Garage flooring advice

[houtan]

Long time lurker on the forums and now in the process of updating my garage (finally!)

Of course I have over analyzed everything (Lighting, Cabinets, Paint, Outlet placement, etc).

I am at a crossroads on the flooring and would be grateful if some of the experts here can point me in the right direction.

I have always wanted some sort of coating on my garage floor. I am an amateur mechanic and work on cars as a hobby. My initial fear was I would coat my floor and then be concerned of damaging it every time I put a car on jack stands. Then I found a local company that installs a product called spartaflex (which from what I understand is a polyaspartic) and they have assured me jack stands wouldn't damage the coating. And if it did, it was covered under warranty as well as damage from performance tires. So I guess I am covered there.

The other issue is moisture. My home was built before 2004 so there is no vapor barrier between the soil and my foundation. The representative had some sort of device that said there was moisture in the foundation. They said they could seal the floor with some sort of moisture primer which would take care of an issues from moisture. My concern is, am I ruining the cement by coating the garage floor and trapping the moisture in? The rep said it is possible if the foundation was poor quality. I am assuming mine is not based on the fact that many homes in the area have some sort of coating and I have not heard of any issuess.

So, the warranty from moisture damage is 3 yrs, warranty on the coating for any other damage is 15yrs. Garage measures 20X21 and the estimate $2,800. Install will probably take a day and half. Hear is a link to the company: http://www.perkinscustomcoatings.com/spartaflex/about-polyaspartics.php

What do you guys think? Is the price fair? Would you be concerned about the moisture causing any negative effects to the cement? Should I go with a different kind of flooring? I have done a lot of reading, but there are soo many products and options I really don't know which way to go.

houtan

 

[pioneer1]

I wouldn't chance it for that cost. Look at tiles, maybe PVC tiles. Supratile by ArmorPoxy.com or PVC tiles by Garageflooringllc.com. I love my Ribbed flow through tiles, but when using a jack or jack stands I do have to put a board under them so they don't damage the tiles. I actually bought new stands ESCO stands to replace my jack stands. It's not that big of deal since I don't do it that often. I considered the PVC tiles, check them out.

 

[houtan]

I wouldn't chance it for that cost. Look at tiles, maybe PVC tiles. Supratile by ArmorPoxy.com or PVC tiles by Garageflooringllc.com. I love my Ribbed flow through tiles, but when using a jack or jack stands I do have to put a board under them so they don't damage the tiles. I actually bought new stands ESCO stands to replace my jack stands. It's not that big of deal since I don't do it that often. I considered the PVC tiles, check them out.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. So what product did you go with?

My main concern with the tile was damage from jack stands and also would the stands be stable and safe. Sounds like it will be as long as i use a board under my current jack stands or get something like ESCO's that have the solid base.

I will reach out to both companies to get an idea of what they would recommend as well and post back.

 

[houtan]

So i am getting samples of the SupraTile and the TrueLock HD Extreme. The TrueLock tile is a half inch thick and has channels below it for ventilation. Would that be the best fit in my scenario? Both companies said jack stands shouldn't be an issue and for extra protection i could always add a tile under the stand if needed. I would be willing to do that.

 

[Garage Flooring]

So i am getting samples of the SupraTile and the TrueLock HD Extreme. The TrueLock tile is a half inch thick and has channels below it for ventilation. Would that be the best fit in my scenario? Both companies said jack stands shouldn't be an issue and for extra protection i could always add a tile under the stand if needed. I would be willing to do that.

Supratile is a PVC product that we do not sell. TrueLock HDXT / HD Extreme is a 1/2" Polypropelene tile. Night and day comparison. The TrueLock PVC would be a closer style (also PVC). TrueLock tiles are all American Made though.

You might find this article helpful https://www.garageflooringllc.com/2020-guide-to-garage-flooring/


If you decide to go with PVC make sure you have black tiles under the tires as they can stain. I went with the HDXT in my own garage. I like that they don't stain and that they allow moisture to exit.

Justin Krauss
GarageFlooringLLC.com

 

[houtan]

Thanks.

