column