Robust Garage Flooring - show me what you use

[RarlyL8]

This is tech related I promise.
What garage flooring have you guys used that will stand up to jack stands, dripping oil and dirty parts?
I want to spruce up the boring concrete floor but don't want any tile or covering that isn't up to the task of real world use.
Thanks!

[Mick_D]

I think the best floors are the two-part epoxy with the texture sprinkled on it. I've seen some really expensive tiles, both glued-down and interlocking, come up when someone turns a steering wheel and the tire rotates in one spot.
I think you can expect maybe $4K per 1000 sq feet for epoxy install, if you let them grind the floor first.

[Mick_D]

Oh, I do think the big one-piece mats ( 20ft by 8ft ) might be worth looking into.

[faverymi]

I've seen nice results with polished/stained concrete.
You need to find the right company to do it.

[universeman]

The two part stuff has worked great for me. Prep is everything.

[Luccia at Pelican Parts]

As another option (I know you said you didn't want covering, but wanted to share anyways), I have a few friends that use an item like this here: Smart Park Garage Mats - PelicanParts.com. It's a pretty interesting set up and is easy to just lay on top of your garage floor. Even comes with a pretty sweet warranty. Maybe check it out and see if it may be of interest to you or maybe others.

[LUFTKUL]

I'm game to try what Magnus did in his shop: Pergo laminate flooring:

porsche collection-out of control hobby

I think it looks fantastic and if one got really damaged, cut it out and replace. Bonus would be a slight cushion/bounce if you put a pad underneath.

There are also some very durable vinyl options now too. Magnus certainly uses jacks and jack stands on his. For a known messy job I might throw down one of the mats Luccia linked above or those "coin" pattern rubber ones.

[evan9eleven]

I am a big fan of 2-part floor coatings as I have a lot of experience with these in my breweries in polyurethane. However, the products aren't cheap and do take some skill to get right. Epoxy is easier then poly. As others have said, the prep is everything... glad I let someone else do my floors, we have 6000 SF of the stuff!

I'm thinking of doing the interlocking rubber tiles from Kiwi as there is an importer in Norway that brings them in by the container load and keeps the price low. Easy DIY job.

[OffCamber00]

Originally Posted by evan9eleven

I am a big fan of 2-part floor coatings as I have a lot of experience with these in my breweries in polyurethane. However, the products aren't cheap and do take some skill to get right. Epoxy is easier then poly. As others have said, the prep is everything... glad I let someone else do my floors, we have 6000 SF of the stuff!

This. I have a 100% solids chip floor that has been extremely durable since installed about 10 years ago. It takes a beating.

[rxtrom]

I would visit The Garage Journal forums for great advice on epoxy, tiles, and all aspects of flooring. I originally was against tile, or mats, and really wanted a cool shine/epoxy. I am a DIY guy but the time and materials to do it right (you will read all about this on those forums) it just has too much that could go wrong, prep, (diamond grinding/acid etching), hot tire pickup, flaking from drops.
I ordered a few tiles from a company called Swisstrax and never looked back. Check them out. They have worked with jacks, oil messes, and anything a regular garage floor can take. The best part is that they can be pulled up to clean the floor or shop vac'd and the floor underneath can breath since they are flow through.

Everyone has different priorities but I figured I would share what I went with.

[Dpmulvan]

I just did my floor, after two months of research. Got to be careful with epoxy there's a lot of bad stuff being sold all over the web. I too wanted something durable for jacks et that's why I didn't go with epoxy. I ended up using a Zylene based colored sealer called H&C colortop. It's mainly for exterior concrete, pretty good stuff but you have to have ventilation and wear a respirator. It's resistant to hot tire, salt, gas et. about 240sqft a gallon, 5 gallons set you back about $250. I added shark grip to the product very happy with results. I ground floor with diamonbrush, used two part epoxy mixed with sand for cracks and Ardex cd fine for spalling.

[Tom F2]

My oil soaked concrete seems to be rugged, and not too much dust either!

[RichardNew]

There is no perfect floor. I mixed tile and epoxy. So far I'm pleased.






Richard Newton
How Many Fire Extinguishers Do You Need?

[Jack Olsen]

My vote would be for porcelain tile, which is frequently available for a buck a square foot. It's stronger than the concrete it sits on, and you could pour paint stripper all over it without having to worry. Dried-on paint comes off with the swipe of a razor blade.

I have ceramic tiles, which are less strong/hard than porcelain. My floor has seen over 8 years of use now, with multiple engine drops, tossed tools, welding and grinding, brake fluid spills, paint. The only thing that leaves any kind of mark is welding slag. And if a tile does get damaged, you just swap a new one in.



Rolling an engine on top of a floor jack:



Jackstands:



Regular work:

[jjeffries]

I'm with Sir Jack. I also think that kind of tile can be done quicker and easier than epoxy, which I have had done for dealership service departments; it is NOT easy or cheap to do it well, especially in a shop like yours that sees a lot of use. If your concrete floor is reasonably level, tile can be installed at a fast clip and moderate expense. Borrow a wet saw, a big drill with a paddle to stir the thinset and use the plastic spacers to set tile:tile clearance and "Bob's Your Uncle". Very rewarding job and none of the nasty fumes that come from paint. Best of luck, John in CT.

[megerian]

For considering, another option, a rollout floor:

Garage floors question

[Redbarnman]

You can also use 3/4 inch moisture resistant chipboard at probably $12 for 16 sq ft. You can roll jacks on it and it is warm to lay on and does not need specialist skills to put down. It does not need painting but looks better if you do. When it gets damaged a new board is easy to put in unless you have glued them. Regardless of surface, I use plywood bases for axle stands and a strip to run the trolley jack on as it rolls much better on the smooth surface than the standard concrete floors that most people in the UK have. If you are going to lay the car up over winter just drive it onto 4 off 18" squares of thin ply and the tyres won't lift your floor paint in the spring.

[Cook&Dunning]

+1 on the porcelain tile. Reasonable price, easy to work if you rent a wet saw. This is not my garage (I can wish) - from a tour of the local dealer. Dark grout, looked to be ~ 8" x 8" size or maybe a little smaller?

[sundevil64]

I would do polished/honed concrete then use an oil based impregnator for floor that is used. This is similar to what you see in Home Depot, Costco, and Sam's Club. Stain if you want color, but that can make dropped hardware more difficult to find.

Epoxy floors are nice, but they burn and chip and are not maint free as they can claim. Don't sue the flecks as it also makes it more difficult to see dropped hardware. Go with plain old light grey.

Urethane finishes do not hold up and they tend to discolor with UV exposure and time.
Just my thoughts.

[pmhip]

Hello.
Although not a garage, I am contracting a slab pour now for a house addition. My contractor said if I were planning to later add a coating or tile the floor, that it is important that they do not use a "Cure and Seal" product during the slab install garage floors charlotte. These products provide a barrier to help with the hydration but hinder adhesion of other products later. I plan to use the old method of lightly spraying water on the slab and covering with plastic until it has fully cured.