Dark or Light tiles?

[AndrewP]

Hi All

Wondering whether to go for dark or light coloured tiles?

Dark would of course hide any untidiness on the floor; however light would make the garage look lighter, but show any dirt and 'stuff'.

Any thoughts or wisdom would be much appreciated.

 

[padre1964]

When i do mine, i will use light. I agree with your thoughts of it brightening up the garage. It will also be easier to spot hardware that i drop while working and i thing the dark will look more dirty with dust and road salt. Just my 2 cents

 

[Shea]

Actually, dark colors tend to show dust and dirt more than their lighter colored counterparts. White however can be the worst.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I really like grays and silvers combined. Best of both worlds. If you want high contrast black and silver works. Get some samples and leave them in your garage for a few days.

 

[AndrewP]

Thank you all for your thoughts.
Grey and silver sounds interesting.

Went to the tile shop, and found there was little colour available - everything seemed to be in earthy tones.

Felt a bit bummed out, as I recall there were many different colours available 20 years ago, including greens, blues, faux terracottas.

Anyways, these were on special, and pretty much represented the colour options available (for vitrified tiles):

Quite liked the 2nd one down, mainly for its texture (it felt a bit rougher).

 

[Shea]

Andrew, be sure to ask for the tiles ratings before making a decision. For a garage you want a tile with a PEI rating of 4 or 5. If slip resistance is important, do not judge the tile by the surface texture. They have coefficient of friction ratings to give you and idea of how slip resistant they are when wet. A rating of .60 or higher is very good. Between .50 and .60 is acceptable. Less than that and you will want to ******** the ice skates.

 

[Chevy-SS]

I own a couple of rental properties and I solved this dilemma many years ago. Tenants are most always kinda dirty, they just don't care. So I always buy tile/carpet that LOOKS sorta dirty. Mostly a neutral type color with lots of assorted dark flecks and spots in it. This technique for picking colors has worked wonderfully for me, even in my own house.

So, buy something that already looks dirty!!!!!!!

For floor tile, I'd get something like this:

A solid color (any color) is a nightmare to keep clean.

Good luck

 

[AndrewP]

Andrew, be sure to ask for the tiles ratings before making a decision. For a garage you want a tile with a PEI rating of 4 or 5. If slip resistance is important, do not judge the tile by the surface texture. They have coefficient of friction ratings to give you and idea of how slip resistant they are when wet. A rating of .60 or higher is very good. Between .50 and .60 is acceptable. Less than that and you will want to ******** the ice skates.

Thanks for the info here Shea.

I hadn't thought (or might have forgotten) to check the rating factors.
Really appreciate you mentioning this.

 

[AndrewP]

I own a couple of rental properties and I solved this dilemma many years ago. Tenants are most always kinda dirty, they just don't care. So I always buy tile/carpet that LOOKS sorta dirty. Mostly a neutral type color with lots of assorted dark flecks and spots in it. This technique for picking colors has worked wonderfully for me, even in my own house.

So, buy something that already looks dirty!!!!!!!

For floor tile, I'd get something like this:

A solid color (any color) is a nightmare to keep clean.

Good luck

Thanks Chevy SS - great advice, which makes very good sense.

 

[azula]

Light tiles will make your space appear bigger than dark tiles. However, it will be more susceptible to marks and scratches. I'd go with the light tile though.

 

[Dakota00]

Light tiles will make your space appear bigger than dark tiles. However, it will be more susceptible to marks and scratches.

When dealing with PEI 4 or 5 tiles, the surface is next to impossible to mark or scratch.

 

[Track t-4]

Andrew,

Read the threads of others on here who have laid tile in their garages, there are some very helpful people and a wealth of information on how to lay it out, what tile to use, mortar, grout, etc. I'm about 1/2 finished with mine and very happy with the results so far:
www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269793&highlight=man+cave

Bruce

 

[AndrewP]

Light tiles will make your space appear bigger than dark tiles. However, it will be more susceptible to marks and scratches. I'd go with the light tile though.

I'm thinking lighter would help with making the space look bigger too. But then darker might look cooler

When dealing with PEI 4 or 5 tiles, the surface is next to impossible to mark or scratch.

Good to know - thank you for mentioning this.

Andrew,

Read the threads of others on here who have laid tile in their garages, there are some very helpful people and a wealth of information on how to lay it out, what tile to use, mortar, grout, etc. I'm about 1/2 finished with mine and very happy with the results so far:
www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269793&highlight=man+cave

Bruce

Thanks Bruce.

Your tiling looks like it's coming along nicely. Should be well worth the effort once completed.

I have previously done tiling, but nearly 20 years ago.
So a few 'refreshers' will indeed be useful.

One thing I do particularly recall though is the effect it had on the back and the knees