Garage flooring?
Discussion
Hi Guys, have been refurbishing my garage recently, putting in a raised insulated plywood floor. I need to lay something on top but what?
The plastic interlocking tiles are fair too expensive, I have about 27 sq mtrs to cover. Looking for something around £10 sq mtr.
I have considered epoxy paint but I have put down a coat of varnish to provide some protection whilst the work is being carried out and this would've to be removed to allow epoxy to bond effectively
I want a light colour (greys or blues) so I think my only choice is either hard vinyl tiles or a commercial grade carpet tile. Cost wise the vinyl is about twice the cost of carpet.
The garage will be used for some car maintenance but not heavy oily stuff.
Both vinyl and carpet tiles can be removed and replaced if damaged and I have a wet carpet cleaner should the tiles get dirty.
Not sure how carpet tiles would react to a wet car?
Any opinions?
Richard
The plastic interlocking tiles are fair too expensive, I have about 27 sq mtrs to cover. Looking for something around £10 sq mtr.
I have considered epoxy paint but I have put down a coat of varnish to provide some protection whilst the work is being carried out and this would've to be removed to allow epoxy to bond effectively
I want a light colour (greys or blues) so I think my only choice is either hard vinyl tiles or a commercial grade carpet tile. Cost wise the vinyl is about twice the cost of carpet.
The garage will be used for some car maintenance but not heavy oily stuff.
Both vinyl and carpet tiles can be removed and replaced if damaged and I have a wet carpet cleaner should the tiles get dirty.
Not sure how carpet tiles would react to a wet car?
Any opinions?
Richard
Vinyl tiles will be easier to give a quick mop over to pick up excess water off a wet car.
Issue may be the tile joins allowing water to penetrate into the ply.
Worth having a look round the carpet sellers at their left overs, some offcuts are huge & you might find it better to use one piece & replace from time to time. Using a board under a jack would reduce/prevent damage to a big piece.
Issue may be the tile joins allowing water to penetrate into the ply.
Worth having a look round the carpet sellers at their left overs, some offcuts are huge & you might find it better to use one piece & replace from time to time. Using a board under a jack would reduce/prevent damage to a big piece.
Hi paintman, the vinyl tile suppliers say that there is an acrylic type of clear floor sealant you can put down to seal them. Some types state that they must be coated once fitted.
I know carpet tiles sounds nuts, but it will provide a further bit of insulation and nicer to walk on especially as the garage is direct access to the house.
The carpet tiles recommend a tacky type of adhesive which makes them easy to pull up where as the vinyl use a contact type adhesive which is more permanent.
I'm swayed toward carpet but as you say vinyl would be easier to clean up if there was some major dirt. Also the carpet tiles are nearly half the cost of vinyl so you could replace quite a few tiles before it becomes uneconomic.
I'm keeping my eye out for any ex-exhibtion job lots or office refurbs as they are usually quite cheap.
Richard
I know carpet tiles sounds nuts, but it will provide a further bit of insulation and nicer to walk on especially as the garage is direct access to the house.
The carpet tiles recommend a tacky type of adhesive which makes them easy to pull up where as the vinyl use a contact type adhesive which is more permanent.
I'm swayed toward carpet but as you say vinyl would be easier to clean up if there was some major dirt. Also the carpet tiles are nearly half the cost of vinyl so you could replace quite a few tiles before it becomes uneconomic.
I'm keeping my eye out for any ex-exhibtion job lots or office refurbs as they are usually quite cheap.
Richard
I have these tiles. They are over £10 per square meter but not massively so.
http://www.bigdug.co.uk/mats-flooring-c402/interlo...
I mop the floor the the water doesn't seem to get through. I haven't tried a pressure washer.
ETA: Ah I've just noticed you want a light colour so they're no use.
http://www.bigdug.co.uk/mats-flooring-c402/interlo...
I mop the floor the the water doesn't seem to get through. I haven't tried a pressure washer.
ETA: Ah I've just noticed you want a light colour so they're no use.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 25th November 13:17
I had carpet tiles (cheap B&Q ones) straight on concrete (no sealant or whatever) when I was redoing my westfield. Despite not being stuck down very well they were fine for jacking the car on and nice to lie on. Yes they did get mucky sometimes but are easly to clean and replace if necessary. You do need some ply under jacks and axle stands if you don't want them to distort slightly but I doubt vinyl will be any better. I just jacked on the tiles and replaced them if they got too tatty.
Don't really have to worry about jacking and axles stands as I've got a scissor jack system when I installed the raised insulated plywood flooring.
With the cost of the tiles at around 90p each I can afford to buy almost double the amount needed and replace if ever they do get damaged and it still works out cheaper than vinyl tiles.
Richard
With the cost of the tiles at around 90p each I can afford to buy almost double the amount needed and replace if ever they do get damaged and it still works out cheaper than vinyl tiles.
Richard
I used carpet tiles as well... I put them down over 'tackifier' which is a glue you paint on the floor and allow to dry before laying the tiles. You can then lift the tiles and replace/move them about but they don't move even when you drive over them.
