Garage flooring options

[zagatoes30]

Watching this thread, Ireland plans include sorting out the garage

 

[rivarama]

Oh wow - can’t believe how many people are in my situation...
Great to hear abt the different alternatives.

Epoxy sounds interesting if on a budget (I also have 30m2 to cover!). Does it get applied with a roller? My concrete floor isn’t really smooth - I’d say it’s got 2-3mm bumps/crevasses everywhere... and quite rough to the touch. I am not sure the expoxy paint would work on it, as it may settle in the crevasses and leave the bumps only covered w a razor thin layer. What do you think?

Alternatively I saw some videos on YouTube about concrete polishing (in the US mainly for swanky living rooms) - is that a cost effective? Also saw some floor leveling mix being applied on rough concrete as well. Here again not sure whether it eats up all the cost benefits of going epoxy in the first place. Would I be better off biting the bullet and get £1-1.5k in interlocking block :-///

 

[outrun]

 

[outrun]

As I use mine as an office and don’t do any serious mechanical work, I went for a decent laminate. It’s cheap, easy to install and looks quite good.

 

[zagatoes30]

Looks like you have parked your toys in your lounge

 

[Oneball]

Oh wow - can’t believe how many people are in my situation...
Great to hear abt the different alternatives.

Epoxy sounds interesting if on a budget (I also have 30m2 to cover!). Does it get applied with a roller? My concrete floor isn’t really smooth - I’d say it’s got 2-3mm bumps/crevasses everywhere... and quite rough to the touch. I am not sure the expoxy paint would work on it, as it may settle in the crevasses and leave the bumps only covered w a razor thin layer. What do you think?

Alternatively I saw some videos on YouTube about concrete polishing (in the US mainly for swanky living rooms) - is that a cost effective? Also saw some floor leveling mix being applied on rough concrete as well. Here again not sure whether it eats up all the cost benefits of going epoxy in the first place. Would I be better off biting the bullet and get £1-1.5k in interlocking block :-///

I used some really cheap 4 inch rollers and just threw them away after each coat. The epoxy covers really well and cures hard no matter the thickness, it won’t run off the high spots either.

Outrun’s laminate option is something I’d not thought of but if it’s cheap enough I’d consider it.

 

[safrane]

You can get vinyl click and connect mock floor boards for bathrooms that could do the trick... easy to pull up and wash too.

 

[rivarama]

As I use mine as an office and don’t do any serious mechanical work, I went for a decent laminate. It’s cheap, easy to install and looks quite good.

Interesting. Have you glued the laminate to the floor? Have you put any sort of underlay? Given that one of my two cars gets in/out 5+times a week, I’d be worried about the wear/tear of the laminate tongue where it meets the driveway

 

[pvogue]

Garage Flooring 60 Pack (5m x 3m) Interlocking PVC Floor Tiles 50cm DURATILE (Black) - Duramat UK

Pack of 60 interlocking slimline vinyl PVC floor tiles for 5m x 3m garages. Plus 6 FREE ramp edges! > Ramps & Accessories

duramat.co.uk

Garage Flooring 60 Pack (5m x 3m) PVC Floor Tiles Checker Diamond 50cm (Black) - Duramat UK

Pack of 60 interlocking vinyl PVC floor tiles for 5m x 3m garages. Plus 6 FREE ramp edges! RECYCLED MATERIALS All of our black PVC tiles are made from recycled materials, including electrical cabling, which can sometimes add a speckle to the predominantly black mix. This does not affect the...

duramat.co.uk

Garage / Workshop / Warehouse & Gym PVC Interlocking Heavy Duty Industrial Tiles | eBay

Garage / Workshop / Warehouse & Gym PVC Interlocking Heavy Duty Industrial Tiles Tiles: £4.59 £4.28 / Tile Female & Male Ramp Edges: £2.79 £2.27 / Ramp ---Environmentally friendly 100% Recyclable & Made From Recycled Material. ---Robust and durable. Should not be confused with cheaper foam...

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[rockits]

Laid PVC Ecotiles with matching PVC skirting (to cover the expansion gap) 10 years ago.
Do it once, do it right.
Not cheap was well over a grand for approx 30 square metres, installed myself.

Did you have bare concrete and sealed it first? Was the concrete smooth or slightly ridged? Any barrier or insulation down before the tiles?

Sorry for all the questions but they all seem to be quite crucial.

 

[mjheathcote]

Did you have bare concrete and sealed it first? Was the concrete smooth or slightly ridged? Any barrier or insulation down before the tiles?

Sorry for all the questions but they all seem to be quite crucial.

