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MG MGA - Garage flooring

I'm in the process of tidying out the garage and wondering what to do with the floor. Currently it's painted concrete which looks OK, but the main problem is car tyres stick to the paint.

One option I'm considering is high impact polymer tiles which are sold specifically for garage flooring. Has anyone tried these tiles? or have any suggestions for improving garage flooring?

Regards...JB
J Bray

JB, Go to your local carpet store and ask for the carpet they have just ripped out of someones home - in reasonable condition (not threadbare) it will last a few years, then you dispose of it. Very effective and cheap.
Barry
BM Gannon

Barry,

That might be ok in Oz, but with UK humidity could be a disaster, unless the garage is insulated and heated or dehumidified.

I used a two pack garage floor paint, which is great, but you have to work fast as it sets within the hour (then takes 24 hours to fully harden) Sorry, I can't remember the make but can probably find out if you need.
Neil McGurk

Not all paints are the same. I've tried various paints and stains and they all lifted or wore through prematurely. The answer finally came to me a few years ago. I spent a bit extra and put down a coat of the stuff they use in aircraft hangers. The only time I've managed to chip or scratch this paint is when the concrete itself was chipped away. The paint is completely unaffected by oils, solvents, brake fluid, etc. I left a pool of brake fluid on the floor for a couple weeks and it wiped up as if it was never there.

You may choose to put sand in the paint for traction but be aware that this makes it very difficult to clean because it tears up whatever mo or rag you use to clean with. However leaving the sand out makes for a VERY slippery surface when wet. No one other than myself is allowed in my garage when the floor or their feet are wet. Yes it's that bad.

Tiles are ok but fluid gets between them and is impossible to get out. This makes for dirty seams and can trap smelly fluids. PVC tiles also expand and contract with heat so when warmed by the sun you may end up with loose or raised areas that can trip you or make moving equipment around difficult.

Vinyl tiles are another option but they are not entirely durable. You will need to replace them often to keep the floor looking good.

I guess what I'm saying is that there is no perfect option!
Steve S

Depends on how much you want to spend. On this side of the pond you can buy what is sometimes called "sport court". It is a snap together floor system made from a plastic material. It can eaisly be removed for cleaning as it is not normally anchored to the floor.
J Heisenfeldt

Sounds like Steve used the same stuff as I did. If your concrete is not too smooth its OK, but if you have a smooth finish you have to be careful when it's wet. Ditto what Steve says about the sand!
Neil McGurk

If you're through with the restoration and not doing any welding then the tiles or even carpet would do, but I still would prefer the 2 pack type coatings specifically designed for garage floors. These are so resistant to chemicals and even hold up well to welding slag as well that they're hard to beat. The floor must be clean though, so thorough cleaning is a must. On the cheap side there are concrete sealer products that will soak in to the concrete and make cleanup of future spills easier, but don't hide any previous stains.
Bill Young

Hi, I painted my workshop floor with epoxy resin floor paint, its very durable and is resistant to oil, petrol and brake fluid. I just had a look on the web and there are plenty of companies who sell it, the downside is that it is expensive.


Terry
Terry Drinkwater

I just had my garage floor done this September by a franchise co. in the US called Premier Garage. It took 2 days, they spent most of the first day grinding it to get any concrete sealer and oil off and then roll a coat of polymer over the top and sprinkled colored chips over that. You don't have to have the chips if you want to save some money. The next day they give it another coat of polymer which is a type of urathane that is not supposed to yellow with time. The end result is beautiful and very resistent to almost everything. I asked the installer about battery acid, he said I wouldn't leave it on the floor for just too long. I will try to download a picture which I haven't done before.
N. Wessely

Here is the picture showing the floor, I hope.


N Wessely

Love that garage!
I have an ECO tireflator, but not on the wall yet. Don't have the other stuff yet, though.
mike parker

Nicely done garage! I never put completed photos up, but you can see my garage project here: http://www.mgnuts.com/garage There are photos of the floor in there somewhere.
Steve S

Here a picture of mine , i have done the same process as N Wessely

Jules.


Jules Desbiens

Forget your cars, you guys should take your garages to car shows!
David werblow

Puts my garage to shame. New carpets and curtains in the spring I think.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve S,
Love your garage too! I haven't painted mine yet, but have also settled on light gray lower half and white upper walls. I'm hoping to get my furnace in before Christmas. I also set my rear garage door rails in line with the roof line. Makes for much more usable room.
mike parker

N Wessely and Jules,
Beautiful storage area for your cars and collectables. More of a Museum/Trophy Room than what I call a garage. Here are some photos of my garage. Not in the same league as yours, but if something gets spilled (and it does) it's not a big deal. Maybe someday I can finish it off a little like yours, but then I would have to wash the tires off after every drive before putting the car on such a nice floor.