I bought a few extra tiles so I can replace them when they get dirty/damaged etc, but they are lasting well even though I park my car in the garage every night.
I bought a few extra tiles so I can replace them when they get dirty/damaged etc, but they are lasting well even though I park my car in the garage every night.
My garage floor is carpeted! 
When I did my house up and had the garage re-built I painted the floor, and then used some of the old carpet from the house.
To be fair it's not normal house carpet, it's like expensive hotel quality, the guy must have got it knocked off from somewhere as the whole house had been done with it.
It's got the tightest fibre weave I've seen, water just sits on it. It's been in there 5 years and still hoovers up clean. When I do spill a bit of water on it it just seems to dry out, but then I'm not parking a wet car in there everyday so it gets time to dry out.
Good for the knees when working on though!
When I did my house up and had the garage re-built I painted the floor, and then used some of the old carpet from the house.
To be fair it's not normal house carpet, it's like expensive hotel quality, the guy must have got it knocked off from somewhere as the whole house had been done with it.
It's got the tightest fibre weave I've seen, water just sits on it. It's been in there 5 years and still hoovers up clean. When I do spill a bit of water on it it just seems to dry out, but then I'm not parking a wet car in there everyday so it gets time to dry out.
Good for the knees when working on though!
I currently have an old rug that's nicer to lie on than the painted floor. Heuga tiles are great, you can often get them for nothing after office refurbs. They are practically bulletproof and when they get filthy you can just dump them.
Try Freecycle or just go and ask nicely around town when you see a skip, you don't have to do it all in one go after all. In fact I've never done a whole floor, just thrown a few down where I was kneeling or lying. If you have boards down it will be pretty nice to lie on anyway.
Finally, any sealant probably won't stop an epoxy floor paint working. We use epoxy floor paints in food factories and they stick to anything and everything.
Try Freecycle or just go and ask nicely around town when you see a skip, you don't have to do it all in one go after all. In fact I've never done a whole floor, just thrown a few down where I was kneeling or lying. If you have boards down it will be pretty nice to lie on anyway.
Finally, any sealant probably won't stop an epoxy floor paint working. We use epoxy floor paints in food factories and they stick to anything and everything.
Hi Battered, I spoke to two potential epoxy paint suppliers and both said that I would have to remove the varnish to allow the paint to adhere to the plywood.
Still not decided whether to use vinyl or carpet tiles.
I would prefer carpet but I think the vinyl would be the more practical when getting wet cars in and out of the garage.
The refurb is almost complete just got to give the ceiling and walls another coat of paint, so crunch time is here.
Richard
Still not decided whether to use vinyl or carpet tiles.
I would prefer carpet but I think the vinyl would be the more practical when getting wet cars in and out of the garage.
The refurb is almost complete just got to give the ceiling and walls another coat of paint, so crunch time is here.
Richard
In which case I'd just select another sort of floor paint. I've painted my garage floor with some well thinned one-coat gloss by International, it's great. Keeps the dust down, easy to clean, hard wearing and when I damage bits of it with a jack or whatever I can just add another coat every so often.
Why do you want to carpet/vinyl the whole thing? What do you do in there? You've put an insulated layer down so it will be warm. If you really want to bring wet cars in and out the best finish is paint or just varnished WBP ply like you already have.
Why do you want to carpet/vinyl the whole thing? What do you do in there? You've put an insulated layer down so it will be warm. If you really want to bring wet cars in and out the best finish is paint or just varnished WBP ply like you already have.
The ply wasn't the best quality WBP, probably just a bit better than shuttering ply. The top veneer is quite thin and is easily damaged, but I had always intended on putting down a flooring of some sort.
In hindsight, it would have been better to have bought some decent ply and then varnished or painted as you say.
Richard
In hindsight, it would have been better to have bought some decent ply and then varnished or painted as you say.
Richard
So how about sanding off the varnish and slapping on some epoxy paint?
(Still unsure about the 2 manufacturers telling you it won't stick to varnished wood, seriously we get the stuff to stick to all sorts of sh*t in food factories and then drive fork lifts about on it. The only stuff it wont stick to is wet concrete or large oil stains.)
(Still unsure about the 2 manufacturers telling you it won't stick to varnished wood, seriously we get the stuff to stick to all sorts of sh*t in food factories and then drive fork lifts about on it. The only stuff it wont stick to is wet concrete or large oil stains.)
RichD1 said:
Hi Battered, I spoke to two potential epoxy paint suppliers and both said that I would have to remove the varnish to allow the paint to adhere to the plywood.
Still not decided whether to use vinyl or carpet tiles.
I would prefer carpet but I think the vinyl would be the more practical when getting wet cars in and out of the garage.
The refurb is almost complete just got to give the ceiling and walls another coat of paint, so crunch time is here.
Richard
How about a Vinyl car bay, then carpet the rest? Or do you need the flexibility of parking in different positions?Still not decided whether to use vinyl or carpet tiles.
I would prefer carpet but I think the vinyl would be the more practical when getting wet cars in and out of the garage.
The refurb is almost complete just got to give the ceiling and walls another coat of paint, so crunch time is here.
Richard
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