Tile flooring suggestions.

[afinepoint]

I've gone several pages deep but can't find the answer I'm looking for. I use the garage as a workshop. A car might be worked on but I mainly do my wrenching in the openness of the driveway. It's simply to cramped inside.

Here's the qualities I'm looking for.

EASY CLEANUP:

The tile can't trap dust from woodworking. So no open design.

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE:

Motorcycle work so all automotive fluids will still make it to the floor.

TOUGHNESS:

The bikes are occasionally laid on their sides resulting in framework, engine guards and potentially sharp angles pressing into the floor.

OPEN FLAME RESISTANCE:

Metal working - grinding sparks. Limited hot work - Mig welding, propane torch. Electrical and electronic repair - soldering. Obviously none of this will be done against the floor but sparks travel and I don't have a bike lift.

CUSHIONING:

It would be nice if dropped (expensive) test equipment or ceramics would bounce instead of shatter as would and has happened on the concrete. Cushioning would also be nice for fatigue. I stand a good bit. I don't expect the softness of a Fatigue mat but very hard plastic is a no go. I know this attribute clashes with TOUGHNESS.

COST.

Let's say < $5/ sq ft.

WATER INTRUSION RESISTANCE:

There are also a refrigerator and freezer in the garage as well as a pet water dish. The freezer has to be defrosted occasionally meaning an melting icy mess on the floor and the pet's water dishes has spilled The tiles need to readily drain or be resistant to liquid intrusion for at least an hour or so. No trapped moisture that can cause mildew.

Heavy workbenches will be rolled on the floor.

FLATNESS AND SAFETY:

The connected tiles AND edges MUST lie flat and remain so.

I've noticed a few of racedeck tile fans here.

A poured product is not desired.

 

[BillK]

In the last building my business was in we had Commercial Vinyl Tile in the office and engine assembly area. It held up very well and was easy to keep clean. Something similar to this:

Armstrong Flooring Imperial Texture VCT 12 in. x 12 in. Fortress White Standard Excelon Commercial Vinyl Tile (45 sq. ft. / case) 51839031 - The Home Depot

VCT - Vinyl Composition Tile - a classic, economical value. Armstrong Flooring creates products that push the limits of color, pattern, performance and sustainability to meet the multiple demands of modern

www.homedepot.com

 

[WildBill]

I used this stuff in slate grey, its nice. It can be found much cheaper if you look around, I paid around $300 for the 10'x24' size.

Garage Flooring | Levant™ Texture | G-Floor® Roll-Out Vinyl Flooring

Upgrade your garage with G-Floor® Levant™ vinyl flooring. Durable, waterproof, and easy to install, Levant™ protects concrete from stains and damage while adding sleek style.

gfloor.com

 

[afinepoint]

Thank guys. Looks promising. Windbill I like once and done approach. Roll it out and walk away.

I have looked at the interlocking designs of Swisstrax, Racedeck and such. The greatest concern I have with them is liquid intrusion between and below the tiles with no way for extraction. "Unzipping" the flooring is not an option. Once down it stays until needing replacement.

 

[afinepoint]

I used this stuff in slate grey, its nice. It can be found much cheaper if you look around, I paid around $300 for the 10'x24'

$300 sure beats $1140 or $1530, in my case, for snap together. But those floors are pretty.

 

[Shea]

I've gone several pages deep but can't find the answer I'm looking for. I use the garage as a workshop. A car might be worked on but I mainly do my wrenching in the openness of the driveway. It's simply to cramped inside.

Here's the qualities I'm looking for.

EASY CLEANUP:

The tile can't trap dust from woodworking. So no open design.

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE:

Motorcycle work so all automotive fluids will still make it to the floor.

TOUGHNESS:

The bikes are occasionally laid on their sides resulting in framework, engine guards and potentially sharp angles pressing into the floor.

OPEN FLAME RESISTANCE:

Metal working - grinding sparks. Limited hot work - Mig welding, propane torch. Electrical and electronic repair - soldering. Obviously none of this will be done against the floor but sparks travel and I don't have a bike lift.

