We have a 20' x 15' Florida room (covered patio) at the back of our house and I'm unsure which way to go about putting something over the plain concrete floor. My initial thought had been to put down an appropriate outdoor tile that would give a firm grip even when wet, but I have one concern. Some years ago one of my dogs took to borrowing under the slab and before I became full aware of the extent to which she had dug it out the slab settled a bit and cracked across a couple of points on the slab. I used a bunch of car jacks to level it all back up, packed the hole with rocks and dirt, and haven't had any issues since - the slab hasn't budged since the repair and the cracks I repaired haven't opened up at all. My concern though is that if I tile the area and the cracked areas settle even slightly again the tile might crack or come loose, unless I use some of the more flexible thinset that allows for a little movement, like on wooden floors.

The other alternative is to simply paint the concrete with something that adds a bit of a textured finish to the concrete. Problem seems to be that some are only designed to bond to concrete that's been brushed, not floated. I was considering something like Behr's Deckover, which can also be used on concrete, but I'm a bit worried how well it will bond to the surface even if I prep it well.

Any thoughts?

 

IMO tile would be a LOT nicer but since I'm a painter I'll just address that portion of your question. Paint will adhere to slick finished concrete but you need to wash it with muratic acid first. The acid opens up the pores in the concrete enough to allow the coating to adhere [that is probably an over simplification] Be sure to provide lots of fresh air ventilation and rinse well when using muratic acid.

 

well, what are your thoughts about the cracked portions of the slab shifting - worth taking the gamble with the tile?

As for the acid, I've used that stuff on our pool and it's nasty stuff to deal with as far as the fumes are concerned. The only way I ever manage it is to breath through a soaked dish cloth as I'm pouring.

 

You say 'firm grip even when wet' and ceramic tile is not what pops into my head, most of that stuff gets slippery when wet. Unfortunately, so do most other things. What, in your mind, is going to provide this wet traction?

I hate to say it because of the person who used to recommend it all the time but rubber flooring is the only thing coming to mind....

 

How about some of the wood or composite deck tiles. Some of them look pretty nice and minor cracking or settling to the slab wouldn't bother them. At worst you might have to shim those over any low spots.

You might have to pick them up once a year or so to clean out any "stuff" that collects underneath but if you go with one of the designs that doesn't have big spaces between the boards that should be minimal.

 

@Stickshift. You must be a little out of touch with tiles! I'd agree with you regarding most tiles, but there are actually some specifically designed for wet or outdoor areas that have a rough or textured finish that give a firm grip even when wet. The one I was actually thinking of has a surface you could scratch your knuckles on if you ran them across the top - very sandpapery. I'd guess they spread some kind of granular material across the top before applying the glaze. Bear in mind as well that this is actually a roofed area with a screen around it, so the only part of the floor that ever gets wet in rain is near the edges from any splash that might come through the mesh - typically not much at all.

 

Textured, non-slip ceramic tiles are available and commonly used in shower stalls, where they provide traction even when wet with soapy water.