Comparative flooring matrix/chart?

[Mikaman]

Been doing a lot of research here -- great site -- and was wondering if anyone has a simple chart that rates each of the flooring options? Not sure how well this will appear in this posting, but something like:

Porcelain...VCT...Epoxy...RaceDeck...Polished concrete...etc
Cost/SF
Install time
Prep req'd
Ease of cleaning
Ease of maintenance
Ease of repair
Resistance to:
hot tire p/u
tire staining
chemicals
weld spatter
road salt
impact
jack stand marks
temp changes
Slick when wet?
Ease of rolling heavy loads?
Suitability for uneven surfaces/cracked concrete?

I'm sure some of this may be subjective, and some things would more explanation than just a one-word "good" or "excellent" rating. But it would sure be helpful to newcomers trying to narrow down the choices to start with.

Another really helpful thing might be a simple listing of suitable flooring by type of usage, like:

Parking only:
Light car maintenance (oil changes, tune-ups, etc):
Heavy car work (engine removal, full restoration, etc):
Welding work:
Machining work:
Wood shop:
Radiant heated floor:
Unheated garage:
Showcase garage:

In other words, "Parking Only" might list suitable flooring such as VCT, polished concrete, RaceDeck, etc but "Heavy car work" might list porcelain tile and epoxy.

Anyone seen anything like this?

Mikaman

 

[bdamico]

No one is going to agree on any kind of simple chart. For instance, I'm sure Racedeck would love to be on a parking only list. And all the epoxy vendors will say (1) you can't make generalizations about quality of epoxy among vendors and (2) all the ratings you're describing will be as a result of quality of prep and individual circumstances.

 

[dcs Inc]

I'd agree. I attempted to put one of these together awhile back on actual upkeep costs of each type of flooring. There are a few of them out there when I was doing research for this. They all leaned toward the product they were selling. What you are suggesting would create an uproar with the different type manufactures. An unbiased independent study would be great but then you get into the quality issues of each product. Just as bdamico stated, there are cheap epoxies that will have an extended life cycle by the way the concrete was prepped. That doesn't make it a better epoxy. Abrasion and chemical resistance, shore hardness, pull tests, scratch resistance....sheesh. It would be a tough thing to put together for each type of application.