LESLIE: Listening on Discovery Radio Network is Dan in Florida. What can we do for you?
DAN: I’ve been looking all over trying to find something to cover an old porch with. It’s about a 20×12 concrete porch. Has a couple of seams in it and very small cracks here and there but it’s not – it’s not in too bad a shape.
TOM: OK. Does it have a roof over it, Dan?
DAN: Yeah, it has a roof over it.
TOM: OK.
DAN: Part – well, part of it has. I might go further if I can find the right product. That’s the thing. There’s two parts to it. (clears throat) But it’s – what I’m looking for is something that’s not too thick; that looks like sandstone. And real sandstone would be nice but I’m told that there’s too many problems trying to keep it from cracking and things like that if it gets too thin.
LESLIE: If it’s more of a veneer of the sandstone, that could be bad.
DAN: Yeah, right. Something like that. Because it will – my thresholds are too close to the porch already. I mean there’s …
TOM: Dan, what about doing a terracotta tile?
DAN: Well, the problem is I’ve got something of that like in the house. (inaudible) I have a particular look in mind that I want …
TOM: Mm-hmm.
LESLIE: So you’re looking for something that’s a matte finish; something that has depth and texture and almost an airiness to it.
DAN: Yeah, well, natural stone of some kind that’s light colored and sand colored; something like …
TOM: Yeah, what I was thinking about was a light colored – what about a light colored unglazed tile? One that’s more of a sand color to it?
DAN: Are we talking about square tiles, though? That’s what I’m trying to avoid.
TOM: You’re trying to avoid square.
LESLIE: Have you looked into travertine?
DAN: I saw some travertine. The square tiles. I can’t find any natural shape …
LESLIE: Hmm. Because travertine, in addition to coming in square, also comes in elongated rectangles, small squares, a variety of sizes so you can create, you know, a random pattern. But I’ve never seen travertine sort of free form. But travertine, you know, comes in a variety of colors, so it doesn’t just have to be the white. It can come in like a pale yellow and a pale orange as well. It has a lot of interesting texture to it in – there’s holes – sort of airspaces in it as well – which wouldn’t be a trip hazard because they’re very small. But it gives it a really nice texture and I’ve seen them in half-inch tiles as well.
DAN: Half-inch thick you’re saying?
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
DAN: And that would be – how would you – what would you put that down with on a concrete porch?
TOM: You would use a tile mastic for that. You would basically float it over the – over – the same way you’d attach it to a slab. It will go down well. I think you’re looking at some sort of a tile product here, Dan, because you’ve talked about the fact that it can’t be too thick and you want the natural look. So, if you’re not going to use an unglazed tile, the travertine is an option; maybe even flagstone is an option, which comes in, you know, unusually shaped pieces. But I think that’s pretty much what you’re talking about here and you’re going to need to adhere to that concrete base and then go up from there.
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