FLOORING in New Garage???????

[Haney]

Flooring??? Man, is this ever a $0.50 question. I am starting to finish the inside of my garage and I think I have my full game plan together except for the flooring. I have read about every post on this site about the topic and to be honest with you, I am just about to say the heck with it and leave it bare concrete! Seems like each product (vct, snap tile, epoxy, stain, …..) has its pros and cons. In my last effort to try and make a decision, I would like to get opinions from the expert garage men on this site….. So, if you have an opinion, I would really, really, like to hear it!

My shop is 30x40 and has brand new, unstained, unused concrete that has cured about 6 months now. It was poured over undisturbed earth (no fill) and 2-3 inches of gravel with a polypropylene vapor barrier. This garage will not be a show room, but a working hobby shop for the restoration / hobby of working on cars. I will be using floor jacks, jack stands, engine hoist, engine stands, etc. I will not be welding in it every day but occasionally will be using a MIG and Stick welder. This floor will see the typical fluids found in this type shop like gas, antifreeze, oil, and ****** fluid.

With the above considerations, what flooring should I use? Hopefully, this will be the garage I will work in until I am dead or the bank takes it, so what ever I do; I want to be satisfied with it. I would really, really like to have a black and grey checkerboard floor like some of you guys have done, but I just really don't see it being practical for what I am going to use my garage for…. Do you? Would VCT hold up in this environment? Racedeck would be a stretch on my budget for a garage this size……..

Anyway, as soon as I get a nice day, I am going to snap some pictures and post and then post my layout drawing for the inside and make a proper introduction of myself……

Thanks in advance for any thoughts, comments or opinions…. From what I can tell, this is a great site with a lot of very helpful, knowledgeable people. Thanks for letting me join…..

Jamie in Piney Flats, Tennessee

 

[bmwpower]

Even after all my problems, I still feel like epoxy is the only way to go.

 

[OHEKK]

I'm also contemplating the floor options.

Because my foors are old, patched, cracked, uneven and stained, I think my best option is some type of ceramic / quarry tile. I've layed tile before and though it's a big job, it's something I can easily do in sections. Patterns can be as creative as you want.

I'm seeing more car dealerships using tile in their service area.

I think I could do it for under $1 a foot...That's cheaper than any of the other options.

It is certainly durable, impervious to stains and looks nice!

 

[GearHead_1]

Even after all my problems, I still feel like epoxy is the only way to go.

I didn't have a bunch of problems, but I second this opinion. It was quite a bit of work.

 

[OBH]

Even after all my problems, I still feel like epoxy is the only way to go.

I would agree also

 

[GearHead_1]

impervious to stains

Natural stone will stain. Fired or glazed ceramic/porcelain probably wouldn't be as bad.

 

[OldCarGuy]

Epoxy the best choice

I have tried painted, vinyl tile, ceramic tile, just sealed, and epoxy. My personal preference would be a high VOC Epoxy. It looks great under show cars and holds up very well in a working shop.

 

[Luckydevil]

Don't forget, you can get that Racedeck black and white checker look by using black and white epoxy. It takes a bit of extra work, but if I had to do it all over again that is what I would do.

 

[REFLEXX]

Just got my epoxy-coat. +1 more for two-part.

Beyond the other reasons listed before, I'd like to add the fact that you can "touch-up" damaged sections.

 

[bmwpower]

Don't forget, you can get that Racedeck black and white checker look by using black and white epoxy. It takes a bit of extra work, but if I had to do it all over again that is what I would do.

Oh man, that would definitely be more work... but you'd be the first person I've seen with that type of epoxy design.

 

[Luckydevil]

There was a guy on here that actually did it and it came out awesome.

check this out... http://www.garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=792&highlight=black+white+epoxy

 

[bmwpower]

One more thing about epoxy...

... you want a certain shade of color "x"? You can get the color tuned to your liking (with certain epoxies, Sherwin Williams Armorseal is one of them). Try to do that with plastic tiles.

 

[bmwpower]

There was a guy on here that actually did it and it came out awesome.

check this out... http://www.garagejunkies.net/showthread.php?t=792&highlight=black+white+epoxy

Totally forgot about that one. Looks sweet! I guess the possibilities are endless if you think about it.

 

[dboat]

I think that part of anyone's decision making has to involve "where" you live. I live in the NE and during this time of year, we track in snow and dirt only to have the snow melt and end up having a lot of dirt on the floor. I am leaning towards Racedeck freeflow so that the water and dirt can drop beneath the flooring, plus it will have a little insulating property to it when you are crawling around on the floor. If I lived in a more temperate climate, then epoxy may be a better option.
I also tend to move every few years and would be able to take my floor with me..
Dana

 

[Haney]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies!!!! Even before I made this post, I was leaning towards an epoxy if I did anything to the floor.

