Garage floor

#1
I need some advice, please.

I am having a shiny new garage built with nice new concrete base. I want a floor coating to protect it that offers the following...

1. Hard wearing.
2. Non slip.
3. Able to move an Abba stand around unhindered
4. Long lasting
5. Fluid proof (petrol/oil etc.).

I have looked at rubber matting, garage floor tiles and many other solutions, but they all seem to have drawbacks from what I can see. For instance, rubber matting will likely cause problems with the Abba stand when the caster wheels sink into it and becomes stuck (the wheels are too small really)

The most promising looks to be 2 pack epoxy coating with a non slip additive. It seems to meet all of my criteria. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this?

Cheers

Steve
 

GarminDave

Ex-Arkwright
Premier Member
#2
I need some advice, please.

I am having a shiny new garage built with nice new concrete base. I want a floor coating to protect it that offers the following...

1. Hard wearing.
2. Non slip.
3. Able to move an Abba stand around unhindered
4. Long lasting
5. Fluid proof (petrol/oil etc.).

I have looked at rubber matting, garage floor tiles and many other solutions, but they all seem to have drawbacks from what I can see. For instance, rubber matting will likely cause problems with the Abba stand when the caster wheels sink into it and becomes stuck (the wheels are too small really)

The most promising looks to be 2 pack epoxy coating with a non slip additive. It seems to meet all of my criteria. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on this?

Cheers

Steve
 

GarminDave

Ex-Arkwright
Premier Member
#3
Sorry about that but on my phone I do experience issues with the forum!
I have interlocking plastic tiles which have been down 20 years with no issues
If I won the lottery I’d use ceramic floor tiles.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#5
I don't know if this is an issue where you live, but in high humidity conditions where concrete floors sweat, epoxy coatings don't change that. It doesn't mean it's a bad choice, just to make sure to do the anti-slip additive to avoid the very slick issue of moisture on smooth epoxy.

Post pictures when you're done and let us know what you chose.
 

Stephen!

Flivver Flyer
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
#6
I used Rust Oleum RockSolid Epoxyshield, Very pleased with the results.

Before:



After:





Just make sure you take your time cleaning and etching. Being brand-new, your floor will likely not have much in the way of oil stains. Mine did. The previous owner was not very careful about keeping oil off the floor and even as hard as I tried, I still had some difficulty with oil seeping through the coating when it was all done. This 24'x48' floor took five kits total with very little left over. I added non-slip grit to the mix and chose the blue/grey color chip flakes to toss on top as I went along. All told, this one took me three days. One day cleaning, one day etching, and one day coating.
 

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#7
@Stephen!

That is a stunning garage with a very lonely bike in it :D I would give a metaphorical appendage for that amount of floor space. I could fit all of the bikes in it then and the 'other' vehicle :eek:

The floor looks very impressive though.

I have some tile samples on the way so that I can check them out, but at the moment, this is top of the list...

ResinCoat

The problem is that I use an Abba skylift (below) and the wheels on it are not very big so they will not roll over lumps and bumps and am concerned they will 'bury' themselves in tiles making the whole thing immovable or unstable

1645720047344.png
 

Stephen!

Flivver Flyer
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
#8
@Stephen!
That is a stunning garage with a very lonely bike in it :D I would give a metaphorical appendage for that amount of floor space. I could fit all of the bikes in it then and the 'other' vehicle :eek:
Haha... Yah, does not look quite so cavernous now...

I have some tile samples on the way so that I can check them out, but at the moment, this is top of the list...

ResinCoat
That looks pretty close to what I used except the Rust Oleum stuff was single coat. No primer needed.

The problem is that I use an Abba skylift (below) and the wheels on it are not very big so they will not roll over lumps and bumps and am concerned they will 'bury' themselves in tiles making the whole thing immovable or unstable
Indeed... I would certainly stay away from anything with cushion or seams.
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#9
An option would be larger casters on the skylift to help with a softer tile. You might still have some effort with a 4" caster wheel, but it won't be that bad. The larger the wheels the easier to roll with weight on them. Just depends on how firm or soft the tile is.
 
