Tile for darkroom/bathroom floor?

[John Kasaian]

My daughter's "Barbie bath/dark room" is ready for flooring after being structurally rebuilt with some new joists and studs, wiring and an awesome exhaust fan thats whisper quiet but threatens to suck the filllings right out of my chops. Instead of linoeum, we've decided to go with tile (yet another trade I'll have to learn!) so my question is this: What kinds of tile should I look for that are known to be resistant to staining from photo chemicals? Not that I ever spill anything of course! What about grout---any way to protect it against staining? While I've never had a problem with staining the Barbie pink ceraminc tile & white grout on the vanity (which unfortunately survived the disaster) where spills have happened, I'm wondering if selecting 'floor' tile requires extra care in order to remain looking like something "Barbie" would be proud to have in Her "Barbie Townehouse?"
TIA

[JW Dewdney]

My daughter's "Barbie bath/dark room" is ready for flooring after being structurally rebuilt with some new joists and studs, wiring and an awesome exhaust fan thats whisper quiet but threatens to suck the filllings right out of my chops. Instead of linoeum, we've decided to go with tile (yet another trade I'll have to learn!) so my question is this: What kinds of tile should I look for that are known to be resistant to staining from photo chemicals? Not that I ever spill anything of course! What about grout---any way to protect it against staining? While I've never had a problem with staining the Barbie pink ceraminc tile & white grout on the vanity (which unfortunately survived the disaster) where spills have happened, I'm wondering if selecting 'floor' tile requires extra care in order to remain looking like something "Barbie" would be proud to have in Her "Barbie Townehouse?"
TIA

Make sure you use a double layer of 3/4" CDX subfloor below - any flex at all, and you'll be popping tiles like crazy. It helps to add latex to the mortar bed also. When you finish grouting, clean everything off REAL NICE - and give it a few coats with a good sealer - one product - 'impregnator' in a blue bottle comes to mind. It's supposed to be THE stuff to use. As for staining your tile - it depends PURELY on the tile and how hydroscopic it is. Go to daltile.com and you can look up the absorption or waterfastness of various products. The sealer will HELP - but it ultimately depends on the material you use. A soft, absorptive tile will stain much more easily of course...!

Personally, I'm not sure if I'd use it. A slick, wet tile floor and complete darkness aren't a great combination...!

[Capocheny]

John,

I agree with JW about the tiling on the floors. If you're standing on it for hours at a time, and I suspect you may well do, you'll find it hard on your body. If you choose to go ahead with the tiling... make sure you have a good, thick rubber mat to stand on.

If you use a good grade tile flooring tile... you should be okay with respects to the staining. They tend to be pretty impervious. However, it's not the tile I'd be concerned with. It would be the grout in between the tiles that will really get stained.

The Impregnator is "the" sealant to use on the grout. I've not heard the latex to mortar bed trick before so I can't speak to it. Make sure to re-seal every couple of years too.

Have you considered hardwood flooring with a really, really high-end lacquer finish? It's much easier to stand on for longer periods of time! :)

Good luck on the decision.

Cheers

[Bruce Watson]

Instead of linoeum, we've decided to go with tile (yet another trade I'll have to learn!) so my question is this: What kinds of tile should I look for that are known to be resistant to staining from photo chemicals?
If you have to go with tile, consider a porcelain tile. Impervious to just about everything but an inexperience installer (my installer let me to believe that it's more difficult to work with than "normal" tile, but what else would he say?). Normal ceramic tiles are porous, believe it or not. It takes a while, but standing water will soak through, which is one reason why subflooring tends to rot out in bathrooms.

If it's under your control, consider two things. First, a floor drain. Tie it into the drain for the sink so that you don't have to wander by every 30 days and poor a cup of water in to fill the trap. Second, consider a poured acrylic floor instead of tile. There are thousands of possibilities, including Barbie Pink ;-) The joy of a poured acrylic floor (aside from the 30% or so of cost savings over tile) is that it is, in fact, waterproof. Just something to consider...

[Nick_3536]

Porcelain tiles are harder to cut.

[JW Dewdney]

Or use pink neoprene flooring...! You actually could - it might be smart AND practical.

[JW Dewdney]

Have you considered hardwood flooring with a really, really high-end lacquer finish? It's much easier to stand on for longer periods of time! :)

I don't think lacquer has to be all that 'high end' (maybe you're just thinking of lacquer as being 'high end'...? Dunno. Anyway - I've just been burning through a heck of a lot of the stuff lately. It's also known as 'nitrocellulose lacquer' or 'nitro lacquer'. It's what they use to finish electric guitars. Beautiful, deep finish - though could be just as dangerous as tile when wet. It's EXTREMELY flammable when you're putting it on - so don't be lighting any matches around it...! But the really great thing about lacquer finishes is that they're super easy to patch up. Just sand and apply more and give it a final sanding, and buff out. You really can't screw it up the way you can with polyurethane.

