Flooring options for dual-use garge?

[Jakl]

Hey everyone! My family is about to relocate to a new home in the next month, and I would really like to have the garage flooring figured out prior to getting there and before the movers drop everything off.

We have a 3 car garage, about 38'x20', and will be used for parking 2 cars and our woodshop. We're not professional woodworkers or anything, just hobbyists, but we want to have a nice space set up to work. The single bay door will be the primary space for wood working, and the double door will be primary for parking cars. Most of our shop equipment is on casters, so we want to have the option of shifting things around and kicking the middle car out of the garage temporarily if we have a large project we're working on. The last bay will be solely for parking a car.

We'll call spot A the spot where a car will always be parked (garage queen)
Spot B will be the flex spot, mainly for parking the daily, but can be used to expand the shop as necessary
Spot C will be the dedicated wood shop

So all that being said, obviously there are ideal floor types for both situations, but is there a one-size-fits-all type floor, or does anyone have an example of 2 different floors?

For the wood shop, obviously some kind of OSB or wood tile is best, since the tools are quite heavy and the casters don't distribute the weight much. Rubber is also an option, but it would have to be very firm to prevent the wheels from sinking into it. Epoxy is also an option, but not preferred due to no protection if a chisel or some other edged tool is dropped it would nick the epoxy and probably gouge up the edge of the tool. Granted, I could just be NOT clumsy and alleviate that issue.

Swisstrax or Racedeck sound awesome, but would only be an option under the first car since I don't see a way for any of the tools to roll across the ribs without putting up a fight.

A couple solutions I had in mind overall:
1. Spot A has some sort of snap-together plastic tile, spot B and C have epoxy (or epoxy under the whole floor and tile over just spot A)

2. Ribtrax or similar under spot A, and some sort of non-slotted tile under spots B and C

3. OSB under the entire garage and Ribtrax on top of the OSB on spot A

Any other options? Could just epoxy the entire thing and not worry about transitioning the floor types at all.

 

[ddawg16]

Welcome to GJ.....from a fellow native Texan (now living in California).....and congrats on the house....

I would suggest spending some time in the floor section...tons of info there. I originally came to GJ looking at floor options. The end result, I did nothing.....yet. I have more projects than common sense....once I get some of my projects done....then it will be time for floor.

Look at the links in my signature....you will understand.

I'm an avid wood worker....scratch all your ideas above for the wood section. If you don't epoxy, don't do anything. Saw dust will get into everything.....if you drop a heavy tool on tile, you break the tile. OSB? In a few years it will look like ****....not to mention having wood against concrete.

If it was me, I'd do nothing right now. Move in....get the rest of the house sorted. The floor should be one of the last things you do. Too easy to damage it while configuring the garage. THEN start planning out the garage. What you think you want right now will change after you move in.

By then, all of us will be more than glad to help you change it.

 

[Gotcha640]

I think the wood tile is interesting if you know that will be the wood area. Especially if you're talking something like 2x2x3/4 ish ply or osb that you will cut, and replace as needed.

I'd be tempted to do that, but about every three months, all the big stuff (tool chest, table saw, planer, drill press, assembly table, 69 beetle) comes out for a thorough clean out. If the ply stays in the back half, it's another lip to roll over, if it comes out, it's another task.

Also, sometimes we get caught in the rain in the beetle, and it gets brought in wet. I already have my lumber off the floor and cement/fertilizer/charcoal in buckets, so keeping those tiles dry would be another concern. If it's a separate room, great, but it sounds like one open area.

 

[Armorpoxy]

A sealer system (densifier and sealer) like Ghostshield could be good as since it penetrates and is not topical, it can't get damaged, but protects the floor from fluids, and makes it much easier to keep clean.