Should I TILE my Garage Floor

[aigel]

I have not thought about VCT - that looks like a nice option. But what if you cut or weld over it - is it going to melt?

The more I look at this, the more I wonder if I shouldn't just leave it alone? Then I can roll in and out the scissor lift from the side yard and keep it there as a default location, no digging pits or even better, spending $ on a floor that may not hold up?

G

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by Iciclehead

I checked into VCT tiles a while ago, my concern was up here where there is snow/ice/salt drippings from the cars and lots of road grime that it would just sit on the concrete under the VCT tiles and ruin the concrete just out of sheer exposure.

The grout issue is one that appears to be fixable by both using a dark grout and secondly putting a really good industrial grout sealer on it so that the dirt can't stick. Near as I can tell it is a silicone-like product that just prevents the grime from sticking to grout, does not stick to the tiles at all and so does not make them slipperier.

Your thoughts on that? Any issues with that kind of thing from your end?

Dennis

I did go with a lighter grey grout, a big mistake, but with off-white porcelain tile I do not like the look of a dark checkerboard grout line. I did use a heavy silicone grout sealer. The grout sealer gets dirty just as fast, it just cleans up. I got tired of cleaning grout and just let it turn black.

Slippery??? I went with a tile that was supposed to be a "less slippery" high traffic area type. It was great dry, but add water and the kids could use it as a Slip-and Slide. It was treacherous wet.

Like I said, as a place to park finished cars it was beautiful. As a working shop and Mancave…frustrating.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by aigel

I have not thought about VCT - that looks like a nice option. But what if you cut or weld over it - is it going to melt?

The more I look at this, the more I wonder if I shouldn't just leave it alone? Then I can roll in and out the scissor lift from the side yard and keep it there as a default location, no digging pits or even better, spending $ on a floor that may not hold up?

G

Yes, welding on waxed VCT will leave brown burn specks (ask me how I know). They buff lighter, but don't go away. I put down 1/4" plywood and a 3'x4' drip tray now.

No floor surface is perfect for all use.

-Wet and dry weather parking - Rubber Tiles (just hard to keep clean)
-Show car garage showroom - Porcelain tiles
-Cool man cave that sees a lot of car work, but you want it to look cool - VCT or Epoxy (VCT is yearly strip/polish)
-Garage or workshop with heavy work, welding, etc - Bare slab for sure!

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Craig T

Yes, welding on waxed VCT will leave brown burn specks (ask me how I know). They buff lighter, but don't go away. I put down 1/4" plywood and a 3'x4' drip tray now.

No floor surface is perfect for all use.

-Wet and dry weather parking - Rubber Tiles (just hard to keep clean)
-Show car garage showroom - Porcelain tiles
-Cool man cave that sees a lot of car work, but you want it to look cool - VCT or Epoxy (VCT is yearly strip/polish)
-Garage or workshop with heavy work, welding, etc - Bare slab for sure!

Thanks - that's a great summary. I would really love that VCT look, but then I always think I will do some big project one day when I slow down at work.

Let's talk VCT - it looks reasonably inexpensive and I could do a dark color with a lot of specks / structure. How hard is a DIY install? High on glue fumes?

G

[Scuba Steve]

It's really easy IMO. I did it before working with ceramic or porcelain tiles and as a complete novice it came out great. To set the pattern I started at the middle of the garage door, made a few lines and got to work.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by aigel

And what if you spill something on this? How do you clean it? Looks great, but I'd be afraid doing extended projects on it.

G

I'm considering some of the snap-in garage tiles that have holes for drainage. Just hose the floor off once and a while, as long as you have positive drainage towards the door it will just run out underneath the tiles.

[Highway-Star]

Tiles ... going into my heavy duty man cave next week.

Runner up was epoxy, was leading first 700 meters. Final 100 meters tiles made it.

[trekkor]

A commercial grade quarry tile would be very durable.
Just have a small supply of replacement tiles for occasional repairs.
Use epoxy grout and there will be zero issues with stains.

Small plywood pieces for jack stands and floor jack to protect against breakage.

Quite a few car dealerships have tile floors in the showroom.

This is not a complicated or expensive project.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by aigel

And what if you spill something on this? How do you clean it? Looks great, but I'd be afraid doing extended projects on it.

G

Supposedly you just wipe it off with any common cleaner. Could pull it all up,and power wash if you had to.

