Marble Floor for My Ferrari

As you know I'm building a garage for my Ferrari. What floor covering is technologically appropriate for a garage? I wanted a marble-look tile vinyl. But most sources say vinyl will melt if fluids drip on it. Real tile will crack from weight. What looks like marble & can take the chemistry in a garage? My dream garage is falling apart...

 

if done right real tile will not crack, think about all the showrooms done with it.


Good luck.

 

Granite tile is fine.
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I'm re-doing my warehouse to better accommodate my cars and have pretty much settled on a three-step poly coating. Some now come with an authentic looking terrazzo finish, especially appropriate for Italian cars, eh? I also like the Pirelli hard rubber surfaces. Anybody here had experience with that?

The granite and slate tiles are beautiful but probably beyond my budget.

 

John's right, real tile cracks because there are hollow spots where not enough adhesive (I call it mastic, but that might not be what everyone calls it.) is laid between the base floor and the tile. A good professional should be able to do this.

The key is not being stingy w/ the adhesive.

 

Check out Steetking's garage. It's bad-ass and it's just scored and clear coated concrete. I think the black is stain but it could be paint.
I hope he doesn't mind me posting his picture.

http://www.fototime.com/2E3581B44F201EF/orig.jpg

 

I would worry about tile/ granite/ marble cracking or scratching if you will be using jack stands or car jack. Stuff like dropping heavy tools, car parts etc might damage those surfaces also. You could stain your concrete and seal it to give it that natural mineral look. I would just use racedeck or some similar product. I've had no problems with my flooring from any fluids or heavy duty use.

 

The one thing I don't like about tile, it's soooo slippery when wet. If your garage has ac, and live where it's humid, even the condesation can do it.

 

They make tile just for this application, used in firehouses etc. stuff won't crack.

 

When I started reading this thread Steetking's garage was the first thing I though of... I like his so much I plan to copy it!

 

Take a look at the finishes in Whole Foods Grocery stores. Stained concrete with clear finish. Looks very classy and old world.

 

I have seen this tile in person and it is stunning. It is also almost indestructable. I watched them roll a car raised on a hydraulic floor jack across the floor with no damage.

I was going to use it in my garage, but the price was a bit much for my pocket book.

http://www.starquartztile.com/

 

Ferrari showrooms in Italy use either a fully vitrified ceramic tile (and some have a marble look) OR reconstituted (ie manmade) stone such as the Starquartz. Real stone (marble or granite) is too porous and will stain - don't let anyone talk you into using a sealer on these; they promise the world and eventually cause more problems than they solve! Tip: if you go the tile route they must be in a full mortar bed not adhesive fixed. As someone has already mentioned, slipperiness is a factor with either of these and slip-resistance is in inverse proportion to cleanability. Cheers!

 

I saw in a magazine a garage fith black marble flor tiles, and on several of the tiles were custom engraved or sanded fith a cavallino figure (like they do for grave headstones). That looked great.

 

Why not try aluminium treadplate. Plenty of grip. Easily cleanable. Looks classy IMO.

 

Tiles would not crack as mine doesn't if done in a correct process.
Granite or marble are beautiful but would be quite slippery and expensive.
If I were you I would go for matted non slip tiles or if you want a real garage looked type you can have cement with epoxy paint.

 

I used to work at a flooring company, they will order industrial tile for you that they don't carry in stock, but in my opinion none of it looks anything like Marble. All tile will crack if it receives enough traffic and abuse. The only exception is PVC or Vinyl tile which is usually reserved for schools or prisons.
In Austin we have several large business', restaurants and homes that have opted for stained, scored and sealed concrete. I have delivered to a $500,000 house that had solid black sealed concrete floors. I was amazed at how good it looked in such a nice house. Marble looks so nice because you don't need grout lines, but with non pvc or vinyl tile you need grout lines.

Just look at Streetking's garage again, it's stunning.

 

Not true, I used to have to change out cracked tiles all the time in showrooms. Those aren't even working garages. Do you want a showroom or a nice working garage. Showrooms are constantly repairing their floors.

 

Forget about granite or marble. I've got granite worktops in my kitchen and it will withstand anything. But drop oil on it and you will never get the marks out. Park your car on it, and if it drops oil you will ruin a very expensive floor.

 

I used two different surfaces: ceramic tile, and a pvc material that is impressed and looks just like Pirelli flooring (but far less expensive).
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Mastic is an adhesive for WALL tiles. You would use cement made for tiles and marble to apply floor tiles.
If you get specific floor tiles you will be fine. I have used it in two garages and never had a cracked tile. Even parked the Hummer in the garage during a Hurricane.
$0.89 tile, $0.10 material and $ 1.00 installation makes a $2/sq ft and a great look.

 

Just put a regular concrete floor in the garage and then find someone to acid stain it. It will look exactly like a marble floor. I'm doing it in my basement in a few months. many colors and styles to choose from. Good luck.

 

You can get tile installed for a dollar? Am I missing something?

 

very nice picture napolis....

 

That is $1.00 for every square foot.