Too many flooring options?

[Guitarcrazy]

I am finishing the build of a 30 by 28 garage, with 700 s.f. upstairs apartment. It is concrete slab, thickened edge. I have gone around and around trying to decide what to use for flooring. I plan to add a Dannmar Max Jax lift, and the garage will be used for repair and restoration work. I do occasionally weld, and will be doing body work as well.

I thought about solid tiles as I like the look, but I see where many are unhappy with the appearance after a short time. Dirt and oil seem to mar the appearance fairly quickly. I also considered the ribbed tiles, but it seems that oil and other liquids would go through the tiles and stain the underlying concrete. I don't want to spend all the time and effort to grind the floor and do a multiple step epoxy system, I have enough work to do as it is.

I am in Montana where we get snow, but no salt on the roads. Garage is heated. Is there a floor option that doesn't involve days of work, expensive grinders and such, and also provides a good surface for a working garage? Appearance is somewhat important, but this will be a working garage, not a show garage. Thanks.

 

[Swisstrax]

These are all great concerns and the questoins we deal with on a daily basis. Everyone will have thier own opinion on which modular tile is better then the other, perforated versus solid. I will tell you right now that my happiest customers are Ribtrax owners. Yes, dirt, debris, snow, sand, etc. will go below the tile BUT that is the point. Your floor will always look clean and presentable even when you havent touched if for 6 months. There is nothing wrong with a solid tile but you will maintain the floor the same as you have been doing your entire life. Yes, you are also correct that solid tiles will not look the same years down the road while the Ribtrax years later will look like you installed it yesterday.

Put it this way, my parents live on a ranch in South Dakota and they have had Ribtrax for just over a year. I obviously would only put the best tiles in my parents garage.

If you have any questions feel free to call and talk to our flooring specialists. They can also send out FREE SAMPLES so you can do your own testing.

Kind regards,



Jesse J. Stolp
Vice President of Operations
Swisstrax Corporation
82-579 Fleming Way, Unit A | Indio, CA 92201
Toll Free 866.748.7940|Direct 760.347.3330 ext. 102|Mobile 760.880.6605
Fax 760.347.3343
www.swisstrax.com
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[Guitarcrazy]

I love the look of the tiles but I am worried about how well it will hold up with welding and other work. It looks great, but is it durable enough for doing real work? I can see some broken tiles and welding splatter melting big holes in it.

 

[James-W]

I don't know of ANY flooring that will withstand welding splattering without being damaged. If you are welding, use a welding blanket or some other form of floor protection.

 

[C2 Turbo]

Yes, dirt, debris, snow, sand, etc. will go below the tile BUT that is the point. Your floor will always look clean and presentable even when you havent touched if for 6 months.

Yes and that's exactly is the concern as to how to keep the underside clean. Majority of us are pretty OCD too and knowing the floor underneath is all dirty is definately going to keep bothering us, at-least me, and who has time to take the tiles off, clean it and put them back.

As much as I want a fancier looking floor, I think a simple polished floor with a good 2-3 coats of seal is what I will be going for.

 

[Swisstrax]

All great questions and concerns!

As for welding, you are correct, there is no tile that will hold up to welding as we know and a welding mat is recommended. Beauty of Modular Flooring, is that if welding does take its toll over time, you can simply replace those particular tiles and have a new floor again. Rockstar Garage has had their floor for over a year and weld on a daily basis and have yet to replace a tile. Yes, they do use welding mats.

As for being OCD, BOY ARE YOU TALKING TO ONE!!! Every label in my pantry has to face forward if that gives you an idea. This is the other beauty of the Ribtrax. When I had epoxy in my garage years ago on would sweep it out couple times a week and mop it on the weekends so it would look perfect! Now, I literally shop vac mine once a couple weeks and do a thorough clean every 3-6 months. What I mean by a thorough clean is I take my hose out the back door and spray the tiles working from the back of my garage towards the garage door entry. There is a channel system built below the tile that allows all the debris from the past 3-6 months to simply flow out the garage door down my driveway and out of my mind!

