flooring for a working garage

[txturbo]

I'm preparing to build a 40x60 shop. I don't really want to leave bare concrete. Has anyone ever coated a floor that is actually worked in? I will be pulling motors and rolling around engine stands with weight on them and my 4 post lift has steel wheels that I will be rolling around.. Is there something that will stand up to this? Should I tile it? Stain it?

 

[JABBERJAWZ]

I stained my floor. It did not hold up.

 

[Shea]

A properly installed multi-coat epoxy system with a polyurethane top coat will stand up to a working garage like what you described. So will a porcelain tiled garage floor. You can stain as well, just remember that stain only colors the concrete. You would need to apply a multiple coat clear epoxy system over it to get the protection that you want.

Keep in mind that activities such as welding and heavy grinding can still create burn marks to a coated or tiled garage floor.

You can get more info about epoxy floors here and how well porcelain tiled floors do in a garage here.

 

[bdamico]

Funny. This thread title does come up often

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=19553158

 

[iceman5]

I coated my 2 car garage we had 3 houses ago and it held up well with routine floor jack and jack stand work on 4000# cars.

I used U-Coat at that time with their top coat sealer. The only thing that I didn't like was that I used their "traction" compound. I followed their directions but I would have been better off just sprinkling the sand into the painted floor rather than trying to roll it on with the roller.

 

[machsnell]

i am curious also and instead of epoxy i have been researching polyurea flooring.

You can first prime then apply epoxy color and then chips or just color and then either have someone spray with special equipment a two part polyurea coating which is supposedly much tougher than epoxy on.

When sprayed by the pros i think it is expensive and is cured and ready to walk and work on very quickly.

They do have homeowner type kits that give a little more work time and are roll on but i dont know if they have the same type of strength that the pro stuff does.

I will be ready to do my floor in the next two months and will be pricing and reasearching more soon.

 

[JCQuick]

I did my floor in U-coat it 9 years ago we are always fixing cars and trucks in that garage and it has held up well IMO. I do have some scratches from having to drag or slide some things but I only see them when I'm cleaning the floor.

My new shop I'm not sure what I'm going to use yet

 

[Angelfire]

Porcelain and be done with it.

Search as this has been discussed ad nauseum.

 

[txturbo]

yeah I know and I did....and got nauseated at the number of threads with no good solution. Don't have days to sit and read through all of them. I want a smooth floor, not something with grout lines and I've seen tiles crack under load. I don't know any tile guys that I could trust not to leave voids either. I guess as long as it will seal the concrete so oil wont stain and I can just mop it up that would be ok. Anyone just used clear POR-15 to seal concrete?
I bought some concrete sealer a few years ago to use in my basement but haven't applied it yet. Its called Radon Seal. It penetrates the concrete to a depth of 4 inches and hardens. Its suppose to strengthen and seal out just about everything except acids. Anyone tried this stuff on a shop floor?

 

[hh76]

yeah I know and I did....and got nauseated at the number of threads with no good solution. Don't have days to sit and read through all of them. I want a smooth floor, not something with grout lines and I've seen tiles crack under load. I don't know any tile guys that I could trust not to leave voids either. I guess as long as it will seal the concrete so oil wont stain and I can just mop it up that would be ok. Anyone just used clear POR-15 to seal concrete?
I bought some concrete sealer a few years ago to use in my basement but haven't applied it yet. Its called Radon Seal. It penetrates the concrete to a depth of 4 inches and hardens. Its suppose to strengthen and seal out just about everything except acids. Anyone tried this stuff on a shop floor?

And you thought this thread would be any different? I think the moral to the story is that there is no one, good answer. Flooring is full of strong opinions, and a lot of people are closed minded about anything other than their favorite.

Pick a budget, find a couple options within, choose one and never look back.

 

[Shea]

And you thought this thread would be any different? I think the moral to the story is that there is no one, good answer. Flooring is full of strong opinions, and a lot of people are closed minded about anything other than their favorite.

So true! It's like asking who makes the best truck. It depends on what you want to use it for, how much you want to spend, and how pretty you want it to be.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I'm preparing to build a 40x60 shop. I don't really want to leave bare concrete. Has anyone ever coated a floor that is actually worked in? I will be pulling motors and rolling around engine stands with weight on them and my 4 post lift has steel wheels that I will be rolling around.. Is there something that will stand up to this? Should I tile it? Stain it?

I prefer PVC flooring because of the anti-fatigue if the floor is going to be used constantly. Have a look at our NORSK and TrueLock PVC products. The NORSK provide greater anti fatigue.

If you are going to go with coatings, take a few minutes and list out the automotive and cleaning chemicals you think the floor would be exposed to. Then request the CR sheet from various manufacturers of the different top coats.

I would go with a full broadcast or quartz system. I would only use one color, so if you drop small parts, you can find them. I would use a primer no matter what.

Whoever you are speaking with to make a purchase should ask if you are working with the bay doors open or shut. If you have open bay doors for extended periods of time, you should consider higher levels of UV resistance.

 

[JamesMurphy]

I prefer epoxy coatings. What I had was concrete floors but it was very damaged in certain areas. So I tried a mix of epoxy coatings and hardener over the concrete which I’ve got done from Proseal flooring ( http://www.epoxytoronto.com/products-services/epoxy-overlayments/ ) It stayed shiny for about 7 years. It’s a cost efficient flooring solution. Also it’s very easy to clean. I think it would be perfect for your shop.

 

[mnavillus]

I have installed many epoxy floors systems(particularly a 100% flaked floors) in working garages with oils leaks egine lifts and etc.....If the surface preparations are done correctly up front (I prefer to utilize a diamond brush processes) and you utilize a good quality epoxy primer, 100% broadcast flakes and a couple coats of a good urethane......I have seen these systems perform for many many years!!!

good luck!
Mark

 

[lakeroadster]

Define what a working garage is to you. Opinions will vary.

Concrete is great... why do anything to it?

I've never understood using any concrete coating in a true "working garage".

For me, a working garage is defined as one where welding, grinding, torch cutting, painting, etc. takes place.

 

[BeachBoy]

you can simply put a siliconate densifier in it. It won't look any different that your current concrete but will slow liquid absorbtion (the time to wipe it) and harden the surface (no dusting).

If you want cool looking then it's a different story.

 

[Wes Tex]

I agree with Lakeroadster. If you really plan to work in a garage doing welding and moving heavy equipment, nothing is better than smooth concrete.

 

[mustangmike6996]

Every dealership or industrial shop I worked in had coated floors and they held up very well. Im talking about these floors takings a ton of abuse! I have seen a transmission fall 3 feet onto the ground and put a tiny chip. Dropping control arms and ball joints etc, maybe scratch.

Now, on the other hand, I worked in a tire shop that had a low grade/low cost floor and that stuff sucked. stay wet too long and it would peel or come up. Much of the durability goes into how you prep it. Does it look nice, yes. Is it better than bare concrete, depends. If you are going to weld for weeks at a time and have a light colored floor, you will then have a light colored floor with a black/brown spatter stain of burn marks. If you spill oil often, you wipe it up and no harm no foul-not like concrete which is virtually an instant stain and requires some scrubbing with chemicals

 

[A_Pmech]

I've worked in shops with uncoated floors and they're like working in a dark, dirty, oily dungeon. It's impossible to keep the floor clean, so it ends up turning an oily brown that soaks up all the light in the shop. Ick!

Here's a post I've linked to a few times in the past on the subject:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3730274&postcount=8