Tiling a garage floor? Thoughts.

So my garage needs an overhaul, and although I have a 2 gallon can of paving paint, seeing how it chips and lifts up at work makes me hesitant to use it. It's a water based product and I just don't think it's going to hold up to fuel, oil and general garage duties. I've thought about using an epoxy floor paint as its much tougher, but cost wise its the same if not more than tiles.

Looking at jack Olsen's garage build, I really like how tiles look, and from all accounts, its held up well. I was pretty sceptical that they'd be good enough for a garage that sees fabrication, and pretty full on mechanical work. That was until the weekend when I was at a large wheel and tyre shop getting tires in the mrs's car. The bay her car was done in was tiled. Sure they needed a good clean, but I was hard pressed to spot a broken, chiped or damaged tile. This bay would have seen thousands of wheel jobs plus brake and suspension work, so maybe my fears are unfounded.

Has anyone ever worked in a tiled workshop, or have any thoughts on why tiles are or are not a good choice?

I should be able to tile for less or around the same money as epoxy floor paint

I was reading about somebody on Garage Journal, maybe even Jack, who used tile. I think he said he did it because he got a deal on the tile, but he doesn't really like it and wouldn't go that route again.

Here's a link to someone who did it and from the sound of most of the pages hasn't regretted it? http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265178&highlight=madhatter

I've been considering flooring options for my garage too. After reading lots of threads on Garage Journal, tile seems to be the best option for me. Garage floor paints don't seem to last, neither do epoxy kits from the box stores. Vinyl locking tiles don't seem like they hold up to welding, jack stands and some chemicals. My 61 year old floor has lots of pits, cracks and a few patches so a lot of grinding would have to be done to make it smooth enough for a professional coating-which is out of my budget anyway.

an added value of tile is you could install heating/cooling water tubes underneath the tile for temperature control. I am strongly considering this so that I can work in the garage in the winter.

Polish and seal the concrete.

I set tile professionally for my in-laws while in college and have done many jobs in the 20 years since.

I wouldn't t do ceramic. I would do industrial "school house" vinyl tile set with mastic.

Apis Mellifera wrote: I set tile professionally for my in-laws while in college and have done many jobs in the 20 years since. I wouldn't t do ceramic. I would do industrial "school house" vinyl tile set with mastic.

Pretty much what I did. I used industrial vct I picked up for 100. So far its only seen carpentry and moving crap, as im still doing the massive overhaul. So far I don't regret it. Yes, you have to protect the floor when doing jackstands and jacks and sparky stuff. Piece of hardboard will do that just fine for me.

Made the shop brighter, cleaner, and much less mentally draining to work in.

Prep was superclean and a wire brush on stains? Followed by the pressure washer. Let it completely dry out, sweep, hit it with the leaf blower, and go.

Have a full build thread here, that I'll be updating tonight.

Woody wrote: Polish and seal the concrete.

If your not running heat underneath this is the way to go. Make sure its solid color and no flake. The flake makes everying you drop impossible to find.

Woody wrote: Polish and seal the concrete.

That's what I'd do. Makes the garage nice and bright as well as modern looking. Plus it just acts like normal concrete so you can weld or run hot tires onto it without worrying about the finish.

Woody wrote: Polish and seal the concrete.

That's next on my Ficiticous Workshop build, once the foundation is backfilled and the slab is poured.

I like the look of all them fancy floor coatings, but a polished and sealed floor will age far better, considering my natural propensity to welding sparks, plasma cutting, skidding an axle or transmission out from under a vehicle, and heavy things falling off the engine stand.

Concrete is supposed to be chipped, burnt and dusty. Its a badge of honor in a shop.

Thanks for all the responses.

Vinyl tile is no good for me, I do hot work like welding and grinding, though I agree its a good price and nice looking solution.

I'd love polished concrete, I think it looks awesome and or of these days my kitchen will get some polished concrete bench tops, but its starting price is about 4 times as much as epoxy or tiles, so not very budget friendly at this stage.

I'd like to go porcelain, preferably in grey with a dark grout, but the chip factor is probably the biggest thing that has me asking questiins

I've got a porcelain tile floor. I did a build thread on Garage Journal in the flooring section. There are lots of examples there.

I've been very happy with it. I haven't managed to chip or break a tile, yet. And I've had plenty of opportunities. Just this last week I had a tool cart collapse with a 60 lb transmission on it. It hit the floor with no damage. Earlier a 40 lb vice got dropped on it and an engine block fell over on it. Still no damage.

BTW, I always wear steel toed shoes in the shop, in case you are wondering.

Check out www.Epoxyusa.com for lower cost floor epoxy that better then big box store stuff. Yes site is too full of info with links that jump around but the info is there and he is great to talk to on the phone and his prices are honest. I get some of my fiberglass supplies from him.

i'm glad this thread popped up, now i'm seriously interested in polishing my concrete garage...

Basil Exposition wrote: I've got a porcelain tile floor. I did a build thread on Garage Journal in the flooring section. There are lots of examples there. I've been very happy with it. I haven't managed to chip or break a tile, yet. And I've had plenty of opportunities. Just this last week I had a tool cart collapse with a 60 lb transmission on it. It hit the floor with no damage. Earlier a 40 lb vice got dropped on it and an engine block fell over on it. Still no damage. BTW, I always wear steel toed shoes in the shop, in case you are wondering.

Which tile did you go with? I'm trying to figure out how to shop for commercial-style porcelain on craigslist :)

If you do decide on tile, do a wet test. Some tile is slicker that E36 M3 when wet. The previous owner of the brother in law's house tiled the front stoop. Its deadly with any kind of moisture. 

In reply to jackson73 :

I'm sure you have an amazing canoe to go along with your garage floor...

Streetwiseguy said:

Concrete is supposed to be chipped, burnt and dusty. Its a badge of honor in a shop.

Honest to god, I didn't notice the date, and was headed to the bottom of the thread to post his very thing.

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Me neither. 

In reply to daeman :

I am constantly considering it. if so I'm going to use White marble for my few special cars ( with trays to collect oil drips and prevent  tire marks. ). 
The street cars will get granite. And the shop part will remain concrete except for the wood shop. Which will get maple hardwood. ( in case I drop a sharp edged tool. ). 

I'm gonna do urethane for mine soon, but I've considered pulling something like the Japanese burnt cedar treatment instead; I've heard some factory floors that GM had in the past used them perfectly fine for nearly hundreds of years. Standing on wood is far nicer than standing on concrete anyway.

Interest timing that this popped up now. In the end, I used the water based paint because it was there and because we decided to sell the place. It made the garage floor look far more respectable than it was looking without paint.

But as of yesterday, my new shop is about this far along the road to completion.

So I'm going to have to contemplate what I want to do with the floor in it. Probably urethane or just sealed concrete in the vehicle bays and possibly something a little nicer in the workshop area.