Any recommendations on what to do with the concrete footing? If I were to get a floor coating I believe this would be coated as well. But what if tiles are installed? Is there some sort of baseboard?

 

[pioneer1]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. So what product did you go with?

My main concern with the tile was damage from jack stands and also would the stands be stable and safe. Sounds like it will be as long as i use a board under my current jack stands or get something like ESCO's that have the solid base.

I will reach out to both companies to get an idea of what they would recommend as well and post back.

Went with garageflooringllc.com Truelock HD Ribbed Flow Through and love it.

Thanks.

Any recommendations on what to do with the concrete footing? If I were to get a floor coating I believe this would be coated as well. But what if tiles are installed? Is there some sort of baseboard?

Could use a vinyl base and glue it up, and if that wasn't tall enough to cover, then paint with concrete paint.

 

[rsanter]

At work we used to have the floor coating bubble / de-laminate every couple,
years because of moisture below/in the slab. We used to have to have them come in in repair the coating hat the concrete was always always wet and moldy-funky.

After a few times I got mad and decided we would do,with no coating. I had the floor ground and polished. Now once a year I have them cut me in and do a strip and wax .
We run fork lifts on it and we have lots of traffic on that floor. Most of the time all the floor gets is a dust mop or dry mop other than the yearly strip and wax. And the floor looks great, better than it ever did with the coating and with much less work

 

[Armorpoxy]

Most of our clients use a color matched acrylic or enamel on the perimeters since they get no actual traffic.

As for a moisture barrier we have never had the coating ruin the concrete, the worse that could happen is it peeled if not installed properly. The only way to get a proper procedure is to do moisture tests of the floor with kits we carry.

We also offer a special Spartacote pigmented combo moisture barrier/epoxy that can be flecked ontoand then topcoated with polyaspartic.

 

[Gentleman Adventurer]

Houtan;
At over $6.00 per sq ft for the coating you are looking at, I would seriously consider a floor like Racedeck or Swisstrax. I asked the Racedeck folks some questions about using jacks and lifts, heavy tools and tool boxes, and they said the floor would handle every thing. The only thing to be concerned about was using the old 4 corner car stands that had sharp edges. They would poke a hole in the tile. Just put plywood under them. cost was less than $4.00 per sq ft for a 20 x 23 space. Not cheap, but less than the coatings. Disclaimer: I haven't ordered yet, so I can't give a users review, but they seem to get a pretty good review.

 

[CJDave]

RaceDeck Free Flow and use care with jack stands. No regrets after 5 1/2 years of her daily driver dragging in rain, snow, ice, slush, and grit. Cleans up in a flash and drains very quickly. Floor jack and rolling toolbox are no problem. Wouldn't change a thing about my floor. CJDave.

 

[garagecabinet]

I used epoxy flooring in my garage never regretted it.

 

[Cairo94507]

Hello Houtan, If you own the home and are planning on staying put, I would urge you to consider porcelain tile. Sure, the cost is probably 3X what it would be for epoxy, but you will never have issues with it lifting, pealing, staining, etc. Look at Dakota's thread https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212509 on porcelain tile in his garage. His thread convinced me to go with porcelain tile in my 3-car and I absolutely love it. I use my garage and work on cars regularly and have not a single issue. I roll jacks, use jack stands, etc. The key, as you will see if you check out his thread, is preparation, proper installation and of course a high quality porcelain tile. I went with a PEI 5 rating which is commercial level tile. I also went with a 12x12 size and a non-slip finish. I blow my garage out weekly and mop it once a month. Been 2 years so far and I do not regret it one bit. Good luck and regardless, enjoy your garage time. Cheers, Michael (aka Cairo94507)

 

[dacuda]

what about vct(vinyl composite tiles)like in hospitals and walmarts etc.i did my garage 20 yrs ago and held up great.was about .50 cents sq ft back then.needs a polishing a couple times a year and a waxing if you want it showroom perfect.cost start about 1$ sq ft from big box stores and come in many colors.i am currently moving and looking at options for floors in new garage (900 sq ft)and think i will go with vct again.easy to install and replace if one gets damaged and won't kill my budget.it is soft and i do keep some plywood squares on hand for jack stands but is nice and smooth for rolling a jack or tool cart across.

