I’m just starting to rebuild my garage at home, well just about through planning . Thinking ahead i want it to look very clean and tidy, but still be able to be used as a work shop when needed. Ive painted many a workshop floor but its often not long before it needs doing again but paint does clean up easily . Ive seen pvc click together systems they look nice when new but are they hard wearing and oil or brake fluid resistant . Apparently rubber smells for ages . Then there are ceramic tiles and these are looking favourite at the moment although ive no personal experiance of them .
Only an option if you are puting down a new floor.
The best I have seen / used for a garage floor was in my mates in Ferndown. When it was built he had the floor screeded with coloured concreat and then polished as it was drying (they used what looked like a cross between a floor sander and a fan). The floor is very smooth which makes using a crawler and car dollies easy and as the colour goes right through chips do not show.
You see always some good ideas on here i never thought of a dye in the floated finish . The more i look at the pvc type tiled floor the more i think it would be ok for a showroom type garage space but not so good in workshop conditions .Ceramic tiles are still front runners though.
Tiles look great and if you get tiles that do not have a beveled edge you can ■■■■ fit then and not have the nasty glrout lines that hold the dirt and catch on casters (tool chests/ trolley jacks etc). The only problems are their tendancy to crack if / when things are dropped on them. (I find that no matter how carefull I am a tool or a part is dropped on the floor every once in a while). The other problem is the variable ability of tiles to take the high point loads excerted buy axle stands / bottle jacks.
mmmmmm i dunno more homework . Myself and a few friends in the trade have painted workshop floors, but i do know a few main dealers with tiled floors i’ll wonder around when i get a minute spare. I don’t know anyone with the pvc stuff , maybe its a new product or just not popular because its expensive or just not up to the job .
Main Dealers may have tiled floors in their showrooms, but I wouldn’t think they would have them in their workshops, where they possibly have to comply with Health and Safety Regulations. If you were going to use unglazed tiles IMO I would think that should be ok, but if you are looking for a pretty work area, remember unglazed tiles will absorb spillages
There are tiled floors and then there are tiled floors
The type of tile used in a car showroom is not the sort of thing you can pick up in the local B & Q.
There is a huge range of different sorts of tile available from specialist suppliers. As an example we used a German Sinzig non slip tile for a public swiming pool surround and have used a Limestone tile for car showrooms. I have also used 30mm Italian Marble tiles but that probably is a bit OTT (and ***** expensive)
A ceramic tile may not be the best solution as non slip ones tend to have a matt surface and can absorb liquids such as oil-sealing them obviously makes them somewhat less non slip.
There are some heavy duty vinyl coverings such as Altro which is typically used in Hospitals and the like. This is a welded one piece flooring that has a cove up the wall which makes it easy to clean. Non slip version were available but have not used any for a few years.
The cheapest/simplest way would probably be to use a min 75mm sand and cement screed with a fibre reinforcement layer and a waterproofing addative laid to fall to door. This would then have a coating of a good quality floor paint to seal the surface and make it easier to clean. The paint would probably need to be re-done periodically depending on usage.
i never thought of a dye in the floated finish . The more i look at the pvc type tiled floor the more i think it would be ok for a showroom type garage space but not so good in workshop conditions .Ceramic tiles are still front runners though.
more homework . Myself and a few friends in the trade have painted workshop floors, but i do know a few main dealers with tiled floors i’ll wonder around when i get a minute spare. I don’t know anyone with the pvc stuff , maybe its a new product or just not popular because its expensive or just not up to the job .