Laying Porcelain Oxidized-Look Tiles

Project: Storm-Ready Design, Episode 7, Part 2



Bob joins Tim McLaughlin from Color Wheel Paints and Coatings as the crew applies the Flex Lox Masonry Coating System to the exterior of the house. Flex Lox protects masonry and stucco finishes from water infiltration through cracks and stands up to South Florida’s damaging sun, heat, wind, and humidity. The crew sprays a finish coat over the primed surface to 10mil thick and wet rolls it to fill in the stucco. The Flex Lox dries to 5mil thick and expands to cover hairline cracks that might lead to water penetration from wind-driven rain. On the inside, Bob watches as Pocelanosa tile is installed in the entry foyer. Fired for maximum durability with an oxidized look, these tiles are contemporary in styling, offset to give a staggered pattern, and framed with small glass tiles in shades of stone and metal. In the bedroom, Doug Frueh of West Coast Drywall sprays the DensArmor fiberglass-faced walls with Magnum, a dry powder mix that is blended with water and sprayed on with an airless sprayer. The compound is quickly troweled before it sets to give a textured look to interior walls. Jim Trottier of RBP Trim installs eight foot pre-hung doors throughout the Punta Gorda home.
Part 1: Applying Durable Exterior Paint Formulated for a Subtropical Climate
Part 2: Laying Porcelain Oxidized-Look Tiles
Anthony Lopez from Porcelanosa is at the Punta Gorda house for the installation of their Ferroker series oxidized-look tiles and Antic Colonial glass tile border. Porcelanosa is porcelain tile that is fired and glazed for maximum durability and unique stone and marble-look finishes. This tile is designed for interior, exterior, residential, and commercial applications. Bob remarks that the metallic look is uncommon in a traditional Florida home and gives the house a very contemporary look. The 17"x26" inch tiles cost about the same as natural stone at $8 per square foot and come in a wide array of stone-look textures, colors, and shades. The glass inset tiles are from Porcelanosa's Listello series and have shades of metal and stone throughout. The tile setter is applying a layer of thinset to the slab and then working it with a notched trowel before laying the first course of tile. The glass tile surround must be built up underneath to lay flush with the large format tiles. The tile setter uses tile spacers to maintain even grout lines as the tiles set. Once they are squared and checked, these tiles serve as the setline for the next course of tile. The overall design will be a staggered, offset pattern across the field. Lopez explains that maintenance for these tiles is as simple as mopping with a natural stone soap or detergent.
Part 3: Applying a Textured Finish to the Drywall Interior Walls

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