I hope to get some good pictures this weekend of my new shop and get them posted....

 

[JohnZ]

I had mine done almost six years ago by Home Pro Floors (www.homeprofloors.com), four months after my slab was poured. I laid 10-mil poly on the tamped soil, 4x8 sheets of 5/8"-thick high-density closed-cell foam with heavy foil on both sides as insulation and a secondary moisture barrier over the poly, mesh and 4" concrete over that. HomePro came in and steel shot-blasted the floor, spread the first coat of 2-part industrial epoxy resin, came back 24 hours later and spread the second coat, tinted the light gray I wanted, with a light sprinkle of fine silica sand for anti-slip when it's wet. Turnkey job six years ago (2500 sq. ft.) was $1.92/sq.ft. The light color and high reflectivity about doubles the lighting effectiveness in the garage too.

It's absolutely indestructible - won't chip or peel, and is impervious to any automotive chemical, including brake fluid; tires don't stain it, and hot tires won't stain or lift it either. It's super-easy to keep clean - I just sweep it with a soft-bristle push broom, and just hose all the winter snow/ice/salt crud out the door on the side where the daily drivers are when spring comes. It still looks like it was coated yesterday - best investment I ever made in a garage.

 

[REFLEXX]

Dboat!

What you stated about the dirt droping thru is the exact reason NOT to go with that kind of flooring.

If the **** gets below the floor. how do you ever get it out??? You now have a dirt floor for life!?! Or am I missing something?

 

[dboat]

Reflexx...

See the reason to have the Racedeck is so that you dont have to walk thru the dirt and it does fall to the floor.. then once Spring hits, you take a broom and slide the handle under the joint between two tiles. This will set them apart.. you can then do this for this area, slide the whole thing out, rinse down the floor and pop the tiles (as a large unit) back together again.
We were fortunate this year in that we had a spell of warm weather and we went ahead and backed out the cars and swept up the dirt, then rinsed the rest down the drain. (We will clean out the drain catch later) So we have a clean floor for now. But it looks like the weather will be back to normal in a week, so more snow and slush ahead.
The proces above is done by quite a few Racedeck owners that swear it is very easy to do and you do it once a year or so..
In our installation, we would put the Freeflow under the cars but have the solid surface type of tile for walkways and workareas..
Hope this helps..
Dana

 

[e-tek]

Re: Epoxy the best choice

When you say High VOC Epoxy, are you saying NO to Water-based ones (U-Coat)?? I am going to Epoxy this summer and was going to go U-COAT...unless you know High VOC is that much better.

 

[wachuko]

It amazes me that not many people here use actual porcelain tiles for the garage. The cost is less than those plastic ones and durability is far more than any other option available.

I have install tiles in the garage of every home I have owned. No issues with the cars, or tools, or anything that is done in the garage.

I always get the ones that the color is the same across the thickness of the tile so that if a tool falls and happens to chip the tile you will not notice it. There are no worries of oil, water, etc., going under the tile like with the plastic ones, or tiles unglueing like the vinyl tiles, you can get them non-slip, easy to clean and maintain… and with the way most floors are done, there is no prep work required (worst case scenario you have to level the floor to avoid issues with uneven tiles).

I have done welding, sanding, steel cutting, mechanic work (with your typical oil spills), etc. and the tiles have held up great (these are .78 tiles!).

Anyway, all that to tell you that you should also consider porcelain tiles as an option. Garage would look as nice as the inside of the house with no worries about maintenance.

Just my two cents of course.

 

[terry1769]

Wachuko,
My concern would be less with the tiles and more with the grout. How do you keep it from getting utterly nasty in a garage/shop environment?

 

[WolverineCoatings]

When you say High VOC Epoxy, are you saying NO to Water-based ones (U-Coat)?? I am going to Epoxy this summer and was going to go U-COAT...unless you know High VOC is that much better.

I think he meant a solventborne epoxy... NOT water. However, what you really want is a 100% solids system. NO WATER... NO SOLVENT!

 

[wachuko]

Wachuko,
My concern would be less with the tiles and more with the grout. How do you keep it from getting utterly nasty in a garage/shop environment?

Here you go, from another thread on the subject:

If you are worried about the grout, try the following Exoxy Grout:

http://www.laticrete.com/DoItYourself/Products/EpoxyGrout/tabid/224/Default.aspx