[Capocheny]

I don't think lacquer has to be all that 'high end' (maybe you're just thinking of lacquer as being 'high end'...? Dunno. Anyway - I've just been burning through a heck of a lot of the stuff lately. It's also known as 'nitrocellulose lacquer' or 'nitro lacquer'. It's what they use to finish electric guitars. Beautiful, deep finish - though could be just as dangerous as tile when wet. It's EXTREMELY flammable when you're putting it on - so don't be lighting any matches around it...! But the really great thing about lacquer finishes is that they're super easy to patch up. Just sand and apply more and give it a final sanding, and buff out. You really can't screw it up the way you can with polyurethane.

Hi JW,

It was a type of lacquer that the re-finishers used on the maple hardwood floor in our old house that was "literally" bullet-proof to water. The end result was absolutely gorgeous. As that was back about 15 years ago... I can't remember the name of the stuff. But, it stunk like *$&($&$ for atleast a week after it was applied. We had to move into a hotel for that time frame!

And, apparently, it's really, really hard on the memory cells! The fellow (great guy!) that did the work always seemed like he was on Cloud 9 except at the time of collecting his payment. Then, he was as lucid as they come! :)

Sorry I can't be any more helpful with the name of the stuff.

Cheers

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

My darkroom, and all of my house for that matter, has a tile floor. As noted above tile is not easy to stand on for long durations of time, but a thick rubber matt resolves that, I got mine from a restaurant supply store.

I use lots of Silver Nitrate, a pound or more a year. Silver Nitrate makes indelible stains in just about everything except glass, plastic, and glossy tile. My worktables--plywood with about 8 layers of oil based polyurethane--are completely stained as are my stainless steel sinks and just about every other surface in there. But the floor tiles are pristine! I tried to use sealer in the grout, but I really didn't do much to prevent stains. I will, when time comes, regrout them. Nasty work, but easier than replacing the whole floor.

[resummerfield]

I have tile in my darkroom, and have used it for years with no problems. Its very easy to clean and causes no dust problems.

Almost any tile suitable for bathrooms will be sufficiently impervious to occasional spills. Look at the tile non-skid rating, so it will not be slick when wet. I would select a dark colored grout to minimize staining, and then seal it well.

There is one caution to observe…. The only way to successfully tile over a wooden floor is to use an ISOLATION MEMBRANE, some sort of sheet that breaks the bond between tile and wood subfloor to eliminate, or at least reduce, propagation cracks through the wood joints. You could use something as simple as sheet vinyl, or a professional product that I use called “DETRA”, available at most Home Depot and Lowes.

[Vick Vickery]

A few thoughts:

1. Tile is VERY hard.
2. Tile makes your feet hurt when you stand along time.
3. Any breakable object BREAKS when it falls from counter height onto tile.
4. Tile is very cold in the winter.

I would recommend softer waterproof roll floor coverings for a darkroom.

[John Brady]

Many of you are professional photographers. I guess I am what you would call a professional flooring guy. I have worked in all aspects of the business for the last 27 years. I own a floorcovering store in Florida and I am also a consultant to a major flooring manufacturer. I have been a photographer since I was 12 but got into flooring to support my habit.

Check out Amtico tile. It's not cheap, Aprox $8.00 sf but it is not difficult to install yourself. It comes in tons of different styles, They have a metal series that would look awesome on a darkroom floor. The material is solid pvc and can be installed in wet areas with the right adhesive. PVC is going to be a much better choice around chemicals.
http://www.amtico.com/main/products/productlist.asp?psvnv=2&psvbr=2&fcpm=psv

They also make some funky pink flooring!

If you are going to install ceramic or porcelain (not what I woud reccomend) over wood subfloor make sure you put down a backer board such as durrock, Readily available at home centers. It is water proof and will greatly stiffen your floor.

Any way, if you like you can e-mail me and I will forward you my phone number if you would like any dirct advice. floorz@earthlink.net

[Brian Ellis]

Doesn't Ken have any say in this?

[John Kasaian]

Thanks for all the great ideas!
So far I've got the 1x6 slats running at a 45 deg angle across the new joists with 1/2" CDX glued on top of that, next step wonderboard then the t-t-t-ile!

I've got a lot to think about----thank you all!

[Jim Ewins]

Deck enamel with touch up every 5 years works for me. No slip, easy to mop clean.