What I love is having unexpected guests stop by for a cold drink and knowing my garage looks PERFECT at all times.

Just some food for thought as I know perforated tiles can be hard to wrap your head around.

Hope this sheds some light on those questions.

 

[cbracer]

Get the tuff-seal tiles and lay them down in a day. I tiled with porcelain and it wasn't any cheaper, the labor alone I did myself was more than I had wished for. Wish I'd have done the tuff seal tiles.

 

[BobRae]

All great questions and concerns!

As for welding, you are correct, there is no tile that will hold up to welding as we know and a welding mat is recommended. Beauty of Modular Flooring, is that if welding does take its toll over time, you can simply replace those particular tiles and have a new floor again. Rockstar Garage has had their floor for over a year and weld on a daily basis and have yet to replace a tile. Yes, they do use welding mats.

As for being OCD, BOY ARE YOU TALKING TO ONE!!! Every label in my pantry has to face forward if that gives you an idea. This is the other beauty of the Ribtrax. When I had epoxy in my garage years ago on would sweep it out couple times a week and mop it on the weekends so it would look perfect! Now, I literally shop vac mine once a couple weeks and do a thorough clean every 3-6 months. What I mean by a thorough clean is I take my hose out the back door and spray the tiles working from the back of my garage towards the garage door entry. There is a channel system built below the tile that allows all the debris from the past 3-6 months to simply flow out the garage door down my driveway and out of my mind!

What I love is having unexpected guests stop by for a cold drink and knowing my garage looks PERFECT at all times.

Just some food for thought as I know perforated tiles can be hard to wrap your head around.

Hope this sheds some light on those questions.

When you say you hose down the garage floor and every thing washes out do you mean just everything on the surface of the tile or do you mean the below tile sand and dirt will wash out as well?

 

[C2 Turbo]

When you say you hose down the garage floor and every thing washes out do you mean just everything on the surface of the tile or do you mean the below tile sand and dirt will wash out as well?

Exactly what I am wondering. I don't think just hosing off with water, would make the dirt/grime etc come off these tiles unless someone would get down on their knees and scrub them?

 

[BobRae]

Exactly what I am wondering. I don't think just hosing off with water, would make the dirt/grime etc come off these tiles unless someone would get down on their knees and scrub them?

I'm also concerned with what would be living underneath the tiles. If there is no way to flush sand and dirt out, as it accumulates and holds moisture, eventually come the bugs and the smell. That kind of defeats the purpose of having a fresh clean concrete floor.

Of course for those living in Southern California, this wouldn't be a concern, but on the Canadian prairies we get a lot of snow, sand and salt that would be melting off in my insulated and heated garage.

 

[shaun oriold1]

I do both types of floors. Epoxy, and Tile for my customers. I prefer Epoxy for the fit and finish of it ( going right up to, and up walls) Tile floors are awesome though, and I actually have one in my work trailer to catch all the bits of flake when I drop them -But at my house I have Epoxy, and always will.

I had a referral recently from a guy in Michigan who wanted my advice. He had a warehouse set up with a basketball court drawn out on ribbed tile floors -super cool! But his kids kept playing beer pong, and spilling drinks and it now smells gross. He wanted something else after paying thousands for this floor to get done. This was his spare house, which I gather his kids used for parties - So I suggested epoxy.

As for washing it out. ITs not as easy as the Swisstrax guy says. Sure there are channels for water to flow through, but large debris will not. As well the end ramp strips dont have the channels, so debris will just accumulate there, unless you lift the front edge to allow **** to flow out.

If it were me, I would not use the ribtrax in a garage you're going to be working in, dropping stuff will drive you mad if you drop stuff. I think its great if you're driving your snow covered car into a garage, and parking it. Next day the car, and floor will be clean, and dry. Wanting to put it into a basement cellar? Great. Want to put it in a dog cage? awesome product!

Though take the guy up on his offer for free samples. ITs a great product, has its benefits, and downfalls. You decide what will work for you. Nothing is going to look good with welding splatter on it. So you're going to have to use a mat anyways. Urethane, polished, or epoxy will be the best most durable floors if done right, and will look good for years. Since you're not wanting to spend the time grinding, you're reduced to tile choices.

