Best floor surface for working on

[eagleguy]

I need a surface that will allow me to use my jack stands, jacks, ramps etc. The quality of my concrete garage base here in Florida is very poor. This can be attested to the numerous epoxy jobs I have done that come up with concrete (scaling) due to hot tire pick up. I'd like to do some sort of tiling but want function as well as show. Ideas?

FYI:
The first epoxy job was done on a clean and properly prepped surface. Subsequent repair areas were done correctly as well but the concrete does not hold up well to hot tire pickup, jacks etc.

 

[Jack Olsen]

My slab was 80 years old and in terrible shape. I used ceramic tiles.

I treat it pretty badly, with jacking, welding and such.

It's held up very well, and only cost .59/sf.

I put it in myself over the course of a weekend.

I've jacked up cars on it, dropped tools -- no serious issues yet from normal use. I have made some small chips in it, which I touch up with paint. But if I ever damage a tile too badly, I can simply hammer it out and set in a new one.

The garage is clean in most of the pictures I post online. But it gets a workout in between cleanings. In the back of this picture, you can see the 760-pound (each) cabinets I installed. I had to drag them in, cut off their feet, and get them positioned on the tiles. I used pieces of carpet under them when I was sliding them, but the tile took it just fine.

The tiles do get damaged by weld spatter -- which burns tiny spots in the glazing. Now I set a welding tarp down under where I'm welding.

Here's the pretty picture. My slab was poured in 1925 and was NOT flat -- not by a long shot. But the tile has held up well. You can walk around in it barefoot, comfortably, and clean up oil spills with a paper towel.

 

[Michal]

Stainless Steel Tiles seem like they would get quite a few looks and have good function.

 

[jkeyser14]

Stainless Steel Tiles seem like they would get quite a few looks and have good function.

There are stainless tiles that I've seen available but they don't recommend them for high traffic area because the stainless will scratch relatively easily. It's nowhere near as hard as porcelain or ceramic tiles.

 

[Michal]

There are stainless tiles that I've seen available but they don't recommend them for high traffic area because the stainless will scratch relatively easily. It's nowhere near as hard as porcelain or ceramic tiles.

True, but it won't chip and you can always buff the tiles. I've seen them in some coffee shops around and most don't see too scratched up, some are and the scratched give "character".

It all depends what look you're going for and what you will be doing.

 

[eagleguy]

How about the plastic interlocking kind of floor tiles?.

 

[Michal]

How about the plastic interlocking kind of floor tiles?.

I have RaceDeck and although many rave about it I do not think it's practical. My lift shifts the gaps and they become larger, there are gaps for expansion, the floor scratches and gouges very easily. For a true working environment they are an option I would no longer consider if you expect them to stay nice.

 

[danneva]

Stainless Steel Tiles seem like they would get quite a few looks and have good function.

I’ve seen stainless steel tiles in my friend’s kitchen and it looks great. When I saw her kitchen, it is dazzling without noticing some scratches on it. I think the reason why she used stainless steel tiles it’s because it can last over 100 years. Although these tiles can stain, there is a very low probability of this happening if you take proper precautions. And when you’re done with them, you can even have them recycled.

 

[mball]

I have to say I really like the look of Jack's floor and the price is great too! The other thing that is cool is that it is fairly easy to replace part of it if it does get damaged. One concern I would have would be the grout. I have heard about some new grout (I think it has been on the market for a few years) that is not as porous and is supposed to be a lot more resistant to staining. Anybody have any experience with it?

Regarding the plastic interlocking tiles, I think part of it depends on where you live. Living in the midwest where we get a lot of snow, my biggest concern would be snow melt getting underneath the tiles and eventual evaporation causing the garage to become humid which would be bad for my tools. A regular flat foor I can just squeegee off and be done with it.

 

[PecosBill]

You are referring to epoxy grouts. They have come a long way, and are now at the point where the layman can actually consider installing some of them. I would recommend looking at either Mapei's Opticolor, or Laticrete's Spectralock.
http://www.mapei.com/public/US/products/Opticolor_TDS_EA.pdf
http://www.spectralock.com/

 

[PCO6]

Years ago I rented an industrial building with several other guys. Some us restored cars, some raced and others just stored them. The building was built in the early 40's and had about 8,000 sq. ft. of usable floor area. The floor was constructed of 2" x 12" dimensional lumber on it's side. The entire building was elevated and had about a 18" crawl space under it.

It was incredibly strong and very comfortable to walk on. It was painted a light industrial gray and the seams made it look like hardwood. We didn't hold back on it. We used jacks, stands, engine cranes and stands, etc. and welded on it.

It must have cost a fortune even back then. I have no idea how the cost of this kind of floor would compare to concrete.

 

[Falcon67]

2x12x20 here is $19 retail, for a 20x24 floor of them figure right at $500. Not counting joists, but could be laid on a concrete floor easily. That's Southern Pine, which might be too soft. Although, I use scraps of 2x12 under jack stands for extra height and they don't dent very much.

 

[PCO6]

2x12x20 here is $19 retail, for a 20x24 floor of them figure right at $500. Not counting joists, but could be laid on a concrete floor easily. That's Southern Pine, which might be too soft. Although, I use scraps of 2x12 under jack stands for extra height and they don't dent very much.

