garage/workshop flooring

Operation: Mancave is finally go! The concrete floor is decent but not painted/sealed. Apparently you need to do something otherwise you’ll just get loads of dust everywhere, but obviously if I can save a job I will 😂 Since ultimately I want some kind of rubber flooring, etc, can I just put these straight down or do I REALLY need to paint/seal it first (if so which product)?

Done some Googling and “Duramat” pops up a bit, any other recommended tiles?

office carpet tiles, 50 will cover an average garage.

It does help a lot with the dust, although if 99% is covered then I doubt a lot can escape. Trouble is that most floor paint (like the Leyland stuff Screwfix sell) needs a reasonable temperature to cure so now isn’t ideal for doing it.

I used the rubber mats, but they swell up with dampness so you really need a good floor sealer/paint first.

I used Ronseal’s floor paint, in the end. It’s definitely not the toughest, but, it’s also super easy to apply, fast drying, and very easy to touch up. A 2-part paint is more hassle for a lot of that so for me it was a good compromise.

I used this (2 rolls 1.5m wide) and joined together on the back using Gorilla tape – been down 12 months – dropped lots of DOT fluid, lube, oil etc all over it – cleans up easy

I’ve been impressed
rubber flooring

I’ve just bought the Duramat / Durastud garage pack, which seemed pretty reasonable at £360ish delivered.

They’d run out of black so they offered me blue at no extra cost which looks pretty nice.

No need to seal floor or anything…

Our workshop has some ex-gym 18mm rubber mats.

Think we paid £8 per sheet (2x1m). PITA to roll up and get in the boot of the car, they’re flipping heavy and unwieldy!

Workshop gym by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

our office got a new floor, i got some of the old floor…carpet tiles works a treat, but then need securing, and when the garage flooded in the summer, they took a while to dry out.

I’ve just bought the Duramat / Durastud garage pack, which seemed pretty reasonable at £360ish delivered.

They’d run our of black so they offered me blue at no extra cost which looks pretty nice.

@jimdubleyou interesting… got a link to the tiles you bought? how did you wangle the upgrade?

@yoshimi does that offer much in the way of cushioning or is it mainly for the easy clean-up?

carpet tiles works a treat, but then need securing, and when the garage flooded in the summer, they took a while to dry out.

I don’t mind the carpet tile idea, but I’ll be doing my home-brewing in there so they’ll definitely be the odd spill, maybe moist malt/hop-smelling tiles not the best plan then 😃

You can’t really sweep carpet tiles, so they aren’t ideal. If you are working in there, then definitely the interlocking rubber floors will be easy to clean and warmer to stand on. two pack epoxy floor paint is hard wearing and easy to clean, but very cold for a workshop environment.

I don’t mind the carpet tile idea, but I’ll be doing my home-brewing in there so they’ll definitely be the odd spill, maybe moist malt/hop-smelling tiles not the best plan then

You only glue the front layer by the opening down. The rest are compression fit.

You have 15-20 spares and swap them over when needed and hose the others off.

You can’t really sweep carpet tiles, so they aren’t ideal

Henry/James in there… you hoover them 🙂

This is what I ordered –

https://duramat.co.uk/product/durastud-60pk-black/

The upgrade was fortuitous – they emailed to say it was out of stock, which wasn’t showing on website when I ordered and they offered money back, wait a couple of weeks or blue tiles.

This is what they sent, not a huge price different but it all helps
https://duramat.co.uk/product/durastud-60pk-blue/

With a stiff brush you actually can sweep carpet tiles – I do it regularly in my garage.

@jimdubleyou ta that does look good. Why did you go for the Durastud over the (cheaper, thicker but presumably not as good?) regular disc tiles?

Do like the look of the blue ones. I’d need 2 packs like you got though, it’s a 5m x 5m garage, frustratingly I think the 96 tile pack wouldn’t quite be enough! Would it look like a kiddies play zone if I went alternating red and blue, or would that be cool 🤔

i’ve been looking at the same stuff that @yoshimi has.
Seems a decent price and less faff than tiles.
What’s it like to cut/trim?

I use the interlocking foam type flooring, makes such a difference to the temperature and also less fatigue when standing still for extended periods.

Not great for Grinding things as they tend to melt

@nwmlarge which tiles did you get?

I haven’t ever sealed ours in 25 years. Dust isn’t a big issue as I usually sweep/vac it out from doing DIY anyway, sawdust etc etc, as well as leaves getting blown in when the door is open. I just use an old hoover that I use on the cars to vac it up. I don’t worry if I spill oil/ dot fluid etc. I usually chuck some sand on it for a few days, then sweep up.

i tried painting ours and thought i could skip the grinding step. You cant. it just lifted right off the dust, even after i had scrubbed it to death.
Had to hire a floor grinder and take maybe 3mm off the whole floor to get it down to a competent surface.
Painted it in epoxy after though, and its mint. Hard wearing and dirt free.

I did the garage in the old house with those that nwmlarge has put on. Brilliant things. Lifted them and brought them to the new house. Make the room warmer and quieter.

@yoshimi does that offer much in the way of cushioning or is it mainly for the easy clean-up?

I wouldn’t say cushioned as such but I have a sperate area of cushioning using cheap interlocking tiles from Halfords. Definitely nicer to walk on / stand on

@dirkpitt74

i’ve been looking at the same stuff that @yoshimi has.
Seems a decent price and less faff than tiles.
What’s it like to cut/trim?

Dead easy using a couple of sharp Stanley blades

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7UED7LnQYl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Thanks @yoshimi – that looks great.
Wish mine was as tidy as that…..

@dirkpitt74 – to be fair, that was my project in our new house over the Christmas break last year – 12months on and it’s a bit of a bombsite…floor has held up well tho 🙂

If you’re brewing and anticipate spills, it’ll seep through the joins of the interlocking tiles so i’d be tempted to seal the floor first to make cleaning easier

Why did you go for the Durastud over the (cheaper, thicker but presumably not as good?) regular disc tiles?

I don’t think they were in stock. Not sure what the difference is other than thickness? Used a jigsaw to cut them so I reckon 12mm wouldn’t be any harder to lay.