CUSHIONING:

It would be nice if dropped (expensive) test equipment or ceramics would bounce instead of shatter as would and has happened on the concrete. Cushioning would also be nice for fatigue. I stand a good bit. I don't expect the softness of a Fatigue mat but very hard plastic is a no go. I know this attribute clashes with TOUGHNESS.

COST.

Let's say < $5/ sq ft.

WATER INTRUSION RESISTANCE:

There are also a refrigerator and freezer in the garage as well as a pet water dish. The freezer has to be defrosted occasionally meaning an melting icy mess on the floor and the pet's water dishes has spilled The tiles need to readily drain or be resistant to liquid intrusion for at least an hour or so. No trapped moisture that can cause mildew.

Heavy workbenches will be rolled on the floor.

FLATNESS AND SAFETY:

The connected tiles AND edges MUST lie flat and remain so.

I've noticed a few of racetrack tile fans here.

A poured product is not desired.

If you are looking at Swisstrax and RaceDeck, then it sounds like you are interested in polypropylene interlocking floor tiles. As with most garage flooring options, compromises will have to be made regarding what you want the floor to do for you.

EASY CLEANUP - It's not a problem with solid top tiles. Things wipe right up. Just as an FYI, a good shop vac will pull sawdust right up off the concrete with the vented style of tiles. They also create less of a slip hazard with sawdust.

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE - Polypropylene tiles are fairly impervious to most petroleum products, solvents, and even acids. Keep in mind that the seams are not water tight and heavy spills can still seep to the concrete below. If it's something other than water, just pull a few tiles to clean up the rest.

TOUGHNESS - Sharp, pointed, or angled objects applied with heavy pressure or weight will cause indentations, marks, or other damage to the tiles. Conversely, a 1" square flat foot pad or other object can apply well over 2,000 pounds for the brands you mention.

OPEN FLAME RESISTANCE - These are plastic tiles and can melt or be scarred. Use a welding blanket to protect the floor or just be prepared to replace a tile or two when needed.

CUSHIONING - The tiles provide some anti-fatigue properties. We had RaceDeck Diamond tiles in our past garage for over 7 years and I would spend hours at a time in the garage working on cars and other projects. We have Swisstrax Ribtrax tiles now and they perform just the same. The plastic is hard, but it's not concrete and it does give. I don't remember dropping any drinking glasses on the floor, but I did drop a coffee mug and it did not break.

WATER INTRUSION RESISTANCE - Water is going to get between the seams of solid top tiles at some point. Particularly if there is enough of it and it has time to sit. However, they are engineered to provide air circulation and drainage under the tiles. Water will evaporate and the concrete will dry. Interlocking tiles are a popular choice for basements where moisture vapor transmission is a problem. Many choose the vented style of tiles for snow climates since the snow can melt and fall through to the floor below, thus keeping the garage floor dry. In my many years of experience, I've yet to hear of anyone who has developed a mold or mildew problem. As an FYI, RaceDeck has the tightest seams.

FLATNESS AND SAFETY - I'm assuming you are referring to the tile design pattern and not the overall floor flatness since your concrete determines that. Of the solid top designs, the coin style will provide the most flatness in terms of rolling items across the floor. I have a 3-stack rolling toolbox that is quite heavy. It was a bit bumpy on the RaceDeck Diamond tiles and tools could shift a bit, but it was much smoother on the RaceDeck Free-Flow and Swisstrax Ribtrax. We tested other coined tiles and used the toolbox to roll over them. The coin was much smoother than any diamond design. Adjacent tiles do not become unconnected and lift to cause a lip. The occasional ramp edge might not sit perfectly flat on the concrete, but that's about it.

I hope that helps

 

[WildBill]

$300 sure beats $1140 or $1530, in my case, for snap together. But those floors are pretty.