That seems like a pretty good price for that. Just to be clear though, the floor I mentioned was 12" thick! The boards were laminated together on the 12" side! It was strong and you felt no flex. I can't imagine anyone buliding a floor like that today, especially one of about 8,000 sq. ft.

 

[mball]

You are referring to epoxy grouts. They have come a long way, and are now at the point where the layman can actually consider installing some of them. I would recommend looking at either Mapei's Opticolor, or Laticrete's Spectralock.
http://www.mapei.com/public/US/products/Opticolor_TDS_EA.pdf
http://www.spectralock.com/

Thanks for the heads up on the epoxy grout. I keep hearing about Mapei in various threads. I definitely am going to look into it. Thanks again!

 

[Kevin54]

That seems like a pretty good price for that. Just to be clear though, the floor I mentioned was 12" thick! The boards were laminated together on the 12" side! It was strong and you felt no flex. I can't imagine anyone buliding a floor like that today, especially one of about 8,000 sq. ft.

Yep that would make it about $3700 for a 20 x 24 floor. For 8,000 sq.ft. would cost about $60800

 

[PCO6]

Yep that would make it about $3700 for a 20 x 24 floor. For 8,000 sq.ft. would cost about $60800

Kevin;

Thanks for doing the math on that. I was always afraid to! I recently had an 11'x22'x8" slab poured for just over $2,000 so that's surprisingly comparable. You would have to have a unique situation though to do it for a small garage and I would say it would be out of the question for a large building. The building I referred to was elevated by about 18". With the added thickness of the 12" floor and the substructure that held the building up it was at least a 3' drive "up" into the building. It was really comfortable to work on but I don't think it was the best thing ... especially for welding.

Stew

 

[OccupantRJ]

Someone please explain to me, in terms of other than floor temperature, why a wood floor in and of itself, is supposedly easier on the feet than concrete. Unless the wood floor is flexing underfoot, acting as an energy absorber, what else is happening to supposedly make wood easier on the feet, other than physcologically.

 

[PCO6]

Someone please explain to me, in terms of other than floor temperature, why a wood floor in and of itself, is supposedly easier on the feet than concrete. Unless the wood floor is flexing underfoot, acting as an energy absorber, what else is happening to supposedly make wood easier on the feet, other than physcologically.

I think you're right that it's mostly in your mind. Temperature would be a factor though and I don't recall that floor ever being cold.

 

[Kevin54]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=87687&d=1291418379

I think a lot of it has to do with concrete is just about the hardest, most common material that you will stand or work on and everything else is naturally somewhat softer, so maybe it is a mind over matter thing. It may be a good show for MythBusters. And combine the fact that wood will be somewhat warmer than concrete in it natural state would make it more comfortable. A lot of people just like the nostalgic factor of the wood floors of old. But I personally don't think you could beat a concrete floor with radiant heat as long as you had a work mat to stand on if you had to stand for hours.

 

[Kevin54]

I think you're right that it's mostly in your mind. Temperature would be a factor though and I don't recall that floor ever being cold.

Someone please explain to me, in terms of other than floor temperature, why a wood floor in and of itself, is supposedly easier on the feet than concrete. Unless the wood floor is flexing underfoot, acting as an energy absorber, what else is happening to supposedly make wood easier on the feet, other than physcologically.

I think a lot of it has to do with concrete is just about the hardest, most common material that you will stand or work on and everything else is naturally somewhat softer, so maybe it is a mind over matter thing. It may be a good show for MythBusters. And combine the fact that wood will be somewhat warmer than concrete in it natural state would make it more comfortable. A lot of people just like the nostalgic factor of the wood floors of old. But I personally don't think you could beat a concrete floor with radiant heat as long as you had a work mat to stand on if you had to stand for hours.

 

[Bigpigdave]

The production facility I worked in built engines. All of the production area that was not a conveyor was 4"x 6" and 4"x 4" lumber "chunks" painted black. This was very easy to repair when damaged and if an engine part would happen to get dropped the wood would damage, not the part. The concrete under the "chunks" was lower than the surrounding area by 6" to 8". Toward the end of my time working there the wood "chunks" were being replaced by rubber "chunks" I believe these were made for this purpose. I am sure there is info on the web about this type of industrial flooring system.
Dave

 

[DEnd]

Someone please explain to me, in terms of other than floor temperature, why a wood floor in and of itself, is supposedly easier on the feet than concrete. Unless the wood floor is flexing underfoot, acting as an energy absorber, what else is happening to supposedly make wood easier on the feet, other than physcologically.

Yep wood deflects as a load is placed on it, it also has a slightly damped rebound (all materials do really). It is very minimal, but has a measurable affect on how the peak load is felt by your joints and bones.

 

[e-tek]

I was just in an old building here in Saskatoon that was built the same way. Both the floor ANd ceilings where built with 2x10's on end! It's an incredible amount of wood and obvisously built to last! It also had 18inch square beams throughout.

 

[spy604]

Ive stood all day on a planer mill table, and let me tell you, you can tell the difference between that and plain concrete. My feet have never hurt so bad.