Garage Flooring? Anyone have epoxy / cement alternatives?

[David T]

I would doubt it Dave. Eventually water would get in between the laminate layers and destroy it.

Not only would it not hold up, it is a big fire hazard. I have an epoxy floor as well and the main thing is the prep. If you do not have a CLEAN fresh surface you will never get good results. The epoxy does stand up to even brake fluid and gasoline but is mechanically damageable. You need at least 1 coat of epoxy and 1 clear coat. Very smelly for many days till it cures. It is also very slippery when wet.

[DMCMW Dave]

I wonder if the PERGO laminate flooring would stand up to a garage floor. I just bought some PERGO online for a pretty good price of less than $2 sq/ft with free shipping.

Here's the view from my office. It's fully vinyl stick together fake wood strips from Home Depot. Completely waterproof (designed for basement applications). Obviously not a shop floor, but it's holding up relatively well to walking traffic and moving a car across it a few times a year in nice weather. I'd use it in a garage for appearance but not something I was dropping tools on.

Laminate (i.e. plasticized wood product) will not hold up to moisture at all.

floor.jpg

[Ras12]

Dave

I believe the product you used from HD was Traffic Master Allure flooring, correct? Awesome product. Used it in many of my commercial projects with high walking traffic and in basements with high moisture and holds up great. Was considering using it in my garage too but not sure about the salty winters here in the Northeast.

As far as moisture, I alway put cardboard under my car which works great as it absorbs any moisture vs getting onto the car. Plus it is easy to see if the cardboard is damp or moist and when it is I change it out.

[DMCMW Dave]

Dave
I believe the product you used from HD was Traffic Master Allure flooring, correct? Awesome product. Used it in many of my commercial projects with high walking traffic and in basements with high moisture and holds up great. Was considering using it in my garage too but not sure about the salty winters here in the Northeast.
.

Yes. We put it down ourselves. I put red rosin paper under it since the concrete had old glue on it and I wanted to avoid any "snapping". It shows some foot grit scratching, and will not hold up to, say, dropping an impact gun on it, but neither will paint or epoxy. The most foolproof flooring is bare, sealed concrete but that's not the look I was going for.

[David T]

Epoxy (the good stuff) is about the most expensive way to do a cement floor. Not only is the materiel expensive, the prep work required to do a good job is costly, dirty and time consuming. They use a beefed up floor polisher with a carbide cutter to remove the top 1/16 to 1/4 inch to get to virgin, clean concrete. You also need a dust collection system because it makes a LOT of dust. Even with a dust collector it gets everywhere. Next you patch any depressions or holes. Then you roll the epoxy color. If you choose, at this point before the epoxy dries, they scatter the flecks. The next day you roll the clear. It is dry to walk on in a day but it continues to harden AND SMELL for over a week. Once fully cured it is VERY tough and can take dropping things on it and is impervious to almost anything chemical. I have a 3 car garage and I had it done by Garagefloorcoating.com. It cost over $2K. It is SO much better than bare concrete. It doesn't stain and is no longer so dusty. Spills just wipe up. I have also tried garage floor paint but it doesn't stand up to much although it is a lot cheaper. The other thing some do is ceramic tile. Can't drop anything on that though.

[DMCMW Dave]

Epoxy (the good stuff) is about the most expensive way to do a cement floor. .

You haven't apparently priced industrial tile. THATS expensive.

[Jimmyvonviggle]

I think vinyl composite tiles like you find in hospitals might be a cheap and viable option. The advantages are:

Economical at about 90 cents for a 12"x12" tile
Comes in many colors that you can use to make patterns and logos
Easy to install
Durable and water proof
Any damaged tiles can be easily removed and replaced.

I have installed these at many retail stores and they hold up well to foot traffic, and carts and dollies. It's resistance to things like brake fluid I don't know, but like I said they are easily replaceable.

[acaciolo]

I used this stuff. no prep at all. they just snap together and lay on the floor. they look great. lots of different brands. Think I paid about $2.00 per sf.

http://www.racedeck.com/residentialgarageflooring.html

you can see a little of mine here:

IMG_3644.jpg

[Nicholas R]

I used this stuff. no prep at all. they just snap together and lay on the floor. they look great. lots of different brands. Think I paid about $2.00 per sf.

http://www.racedeck.com/residentialgarageflooring.html

you can see a little of mine here:

IMG_3644.jpg

I like race deck a lot. A buddy of mine is into Porsches and made a low resolution Porsche logo in his garage using red, yellow, and black tiles. I'll bet you could do the same with DMC with grey and black tiles.

[acaciolo]

lots of sellers on ebay around $2.00 per sf, including shipping for similar products.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GarageDeck-G...5b9ee6&vxp=mtr

a 20x30 garage would be around $1200. and the stuff is easily replaceable if you damage one. I've had it down for 10+ years and it looks brand new.

tony