Garage flooring recommendations

[JOEinSD]

Hey gentlemen (and ladies)-

I’m closing on a new home in just over a week, and was curious as to what you all have done as far as garage flooring goes. I was hoping to get some recommendations, opinions, and personal reviews.

Epoxy vs tiles, such as racedeck (or other)? I’ve read that if going the epoxy route, one would need to do a good amount of prep work so that the epoxy doesn’t lift/peel later down the line. And to stay away from the “big box store” epoxies as they only last a few years.

Which product(s) did you go with? How long have you had it? How’s it holding up? How much stress is it taking (ie. jacks/stands, liquids/chemicals, etc..) Pics are definitely welcome, too!

As always, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

 

[NoQuarter]

I have race deck with the open style drain tiles and I will put it in my garage addition. ( I don't use them for draining )

You will want jack stands that have flat round bottoms. Not the kind with sharp metal legs.

Install black lanscape fabric underneath. Great for looks.

I have to work extra cautious to prevent any major spill. Don't want a bunch of oil, brake fluid, coolant, etc under the tiles.

But... The tiles come up and can be replaced if you damage one or have a major spill.

I like the drain style because the floor then is mostly aways clean. Any bits of sand, gravel, etc fall through then I vacuum later.
Vacuum can take some time though and can get annoying but I still like it.

 

[Torgus]

I have never done either but Epoxy seems to make the most sense.

 

[NoQuarter]

I considered the epoxy but decided against a scratched up floor and how slipper they get. Then can get looking pretty bad pretty quick. A pebble under the wheel or a rolling cart? screeeeeetch!

In the Winter, I park on 2 20' long rolls of outdoor carpet (1 strip under each wheel). The carpet collects the salt/sand/etc and the water can then sit below the drain tiles and evaporate.

However, during the worst parts of winter I usually have some sort of housing project or car project going on so I often am not parking in the garage during the time I mostly should be using the garage to park in.

 

[Jake@MHD]

Following I will need a solid flooring option soon as well.

 

[Torgus]

I considered the epoxy but decided against a scratched up floor and how slipper they get. Then can get looking pretty bad pretty quick. A pebble under the wheel or a rolling cart? screeeeeetch!

In the Winter, I park on 2 20' long rolls of outdoor carpet (1 strip under each wheel). The carpet collects the salt/sand/etc and the water can then sit below the drain tiles and evaporate.

However, during the worst parts of winter I usually have some sort of housing project or car project going on so I often am not parking in the garage during the time I mostly should be using the garage to park in.

What about putting that sand stuff in the epoxy so it has a bit of texture for safety and so you don't slide all over? Like this: https://allgaragefloors.com/anti-slip-floor-coatings/

Hah, I live in new england and do the same thing for my Wife's X5. I thought I was the only one. Carpet is wide enough it also gets the crap off the shoes before it gets into the house. I just clean em to get rid of all the sand etc. in the spring.

 

[langsbr]

I did epoxy on both my first house and current, using the big box store stuff. At the first house, I must have done better as there has been no hot tire pickup at all. My current one has a good bit of chips and hot tire pickup. I plan to redo it, but I have to get a grinder with a diamabrush to get it all up. That being said, I love it, and it has paid off in spades from fluid spills. I did my turbo install on jackstands and anything that spills just wipes right up. Next time, I will NOT do the paint chips. It looks cool, but if you drop a nut or bolt, every piece of paint chip looks like a nut or bolt, lol.

I will be using Epoxy coat with a gray basecoat and clear top coat next time. You definitely have to do the "sharks grip" stuff, or it will be like ice when wet. Like, break your leg ice. The big box stuff isn't slick with the paint chips, but with epoxy coat, you'd do the paint chips under the clear coat.

 

[Torgus]

I did epoxy on both my first house and current, using the big box store stuff. At the first house, I must have done better as there has been no hot tire pickup at all. My current one has a good bit of chips and hot tire pickup. I plan to redo it, but I have to get a grinder with a diamabrush to get it all up. That being said, I love it, and it has paid off in spades from fluid spills. I did my turbo install on jackstands and anything that spills just wipes right up. Next time, I will NOT do the paint chips. It looks cool, but if you drop a nut or bolt, every piece of paint chip looks like a nut or bolt, lol.

I will be using Epoxy coat with a gray basecoat and clear top coat next time. You definitely have to do the "sharks grip" stuff, or it will be like ice when wet. Like, break your leg ice. The big box stuff isn't slick with the paint chips, but with epoxy coat, you'd do the paint chips under the clear coat.

Great informative post. Have fun getting that stuff up. Anyway you can scuff it enough to have a new layer adhere vs. removing it all?

Good to know about the paint chips. They look nice in theory but I can see where you are coming from.

Light or dark grey? I think dark would be the better for contrast assuming you have good lighting.

 

[NoQuarter]

Posted this pic in the jack stands thread too.

The race deck drain tile type floor looks like this even when "dirty" and is very easy to slide around under the car. The tiles are very hard on the knees though but all my wheeled cabinets roll very nicely.

 

[fmorelli]

Epoxy is really not a good idea unless you have it done by a pro company. Here's the biggest problem with epoxy - if you don't get everything prepped just right, or, if you live in a humid environment where humidity builds in your concrete, the epoxy will lift. Any lift and you are screwed ... can't really repair, and PITA to pull it all up. It's great if it all goes well, but I hate planning based on optimal outcomes.

Filippo

 

[NoQuarter]

I got a professional quote to epoxy my 2 car garage shown in the pic.

About $4,000

Seemed very high to me at $10/sqft but that was the quote. Gave me the motivation to look at something else.

 

[JOEinSD]

Thanks everyone for chiming in!

I hadn't realized epoxy was so much, but I guess that's the price you pay to get it done right. I'm likely going to go the modular tile route because of cost. I also like the fact that you can pack it up and take it with you too.

I do like how the free-flow tiles look, but I just don't know if I need that here in SoCal. I don't have a garage floor trench/drain either unfortunately. If I did, I'd definitely go with the free-flows. Being able to wash your car inside your garage sounds very convenient!

 

[NoQuarter]

Just to be clear.... The drain tiles for me are a lot more functional than just thinking about actual draining of water. In fact, I rarely let water/snow hit the floor at all.

For me, it is the the bits of sand, pebbles, grit, etc that fall through and stay out of the way. Basically... Never a dirty floor.

 

[Lurcher]

Bought a house with a grey epoxy floor already done (see profile pic). Nothing has damaged it - other than me not wiping up spilled paint.

Slick as ice when it gets wet - oh yea...boat shoes don't even grip on it. We use a piece of carpet outside wifeys doors to prevent accidents - but I still manage to bust my ass (or do a split) every few years.