Garage floor for Welding

[Jack Olsen]

No, dropping a 5-lb hammer from any height is not going to damage properly set porcelain tiles. I've dropped MUCH heavier stuff on my ceramic tile (like a Wilton vice falling off of a workbench). I've rolled 500# engines over it perched on floor jacks. In the video that's been shown, I'm not dropping a hammer, I'm HITTING the tiles with a sledge hammer hard enough to make the camera (that's sitting a few feet away) jump on the concrete.

Tile is about on par with concrete for welding slag, which is to say you'll leave tiny burn marks -- which shouldn't bother anyone with a working shop. I weld all the time in my garage. I've found that grinding (sometimes) generates more, widespread slag. If it's clear I'm going to be leaving a lot of molten metal beneath me, I'll put down a welding blanket.

 

[Angelfire]

It's not a premise. It has been well documented in the flooring forum and elsewhere for years. Every time it comes up in the flooring forum, someone without personal knowledge says the same thing you did here. And it gets rebutted by multiple people with personal knowledge. There is a thread called can your floor do this or something like that. To call Jack Olsen's garage not a working garage is somewhat silly--and he didn't use fancy commercial tiles but the cheapest ones he could find on clearance. My rectified porcelain tiles are even much stronger than that.

I have personally dropped wrenches and my hammer drill and several other items I can't recall from about 7 or 8 feet when I building my soffit. Not a scratch Racing teams have used them. People have pulled engines, dropped engines, jacked up cars, jack stands, rolled heavy equipment, fork lifts, etc. If anyone cares to educate themselves, search porcelain in the flooring forum; I sure am glad I did.

Here's the thread you reference BDamico....

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95966

Here's another I recalled....looks like a working garage complete with a transmission dropping 3ft without a scratch...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305707

 

[rsnip988]

How is the grout when it comes to staining/chipping? (My kitchen grout is Stained horribly after 10 years but it was a light tan...) also I would think sweeping would take a bit longer than a flat floor. The tile floors look great though and the testimonials seem to back up the durability!

 

[bdamico]

How is the grout when it comes to staining/chipping? (My kitchen grout is Stained horribly after 10 years but it was a light tan...) also I would think sweeping would take a bit longer than a flat floor. The tile floors look great though and the testimonials seem to back up the durability!

I would go with dark grout and you would be fine. I went with epoxy grout that will never stain or have any difficulty. If you look at my tile, I have close to 0 grout line so it is not an issue. Maintenance has been 0 other than blowing out the dust and leaves once in a while.

I've had epoxy and was going to do it again but was lucky enough to find some porcelain threads because great people like Jack and Dakota have given great information. It has been one of the best things I have done. That's why I push so hard trying to correct the misconceptions and help people find the way.

 

[fred d]

I go into car dealerships all the time that have tile floors.
Most of the new ones are tile. That tells me that it must be proven durable because we all know they take serious abuse.

If they drop something, there is not a lot of worry by the person who drops

 

[Milton Shaw]

The best finish I have seen on concrete is a product called Masterplate 200. It is a shake on hard coating that is applied after the first floating of the concrete. This means that it is cured into the concrete and not a finish put on the top. Firestone Stores built in the early 80's had this finish on the floor. They have held up extremely well and are very easily cleaned with soap (tide etc). They have damage from things dropped on them after 45 years, they are showing wear and damage but they have had a lot of abuse over the last 45 years. Google Masterplate 200 and it will bring up a list that you can scroll down and find the one that says concrete floor additive. It was about $2 a square foot when I checked on it 20 years ago but it really works and comes in several colors. It does take someone that is familiar with the application to be ready to do it when the concrete is being poured to get it sprinkled on right.

 

[Garage Josh]

I've personally worked in a body shop that had some heavy duty tiles that we abused the hell out of with dropping heavy stuff from engines and transmissons to welding, and chemical abuse of paint drips and spills. I can get the misconception most people have because they probably picture the tile in a kitchen or bathroom. Not applied the same, and not the same type of tile. I don't know the type that was in that shop, but after the initial shock of dropping heavy stuff a few times happened, we went about working without a worry of damaging the tile.

I will note the tile was a medium gray color with various speckled grayscale patterns so that help hide welding slag damage and so on.

 

[BikerDad]

Bare concrete is the best floor for all garage related uses. IMO

no, it isn't. It ***** for woodworking. For mechanical and metal working, I agree with you, but one busted handplane on a concrete floor will convince you otherwise when woodworking is the activity.

 

[My Old Tools]

no, it isn't. It ***** for woodworking. For mechanical and metal working, I agree with you, but one busted handplane on a concrete floor will convince you otherwise when woodworking is the activity.

He is correct.

 

[BellyUpFish]

I have sealed, stained concrete, which works the same as bare concrete as far as no damage from welding slag/spatter.

Does oil clean up better off of a sealed floor?

 

[Blazinzuk]

I wouldn't want tile in my garage. Why? It hurts more to fall on than concrete. Seriously I would be worried about breaking whatever I dropped on tile.

 

[Tbonedog]

Thanks for all the comments. I think ceramic is out of my price range, so I think I'm going to go with polished. Any opinions on diy vrs hiring a pro? Not sure about getting a stain. I'm leaning towards a simple grey, but I don't know what's under the three different colors of chipping paint currently on the floor. Thanks again everyone.


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[My Old Tools]

To get stain to take you'll probably have to grind it

 

[jomobco]

Straight up concrete raw uncoated.

yup!

 

[OldracerJones]

I used a premium, 23 mil thick epoxy and it still retains marks form sparks and slag. Bare concrete is best.

 

[justanengineer]

IMO bare, polished concrete is the best. Polished properly it will reflect overhead lights similar, but not as well as sealed concrete will and is pretty dam resistant to spills and burns. If youve got an old floor buffer its easy to touch up too.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Thanks for all the comments. I think ceramic is out of my price range, so I think I'm going to go with polished. Any opinions on diy vrs hiring a pro? Not sure about getting a stain. I'm leaning towards a simple grey, but I don't know what's under the three different colors of chipping paint currently on the floor. Thanks again everyone.


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What does it cost to polish concrete? My tiles were .59/sf.

 

[FANTM58]

My bare concrete floor was a mess. Had an epoxy coating applied. Not good for welding, which I do every weekend.

I lay down welding blankets on the floor to protect the floor, works great.

Hey I read where you stained and sealed your concrete garage floor
And said it is holding up to welding ETC.
What product did you use, and would you do it again "
Thanks
Robert H

 

[A**holes Garage]

Hey I read where you stained and sealed your concrete garage floor
And said it is holding up to welding ETC.
What product did you use, and would you do it again "
Thanks
Robert H

Nope, no stain, my floor has a Sherwin Williams polymer. Floor is holding up great, no issues with regular car use.

I do a lot of welding so I do place a welders blanket whenever I weld. Epoxy, polymer floors don't do well with hot slag, etc.