I’m building a garage for bike storage and maintenance. I am currently thinking about what floor to put down (tiles, lino, etc.). Has anyone been through a similar decision? What did you go for and any thoughts having lived with it since – ease of cleaning, toughness, etc.?

Thanks.

Concrete.

painted concrete

I would say concrete too, plus a screed and a cheapish/ industrial vinyl tile that will scrub up well, don’t forget when pouring the floor chuck some rings in for ground locks

Paint chips over time. You can get interlocking rubber matting but IIRC its pricey. Wooden platform to lift it an inch or two and then loft boards? Carpet for the win (+sofa and kettle).

Thanks folks.

I had a garage built on my last house and I just painted the concrete floor in that. It did chip over time so I’ve ruled that out as an option for the floor covering. Vinyl tiles feel like the right way to go to me at the moment as I think they will be tough and easy to clean.

Matzzzzzz – have you installed vinyl tiles in a garage you’ve had?

Industrial method is to paint with a polyurethane floor paint. Won’t chip easily if done right. Then you can put whatever you want on top of that for comfort but the PU paint will be nice and easy to clean and dust free underneath.

I was lucky enough to be given 3 boxes of new carpet tiles from some offices that were being refurbed and were no longer needed. Easy to lay, and very hard wearing, when they get a bit grubby i give them a good sweep with a stiff yard brush then a vacuum and they come up a treat.

Sometimes being a tradesman is great, for my workshop i have been given by my customers, my carpet tiles, enough plasterboard to board the entire ceiling, an £80 length of worktop, some light fittings, a gallon of white paint and some shleving!

cow mat
6’x4′ sheets, about £20-30

Depends really on how much you want to spend and what you want to achieve.
As will all things decent prep is the key. Get a decent screed put down and put a self leveler down and a 2 part epoxy or PU “paint” roller applied in two coats will look good and be functional. Do a search for Altrotect. Other brands are available. If done corerctly the finish penetrates the screed and will not chip etc.

Anything more than this requires either decent skill with a trowel or paying for it to be done and on a garage ecomomies of scale are going to make it hideously expensive

painted,sealed concrete (of a light colour that doesn’t match bits on bike etc), and carpet/carpet tiles are a brilliant idea (try kneeling on a bolt on a concrete floor if you want to know why)

lino if you can get some cheap, esp the slightly padded stuff

Lidl have some plastic based floor paint in cheap at the moment. I’ve got my garage floor painted with that stuff and it’s ace.

quarry tiles, they have been great in mine. Zero maintanance.

garage c by eastham_david, on Flickr

I imagine the tiles would crack if you dropped something heavy and/or sharp on them (crankset/large wrench/vice)?

Vortexracing, that’s a warped and twisted mind right there. too tidy by half. 8)

No I haven’t but had them in an outhouse area that I got as a job lot, easy maintenance and easy to install just make sure you let the glue go off first otherwise it’s messy ( speaking from experience 🙂 )
It’s next on my list for my garage

Alternatively look out for rubber stable matting, expensive and sooo bloody heavy but your tools will bounce back into your hand lol
Had an offcut from a horsey girl at work for the boot of the car even that’s a bloody weight!!

Epoxy was what I wanted. Gives a similar finish to what car showrooms used to have. Like its painted but much harder wearing. The problem is you have to acid prep it and then leave it to dry for 7 days.

I ended up with Dynotiles, which are interlocking plastic tiles that lift you off the floor by about a centimetre and seals the concrete under it so lowers the dust. I’d also paint the walls as brick/blockwork constantly gives off dust.

No need for acid. Just got to make sure the screed is sufficiently dry. If you are putting in a decent thickness for a new floor best to use a polymer screed.