100% Molded Pvc -vrs- Copolymer "hard Plastic"

[ZIN]

If you could put either of these products in your garage which would you choose? No budget!! "PVC=TUFF SEAL,LOCK TILE,RESILIA, OR COPOLYMER/POLYPROPOLENE = RACE DECK,SWISS TRAX,KIWI,JNK,ETC.
Which of these types of floorings will withstand the abuse better than the other?
This would be a garage that has no heavy machinery,no welding just detailing cars,and parking cars on the floor. I know all about every floor out there so what I am asking is what would be the best material to put down in your garage and why ?

 

[SteveL]

Sorry, but in my case, neither. I can'y stand the feel and sound of walking on the tiles. My floors will be coated.

 

[jskco]

I like garage floor tiles, although I have not figured out the attraction of the thin PVC ones yet. In my opinion they trap moisture and are unnecessarily expensive. If I was going to PVC I would go thinner with a PVC garage Floor mat from Better Life Technology (http://www.bltllc.com). I had them in my own garage for years.

If you want to go with tiles, I would request samples first. You can get samples of both the mats and the tiles here http://www.garagefloor.com/garage-floor-samples.htm I would use the Swisstrax brand. If I was looking to save money I would buy the sport court product either the full warranty version at http://www.garagefloor.com or one of my competitors like http://www.elite-xpressions.com or the closeout stuff off of eBay: http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...itle=sport+court+garage+floor+tile&category0=

I sell epoxy and I like epoxy when it is professionally installed. It can also be done by a homeowner who is willing to follow the directions to the letter and do a moisture test prior to applying it. You will see a lot of information on this site about epoxy, I think the long and the short of it is buying a good one and put it down correctly.

Sincerely,


Justin Krauss
http://www.garagefloor.com

 

[speadrider]

I will never do paint or epoxy again, you would think after 3 garages with "pros" installing epoxy only to peel and stain within a year I would learn. I love my Race Deck tile floor, easy to clean and looks great. My suggestion is to shop around, get samples and read some of the forums about garage floors.

 

[ZIN]

Well if you read my question I never asked about epoxy floors as its all a **** shoot and I am not waisting my $$ on a chance .
Thank you for your opinions on my question as I really cant understand which is a better flooring . I just figure if I am going to spend $2000-$3000 dollars I just want to put in the best product. Plastic tiles are noisy I know and they expand in the front of your garage where the sun hits they also allow liquids to fall through to your concrete and I am not sure about the tabs that connect them.
Then you have the quiet easy flowing pvc that can be water proof not allowing any liquids to seep to your concrete and I feel the connections are tighter and a bit more forgiving.
Maybe I need to ask a company that sells both products?

 

[speadrider]

If you put a pad/mat or PVC tile that is "water proof" and "seals" you are going to have moisture and mildew issues, not to mention expansion issues. Concrete is like a sponge and not only does it soak any liquids spilled on it ( or through the ground ), it also releases moisture. The epoxy guys who installed my previous homes garage did a test where they took a clear piece of plastic ( about 2'x2') and taped it tightly to the ground. within 3-4 days you could see all of the moisture. You want a floor that allows air to flow.
I would be weary of any company who sells every type of flooring, kind of like the guy with all of the watches under his rain coat. I would talk with each company who sells the specific product you are considering and then sort through all the information.

 

[mikeyr]

Once the tiles are down why do you care when oil might seep through the cracks ?

The concrete is covered and the tiles look great.

As fas as water causing mold/mildew my garage has been flooded twice since I got my racedeck, my daughter loved it both times, she would walk out onto the tiles and have them sink the 2" that they were floating above the water, it took a good week or 10 days both times before water quit seeping out, showing that they drain very nicely. The Racedecks do have grooves for water drainage and it works great (by the way, the flooding issues have been solved )

And by the way, when the tiles were floating on 2" of water and my daughter would step on them, it took quite a long time for the water to "seep" through the crack and wet her feet. Oil is not as thin and I bet even with all the oil/brake fluid I have spilled on my floor, very little to none of it has made to the concrete, just based on how slow it was for the water to come up. I will find out in the next 2-3 months when I pull up the floor and put it in my new garage, its been down 6 years now.

 

[speadrider]

IF YOU EVER HAVE A FLOOD UP THERE, YOU NOW KNOW YOU HAVE A LARGE FLOATING RAFT

When I was looking around, I read some of the concerns about what gets under the floor; seemed silly to me, when was the last time you pulled up your carpet to see what was underneath?

 

[ZIN]

If you put a pad/mat or PVC tile that is "water proof" and "seals" you are going to have moisture and mildew issues, not to mention expansion issues. Concrete is like a sponge and not only does it soak any liquids spilled on it ( or through the ground ), it also releases moisture. The epoxy guys who installed my previous homes garage did a test where they took a clear piece of plastic ( about 2'x2') and taped it tightly to the ground. within 3-4 days you could see all of the moisture. You want a floor that allows air to flow.
I would be weary of any company who sells every type of flooring, kind of like the guy with all of the watches under his rain coat. I would talk with each company who sells the specific product you are considering and then sort through all the information.

Speedrider you bring up very good points .....I don't feel the need to wory about flooding myself but the moisture issue I wish I had the answer to that one. I have been emailing a co. that sells both tiles ( hard/soft) and trying to get them to tell which is best but I keep asking more questions but thus far it's pvc.I would alsio think that if liquids can seep through the tiles that once a year you may put down an anti-mold type soap or something and let it soak in and wash it down I dont know ? but thanks for your thoughts everybody...