G-floor makes a bunch of different styles, my friend used the one that looks like the coin tiles. It's kinda cool. I like that junk doesn't get under this stuff like it does with tiles. I had tiles at another garage and the floor was gross when I pulled them up. They were installed by the previous owner, who apparently spilled a lot of liquids. Had ants and I think he spilled a lot of coffee and soda, was like a sticky syrup under a bunch of different areas. Plus a big oil covered area.

 

[afinepoint]

Shea that was most informative. Yes I have looked at Swisstrax and Racedeck. I'm not excited about their costs especially since the tiles do not carry in their description "water resistant". I understand they would not stop a jet of water but the seams should stop standing water for a reasonable period of time - two or three hours. For example rain water dripping from a car or snow landing and melting on the tiles should puddle and nothing more. That water should evaporate and not seep into the seams provided again it doesn't sit overnight. I have no desire to take the tiles up. Who dries a car off and mops the floor after pulling in from a storm? Leakage is a deal breaker.

I like the bouncing cup comment. After shattering a ceramics dish the other day something needs doing.

And thanks for the discussion about the tool boxes and floor pattern. The workbench that is moved regularly is 72" wide, six wheels and weighs 567 lbs empty. It's far from empty.

Thank you. And you also Wildbill.

 

[kngelv]

You will have to compromise because no garage flooring will meet all your criteria. The G-Floor would be the worst by far. Hot sparks will bounce a bit and cool on the hard tiles while sinking in the PVC. The hard tiles have channels underneath for drainage. You can't really expect a seam to hold fluids at bay for multiple hours. PVC will have indentations with leaned over motorcycles and not be great for welding. RaceDeck can hold up to more abuse than the others.

James

 

[windshearalert]

Im probably on the other end of the spectrum, but here is what happened that made me pick the flooring in my shop.
I was sitting on FB one afternoon last fall and i had been searching google for floor tiles for the shop earlier in the day. Oddly enough a marketplace listing showed floor tiles for sale in Joplin Missouri (a car museum had closed down) and they were selling the checkerboard tiles for $.50 each in bulk. Its about 4 hours from where i am in central Arkansas. A buddy and myself took a trip up there and purchased 7000 tiles in grey and black. I got it all home and did my shop, upstairs attic storage and my garage. My buddy did his 2 car garage and i had enough left over to sell at $1 a tile and make back my entire purchase.

As for welding or hot work, i have a 4x6 roll around welding table and i use a couple of metal drip pans from Orileys to catch any heavy sparks or slag when using the plasma cutter. Tiles have been extremely durable and seem to handle any impacts. I do use a small plate on the bottoms of my jackstands so they dont dig into the flooring.
Besides that i cant complain. Keep checking FB marketplace! Something may pop up, you never know!

 

[afinepoint]

Im probably on the other end of the spectrum, but here is what happened that made me pick the flooring in my shop.
I was sitting on FB one afternoon last fall and i had been searching google for floor tiles for the shop earlier in the day. Oddly enough a marketplace listing showed floor tiles for sale in Joplin Missouri (a car museum had closed down) and they were selling the checkerboard tiles for $.50 each in bulk. Its about 4 hours from where i am in central Arkansas. A buddy and myself took a trip up there and purchased 7000 tiles in grey and black. I got it all home and did my shop, upstairs attic storage and my garage. My buddy did his 2 car garage and i had enough left over to sell at $1 a tile and make back my entire purchase.

As for welding or hot work, i have a 4x6 roll around welding table and i use a couple of metal drip pans from Orileys to catch any heavy sparks or slag when using the plasma cutter. Tiles have been extremely durable and seem to handle any impacts. I do use a small plate on the bottoms of my jackstands so they dont dig into the flooring.
Besides that i cant complain. Keep checking FB marketplace! Something may pop up, you never know!

Thanks and nice garage.

 

[afinepoint]

So how do you guys in the northern latitudes deal with many days of wet winter weather where snow melts off cars and gets tracked in? Do you knock it off before pulling in? And NW rain? Seattle floors must never dry.

