flooring choices

[foss]

I will be ready for flooring soon in the garage and am still looking at different options.I am thinking of going with the racedeck as i think it looks outstanding and it looks to be simpler to put in over epoxy although more expensive.
Are there other pros and cons i should consider in choosing a floor? I would like to hear some opinions between different floor options.
Thank-you.

 

[Matt M PA]

foss....I'd suggest a quick search here....lots of info about that.

I have the snap together tiles in my attached garage. They were indeed easy to put in (leave clearance at the edges as they will swell in the summer), but make clicky noises when walked on...and if you do service work...they dent with floor jacks. Mine seem to "heal" backover time however, and I did get a big piece of aluminum to put under the jack.

All that said...I am currently deciding on what to use in my new garage...and it' won't be tiles.

 

[foss]

Thank-you, very interesting comments, I appreciate it.

 

[foss]

Have others experienced clicking when walking on tiles ?

 

[mikeyr]

Yes, people here on this forum make a big deal of it. I had not noticed until about a year after they were installed and joined here. I went home and walked out in my garage and went "oh yeah, they do make noise" its that minor, my wife says she had noticed. It really is not a big deal and is minor.

As to the dents, yes they will dent under large weights with small feet but they do seem to "heal" themselves after a few days so its not a problem. My jack stands have large feet so never any issues with that, it was my welding cart that left imprints so I put bigger casters on it. I am moving to my new garage and I left a 10ftx10ft. section bare concrete so I can weld, some areas in my old garage were pretty badly damaged from welding and plasma cutting, I was putting down a welding blanket on the floor to protect it but it only helps so much. New shop will have a space for majority of metal work.

To me the tiles are worth the trouble, they make my shop look GOOD and I can live with occasional issues they cause. They also insulate that cold hard concrete floor so that working on my back is not as cold.

 

[WolverineCoatings]

It sounds like tiles would be a good choice for if you're not willing or interested in doing the amount of work it takes with epoxy. I also think that you have the right brand. From what I know, if I were going to do tiles, I would go with Racedeck! Whatever you decide, I would go with a product that is manufactured in America!!! (like Racedeck)

 

[thegarageguy]

Resinous floors, done correctly are permanent. Your stuck with the color and style. It takes 2-5 days to install, may make some dust and have a slight odor. Installed correctly though, you'll have a very low maintenance, trouble free floor.

Interlocking tiles are easy to install, require no special tools, no prep is required and can be taken to your next home. The downside is that it shows dirt very easily. Depending on the brand, can accumulate dirt and grime underneath and has a clankity clank sound to it.

If its a DIY type job, I would recommend an interlocking tile. You are guaranteed better results. I've never heard of interlocking tile failures before.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Although I would agree that interlocking tiles offer a near goof-proof install, I take exception to the claim that "You are guaranteed better results." Guaranteed results, most likely, but "better..."?

There are plenty of people who have carefully weighed the pros & cons of both systems, then picked and applied an epoxy floor coating on their own, and have nothing but positive comments about the process and the resulting floors.

Interlocking tiles have many attractive features, as do epoxy coatings. By carefully following instructions most all home owner can increase the enjoyment and value of their garage space by applying either one depending on their budget and needs.

You only have to read a few of the numerous first hand reviews posted on this forum to see that these solutions are affordable and do-able for most everyone.

 

[chasb]

I will be ready for flooring soon in the garage and am still looking at different options.I am thinking of going with the racedeck as i think it looks outstanding and it looks to be simpler to put in over epoxy although more expensive.
Are there other pros and cons i should consider in choosing a floor? I would like to hear some opinions between different floor options.
Thank-you.

Here is my floor

Race-deck 12 x 12 snap-together tiles Took me, my 34 yr old son and my 85 yr old father-in-law 3 hours including cutting the edge tiles

Here are some before and afters

Expensive - $ 4.00 per sq ft but with 15 year warranty.

Nice home for my black 300 Hemi ( not the one shown) and PT Turbo and (occasionally) my 69 Dart 440 GTS

 

[roger55]

Great photo documentation and great looking floor!

One question though. Why was the toilet plunger a required tool for the installation?

 

[dlc]

I used the plastic floor tiles from Sam's Club. 40 sq. ft. for $59.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=360851

I've compared them to my friends tiles that cost 3 times as much and can't tell any difference. If I were to do my floor over again, I wouldn't go with the white tile. They are a real pain to keep clean. However, they clean pretty easily with a spray of WD40. I have no problem with denting as long as I use my floor jack that has the wide wheels. When using jackstands I have some 12 x 12 pieces of wood that I use to protect the floor.

 

[BigFloors]

Your garage looks very nice! and I hope it stays that way for you. But! The Sams Club tile is a China made tile that is manufactured with foam fillers and additives in an effort to save on cost and minimizing manufacturing imperfections. When tiles are made from these materials they will stain, expand and contract at great rates causing buckling, and do not have near the structural strength of other premium garage floorings on the market . If you live in a climate with very little temperature swings, no sun exposure, no petroleum or chemical spills, and do not do any real mechanical work, you may have no issue.

If costs is a top priority over having the best garage flooring tile, there are several other USA made brands we carry for lower costs, that far exceed any China or Mexican import garage tile. In our current USA economy, we should all buy American whenever possible, especially if the price is close or even lower.
Happy New Years

 

[foss]

Bigfloors,.....I sent an e-mail to your company,but have not had a reply as of yet.

 

[BigFloors]

Really? That is concerning, when did you send? please send us your contact info at [email protected] or call us directly at 1.877.244.2214

 

[foss]

I appreciate the pictures of the the garages shown . They look absolutely outstanding.

