Tile Floor Grout, Which kind for floor of coop?

[earth_toes]

Good Morning to all! I have recently acquired about 600sqft of ceramic tile from a free roadside pick up (Shhhhh ... don't tell my husband yet lol). I'd like to lay the tile in the floor of the coop, but coming up empty on which type of grout to use. I definitely do not want to use a standard grout (indoors type that isn't sealed, like a backsplash). Any ideas or recommendations on what to use that will be easy to clean, keep clean and will not harbor or absorb any bacteria?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DobieLover]

Good Morning to all! I have recently acquired about 600sqft of ceramic tile from a free roadside pick up (Shhhhh ... don't tell my husband yet lol). I'd like to lay the tile in the floor of the coop, but coming up empty on which type of grout to use. I definitely do not want to use a standard grout (indoors type that isn't sealed, like a backsplash). Any ideas or recommendations on what to use that will be easy to clean, keep clean and will not harbor or absorb any bacteria?

Thanks in advance!

How do you plan to lay it? What type is it porcelain or ceramic? Is it glazed? Is it rated for outdoor use? You will want to use a modified mortar thin-set to lay it down and it should be laid down over a cementitious backer board as it will pop off a wood substrate.
There are additives you can put into the sanded grout mix to help make it less porous. You can try using Aquatight instead of water when you mix the grout. That will help keep it from absorbing moisture, etc.
You are going to want to use a very thick layer of bedding with a tile floor in your coop as it will be harder on the birds feet and legs when they land on it after jumping off the roost.

 

[earth_toes]

How do you plan to lay it? What type is it porcelain or ceramic? Is it glazed? Is it rated for outdoor use? You will want to use a modified mortar thin-set to lay it down and it should be laid down over a cementitious backer board as it will pop off a wood substrate.
There are additives you can put into the sanded grout mix to help make it less porous. You can try using Aquatight instead of water when you mix the grout. That will help keep it from absorbing moisture, etc.
You are going to want to use a very thick layer of bedding with a tile floor in your coop as it will be harder on the birds feet and legs when they land on it after jumping off the roost.

Can always count on you DobieLover! If/when i lay it, it's ceramic and glazed, but not entirely sure if it's rated for outdoor use. I'd be laying it directly over 3/4" OSB sub-flooring with a moisture barrier in-between. As far as i know all tile will expand and contract, and in Virginia we are famous for our humidity, so I'm not even sure it's a good idea anymore. I purchased peel and stick square foot linoleum tile originally and may end up sticking with that. What do you think? Maybe just use it for decorating the outside

 

[DobieLover]

Can always count on you DobieLover! If/when i lay it, it's ceramic and glazed, but not entirely sure if it's rated for outdoor use. I'd be laying it directly over 3/4" OSB sub-flooring with a moisture barrier in-between. As far as i know all tile will expand and contract, and in Virginia we are famous for our humidity, so I'm not even sure it's a good idea anymore. I purchased peel and stick square foot linoleum tile originally and may end up sticking with that. What do you think? Maybe just use it for decorating the outside

Former house flipper and chicken addict at your service!
I am renovating my old shed into my new coop. I have a plywood floor in the shed. The entire interior was painted an awful battleship gray. The shed is likely over three decades old and I was pleasantly surprised with how well that old paint has held up. So I am going with a coat of Kilz Max primer (rated for interior/exterior applications) and two coats of porch and floor paint for my floor.
Laying tile is a lot of work. If you are putting it down outdoors, you will especially want it on the cementitious backer because it will have a much closer thermal expansion coefficient to the tile than wood does.
You have OSB floors. I am recycling OSB for my poop boards. I am treating that OSB the same as my plywood floor except I'm using as many coats of Kilz as I need to get a uniform surface as the OSB is much more porous and is soaking up the Kilz. I think it will work out just fine. It will be faster to get down too. If after the first year I don't like it, there is nothing stopping me from laying in sheet vinyl.
Maybe you could give paint a try?

 

[earth_toes]

Former house flipper and chicken addict at your service!
I am renovating my old shed into my new coop. I have a plywood floor in the shed. The entire interior was painted an awful battleship gray. The shed is likely over three decades old and I was pleasantly surprised with how well that old paint has held up. So I am going with a coat of Kilz Max primer (rated for interior/exterior applications) and two coats of porch and floor paint for my floor.
Laying tile is a lot of work. If you are putting it down outdoors, you will especially want it on the cementitious backer because it will have a much closer thermal expansion coefficient to the tile than wood does.
You have OSB floors. I am recycling OSB for my poop boards. I am treating that OSB the same as my plywood floor except I'm using as many coats of Kilz as I need to get a uniform surface as the OSB is much more porous and is soaking up the Kilz. I think it will work out just fine. It will be faster to get down too. If after the first year I don't like it, there is nothing stopping me from laying in sheet vinyl.
Maybe you could give paint a try?

I purchased this:

to seal all surfaces and got it tinted to the green i wanted. I wanted to paint everything and then either lay the tile or the peel and stick vinyl over top of it. I'm a good handy-woman but always need that little bit of advice ya know?! I'm right there with you, the tin ill be using on the roof of the coop is probably 150 years old. Salvaged from a barn demo about 20 years ago by my husbands father and has been sitting covered ever since (also will be painted/sealed). I love re-purposing and reusing as much as possible. But, with that I'm definitely leaning towards not laying the tile, just for the sake of time. I have about 3-4 weeks to get this done and put in place before i have a flock running around my spare bedroom LOL.

 

[mowin]

You need Schluter Ditra first then the tile. Tile and wood expands at different rates, causing grout to crack and tiles to pop free.
Ditra allows both surfaces to move freely independent of each other.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0725ZHDPS/?tag=backy-20

 

[Folly's place]

I'd use that tile elsewhere, not on a coop floor. Too much effort, and not the best for your birds. The tile might be free (and I'm jealous!) but the instillation won't be.
Mary

 

[earth_toes]

I'd use that tile elsewhere, not on a coop floor. Too much effort, and not the best for your birds. The tile might be free (and I'm jealous!) but the instillation won't be.
Mary

Right there with you! I really don't think it's worth the extra money or effort for the floor BUT I'm designing the coop to jive with a Tuscan theme and that tile would be pretty as accents on the outer walls... you know ... when i actually get time to do that kind of thing. Sure have plenty of it!

 

[Folly's place]

Love it!
Mary

 

[aart]

so I'm not even sure it's a good idea anymore.

It's really not.
Use it somewhere else.