 

[BobRae]

Shaun, Thanks for your post. A couple of questions:

You write: "As for washing it out. its not as easy as the Swisstrax guy says. Sure there are channels for water to flow through, but large debris will not"

Are you saying there are built in channels under the floor so you can rinse from the front of the garage (where the nose of the car is) to the rear under the tiles and the water and sand will flow out the back? If so, I'm wondering how you would have a problem with "large debris". How would it get under there?

You also write: "I think its great if you're driving your snow covered car into a garage, and parking it."

So where does the snow melt and sand go? I assume most stays on the surface and you can hose it off from time to time? I live on the prairies so we have a fair bit of snow melt all season. I just want to avoid a stinky sandy build up over time that requires the removal and replacement of the floor to clean it up.

I'd be pouring a new floor prior to picking a finish. Am I bette off to just pour a coloured concrete floor an then not have to worry about epoxy or other finishes (or tiles)?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Poured concrete with integral color still needs a sealer to protect the color and to make it pop.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[shaun oriold1]

Shaun, Thanks for your post. A couple of questions:

You write: "As for washing it out. its not as easy as the Swisstrax guy says. Sure there are channels for water to flow through, but large debris will not"

Are you saying there are built in channels under the floor so you can rinse from the front of the garage (where the nose of the car is) to the rear under the tiles and the water and sand will flow out the back? If so, I'm wondering how you would have a problem with "large debris". How would it get under there?

You also write: "I think its great if you're driving your snow covered car into a garage, and parking it."

So where does the snow melt and sand go? I assume most stays on the surface and you can hose it off from time to time? I live on the prairies so we have a fair bit of snow melt all season. I just want to avoid a stinky sandy build up over time that requires the removal and replacement of the floor to clean it up.

I'd be pouring a new floor prior to picking a finish. Am I bette off to just pour a coloured concrete floor an then not have to worry about epoxy or other finishes (or tiles)?

Here is a link to the underside of the tile. You can see the little feet it has. Some debris wont pass through. http://store.swisstrax.com/media/ca...525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/_/m/_mg_2308-store.jpg


Here is a link the the top of the tile. Its rounded so any water, or dirt will usually just fall below. I cant speak for sand particles, but saw dust falls through, so I'm sure the majority of sand would
http://www.tristategarageflooring.c...iles/pearl-silver-ribtrax-512x512-cropped.jpg


Shaun

 

[sean Buick 76]

I vote for a good epoxy done by a pro or just use a good clear sealer. Whatever you do I suggest doing it ASAP before your floor gets all dirty and stained... The only time i would use epoxy is on a new floor.

 

[Acuratechva]

I have had white modutile, solid type , for close to two years. Best method of clean up is mean green and wet mop. Stay on top of it and it will pay off!

Have not had any smell issues even when my door leaked. Another big plus I like s that tiles always feel just the right temp. I'd hate to lay down in a tee when it's below freezing outside. Next best thing to radiant heat.

 

[RaceDeck1]

Your right, there are many options of garage flooring for every type of application and this is a great place to figure out what is the best option for you.
If you decide to go with a modular flooring, be sure to check out http://www.racedeck.com where we have more flooring options than any other competitor, we are happy to send you free samples to compare as well. Have fun with your garage project

Also , ALL RACEDECK Styles can be mixed to create limitless design and use possibilities, another exclusive of RaceDeck

 

[Swisstrax]

Sorry for the late response in regards to answering your question when it comes to dirt and debris flowing under the tile.

YES, with the Ribtrax tiles that is 3/4" thick there is a large channel system built below the tile that runs in all directions. So if you are using a hose to clean out the garage floor, dirt, sand, debris, etc, will simply flow under the tile and out the garage door entry. This is considered our low maintenance solution but we do have other styles of tile to choose from. Being that Ribtrax is our most popular choice of customers, we do have 19 different colors to choose from.

Any other questions, or if you would like to receive free samples, feel free to call me or any of our flooring specialists directly. Good luck with you garage floor!

 

[RaceDeck1]