Last week we didn’t post a blog, not because the work is slow. Our project has reached a stage where bigger milestones have already been achieved. Now our goals are tweaks and minor updates on daily basis, besides some major updates. This week, we did a lot of minor updates in floor tiles, false ceilings, cement plastering etc, and also a major update, i.e., installation of marble floor tiles in Porch area.
Why a separate post?
First of all, we don’t have any other major update to discuss. Secondly, porch area is a bit different because our septic tank is under it. We need to make sure that the septic tank lids can be opened after we have installed the marble tiles.
We have already discussed why marble tiles are better for outdoor areas. You can read our complete blog post “Selection of Floor Tiles for our House” here. In short, if your floor is going to face hot summer sun, monsoon rains, hailstorms etc, then marble is your best bet.
What we did?
Our housing society’s guidelines are quite clear. Porch should be 1 ft above the street level and house floor should be 1 ft above the porch level. Before installing the tiles, we made sure that the porch floor is leveled properly, and fixed it where it wasn’t.Then just like floor tiles on our roof, we started installing the tiles from one side.
Tiles’ installation process is quite simple. When the septic tank lid area came, we measured the length and cut the tiles according to our needs. We left a hole where lid will be placed later. We’ll make sure that the lid matches the floor pattern of our porch.Once done, we also installed the skirting, using the same tiles.
Update: We also have the lids of our septic tank and they match the tile’s pattern.
We decided to use same tiles for the ramp, i.e., area outside our gate. We have a huge 13 ft x3 ft ramp area. As the street is 1 ft below the porch floor, ramp is already filled in at an angle, slightly increasing in height till it reaches the porch floor. Tiles installed here will be a bit different then the ones in porch.
We’re not going to install the tiles side-by-side. The area will not be smooth as it will be difficult to walk over it. Instead, we installed the tiles in an angular fashion. This makes it easier to walk and move the car on and off the porch.
That’s it for this week’s update. If you have any suggestions or questions about our house, feel free to comment below.
