Thinking about tiling some areas of my shop where I keep my welding table (300-400 lbs?) Drill press, tool boxes, horizontal bandsaw, lista cabinet etc. Well I also store a boat (3500 lbs) in the winter where I would want to tile. I also have a forklift with air filled rubber tires, and it weighs about 7,000 lbs. Wondering if I could park the forklift, boat etc on the tile. I would only drive the forklift on the tile to put my lista box and welding table back on the tile after the installation. Is it possible for a $1 porcelain tile from lowes to stand up to this? Expoxy is out because of the nature of my old floor and all the cracks. Thanks
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Forklift on Tile?
- Thread starter Crawlin
- Start date
blacksporty
Well-known member
I think that it would be a tough application, might get some cracks. I had VCT in my print shop, it help up very well, easy to get looking new again. When equipment that was several 1000s of lbs was moved by huge forklifts it held up, not sure how it would do with the welding sparks/slag.
Thinking about tiling some areas of my shop where I keep my welding table (300-400 lbs?) Drill press, tool boxes, horizontal bandsaw, lista cabinet etc. Well I also store a boat (3500 lbs) in the winter where I would want to tile. I also have a forklift with air filled rubber tires, and it weighs about 7,000 lbs. Wondering if I could park the forklift, boat etc on the tile. I would only drive the forklift on the tile to put my lista box and welding table back on the tile after the installation. Is it possible for a $1 porcelain tile from lowes to stand up to this? Expoxy is out because of the nature of my old floor and all the cracks. Thanks
Good tile put down correctly with no gaps in thinset is a strong as the concrete it sits on.
JakeKohl
Well-known member
Good tile put down correctly with no gaps in thinset is a strong as the concrete it sits on.
Or stronger...It really is denser than concrete and as bdamico says, as long as you have a good install, it is stronger and more durable than the concrete it is mounted to.
cyamaha2007
Well-known member
I had no idea that was true. I have tile in my shop at work and its cracked from people dropping tools and round stock falling off the band saw. I guess they used cheap tile. Its not even old and looks nice except for all the broken tiles.
I had no idea that was true. I have tile in my shop at work and its cracked from people dropping tools and round stock falling off the band saw. I guess they used cheap tile. Its not even old and looks nice except for all the broken tiles.
perhaps and/or thinset not put down properly for garage.
cyamaha2007
Well-known member
They complain when it gets damaged since its porcelain industrial tile. But i guess instillation is key like everything else.
2 weeks after my floor was done- I was helping a friend change a ****** on my lift.
Cheap modified HF deal- trans 5 ft in the air on his jury rigged trans lift on a pole. When friend went to roll it- a strap let go & we stood there & watched the trans slip forward & fall 5ft to the floor- pan down.
Broke the edge off the bellhousing, smashed up his pretty chrome pan,
Did nothing to my floor. Not a crack or even a chip. A small mark on tile cleaned up w/ a green scrubber.
Would have gouged the bare concrete for sure.
Cheap modified HF deal- trans 5 ft in the air on his jury rigged trans lift on a pole. When friend went to roll it- a strap let go & we stood there & watched the trans slip forward & fall 5ft to the floor- pan down.
Broke the edge off the bellhousing, smashed up his pretty chrome pan,
Did nothing to my floor. Not a crack or even a chip. A small mark on tile cleaned up w/ a green scrubber.
Would have gouged the bare concrete for sure.
AmericanGarageFloor
Member
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2012
- Messages
- 23
Thinking about tiling some areas of my shop where I keep my welding table (300-400 lbs?) Drill press, tool boxes, horizontal bandsaw, lista cabinet etc. Well I also store a boat (3500 lbs) in the winter where I would want to tile. I also have a forklift with air filled rubber tires, and it weighs about 7,000 lbs. Wondering if I could park the forklift, boat etc on the tile. I would only drive the forklift on the tile to put my lista box and welding table back on the tile after the installation. Is it possible for a $1 porcelain tile from lowes to stand up to this? Expoxy is out because of the nature of my old floor and all the cracks. Thanks
Well, its no $1 tile, but our premium and premier garage floor tiles are designed for forklift applications. I cant tell you the number of government and industrial jobs we have done using these products. The secret with PVC tile is if you have an area where the lift will be doing tight turns with heavy loads adhere the tiles in that area.
The NEW American Garage Floor
800-401-4537
kmcphee
Well-known member
I agree with both bdamico & JakeKohl.........its all in the install. Done properly its a fantastic garage floor.
PS***I sell forklifts for a living and have seen / sold many machines used on tile. Some of the granite guys I deal with park 4,000 lb slabs on wheels on tile in their showrooms.
PS***I sell forklifts for a living and have seen / sold many machines used on tile. Some of the granite guys I deal with park 4,000 lb slabs on wheels on tile in their showrooms.
Thanks for the replies. I should be more specific and say there will be a lip where the tile starts because I am not doing the whole floor (5,000 sq ft total) So I am now worried the forklift with break the edge of the tile where the existing slab and tile meet. Would an aluminum or metal piece solve this? Thanks guys, you all have me really wanting to do the tile
Dakota00
Well-known member
Being in the business, like mentioned above the key to having a chip and broken tile free floor is the installation. On a few of the jobs I've done, there were forklifts, bobcats, backhoes, zoom booms and dump trucks driving over some of my installations and never was there any issues with the floors. Many people fail to understand the strength of a properly installed tiled floor.
I would recommend using an edge protecting profile, which will help against marring the edge of the tiles and adds a nice finishing touch to the edge.
I would recommend using an edge protecting profile, which will help against marring the edge of the tiles and adds a nice finishing touch to the edge.
You guys have a lot more experience than me on tile but I would think a bang on the floor with forks would break that tile to ****. Everywhere I have been its been bare concrete,sealed concrete or epoxy with fork lifts,dozers and back hoes.
You guys are eye opening,and I mean that in a good way. I'm more open mined to tile I always thought it was fragile to impacts.
You guys are eye opening,and I mean that in a good way. I'm more open mined to tile I always thought it was fragile to impacts.
You guys have a lot more experience than me on tile but I would think a bang on the floor with forks would break that tile to ****. Everywhere I have been its been bare concrete,sealed concrete or epoxy with fork lifts,dozers and back hoes.
You guys are eye opening,and I mean that in a good way. I'm more open mined to tile I always thought it was fragile to impacts.
tile stronger than concrete
JakeKohl
Well-known member
The installation key that is being referred to here is to get as close to 100% solid thinset under the tile. If you have big air gaps the tile isn't supported well and will fracture with impact over that gap. In a typical installation, the notched trowel is used to stand up the bed of thinset so you can level the tiles as you go. Air gaps in the valleys isn't THAT big of a deal (but you still try to reduce them). You still use the notched trowel over a concrete installation but to get the tile to be durable, the notches need to be formed properly (search youtube) and the pressure to put the tile needs to be just right to squeeze 90% or more of the air gap out from under the tile. Special attention to get the correct notched trowel is also important. Back-buttering the tile also helps substantially.