epoxy coated VCT install, plus extras

[Ripped]

Well, my hopes for possibly doing this in my garage are shot. I contacted Armstrong, maker of VCT tiles, asking them which series they thought would be best for a light-use garage application (I used epoxy in the shop garage, but for the parking area, I thought VCT would look slick). Their response:

Yeah, I can understand their response. It makes sense. They did not design that tile for garages. In approving such an installation, would presume a reliability and warranty scenario.

That being said, I have seen this installed in huge commercial garages. The installation looked great.

I have seen VCT installed in department stores, schools and grocery stores (an approved installation) and it looks like ****. (worn out - peeling up around freezers & sales kiosks etc.)

So I also wonder what their response, would be if you asked about the "allure" flooring for garges?
Looks like a vinyl product to me, with a more vulnerable glue/adhesive, sold at more than twice the cost.

Good info though, to help people make a decision.

 

[roger55]

Lots of people do VCT in their garage and are happy with it. I wouldn't worry about what Armstrong said if you want to do it. However, what they say is true. I did it in a garage I had 3 houses ago.

I would not do it again. I had trouble with rows of tiles shifting from the force of the tires. I think I used an inferior glue. I would recommend a better glue if VCT is used where cars will be parked on it. Maybe an epoxy type glue. However, this increases the cost.

VCT is just not heavy duty enough for the kind of things I do in a garage. Tires will also stain the white tiles along with oils and such.

Applying epoxy on them is something I did not do. But, I would be concerned with yellowing if white tiles were used. And, I like the black/white checkerboard combo. You could look into other non-yellowing clear coatings.

Why not Racedeck? If I wanted the checkerboard look, this is the way I would go for sure.

 

[obsessive]

Great looking garage!

For the people asking about longevity, GB70's 4 year old floor installation still looks great and has no issues.

I did it in a garage I had 3 houses ago.

I would not do it again. I had trouble with rows of tiles shifting from the force of the tires. I think I used an inferior glue. I would recommend a better glue if VCT is used where cars will be parked on it. Maybe an epoxy type glue. However, this increases the cost.

Applying epoxy on them is something I did not do. But, I would be concerned with yellowing if white tiles were used. And, I like the black/white checkerboard combo. You could look into other non-yellowing clear coatings.

Roger55,
Inadequate preparation and substandard materials will sabotage anything. Posting that you would not use VCT because you had a problem after using cheap glue is like posting that you won't use epoxy because you didn't prep properly and ended up with hot tire lift. The OP also pointed out that there are no posts about yellowing of the box store Rustoleum and Quikrete clear epoxies. I just did a search and confirmed the same. No offense intended. You have a lot of great posts, but your experience with VCT seems irrelevant and your concerns about yellowing seem unfounded for the products in question.

Well, my hopes for possibly doing this in my garage are shot. I contacted Armstrong, maker of VCT tiles, asking them which series they thought would be best for a light-use garage application (I used epoxy in the shop garage, but for the parking area, I thought VCT would look slick). Their response:

Redshift,
I emailed Armstrong a while ago and requested samples of the same tiles GB70 and ATLM used and the safety zone rippled tiles, stating it would be for a residential garage. They sent the samples, but also sent a similar but much shorter legal email response. It sounds like the lawyers have gotten more involved and Armstrong has chosen to beef up their self protection from potential lawsuits. Since the majority of their revenue is commercial, I think they're more worried about homeowner DIY stupidity, lawsuits, and keeping up with thousands of different residential building codes than losing a few dollars through lost home project sales. I personally trust real experiences of others with identical products over lawyer jargon.

im thinking about doing this in my detail shop but i dont know if it will hold up. the amount of traffic that i have on my floor each day is alot more than if you moved your car in & out of your garage a few times a day.

what is the durability of this stuff? can anyone tell me? ive read about people using 2 layers of tile then sealing everything with a few layers of clear.

AndrewBigA,
Armstrong VCT is a commercial grade tile, used by Walmart, grocery stores, Sears, and other high traffic areas. Okay, Sears might not be high traffic anymore, but you know what I mean. If the traffic in your detail shop is just cars driving in and out and people walking around and cleaning, VCT will work well and so will the other 3 popular garage flooring materials. If you choose VCT, there is no benefit to installing 2 layers.

ATLM,
Good job, and thanks for the detailed informative post.

 

[roger55]

Roger55,
Inadequate preparation and substandard materials will sabotage anything. Posting that you would not use VCT because you had a problem after using cheap glue is like posting that you won't use epoxy because you didn't prep properly and ended up with hot tire lift. The OP also pointed out that there are no posts about yellowing of the box store Rustoleum and Quikrete clear epoxies. I just did a search and confirmed the same. No offense intended. You have a lot of great posts, but your experience with VCT seems irrelevant and your concerns about yellowing seem unfounded for the products in question.

Let me clarify.
The problem I had with tiles shifting isn't the only reason I wouldn't use VCT again. The staining, damage from jacks, jackstands and other things I do in my garage is enough reason for me. Even the turning of the wheels of a car when stationary can damage a tile.
Don't get me wrong, I believe VCT IS a valid option for a garage. People who don't do heavy duty work or are willing to take the extra precautions to protect it may be perfectly happy with it. But, after having done it myself, I wouldn't do it again.

As far as yellowing. ALL epoxy is affected by UV radiation. That's why it can't be used outdoors. All clear epoxies will yellow when subject to UV. Even the least amount of yellowing over a white tile will be noticeable. Anywhere in the room where sunlight from a window will consistently hit the same place on a floor, over time it will yellow the clear. For me, this happened within a year. (I used VCT in a black/white checkerboard pattern for a workbench top and coated it with clear epoxy.) My concerns are not unfounded whatsoever.
Also, keep in mind that fluorescent lighting emits UV radiation. Not near as much as sunlight but it still could affect epoxy over time. How much time I don't know.

As far a the OP. I am sorry to have turned to a negative point in his thread. He did his research and did a superb job on his floor. He doesn't have windows and if he keeps his doors closed most of the time, he may be OK. It will be interesting to see. I wish him the best of luck.

 

[atlm]

Year and a half update: I love my garage!!

The epoxy-covered VCT floor shows no signs of wear or yellowing. It's been zero maintenance. Highly recommended!

The plastic mats under the car tires are doing their job. The mats have a bit of yellow staining, but the floor under them is perfect. They might eventually get swapped for diamond plate or something fancier.

The floor has not been slippery at all when wet. The grit in the clear epoxy is an even texture, and looks quite nice.



Here's a picture taken today.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Thanks for the follow-up! I am about to start on flooring my garage, and your posts have helped me feel much better about doing it with VCT!

Jim

 

[jrd]

Nice garage! You did a great job. Im laughing right now because your garage reminds me of my garage. I did all the same things you did (ie. VCT, epoxy, Craftsman, etc..). Strange....small world.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131677&showall=1

 

[TigerGA]

X3...garage looks great. Your attention to detail is evident. Congratulations.