 

[houtan]

Not sure how I missed these posts.

So I have been preoccupied with my garage light install, which I just finished. And now I am focusing on the floor. Lighting thread is here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=447644&showall=1

@Cairo94507. It’s funny you post the use of porcelain tile because I came to my post to ask about it! I am staying here forever, and some additional research pointed me to porcelain. I also read Dakota’s thread. I think this is the right material for me. I also like the possibility of doing the floor myself. Although I am completely overwhelmed at the thought of it right now haha. I think my garage concrete seems to be a good candidate as well. Two potential issues: There are some tiny surface cracks that I can see but not feel, and I have one awww cover thingy so not sure what to do with that (pictures below).

Do you have a link to the tile you used or something similar? I’m having a hard tome finding tile.

@dacuda: thank you for the information. Any links to what you plan to use?

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

For whatever it's worth I too have been agonizing over what floor to put in my new-to-me garage.

I had pretty much decided on VCT because I didn't want to spend the dough for a professional epoxy job while also not really trusting I would know a good, experienced company from a loosey-goosey one. And then there is the cost.

But then Bikerneil posted pics of his newly installed True Lock HD floor and I was wowed by it. So wowed I just ordered the same flooring for my garage today! So far I have not heard a negative word about it and I know I rarely do more than the occasional brake job or oil change these days so it should fit my purposes fine. Best of luck with your choice!

PS About Jacks/Jack stands: I intend to cut 4 pieces of 3/4" plywood maybe 14 or 15 inches square. I'll keep them handy for the few times I jack a car to spread the load. Maybe if I jacked up cars daily I'd care. But for my purposes it'll be no issue.

 

[houtan]

For whatever it's worth I too have been agonizing over what floor to put in my new-to-me garage.

I had pretty much decided on VCT because I didn't want to spend the dough for a professional epoxy job while also not really trusting I would know a good, experienced company from a loosey-goosey one. And then there is the cost.

But then Bikerneil posted pics of his newly installed True Lock HD floor and I was wowed by it. So wowed I just ordered the same flooring for my garage today! So far I have not heard a negative word about it and I know I rarely do more than the occasional brake job or oil change these days so it should fit my purposes fine. Best of luck with your choice!

PS About Jacks/Jack stands: I intend to cut 4 pieces of 3/4" plywood maybe 14 or 15 inches square. I'll keep them handy for the few times I jack a car to spread the load. Maybe if I jacked up cars daily I'd care. But for my purposes it'll be no issue.

Thanks for your post! I was planning on getting the true lock hd in coin at one point but then held off. I am doing much less wrenching the older I get, but I still get my hands dirty once or twice a month. My main issue with all of the locking tiles is they are not water tight so things like spilled oil will make there way to the concrete, so I held off on purchasing. I don’t think porcelain has the same issue.

Your floor is going to turn out great and looks forward to your feedback and pictures.

 

[Cairo94507]

Hi Houtan,
Sorry for the reply delay. I ordered my tile from a retail tile store locally. I will say they seem to have some room in their pricing as I was able to get about 40% off the retail price. I did buy about 1500 sq. ft. as we did 2 3-car garages (did my brother's garage too).

 

[houtan]

Ok, so massive update.

First of, let me say I am grateful for the excellent feedback I have received from Dakota00's thread. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212509&page=26

This is the tile I scored off of craigslist (will post picstures): http://www.eleganzatiles.com/loft-grigio-12x24.html

I have a highly recommended tile installer doing the install. He is using the following products. The recommendation from Dakota00 is to use Flexbond mortar, so the mortar product may change, but currently the installer is recommending versabond LFT.

Grout: https://laticrete.com/en/tile-and-st...macolor-select

Versabond LFT: https://www.custombuildingproducts..../large-format-tile-mortars/versabond-lft.aspx

Edge protector: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Schlute...tal-Reducer-Tile-Edging-Trim-AEU100/100172855

That's all I have for now. install should start in a couple of weeks.

 

[Dakota00]

Looking forward to the pictures!

