Anybody Ever Set Tile in 5200 or Similar?

[minuteman62-64]

Making a small, rolling, outdoor cabinet. Top maybe 2'X2' and I want to tile it. Convention (from what I've read) is plywood top, thin set, screw down cement board, apply membrane then thin set and tile and finish w/grout.

I'm thinking of drawing on techniques/materials I've used with my boat. Namely, seal plywood top all round w/epoxy and then set tile in 5200 on epoxy surface. Will the 5200 stick to an epoxy surface? Dumb idea?

The top will be removable so if it's screwed up will be easy to replace. However, prefer to get it good first time

 

[GA_Boater]

5200 never sets hard. It remains rubbery and flexible when cured. It might be a bit expensive covering a 2' X 2' area thick enough to set tile. My $0.02.

 

[foodfisher]

Liquid nails is a whole lot less expensive. Save the 5200 for the boat. Edit: If you've already opened the 5200 go ahead and use it because it will set uo in the tube.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Liquid nails is a whole lot less expensive. Save the 5200 for the boat. Edit: If you've already opened the 5200 go ahead and use it because it will set uo in the tube.

Which begs the question: will the liquid nails adhere well to a surface coated w/epoxy resin?

My experience with liquid nails has been good for fastening wood/masonry/etc. But, it looks pretty brittle when dried. I'm thinking a little flexibility might be good in this application - to the point where I'm thinking of using that sanded silicone grout in a tube that HD sells.

As for the expense, I don't envision applying it in the manner that thin set is applied (covering the entire surface with a notched trowel). Thinking a fat squiggle of 5200 (or similar - 4200? plain ole silicone?) on each tile would do it. At $11/caulking tube wouldn't cost that much.

Done some more reading and saw where people have used 5200 to re-set swimming pool tiles. Obviously no problem w/5200 adhering to tile back. Just not sure about epoxy resined surface.

 

[salty87]

Will the epoxy hold the tiles? Not exactly cheap either but if you have excess...

 

[Tim Frank]

. Convention (from what I've read) is plywood top, thin set, screw down cement board, apply membrane then thin set and tile and finish w/grout.

Asked and answered.
There is a reason that they are called "conventions".

 

[minuteman62-64]

Asked and answered.
There is a reason that they are called "conventions".

And, in the '80's, convention for corresponding was to write something on a piece of paper, stick it in an envelope, add a stamp and post

I frequently visit a woodworking site (where I got the info on "convention"). Lots of smart people on there w/lots of good info. However, they don't think in terms of epoxy sealing and 5200 and similar. Just seems like there'd be opportunity to use techniques designed to withstand the harsh marine environment and adapt them to outdoor furniture.

 

[Tim Frank]

And, in the '80's, convention for corresponding was to write something on a piece of paper, stick it in an envelope, add a stamp and post

I guess it just depends whether you prefer getting a hand-written, properly constructed item, or 140 characters of drek....
If you aren't worried how it turns out, it really doesn't matter.
Bonding stuff to epoxy is often an adventure; a purpose-designed substrate gives you a real leg-up....IMO.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Bonding stuff to epoxy is often an adventure; a purpose-designed substrate gives you a real leg-up....IMO.

That is a concern. I may make a small test piece of epoxy on plywood and use 5200 to stick a piece of tile to it - see how it holds.

 

[foodfisher]

You are putting the tiles on a horizontal surface so gravity is your friend. Heck, used bubblegum will probably work.

 

[minuteman62-64]

One question answered. Received an order from Rot Doctor today with info sheets on various products they carry. On the 5200 sheet (and the 4200 sheet) it said adheres well to ".....epoxy-treated wood, ..."

 

[undone]

Yes, most adhesives bond well to epoxy, polyester resin has issues though.

Silicone works well as an adhesive and grout for tiles, I've done many thousands of square feet of it. You can use it with or without the grit to simulate regular grout.

 

[sphelps]

Heck a 2x2 top .. I'd say go for it .. You could tape off the grout lines to apply whatever type caulk so ya don't have a big mess .. Take the tape off before the caulk dries though ... Let us know how it turns out ....

 

[minuteman62-64]

Heck a 2x2 top .. I'd say go for it .. You could tape off the grout lines to apply whatever type caulk so ya don't have a big mess .. Take the tape off before the caulk dries though ... Let us know how it turns out ....

Yeah, in the interest of science I'm going ahead. As I noted, if it turns out to be crap I'll be able to unfasten the top and start over.

 

[undone]

For silicone you don't need to tape it off, it's applied like normal grout. Apply a large amount in about the correct area and then use a squeegee ( yellow bondo spreader will work) and force it into the space between the tiles. A sponge is used with soapy water to remove excess silicone and make the grout lines look good. You will need a couple of sponges. When doing large amounts of tile you can get special sponges that work very well, but on a small area it's not as important.

 

[sphelps]

Is the tile a glossy tile or porous ? Not sure if that would effect wether or not to tape off the joints ...

 

[minuteman62-64]

Is the tile a glossy tile or porous ? Not sure if that would effect wether or not to tape off the joints ...

Actually, haven't picked it yet. Probably whatever is on sale at HD

 

[minuteman62-64]

Moving along, although slowly. Finished the top, including sealing w/epoxy. Also applied epoxy (West 105) to a small test piece. Put a thin bead of 5200 Fast Set on a scrap of tile, pressed it on to test piece, and let It sit over night. See photos below. Took pretty good leverage with tool shown to get any movement - then the tile broke. 5200, probably because of cold weather in garage, wasn't even fully set.

This will work for my project. Probably take 1 10 oz. tube of 5200 Fast Set, at about $24, to do the job, assuming I apply beads similar to the one on the test piece.

 

[64osby]

I have used Powergrap outdoor, on several small tile jobs. Bonds well is as water resistant after 7 days. Grout after and it works as good as anything.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Here, pushing a year in the harsh SoCal environment is the final product. Seems to be holding great. Only down side is the cost. Cabinet had a cost of $0.00 to the point of setting the tiles - used materials scrounged from my stockpile, including tile. Took 1.5 tubes of 5200 Fast Set to do the top - about $30 worth. Probably should have tested a cheaper adhesive.and, if proven, used it.

Another down side from cost is that there is not as much leeway in setting the tiles as with regular tile set stuff. Fortunately I was working with a pretty flat surface, so didn't need much vertical play in setting the tiles.