Originally Posted by aigel

I want to get a scissor mid-rise lift. Like this one:

https://excel-equipment.com/titan-6-000-lb-mid-rise-scissor-lift.html?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Excel%20Shopping&gclid=CLuSp9eS4sMCFReTfgodXTwA7g

I guess these generally have one side fixed and held down by the weight of the vehicle, while the other side slides on rollers. I can see that this won't be too pretty on a tile floor with grout.

G

I would leave bare concrete where you put the lift. I have a mid rise and yes one end stays stationary, and one has two rollers. It would munch flooring I would think.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Craig T

-Wet and dry weather parking - Rubber Tiles (just hard to keep clean)
-Show car garage showroom - Porcelain tiles
-Cool man cave that sees a lot of car work, but you want it to look cool - VCT or Epoxy (VCT is yearly strip/polish)
-Garage or workshop with heavy work, welding, etc - Bare slab for sure!

That's a complete summery.

With VCT, the adhesive ideally should seal the seams and the concrete underneath from oil/chemical spills.
I wish I had it.
I've dropped a wrench next to my ear and it was still ringing an hour later.

The older style 2-part epoxy (not the new water based junk!) from Lowes I once used here in Mich about a decade ago has held up with every chemical or part dropped on it. They don't sell that product anymore. Most chemicals are all garbage now. I've re-coated the asphalt driveway twice with two different products under ideal conditions and prep which didn't last more than a year.

[Iciclehead]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Supposedly you just wipe it off with any common cleaner. Could pull it all up,and power wash if you had to.



I would leave bare concrete where you put the lift. I have a mid rise and yes one end stays stationary, and one has two rollers. It would munch flooring I would think.

Yes, my lift will go on bare concrete. I will also switch all those nice iron casters for ones with a polyethylene tire on it, if nothing else for the noise...

I think I am still committed to tiles...have an expert tile guy coming out in the next few weeks to do our bathroom, I will ask him his view....and feed back to all you guys of course!

Dennis

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by aigel

I have not thought about VCT - that looks like a nice option. But what if you cut or weld over it - is it going to melt?

The more I look at this, the more I wonder if I shouldn't just leave it alone? Then I can roll in and out the scissor lift from the side yard and keep it there as a default location, no digging pits or even better, spending $ on a floor that may not hold up?

G

I painted mine with a very nasty concrete paint. I beat the heck out of it, and it is really hanging in there. I think it cost me under 200.

[porsche4life]

Mine has iron casters on bare concrete and they don't make any noise. Id be worried about the plastic flat spotting over time. Realize that half the weight of your car will be on the casters that are about 4sqin of contact total.

[biosurfer1]

If you haven't checked out this forum, you should, Flooring - The Garage Journal Board.

They have everything you need to know about tile in the garage. I would love to do porcelain tile in my garage but it would be a big project.

Basically you're looking for through body, rectified edges, PEI-5 tiles. You can see videos on youtube of guys hitting the tiles with a hammer, rolling floorjacks, lifting cars with floorjacks, etc. No problem at all.

[creaturecat]

Had pretty decent results with the two part Home Depot epoxy. No grinding, 50 year old far-from-perfect concrete.
Not perfect, however it does stand up pretty well. The white colour certainly brightened things up.
Inexpensive.

[URY914]

If you install ceramic tile I'd suggest you by some anti-fatigue mats. I have several that I've placed in front of my workbench. Grangers has many styles, some with tapered edges, some connect together, etc. Kinda gives the shop that "attention-to- details" look.

Antifatigue Mats - Matting - Grainger Industrial Supply

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by aigel

I have not thought about VCT - that looks like a nice option. But what if you cut or weld over it - is it going to melt?

The more I look at this, the more I wonder if I shouldn't just leave it alone? Then I can roll in and out the scissor lift from the side yard and keep it there as a default location, no digging pits or even better, spending $ on a floor that may not hold up?

G

My lift weighs 900lbs. Yes it rolls, but no way in hell am I going to roll in and out of the garage any time I want to work.

[Racerbvd]

You might want to consider the mats they use in horse stalls

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

You might want to consider the mats they use in horse stalls

Rubber Horse Stall Mat, 4 ft. x 6 ft. - Tractor Supply Co.

4' x 6' x 3/4" = $40
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~~~~~~~~
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http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/stall-mat-kit-12-ft-w-x-12-ft-l
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Royal Mat 12 ft. x 12 ft. x 3/4" Interlock™ Stall Kit = $500

[Don Ro]

Horse stall mats...
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