garage tiles?

is it the look primarily you're wanting? otherwise, i'd suggest that an epoxy coated floor be more durable ....but for tile, a sealed heavy tile should be durable, needs a thick mortar bed and a sealed grout too

 

I did the epoxy floor originally and it peeled due to minerals rising through the concrete. I now have a racedeck flooring system and think it is the best. I can pull it up when my dog has an accident for cleaning and such. I have had cars up on floor stands with out issue. Here is a picture. My tiles are 18x18
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are those the snap together plastic deck tiles? i've seen pictures, but wondered how really durable they actually are? what about the leading edge, does it catch or curl up at all, how's it held down?

 

I have the gladiator tiles and they have been fantastic. Totally floating floor system that is oil/spill resistant. Edging consists of a smaller black tapered tile. I have really enjoyed it versus an epoxy floor. Only negatives, need to put plywood under jack stands as it will leave indentations, long standing oil/chemicals can leave a stain, it does expand and comtract with temperature. Easy to clean (pressure washer) and remove if needed.

 

http://www.vaultgarage.com/garage-flooring/porcelain-garage-tiles.html

I Like These!..they are as good as it gets..

What I would really like to find are rusty steel plate tiles, that I can put a matte clear coat over..

About to commit to something for my project Garage

 

Rob,

Www.garagejournal.com/forum has alot more information on epoxy vs race deck vs porcelain tiles vs polished concrete etc.

 

Rob, I have Racedeck in my garage in FL. I put it down 5 years ago. It's okay, but I don't think of it as a high end finish. And it can get a little "tired" looking after a few years. It is good for working on as it's "soft" for standing, kneeling or laying on. I also have a lift sitting on top w/ no issues. The only dent I had was when I used a rolling jack without a piece of plywood or other pad underneath. No big deal to replace a tile or two.

In my NC home I put down 18x18 porcelain tiles. The look is a lot cleaner and sharp. On it sits my 330 GTC which has leaked everything.......oil, coolant, tranny, and recently fuel. Nothing was absorbed. No stains, no chips, no problems. However I would recommend very tight grout joints and grout sealer to minimize absorbtion of above-mentioned fluids.

I was interested in the stained concrete look, but where I was I could not find a quailified contractor to put it down. It is does have a cool look to it.

By the way.......porcelain tiles cost between $3-4/sf. Install is $3/sf. Racedeck is less expensive and a DIY type of job.

 

Rob,

I don't know a thing about concrete stain. However, my wife does professional faux finishes by using traditional paint to make surfaces appear to be marble. I don't see why the same couldn't be done with concrete stains to reproduce the veining and variation of marble and polished or honed to a marble-looking finish.

Matt

 

Agreed, it's not run all that well but there is a lot of good information on what types of garage flooring are available.

I lean towards porcelain myself, as it's quite durable and you can replace a tile or two if they crack due to settlement, jack stands or incorrect installation.

The Racedeck type of tiles do swell and contract with changing temps, polished and stained concrete is pricey and won't look very good if the slab does crack. I don't know how well stained and sealed concrete would hold up to car fluids over time. My guess is you'd be sealing it every few years.

 

I have always gone with porcelain tile. Extremely hard and virtually stain proof. Grout needs to be well sealed. There are many marble look porcelain tiles (Calcatta). For large tiles condition of the subfloor is critical. I've used up to 24-inch tiles in garages.

 

The Calcatta is what I used. It does have the marble look. And the pattern seems to "hide" dirt. Racedeck seems to highlight every speck and piece of lint.

 

If you do go with porcelain tiles, I'd recommend a 16x16 or larger and it should be rectified to make install easier. Make sure the tile you get has a PEI of 5 if you live in a frost or snow zone.

 

I would use an epoxy grout if using ceramic floor tiles. I would also go with a darker color grout. Epoxy grout stains less and cleans up easier than any sealed grout but it's not bullet proof as far as staining so that's why I would stick with a darker color and narrow grout lines. Epoxy grout is much easier to work now with more time before it sets up. You just can't go off for a few hours and come back to clean it like you can regular grout. You'll be up the creek if you do! There are some good videos on Youtube about setting larger tiles.

 

you'll never get the stained concrete to wear properly IMO the amount of sealer on the surface is considerable ...if an epoxy coated floor isn't the look you want, then tile is next best IMO

for lobbies we use heavy grade porcelin tile, stone or slate is not what you want for the garage, yes use an epoxy grout, but most of all it will be in the prep and install, the better the tile setter is, the better your results will (should) be ...personally i would self level the entire surface first (even if it looks fine) that will help future wear or loosening of tiles ....use a heavy rubber or metal schluter for the leading edge at the exposed edges to protect the tie edge ...have the setter lay it out so that full tiles run across the leading edge (entrys) and the smaller (thinner) the gaps the less grout (the weak area) will be exposed

 

Haven't done stained concrete, but I do have stamp-crete on the driveway. Looks like stone (or whatever, depending on the pattern you choose) but there are no grout lines. There will need to be an expansion seem cut in depending upon the sq.ft. you are putting down. It get's top coated with a sealant which you may need to have reapplied every few years, but any drips just wipe off the surface.

 

Use homogenous tiles and make sure they're laid properly. Plenty of colors and designs for different budgets.

 

I have experience with both types of floors , polished concrete and race deck.

Polished concrete was done to my 4000 square foot shop, while it looks great it is hardly durable. It can scratch easy, and the worse part of it, if you spill beer on it, the acid in the beer etches the floor permanently and quick. Think about it we all like to enjoy a beer or two in our shops so spilling beer is bound to happen and the effects are brutal. It is also very expensive to install correctly.

The advantage of polished concrete is it looks nice, eliminates all dust and cleans easy, but it's really only meant for a finished showroom. meaning just super clean and parking perfect cars for showroom setting. If spilled beer causes so much damage I can't imagine it holding up in a shop setting with work and spills from cars going down on it. battery acid, brake fluid etc.

In my 3 car garage in my home I installed 900 sqaure feet of racedeck and honestly it's great, easy to install, looks nice and cleans up easy and is very durable. I have had it for 3 years and plenty of winter salt etc have hit it and cleans up fine. While over time it might lose some of it's shine, Racedeck sells a rejuvenate floor restorer and it works amazing and gives back the high gloss shine again, put it on once per year and the floor will look good as new. If you go with Racedeck, make sure to lay landscappers cloth underneath the tile before installing, it will help keep the click clap sound to a minimum when walking and any sand or dirt that fall between the tiles will not give you the crunch sound when walking on it.

For what it's worth go with Racedeck I am sure you will be happy.

 

Rob,
Let me know if you go the traditional tile route. I've got a few boxes of Ferrari original cavalino tiles that I would be willing to sell.

 

Rob,

If this garage is going to be used for fair weather cars only, you could go with polished porcelain tiles. They will give you that upscale, high end look of a showroom floor. They do get slick when wet, so they wouldn't be the best choice for a DD.