 

[The Hogg]

I am just starting to research flooring for my soon to be built garage. As I read this thread I cant help but think that porcelain tile would easily break when used in a garage setting. Am I missing something? I intend to weld, cut, grind, etc in my shop. If porcelain is the best way to go then I certainly will.

 

[houtan]

I am just starting to research flooring for my soon to be built garage. As I read this thread I cant help but think that porcelain tile would easily break when used in a garage setting. Am I missing something? I intend to weld, cut, grind, etc in my shop. If porcelain is the best way to go then I certainly will.

I will be the first to tell you i am a novice when it comes to garage flooring, as this will be my first time putting any sort of covering in my garage. Having said that, i would be glad to share what i have learned as i researched what flooring to go with to answer your questions.

In short, a properly installed porcelain tile with the appropriate specs will be as strong as your concrete foundation, so it should easily handle all of the things you mention. Even welding (although putting something on the floor (i think its called a welding blanket) seemed to be a common theme as well, but i would defer to experts like Dakota on that one.

Properly installed means properly troweled mortar on the concrete and back buttering every tile to ensure there are no air gaps between the tile and the floor. I think that is the key to having a durable floor.

On top of that, the tile I purchased is PEI 5 and a MOHS rating of 8, which i believe means it should be very durable. The other thing you want is a tile that is the same color all the way through so if it does chip, it is not noticeable.

I think cost may be one of the downsides to porcelain. The tile can be pricey, and the cost to install, if you are paying someone, makes it very expensive IMO. After weighing almost all of my options, i had decided to stick with bare concrete. I didn't like the feel of the snap together tiles and the only poly vendor out of the five that came to my house i felt comfortable going with was priced at about $5-$6 per sq ft. I was fine with that, but the 15 year warranty and my own concerns of the floor lifting, scratching, or not lasting forever, made me decide against it. Then i started reading and seeing long term reviews of porcelain so i looked into that as a solution.

I got extremely lucky searching craigslist one day and found a nice tile with the right specs in the right qty at the right price. I think i ended up paying 1.15 per sq ft. I had already decided I wasn't going to have time to do the install, and my googling told me avg cost to install is around $4-$6 per sq ft range. Well if i could find something in the $4 or $5 range, i would be right at the poly cost, but i felt the porcelain would last longer so i was feeling pretty good about my choice. Got an estimate from a highly recommended tile installer at $5 per sq ft which includes material and he agreed to back butter every single tile. So, i am a little more per sq ft than the poly vendor i was considering, but i personally feel this will be the better solution for myself.

sorry for the long response, but i hope that helps. I will update this thread as the install is in progress, but i recommend you reach out in Dakota00s thread as well if you want answer from an expert, he has been really helpful for me.

 

[houtan]

So things are finally in motion . Attaching some pictures below. Got the garage cleaned out this weekend (had to photograph that because it will never be this empty again!).

Install started yesterday. Installer came in the morning and said he was going to put down red guard first. So that went on in the morning and he came in the afternoon to start laying tile. Looks phenomenal so far. I’ll post more pictures after they finish tonight.

 

[SolarColumbia]

I thought vapor barriers have been in common use for decades. Unless it wasn't true for some parts of the country.

 

[houtan]

I thought vapor barriers have been in common use for decades. Unless it wasn't true for some parts of the country.

You’re probably right. I know pretty much nothing about flooring so I took it as a positive when he put it down.


This is where they ended up yesterday. Also need to choose a grout color. I’m thinking black just for the fact that it will show stains the least. Initially I was going to go with the dark gray. What would you guys do?

 

[GeeTeeOhh]

Personally I would go with the gray. I think the contrast with black grout would be too much

 

[houtan]

Well, given that it's my profession, I will say that cabinets where there were none is a welcome addition to the garage.

Haha. They are coming one day. Still undecided but leaning towards the 14 piece newage set.

Personally I would go with the gray. I think the contrast with black grout would be too much

Thanks. Yeah I agree. Ended up Telling him to get the gray.



Two car is almost done. They should finish laying tile today and then grout on Monday. Then I’ll transfer everything from the one car garage over so so they can stay on that.