#10
@EricV Thanks.

That is an option available. Using larger and rubberised casters would provide easier/smoother movement on softer flooring.

The options being suggested are all very interesting and worthy of consideration. Could just do with some form of test to be able to determine the course of action offering best overall solution.

A small sample of PVC tile is not really enough to set up a real world test, but I hope it will provide insight into the best solution.

Someone also mentioned rubber flooring. At 1/8" thick, wheels should not bury themselves too far into it and will provide the protection needed. It does have seams though which aren't so good.

If the costs were smaller it would be worth taking a chance with something and if it didn't work then move onto something else, but all of the options are heavy on the bank account.

This is a harder decision than picking a horse to win the Derby
 
#11
we used to paint the hangar floors in specialized floor paint with an anti slip additive. worked absolutely fine.. yes it was anti slip and you could wheel anything about on it. plus jack up, spill fluids etc no issues. it was quite expensive to buy. alternatively a good dollop of grit sand mix in the standard floor paint gives the same effect at a much reduced cost.
for home use the grit sand is the one i'd go for.
i'd avoid any sort of matting as a general floor covering they tend to trap dirt and provide a trip hazard the older they get.
 

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#12
Someone also mentioned rubber flooring. At 1/8" thick, wheels should not bury themselves too far into it
Not sure I agree with that. Especially with small casters. You'd be amazed at how much resistance even hard rubber can provide.
 

Stephen!

Flivver Flyer
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
#13
we used to paint the hangar floors in specialized floor paint with an anti slip additive. worked absolutely fine.. yes it was anti slip and you could wheel anything about on it. plus jack up, spill fluids etc no issues. it was quite expensive to buy. alternatively a good dollop of grit sand mix in the standard floor paint gives the same effect at a much reduced cost.
for home use the grit sand is the one i'd go for.
i'd avoid any sort of matting as a general floor covering they tend to trap dirt and provide a trip hazard the older they get.
The kit I linked above comes with grit. I bought, and used, extra. I would strongly caution against NOT using some type of non-skid with these hard coverings. There are a couple places on my floor that did not get quite as much grit as the rest and they are extremely slippery when wet.
 
#14
Not sure I agree with that. Especially with small casters. You'd be amazed at how much resistance even hard rubber can provide.
This is my main concern. I thought I ought to give PVC floor tiles a look so ordered a sample which isn't going to break the bank. The manufacturers say that they can be used with trolley jacks, so may be ok with the stand.

Looking forward to the garage being built now. It should be up first week in March. The floor coating is then going down. At the moment, epoxy resin is edging it as favourite.

Absolutely no idea why I keep using a horse racing metaphors. I hate the sport.
 

Ian M

Well-Known Member
#16
i use duramat over a concrete floor. Dura tile solid pvc floor tile in the motorcycle section had it down two years
i have an abba sky lift which has no issues with being moved around when i clean the bike tomorrow i'll take a few images
 
#17
that's expensive stuff to paint a garage floor with, i know it can be done with resins as a decorative floor, but so far I've only used resin for table tops and bars. stuff I've used is clear then you add colour to suit it can give some cool effects.
 
#18
Thanks all for relating experiences, thoughts and opinions. I have decided to go down the Epoxy Resin route. The floor has now been laid and I have scoured it with and angle grinder wire cup wheel to remove the laitance ready to be primed. It is being erected on Friday, so will be busy with the paint over next weekend.

that's expensive stuff to paint a garage floor with, i know it can be done with resins as a decorative floor, but so far I've only used resin for table tops and bars. stuff I've used is clear then you add colour to suit it can give some cool effects.
Not that expensive considering the price of the alternatives...

Epoxy - £300
PVC Floor Tiles - £500 - £800
Rubber matting - £15/18 sq. m
 
#19
Just thought I would post an update to this...

I went for the Epoxy Resin in the end, and am well pleased with it. The floor looks great and the coating is rock hard. I have dropped all sorts on it, including hammers, and it has remained scratch free. The photo below was taken before all the electrics were completed, and the bench is a lot tidier :)

1653076656276.jpg