Flooring dilemma

[47p2]

I've spent the best part of a month gathering information on which flooring cover would suit my needs. I started off thinking porcelain tiles were the way to go. Sadly the prices here in the UK are prohibitive so my next move was looking into interlocking floor tiles. I sent away for some samples, some were utter ****, some good but one stood out from the rest and after speaking to the owner of the company I have managed to negotiate a great discount and a really good deal.

Now this is where my dilemma starts as today someone contacted me to say they can get me the correct porcelain tiles at a great price which works out at around 10% more than the interlocking tiles.

So what I am looking for is some feedback from you guys that have either porcelain or interlocking tiles fitted, the pros and cons of both


The way I see it is as below

Porcelain tiles:-

Easy to clean
Completely waterproof (a bonus in Scotland)
Time consuming to lay
Inconvenient when one breaks and has to be taken out and replaced.
Clean lines when laid
Cold underfoot

Interlocking floor tiles:-
Easy to lay
Reasonably easy to keep clean if I stick with dark colours
Extremely easy to replace incase of breakages
Not completely waterproof so expect some seepage onto the concrete below
Limited to darker colours to reduce the chance of staining and marks
Insulated from the concrete underneath


If anyone can add to my list I would be very appreciative

 

[Shea]

I personally don't care for porcelain as much, though I must admit that I've seen some garage floors that looked stunning. If you work on vehicles in your garage porcelain can be like an ice rink if you get oil or other fluid on the tile. Grout issues can sometimes be problematic as well.

If you have proper drainage in your garage then water seeping between interlocking tiles shouldn't be a problem unless you are looking at PVC tiles. Not all of those provide for air circulation and drainage.

 

[slickgt1]

Porcelain.

-I have never broken one, and I don't baby my floor.
-If it breaks, no big deal. I bet I car replace it just as fast as it would take you to take apart a section of floor to get the one tile. Again I have not broken any yet.
-You don't have to put wood under your jack or stands with tile.
-Epoxy grout, no staining, no issues.
-You will get dirt stuck between your interlock tiles.
-when you get an oil spill, and you will, oil will get under your tile and stay there.

Click links in my sig for more tile lovin threads.

 

[hardhat]

I would use tile BUT In order to put tile down in a climate that gets snow you will have to put down traction enhanced tile which Im sure is $$$@!. Wet tile is slicker than snot. Durability wise its tough as nails though. Its stronger than expoxy, plastic tiles, ect. Grout shouldnt be an issue, do thin grout lines. Use darker epoxy grout or regular grout then seal it. IF you dont get any water in your garage I would definitly go with real tile.

 

[slickgt1]

I would use tile BUT In order to put tile down in a climate that gets snow you will have to put down traction enhanced tile which Im sure is $$$@!. Wet tile is slicker than snot. Durability wise its tough as nails though. Its stronger than expoxy, plastic tiles, ect. Grout shouldnt be an issue, do thin grout lines. Use darker epoxy grout or regular grout then seal it. IF you dont get any water in your garage I would definitly go with real tile.

Well how often do you get have standing water in your garage? And yes, you can get high friction tiles. I wouldn't get too hung up on the price. I managed to buy them cheap, I have since then seen other deals, for other tiles. As long as you are not super picky on colors, it should not be that hard to find.

Yes I get snow. Yes it gets slippery if you jump into it. Otherwise, I have only slipped once, but that is when I ran into the garage as it was open on both sides, in a downpour. I was wearing crocks. I managed to stay up. I have a "welcome mat" by both doors now.

 

[47p2]

Thanks to everyone who replied.

I have decided that I'm going down the interlocking tile route so will update once they arrive

 

[47p2]

Finally have the floor covering done.

 

[jlckmj]

Looks sharp!

Jim

 

[Jimmy Knight]

ditto, love the colors

 

[jhelrey]

What brand?

 

[Jack Olsen]

Looks good!

 

[matty d]

Nice! You guys who do tile are crazytown!

 

[47p2]

What brand?

Thanks guys, they are from Eco Tiles here in the UK. I received samples from several companies, but these ones stood out from the crowd

 

[47p2]

A few daylight pics