 

[houtan]

All cleaned up and getting grout!!

 

[houtan]

Here is what it looks like all done. Really love the way it turned out.

Waiting until tomorrow morning to move everything from the single car garage into here and they will start on the single car this Thursday.

 

[Dakota00]

Turned out fantastic! Welcome to the tile club.

 

[houtan]

Turned out fantastic! Welcome to the tile club.

Thanks! I love it!!

Single car garage is empty and ready for tile!

 

[Cairo94507]

Houtan- That came out great. You are going to love that floor every time you walk out into your garage. Your tile guy looks like he did a great job. You tile is very similar to mine and so is the grout. Only difference is I went with 12x12 tiles and did a straight lay pattern.

 

[houtan]

Houtan- That came out great. You are going to love that floor every time you walk out into your garage. Your tile guy looks like he did a great job. You tile is very similar to mine and so is the grout. Only difference is I went with 12x12 tiles and did a straight lay pattern.

Thank you!

Yours looks phenomenal. I was starting to love my garage.... until I just saw yours lol!!! I would love to have that lift one day. Any additional info? Brand, install cost, etc?

 

[larry4406]

That floor looks great!

 

[Cairo94507]

Houtan - Thank you; I love my garage. The lift is a mid-rise Bendpak and all of the hydraulics run through a 2" chase in the floor and the actual electronics/pump go in a bottom cabinet and are actually quite compact. The control panel for the lift is mounted to the side panel of the cabinet where the refrigerator is. All you see is the lift ramps in the floor and the 10"x10" control panel with 3 buttons on it. The lift is 220 Volts and works very well. Raises cars, including my brother's Honda Ridgeline, his Audi SQ5 and our Macan GTS with out any trouble. I think it raises them about 54" off the ground. I can't walk under them, but I can roll under them on a stool. Makes maintenance and cleaning very easy. That was my second BendPak lift. I had a 4-post in my last home and it was great. My needs changed so I changed to a mid-rise scissor. When it is down it is flush with the tile. I used a lighter tile border to accent the lift because I wanted to make it "pop". I then did the stair edges in the same tile accent so I don't trip on the stairs. Enjoy your floor. Cheers, Michael

 

[houtan]

That floor looks great!

Thank you!

Houtan - Thank you; I love my garage. The lift is a mid-rise Bendpak and all of the hydraulics run through a 2" chase in the floor and the actual electronics/pump go in a bottom cabinet and are actually quite compact. The control panel for the lift is mounted to the side panel of the cabinet where the refrigerator is. All you see is the lift ramps in the floor and the 10"x10" control panel with 3 buttons on it. The lift is 220 Volts and works very well. Raises cars, including my brother's Honda Ridgeline, his Audi SQ5 and our Macan GTS with out any trouble. I think it raises them about 54" off the ground. I can't walk under them, but I can roll under them on a stool. Makes maintenance and cleaning very easy. That was my second BendPak lift. I had a 4-post in my last home and it was great. My needs changed so I changed to a mid-rise scissor. When it is down it is flush with the tile. I used a lighter tile border to accent the lift because I wanted to make it "pop". I then did the stair edges in the same tile accent so I don't trip on the stairs. Enjoy your floor. Cheers, Michael

Thanks Michael. I don’t know what else to say other than your entire garage is badass! I will probably resort to something like a quick jack for now then maybe invest in a lift like yours down the road. They also have an above ground version that would be nice.

Is that a wrap on your refrigerator?

 

[houtan]

Single car is getting tile today!

 

[houtan]

Your reply regarding the wrap disappeared for some reason. I am even worse off than you. I needed to buy a fridge asap and the only color available was white!! So a wrap is on my future.


Big update. Single car garage is done!!! Well the floor is at least. Still have to paint. But the floor came out great!

Also, my cabinets came in which is awesome. Hoping to get them installed this week. They are big. The amount of shipping trash was even bigger!

 

[houtan]

With the help of my little brother, we got the big cabinets installed today. They are super heavy, but I we got it done. I really like how they turned out.

 

[houtan]

Just a minor update. Finally had a chance to put a car in the air on the new floor. Absolutely zero issues.