 

[u2slow]

I'm a few hours north of Seattle. Bare concrete for me. Spending money on some kind of alternate surface - only to be disappointed - just isn't happening.

Edit: I make a point to not bring glass and ceramics to the shop, much like the my concrete hot-tub area.

 

[afinepoint]

I'm a few hours north of Seattle. Bare concrete for me. Spending money on some kind of alternate surface - only to be disappointed - just isn't happening.

I'm not sure either but I don't want to install a hassle. Mop floors for rain and snow? No. Lift tiles to dry floor? No.

Edit: I make a point to not bring glass and ceramics to the shop, much like the my concrete hot-tub area.

Cat dish + my clumsiness = mess. Re hot tub I agree. Anything not shatterproof shouldn't be near any bare footed area.

 

[u2slow]

Floor squeegee.

 

[afinepoint]

Floor squeegee.

On a perfectly flat floor perhaps. Again the floor has to stop drips. Maybe roll a sealer over the floor tiles once assembled.

 

[afinepoint]

You will have to compromise because no garage flooring will meet all your criteria. The G-Floor would be the worst by far. Hot sparks will bounce a bit and cool on the hard tiles while sinking in the PVC. The hard tiles have channels underneath for drainage. You can't really expect a seam to hold fluids at bay for multiple hours. PVC will have indentations with leaned over motorcycles and not be great for welding. RaceDeck can hold up to more abuse than the others.

James

True so I'll compromise on hot work and sharp edges resistance. I'll make better use of welding blankets and other heat shielding and use protective barriers against potential cuts and punctures.

Good thoughts. Thanks.

 

[afinepoint]

G-floor makes a bunch of different styles, my friend used the one that looks like the coin tiles. It's kinda cool. I like that junk doesn't get under this stuff like it does with tiles. I had tiles at another garage and the floor was gross when I pulled them up. They were installed by the previous owner, who apparently spilled a lot of liquids. Had ants and I think he spilled a lot of coffee and soda, was like a sticky syrup under a bunch of different areas. Plus a big oil covered area.

G-Floors are considerable less expensive and easier to install. I realize I don't need wall to wall coverage since all outer items rarely move. Just the workbench mentioned. Though 75 mil vs .5" thickness for the Racedeck is a substantial difference regarding impact reduction which is what started this entire journey.

 

[toolmiser]

So how do you guys in the northern latitudes deal with many days of wet winter weather where snow melts off cars and gets tracked in? Do you knock it off before pulling in? And NW rain? Seattle floors must never dry.

I live in Wisconsin, concrete floor very slight pitch to floor drain, no floor covering. Garage is insulated, but never heated. We get occasional slush piles that fall off the vehicles from behind the tires. I usually push them outside. Our politicians like to use lots of various items to remove ice from roads and to make our vehicles rust. I think they own car dealerships or have lots of stock in them!

 

[kngelv]

G-Floors are considerable less expensive and easier to install. I realize I don't need wall to wall coverage since all outer items rarely move. Just the workbench mentioned. Though 75 mil vs .5" thickness for the Racedeck is a substantial difference regarding impact reduction which is what started this entire journey.

Have you ever felt or looked at G-Floor? That stuff is definitely not as nice as PVC or RaceDeck type tiles.

James

 

[Fav Onefour]

So how do you guys in the northern latitudes deal with many days of wet winter weather where snow melts off cars and gets tracked in? Do you knock it off before pulling in? And NW rain? Seattle floors must never dry.

I take an approach similar to @toolmiser . I have a 3 stall in the city. The folks in charge have a love affair with salt. The stuff that comes in on the vehicles is a slushy salt mix. That salt is brutal if left on bare concrete. I scoop out the big piles before they melt. For some reason the slop also contains a lot of fine aggregate that keeps building up over time. I could not use any type of flooring that would hold the material.