 

[foss]

Really? That is concerning, when did you send? please send us your contact info at [email protected] or call us directly at 1.877.244.2214

I did send another e-mail. I was wondering about shipping to Canada.
Thanks.

 

[DaMaN]

Great photo documentation and great looking floor!

One question though. Why was the toilet plunger a required tool for the installation?

because **** happens

 

[pwm72]

Here is my RaceDeck floor. Love the tiles and ease of installation.

 

[RaceDeck1]

pwm72 - Your garage looks great! Thank you for choosing RaceDeck

Happy New Year

 

[Matt M PA]

Some good looking floors there!

I used Sport Court tiles in my smaller attached garage....but just can't swing the cost of the tiles in the new 32x26.

 

[BigFloors]

Matt - Check out the post we just put up about the 24 hour inventory blow-out sale. Some really great prices plus FREE shipping on RaceDeck, GarageDeck, GarageTrac, and more. All USA made brands on garage floor tile that are made for garage flooring.

Happy New Year

 

[66L78]

I love the ease of installation of the Race Deck tiles, I am contimplating 1 or the other, wolverine or race deck, Race deck would make for a easy installation, could develope a nice pattern and would not have to clear out the entire garage as I would with epoxy, the one thing I am worried about is in Nebraska with all the snow and ice, it would be carried in the garage and would melt all over the tiles, I am talking about snow, water, sand, salt, on the concrete floor it leaves piles of dirty sand and road grime after it is melted off the car so obviously this would also be on the race deck and eventually this would find its way under the tiles, for you guys out there with this same issue how have you dealt with this problem Chuck

 

[roger55]

That is the one thing nice about epoxy. Snow, ice, mud and etc. can just be rinsed off and you know you have no dirt or possibly mold or mildew in your garage.
I am allergic to molds and didn't want to wonder what was lurking underneath tiles.
I went with Wolverine.

Can't argue with the ease of installation or cool look of Racedeck though.

 

[427HISS]

(Hey Chuck, I live in Lincoln)

I have concerns with both tiles and epoxy.

EPOXY-

Has anyone done a quality and longevity test to see what brands are the best ?

I have two friends that used one of the company's epoxy. I do not know if they applied it correctly. It both garages after apx. 3 years, most of it was worn out/rubbed off ect.... and looked terrible.

What could of happened other than did not apply it correctly or a cheap knock off Menard's special ?

If you buy one of the best brands and correctly apply it, after the warranty is expired and the floor starts looking bad, how do you clean it up to put a brand new application down ?

TILES-

As of right now, I don't have many questions but, I may later.
If you spill anything in liquid, water, antifreeze, oil, gas ect.... other than taking up the tiles in the area, what do you do ?

Is it difficult to remove those tiles whiteout breaking them ?
I have a two post car lift in my garage, how do I go around the posts or any other object ?

If you cut the edge's to go around the post, the locking edge is gone, what can I do ?

Like with the epoxy question, has anyone done a quality longevity test ?

(should I start a new post about these questions, I don't want to take this thread over) ?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[AlphaGarage]

EPOXY-

Has anyone done a quality and longevity test to see what brands are the best ?

Not that I'm aware of.

I have two friends that used one of the company's epoxy. I do not know if they applied it correctly. It both garages after apx. 3 years, most of it was worn out/rubbed off ect.... and looked terrible.

What could of happened other than did not apply it correctly or a cheap knock off Menard's special ?

Probably either one of those two factors, or more likely a combo of the two.

If you buy one of the best brands and correctly apply it, after the warranty is expired and the floor starts looking bad, how do you clean it up to put a brand new application down ?

A good system will have at least a body coat, which is the pigmented epoxy, protected by some sort of clear coat. Under some conditions the clear coat might exhibit wear and lose some of its gloss and good looks. In that case one can usually clean it up and recoat just the problem areas, or the entire floor. This generally isn't an involved process, nothing like the initial install.

So with a well designed and applied floor coating system there will never be the need to remove the entire coating down to the substrate and reapply the whole system, just touch up the clear coat as needed. That's why for our Wolverine Coatings system we recommend a clear coat of either 5 mils of BondTite 1102, or 4 mils of EnduraShield 2254 for most shop and garage floors.

 

[427HISS]

I did just create a new post rather than take over this thread.
I sure appreciate your advise and if you have any other advise, please reply to my own post.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28375

I'm sure I will contact you.

Thank you,
Kevin

 

[Rickerwill]

So much to learn about floor finishes before I dive into my new shop's floor! I appreciate hearing from those who have done MANY installs of a variety of products, so we can learn from your experiences -- good and bad.

 

[427HISS]

Here's to you bud......

 

[427HISS]

RaceDeck1- you have a pm.
Thanks.

 

[RaceDeck1]

FUNFER2 - Got it! Thank you

 

[ProGun3400]

Very nice looking floors/garages gentlemen.

In our current USA economy, we should all buy American whenever possible, especially if the price is close or even lower.

Amen to that!

 

[UncleJoe]

I like the floor and have been looking at the Sam's club tiles. How has this held up since you installed it?

 

[dlc]

I like the floor and have been looking at the Sam's club tiles. How has this held up since you installed it?

Joe,
The floor has held up fine and looks just like it did 2 years ago when I installed it. As I stated before, I would not go with the white again. It's too hard to keep clean. Other than that, I have not regretted buying the Sam's tiles at all and would do it all over again.

 

[denisjhon]

Hi..
Thanks for sharing the information... also Its really good..

 

[decktile123]

Hi.
Hey your garage looks great.
I need a help regarding flooring, I am renovating by home soon in coming days.
Please tell me the quick and easy way for ecofriendly home improvement.