Trimming out floor drain for porcelain tile garage

[Distressed]

I am going to put porcelain tile over my cement garage floor and need some advice regarding the floor drain. The drain is a large round metal floor drain (approx. 12") that rests in a ceramic base. When I put the tile down I am going to raise the floor height by approx. 1/2". I am sure I can come up with a way to raise the grait this 1/2", but I don't think I could trim the porcelain tile around the circular drain and have it come out right. Any advice on trimming out this drain is greatly appreciated. By the way with the help of this board I have decided to use porcelain tile, rather than slate, and I am going to use schluter expansion strips where my concrete was originally cut. Thanks for any help!

[Mike2]

Hi Distressed. Good morning (West Coast at least), glad you joined us.

Congratualtion on choosing porcelain over slate for the garage. You'll never regret that decision.

As far as your floor drain is concerned, we have a number of plumbing gurus active on the boards now so hold on, I'm sure you will get some good pointers on raising the grate.

You'd be surprised how close to a true clean circle arc you can get using a tile saw. There are a number of ways to do this, I'll throw this one up in the air just as an example of one way.

You say the drain grate is 12" in dia. Create a border around that grate using (your pick on size) e.g. 4" X 12" tiles cut from larger ones. Same color or different. Place that border some distance away from the drain, again your pick (6" 8") whatever so that you have the drain grate "picture" framed with these border tiles. With me? Then fill the inside of the frame with smaller cut versions of the field floor tile. Using a cardboard template 12" in dia. (plus grout joint allowance) and a grease pencil/china marker, mark the circle cutout on each tile to be placed inside the frame, surrounding the grate. Using your saw and holding the tiles in your hand, you can cut from the tile edge to the mark in 1/8'" or less increments and break the pieces away. Can even use the saw to smooth everything out.

That's one way of doing it and most likely the approach I would take.

[Jason_Butler]

Once I have marked the drain cutout, I use a grinder with a diamond blade. I start well withing the cut line and work my way outward.

Jason

[John Bridge]

Welcome aboard, Dis. Please give us a first name.

Chuck, from Cleveland area

[Mike2]

Hi Chuck. Much better name than Distressed.

Tell you what. Next time you come in under your registered "Distressed" user name, scroll up to the upper right portion of the screen. See the User CP button. Go there, then look for another button called Edit Profile. Go there then scroll down to Signature window. You can enter Chuch there and it will appear immediately and automagically after every post. If you want, of course.