I do have heated floors so I'm able to melt the slop. I installed drains in the center of each stall and sloped each stall to it's drain. The high sides of slope are between stalls so they dry first. The dry sections help so we aren't tracking as much slop.

In my case I want flooring material that is easy to clean and helps keep the corrosive slop out of concrete. I wash the floors fairly often.

 

[afinepoint]

Our politicians like to use lots of various items to remove ice from roads and to make our vehicles rust. I think they own car dealerships or have lots of stock in them!

Oh, BTW we bought a northern used car this year. Had it done by Linex after the PPI showed light belly rust.

How many out there remember 60's and 70's autos vs road salt? I had uncles who lived in Vermont and Minnesota. Oh, the stories they told.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Oh, BTW we bought a northern used car this year. Had it done by Linex after the PPI showed light belly rust.

How many out there remember 60's and 70's autos vs road salt? I had uncles who lived in Vermont and Minnesota. Oh, the stories they told.

Autos in that era had a lot of extra ventilation after some years.

We lived quite a distance off the tar. Dust was a part of life. It was amazing how much of that dust rolled in on dry roads. Driving with windows open on gravel was a part of life. Windows closed meant lower visibility with a dust cloud inside the cab.

Those body styles trapped every kind of road debris. Washing vehicles also meant you needed a good grain scoop to throw out the piles that fell on the ground. Those piles contained more than dirt and dust. Grasshopper carcasses and roadkill parts were all blended into the piles. Smart drivers learned to not follow too close during the first good rain following dry spells.

 

[improperyour]

I used this stuff in slate grey, its nice. It can be found much cheaper if you look around, I paid around $300 for the 10'x24' size.

Garage Flooring | Levant™ Texture | G-Floor® Roll-Out Vinyl Flooring

Upgrade your garage with G-Floor® Levant™ vinyl flooring. Durable, waterproof, and easy to install, Levant™ protects concrete from stains and damage while adding sleek style.

gfloor.com

May I ask where you got it for that price?

 

[WildBill]

May I ask where you got it for that price?

At wayfair.com, which I know is kinda weird but I get all kinds of deals there because they have crazy coupons a lot, and free shipping on really big stuff. My flooring came by truck on a decent sized pallet for free. It looks like they raised the normal price per square foot on the big rolls a lot compared to the smaller rolls now, was about $1.25 per sqft for any size when I got it. Now the 5'x10' is a $1 less per sqft than the 10'x24'. I would expect they will have their usual 40-70% off sale around black friday, they have had a good sale/coupons every year that I've looked. I got some pretty decent metal garage wall cabinets that way two years ago, about $40 each with free shipping. They have a bunch of garage flooring options. https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/sb0/garage-floors-mats-c421478.html

10 ft x 24 ft is now $660 without sale/coupon. Might find it cheaper elsewhere if no sale/coupon.

https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/g-floor-levant-vinyl-universal-and-garage-flooring-gflr1060.html?piid=90976711%2C90976714

 

[alvarogandara97]

I can go with Vinyl Tile here too from Armstrong, which is Imperial Texture, it can deal your daily wear and tear smoothly.

 

[improperyour]

At wayfair.com, which I know is kinda weird but I get all kinds of deals there because they have crazy coupons a lot, and free shipping on really big stuff.

One more question

After getting it, how long did it take for it to "roll out" and not curl up at the edges? Did you use anything to stick it down or just use gravity?

I put in a note in my calendar to check around black Friday, that's a good idea!

 

[mike93lx]

When I lived in MA, I dealt with rain and snow in the garage with a fan and a dehumidifier.

 

[WildBill]

One more question

After getting it, how long did it take for it to "roll out" and not curl up at the edges? Did you use anything to stick it down or just use gravity?

I put in a note in my calendar to check around black Friday, that's a good idea!

It was rolled the good way, curled towards the floor. So it wasn't really an issue, maybe a couple days of spots lifting a little on the edges or in large areas without anything on them. I did see a couple people say theirs was rolled the other way, but mine and my friends button style stuff were both good.