Remember when we tiled the floor out back earlier this month? It feels like ages ago with all the delays we ran into.
The process dragged on thanks to cold weather and rain, but we finally have a (mostly) finished floor. Don’t let that light-looking grout fool you — it’s charcoal gray. I’ll explain why it looks lighter later on.
We’re thrilled with the result, especially compared to the stained concrete we started with. We considered painting or staining the cement, but decided on tile for durability and appearance. Choosing large, slate-like porcelain tiles was key — they look great next to the deck and they’re less slippery when wet than the old concrete.
On October 4th I had finished prepping the floor with self-leveling concrete and was ready to lay tile. The thinset mix we used was basic mortar powder plus liquid admixture. Because the tiles were large, I mixed big batches in a bucket with a paddle mixer and worked in small areas so the thinset wouldn’t skin over before placing the tiles.
I spread thinset with a trowel until it had a toothpaste-like consistency, applying enough for two tiles at a time. After smoothing the thinset with the flat side of the trowel, I flipped it to the notched side and created 45-degree grooves to achieve an even bed. For these large tiles I used a 1/2″ notched trowel. We used 1/8″ spacers because they fit the look we wanted and tile installers recommended that gap for outdoor conditions.
One big challenge with large tiles is keeping everything level. Because our pattern was a brick-lay, each tile touched six neighbors, so keeping the surface flush required constant adjustments. I “back buttered” tiles when a corner needed lifting: adding extra thinset to the back of the tile before setting it. Small details like hauling tile boxes, mixing successive batches, and making wet-saw cuts made the work slower than I expected. With two people you’d be faster, but I tackled most of it solo while my wife dealt with morning sickness.
By the next day I pushed through and finished laying all the tile. It was a long day — about 9:30 to 6:00 — but the floor came together and we were excited to get to grouting.
We love how the tile looks: the textured porcelain is slip-resistant and complements the deck. We also added a border that helps define the space. My plan was to grout soon after, but fatigue and then a week of rain pushed that back. When the weather finally cleared, dried thinset residue from the rainy week showed up as splotches on the tile surface. Despite wiping excess thinset as I worked, the texture of the tile trapped dried spots, and the wet thinset color blended with the tile when it rained, hiding the problem until the tiles fully dried.
To remove the residue I tried a 50/50 water and vinegar solution, which helped remove the haze. Stubborn dry spots required more effort: chipping gently with a screwdriver, rubbing with cheesecloth dampened in vinegar, and scrubbing with a nylon brush. It took elbow grease and time, and I recommend testing any aggressive method on an inconspicuous tile first. The texture that makes the tile non-slip also made cleanup more tedious, but the results were worth it.
After cleaning, the floor looked dramatically better. Still, I waited the required drying time for grout: tiles must be completely dry for three solid days so the joints can be ready. Then a cold snap delayed grouting because the grout manufacturer advised against applying grout under 50°F. Eventually the conditions lined up and we started grouting.
What we used for grouting:
- Sanded grout (charcoal color)
- Flexible grout admixture
- Mixing bucket and trowel
- Float for spreading grout
- Sponges and buckets of clean water
- Towels and paper towels for cleanup
Because the thinset filled most of the bed, we only needed grout for the joints. I mixed small batches so the grout wouldn’t harden in the bucket, and used a hand trowel for mixing. Although our 1/8″ spacing could have allowed unsanded grout, our installers recommended sanded grout for outdoor durability.
Grouting is satisfying: press grout into joints with the float, scrape off excess, then use a slightly damp sponge to smooth joints and wipe tile surfaces. It’s easy to spread grout around unintentionally, so I refreshed the rinse water often. The job took about three hours and left a light grout haze when dry, which is normal.
I went over the floor later with a damp sponge and towels to remove as much haze as possible. The charcoal grout color looked great once much of the haze was gone, although in some photos it reads lighter — that’s usually temporary haze. Once the grout fully cures, I’ll try another vinegar rinse if needed, and if that doesn’t restore the appearance I’ll consider a grout sealer or colorant to deepen the tone.
Overall, it feels great to have the floor essentially finished. There are a few remaining tasks for the room, such as boxing in wires that run down the brick, adding sconces to the columns, addressing an old intercom, and upgrading to outdoor-safe furniture, but this is the closest the space has looked to done since we started the makeover in August.
Budget breakdown so far:
- Wood to finish raw sides where sliding doors were removed: $194
- Contractor to remove ceiling beams: $200
- Electrician to move wires and create two fan fixture boxes: $318
- Tongue-and-groove planks for ceiling: $297
- Plywood to fill large triangles on either end: $85
- Trim, paint, primer and caulk: $197
- Fans and downrods: $260
- Self-leveling cement and supplies: $150
- Tile: $680
- Thinset, grout and other tiling supplies: $490
- TOTAL: $2,871
That total stings, but replacing the old extra-wide sliding doors alone would have been around $3,200, and that wouldn’t have included lofting the ceiling or tiling. Once we decided to do the job properly, costs added up but so did the quality and longevity of the space.
Time spent (roughly) over two and a half months:
- Removing old sliding doors: 5 hours
- Trimming and caulking openings: 3 hours
- Demo-ing the ceiling: 3 hours
- Coordinating with contractor & electrician: 1.5 hours
- Adding triangle panels and trim, twice: 6 hours
- Priming, painting, installing and caulking the ceiling: 21 hours
- Installing fans: 1.5 hours
- Prepping the floor (scrub, self-level, pattern planning): 2 hours
- Tiling, cleaning and grouting the floor: 26 hours
- TOTAL: 69 hours
That estimate doesn’t capture shopping, driving, photographing, or cleanup time, but it gives a sense of how time-intensive this renovation was — especially while dealing with illness in the household. Still, seeing the room come together makes it worth the effort, and the kids love it.
Two quick details people asked about: first, the metal edging pieces were set in place and then thinset was applied over them before laying border tile. They’re decorative, providing a clean finished edge and visually highlighting the small step up from the deck. They don’t hold the tile in place — the thinset does.
Second, the deck has always been slightly lower than the sunroom floor, but removing the old metal slider tracks reduced the transition height. After two months of use and many guests, we haven’t had any tripping issues. The new tile actually makes the transition clearer and feels safer.
We’re calling this project finished for the season. The weather’s cooling and the next big item — new furniture — will wait until warmer weather and the budget cooperates. What projects are you hoping to finish before winter, or has bad weather slowed you down lately? We can definitely relate.