Ed Bell

When I was in the car business we just used single part floor paint. It just took a degreasing then rolled on with a roller on a pole. This is the paint that service stations used to use back when they were "service" stations. Many stations would paint their floors weekly (Yes, weekly, it kept the gas jockeys busy on Saturdays)
We used to do it once a year and it would look darn good for at least 6 months. We did it in a tan colour with a 10'dia MG logo in the center.

Rich
Rich McKIe

Ed

Thanks for posting your pictures, it made me feel much better. I would take some photos in my garage but I am not sure I can get in between the car and all the invaluable stuff I keep in there just in case it ever comes in useful.

Malcolm
Malcolm Asquith

Greetings JB,

I just recently completed my garage and prior to moving all the car realted objects into it, and before I spilled any contaminates on the floor, I used a two part epoxy sold at your local Lowe's made by Quickcrete (about $60.00 per gal./kit). It took two kits to do my garage which is 24 foot square. It comes with a can of "sprinkle flakes" that at first I wasn't going to use but changed my mind during the application process. They include a short DVD which was helpful. The flakes add nothing to the durability of the finish but it does give a nice look to the finish. Good luck!
Robert Maupin

OMG Jules and Mr Wesseley - definitely a showroom - and your cars look great too. I am now inspired to clear out mine and paint the floor ( only just big enough to get the car in so it shouldn't take too much paint) . I 'm not inclined to use the plastic tiles - I saw some at a car show last summer and they were expensive and I'm not convinced about liquids that get spilt going through the joins etc.
Cam Cunningham

Thank you everyone for your helpful comments, my garage used to be as tidy as some of those shown but these days its full of 'come in handy' items so I need to have a massive clear-out.

Having spent most of the day tidying out the garage, I notice that once again I have condensation forming on the floor. I'm not sure if its because the floor has been painted which provides a surface for the water to condense on, or if its just the climatic conditions where I live. A neighbour who has not painted his floor doesn't have any problems and I'm wondering if any condensate just soaks into the porous floor.

Last year following advice from this board I parked the cars on a sheet of polythene which helped considerably in reducing condensation on the cars.

My intention is to try the two pack epoxy treatment in the spring once the weather has warmed up a little.
J Bray

"J.",

You will get condensation on either surface but, with one that's been painted, the water lays on the surface and will evapoate/dry much faster than if it's allowed to soak into the concrete. Radiant heated flooring....that will take care of it $$$$$$.
Cheers, Wes
Robert Maupin

You may want to install a humidstat and an exhaust fan in your garage to keep the moisture to a minimum.
Rich McKIe

John

Does your garage floor have a damp course? Maybe the source of your problem.

I am fortunate in some ways in that my double garage is an integral part of the house and has a damp course and full insulation. The downside is the fumes that can so easily migrate into the house.

I use standard red tile paint. The wheel contact areas tend to lift during the year, but it's an easy task for the wife to patch during her housework.

Our company's aircraft assembly hangar for the Eurofighter Typhoon uses one of the expensive paints mentioned above. Absolutely immaculate and hard wearing but it does get very slippery if it gets wet.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve,
It's good to see that you are interested in keeping your wife up to date on modern household chores.
Should something happen to you, (as it might should your wife read this post) it is good that she be multi-talented.
mike parker

Perhaps we should start a thread on garages. Here is a current picture of mine.


M Gannon

Some of mine. Carpet on half the floor. Replacement carpet strung up on the wall.

Steve


Steve Gyles

Mark, if you're interested in MG owners' garages, have a look here: http://www.mgnuts.com/garages
Steve S

I was wondering if anyone has added radiant floor heating to their garage?

I had thought that the wooden channels that they have for the pex tubing would work on top of my floor. And then I could cover it with 3/4" tongue and groove exterior ply with an epoxy paint. Not flame proof but I remember some older garages with wood floors and a few with timbers over the pits. Anyone think that might work? I'm really thinking solar heat too as my furnace does a good job of heating the garage.
Thoughts?

Frank

F. G. French

This thread was discussed between 18/12/2008 and 27/12/2008

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