Tile flooring questions

[HelisandHarleys]

Hi everyone. I've been stalking this forum for a few weeks gathering information for doing a surprise garage makeover for my husband. I've appreciated the opinions and expertise I have found here. I have made the decision to go with tile flooring, but I'm still undecided on flexible or hard tiles and I'm awaiting samples.

A little background: We own 3 motorcycles and my husband always has a project car. Right now it's a VR4 that is also his daily driver, but is always requiring something in the way of general fixing or upgrades. I do the maintenance on my truck and motorcycle and spend about half the time in the garage my husband does.

From reading the threads here on flooring going all the way back to 2007, I still have a few questions I thought I could get your expert opinions on.

First has to do with the noise that some people find annoying with the hard tile floors. I was wondering if I could put down an underlayment under the tiles to reduce/eliminate this potential issue or does that interfere with the tile somehow? I'm not looking at vented tiles, btw.

Second, what about marring from kickstands, jackstands, and the like that put a lot of pressure in a small area? I don't mind using a coaster under my bikes, but if I have to dink with that on the jackstands it will be too annoying.

What's your opinions on flexible pvc vs the hard tiles in terms of longevity and comfort? I'm wondering if the hard tiles would be uncomfortable to be rolling around on underneath vehicles. I don't mind concrete, but somehow the hard plastic seems like it would be even less comfortable. I just worry that the longevity of the flexible tiles may not be as good as the hard ones.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

 

[softailgarage]

What made you decide on tile and not epoxy or acid stain? Personally, I've always found tile to be a general pain in the ***. Primarily for the reasons you mentioned, marring, scuffing, the sound, having to wax, etc.

 

[Garage Flooring]

<<First has to do with the noise that some people find annoying with the hard tile floors. I was wondering if I could put down an underlayment under the tiles to reduce/eliminate this potential issue or does that interfere with the tile somehow? I'm not looking at vented tiles, btw.>>

The different manufacturers have different opinions on this. Companies like Swisstrax sell an underlayment where companies like Racedeck recommend using an inexpensive landscape fabric. From experience both work very well and most garages can save some money and go with the landscape fabric.

<<Second, what about marring from kickstands, jackstands, and the like that put a lot of pressure in a small area? I don't mind using a coaster under my bikes, but if I have to dink with that on the jackstands it will be too annoying.>>

This should not be an issue, so long as you go with a quality, American Made product.

<<What's your opinions on flexible pvc vs the hard tiles in terms of longevity and comfort? I'm wondering if the hard tiles would be uncomfortable to be rolling around on underneath vehicles. I don't mind concrete, but somehow the hard plastic seems like it would be even less comfortable. I just worry that the longevity of the flexible tiles may not be as good as the hard ones.>>

Both the PVC and polypropylene products all have advantages and disadvantages. Most PVC tiles leave you with a puzzle look and PVC may be more susceptible to staining. PVC is also a quieter, more forgiving floor and holds up well in industrial applications. On top of a concrete floor, neither feels 'soft'

Hope that helps!

 

[HelisandHarleys]

What made you decide on tile and not epoxy or acid stain? Personally, I've always found tile to be a general pain in the ***. Primarily for the reasons you mentioned, marring, scuffing, the sound, having to wax, etc.

For one, I like the look and aesthetics are a consideration. Second is time and ease of installation. I'll have 5 days to do a complete garage remodel which I'm going to be doing mostly solo - I'll have my brother for a couple days to help move the heavy stuff and do all the wiring as he's an electrician. I'm painting, drywalling, adding/upgrading lighting, adding new cabinetry, and adding a lift. Third I don't want to mess with chemicals as I have a 7 month old that will be 'helping' me do this.

Otherwise epoxy it would be.

 

[HelisandHarleys]

The different manufacturers have different opinions on this. Companies like Swisstrax sell an underlayment where companies like Racedeck recommend using an inexpensive landscape fabric. From experience both work very well and most garages can save some money and go with the landscape fabric.


Hope that helps!

Landscape fabric? Brilliant! Thanks!

 

[bdamico]

For one, I like the look and aesthetics are a consideration. Second is time and ease of installation. I'll have 5 days to do a complete garage remodel which I'm going to be doing mostly solo - I'll have my brother for a couple days to help move the heavy stuff and do all the wiring as he's an electrician. I'm painting, drywalling, adding/upgrading lighting, adding new cabinetry, and adding a lift. Third I don't want to mess with chemicals as I have a 7 month old that will be 'helping' me do this.

Otherwise epoxy it would be.

you'd be well served to look at porcelain tile

 

[c7fx]

I have epoxy and free flow tile over half the floor. I have motorcycles and two handy lifts for the bikes. I bought the tile for the bikes since the handy lifts and the kickstands would tear up the epoxy over time.
Don't worry about the kickstand on the tiles or ease of rolling that hasn't been an issue at all. My bikes are on stands and the wheels roll as easy as on the cement floor.

The noise is really nothing that bothers me. I guess it depends on the floor and how flat it is in relationship to how loud the tile can be.

My only issue with a plastic tile floor is that I have a buckling at the edge or opening of the garage. My garage faces south and when the door is open I get direct sun on maybe the first three feet of the tile floor. Since the tile is not my full garage I figured it would float and not have this issue but I get two to three waves that leave a gap of about a 1/2 inch. It doesn't bother me that much since I don't have the third garage door open that often and the buckling goes away when out of the sun. It can be a tripping issue.

The question about jack stands all depend on what they look like. If they have a small surface area like angle iron legs, they will cut through the tiles like a cookie cutter. But if they have a wider pad like foot you wont have an issue.

 

[HelisandHarleys]

Thanks, but I've already ruled that out.

 

[HelisandHarleys]

I have epoxy and free flow tile over half the floor. I have motorcycles and two handy lifts for the bikes. I bought the tile for the bikes since the handy lifts and the kickstands would tear up the epoxy over time.
Don't worry about the kickstand on the tiles or ease of rolling that hasn't been an issue at all. My bikes are on stands and the wheels roll as easy as on the cement floor.

The noise is really nothing that bothers me. I guess it depends on the floor and how flat it is in relationship to how loud the tile can be.

My only issue with a plastic tile floor is that I have a buckling at the edge or opening of the garage. My garage faces south and when the door is open I get direct sun on maybe the first three feet of the tile floor. Since the tile is not my full garage I figured it would float and not have this issue but I get two to three waves that leave a gap of about a 1/2 inch. It doesn't bother me that much since I don't have the third garage door open that often and the buckling goes away when out of the sun. It can be a tripping issue.

The question about jack stands all depend on what they look like. If they have a small surface area like angle iron legs, they will cut through the tiles like a cookie cutter. But if they have a wider pad like foot you wont have an issue.

Thanks - very helpful.

 

[Shea]

One other advantage that I didn't see listed is that the polypropylene tile will allow for much better drainage than PVC. It will allow for air circulation to dry the concrete and prevent any possible issues with mold or mildew developing. If you want, you can read this article about why polypropylene tile can make the noise it does and how to prevent it for a better explanation.