Heavy use

[ejm1961Tbird]

I'm planning a new garage and thinking about the flooring. It will be a working garage; floor jacks, welding, grinding, etc. What is the best flooring that will be bulletproof? Would it be better to just leave it plain concrete? I would rather have no flooring than bad looking flooring. Thanks.

 

[Ultimate Floors by Rhino]

The welding is the weak point in floor coating armor. Other than that any high end coating should stand up to everything else just fine.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

A thin mil epoxy with a urethane topcoat will do well. If you choose not to coat, think about densifying the slab, no peel, chips, etc...

 

[Garage Flooring]

I'm planning a new garage and thinking about the flooring. It will be a working garage; floor jacks, welding, grinding, etc. What is the best flooring that will be bulletproof? Would it be better to just leave it plain concrete? I would rather have no flooring than bad looking flooring. Thanks.

I'm planning a new garage and thinking about the flooring. It will be a working garage; floor jacks, welding, grinding, etc. What is the best flooring that will be bulletproof? Would it be better to just leave it plain concrete? I would rather have no flooring than bad looking flooring. Thanks.

The best flooring is what fits your needs as well as the look you want. For example, people often think that tiles are somehow tougher than a PVC roll out floor. In some applications they may be a better fit. In other applications not so much. I can take a hammer to a PVC floor and not hurt it a bit.

Until yesterday I would have aid you can't do a checkerboard with a roll out floor, but now even that is untrue with the new imaging technology from BLT.

I would say all the quality (3.25 + up range) American made garage floor tiles would work as would the PVC if properly installed. Of course, a quality epoxy and top coat are always a good option. Like anything else it comes down to installation.

Questions:

1. What is the layout of the garage?
2. Specific look you are trying to achieve?
3. Are you going to do this yourself?
4. Did you have a budget in mind?

 

[jtbinvalrico]

My vote is to go bare:

 

[ejm1961Tbird]

What are the pluses and minuses for densifying a slab vs the thin mil epoxy with urethane top coat for a new slab that will see heavy use? Can either be done well DIY? Thanks.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Two completely different products. Densifer makes your existing concrete stronger , dust free, etc...

Thin mil epoxy puts a sacrificial layer on the floor and will add color and/or gloss.
Even better with a urethane topcoat.

 

[ejm1961Tbird]

Which will stand up the longest and continue to look the best in a working garage? Thanks.

 

[KPSquared]

What he said. . .

This seems to be the question I can't get a straight answer on.

"Sacrificial Layer" indicates that you will have to re-apply at some point. In a working garage, what's the best guess for that "some point"?

With just a densifier, you don't get the spill protection but I'm starting to think that's just an evil of having a garage that you actually work in. Try to clean it up the best you can, spend the extra money you saved not coating the floor on truck parts. . .

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

KP:

You are not far off. At some point, everything wears out or needs a "re-coat" including people.