The house was 4 years old at the time, and there was a worn coat of remaining garage floor paint on top.
The concrete wasn't perfectly smooth, but slightly ripply.
No barrier between tiles and concrete, the concrete perfectly dry with no rising damp.
The tiles lay perfectly flat on top no problem.
The ecotiles 10 years ago where more marketed as industrial tiles for industrial workshops, and therefore being the same as those sold for garages.
I think today you can buy a thinner more lightweight 'domestic' PVC tile, and thus cheaper, and maybe more crucial regarding how smooth the concrete needs to be.
Mine are therefore 6mm thick, with a smooth light textured finish, not with the 2p raised discs which was traditional.
Colour blue, with both sides of the garage having dark grey 'runway' strips for the car tyres to run on, with the PVC skirting around the perimeter being also dark grey for contrast. The leading edge at the garage doors are tapered.
The strips of tiles being dark grey for the tyres to run on was recommended by them as car tyres, especially new ones, can stain the tiles so a dark colour is recommended.

 

[rockits]

Brilliant, thanks so much for this. Very helpful.

Did you find the old floor cold and the tiles helped insulate and increase temps at all.

My floor is dry and a little rippled bit not massively. Wasn't sure weather to seal it first or have any barrier underneath.

I'll speak to Ecotile and get a price also asking their advice. Those Duramat tiles look good as well. I guess the thicker the better.

 

[lifes2short]

no one seems to have mentioned actually tiling the floor with proper ceramic tiles which is what I would do if I wanted the wow factor as well using various colours and patterns, a piece of p1ss to tile if you have a fairly level slab, once done it's down for life and looks good for life if done properly, unlike vinyl tiles, doesnt cost a lot either and far less than you may think, double garage could be done in a couple of days by a professional tiler at £200 per day labour plus materials, some tilers will work on a square meterage labour price, if your floor is rough and/or uneven then you may need to use some self levelling latex first. If you're hands on you can even do it DIY it's not rocket science

 

[rockits]

That isn't an option for me although it could be for some. Although I understand porcelain tiles is the best tile to use.

I will be using the garage to work in so using jacks and stands amongst other things. Also not sure the tiles will stand up well to dropped tools etc. possibly also slippery. For me PVC tiles seem to be the best option.

 

[lifes2short]

Although I understand porcelain tiles is the best tile to us

sorry my typo, you perfectly correct porcelain is best, I think most people here in the UK just don't think about the tiling option for some odd reason, if it's more of a man cave as well then various flashy porcelain tiles can be used, if it's more of a working garage only or workshop then you can get more specific non slip commercial floor tiles which are common place in Italy within residential garages and car workshops and they will withstand dropping normal hand tools such as spanners etc and if laid properly such as very very tight flush grout joints then no reason why you cannot use jacks without damaging them, I know where I would spend my money if I wanted a permanent and long term permanent finish, I have heard all these vinyl tile things can be problematic years later with curling and expansion etc

 

[mjheathcote]

The floor isn't cold with PVC tiles, nice to walk on in your socks etc.
Ten years my ecotile floor has been down, no problem with expansion (you leave a gap around the edge, hence the matching skirting board with radius bottom to cover) and curling? You have to be joking with quality solid 6mm thick PVC!

 

[lifes2short]

You have to be joking with quality solid 6mm thick PVC!

not had any personal experience with these pvc interlocking things but from forum members on other sites I belong to, the general comments are that they are happy with the results to begin with but after several years they are very disappointed with reactions to large temperature changes, expanding when getting hot and pushing them up and they couldn't get the dirt off them eventually, seems you are a very happy customer

 

[RSM Masser]

The two pack type floor sealer is what we use in industrial premises, the product her is Flowcrete ,Flowseal SF41, expensive at c£150 for 10litres and not generally on sale unless at wholesaler. You can add sharp sand to the mix making a non slip surface

 

[mark_b]

I'm in the same boat too - I think I've settled on these non-slip porcelain tiles which seems to be pretty heavy duty, whilst looking good too:

Anthracite Dotti Commercial Tiles with R9 Anti Slip Rating | Trade Prices

Hard wearing porcelain floor tile with a commercial R9 slip resistant rating. Ideal for domestic or commercial use at trade prices from Direct Tile Warehouse. Free Samples.

www.directtilewarehouse.com

 

[WaveyDavey]

I went for interlocking tiles from Duramat. £300 shipped for a small single garage. Perhaps not as smart looking as a fancy glossy painted floor, but they take some abuse, insulate you from cold concrete, and are very easy to fit. I'd definitely recommend them.

https://duramat.co.uk/product/garage-flooring-pack-disc-60/