They suck if you actually drive and park cars over them; some hold up better than others but they all eventually break down and distort under the weight and forces involved as that weight moves. Once that distortion happens it gets harder and harder to replace the damaged ones because they don't intermesh right.
Just pressure was it off. Beats having to clean an interior (we'd remove any affected parts and leave them outdoors in sunlight after pressure washing).
I wouldn't actually cover an entire floor with those and expect them to be used as permanent flooring. Setting up a few areas which have them (so you can lift them up easily, clean under them, throw them away eventually and get new ones etc) is more sensible
They do almost nothing for utility. If you want to be a pretty girl and spend extra time cleaning, they're great. But fatigue mats, oil spill mats, ESD mats etc are all better choices for actual work.
My mom has a 20x30 shop at her house that her and my dad built probably close to 50 years ago. The floors are concrete and spalling badly. Probably due to the fact that they mixed it themselves and it may have frozen before fully cured. Been thinking of covering it with some.of these tiles or horse stall mats, but will the concrete need to breathe? Sometimes if something is sitting solid on the floor and you move it the concrete looks damp. I'm sure the old man didn't put down any kind of vapor barrier under the concrete...
Concrete doesn't need to breathe. It cured by hydration long ago. Horse stall mats work great. I cut them using a thin kerf cutting disc on my 6" angle grinder. Make your cuts outdoors because the dust is nasty.
I looked at several interlock tile types - but at this point - I am considering more of a peel-n-stick vinyl 12x12 floor tile.
see this example for reference:
It's hard to find a downside.
- Easy to cut/trim.
- Cost seems about right.
- Available from Lowes or Home Depot.
- Should hold up well to most traffic types in the garage.
- Will not deform from car weight.
- Not for a flood, but should tolerate a bit of water from say, a dripping air conditioner compressor on a hot car.
- Can replace individual tiles if necessary.
- Can create a pattern other than checked if desired.
I've look hard at epoxy solutions. I would want to DIY to save money rather than have a contractor perform the work.
But honestly, just read the reviews at any of the big box stores for customers that have attempted to apply an epoxy garage floor.
I mean really, almost half of them failed. Peeling, bubbles, tire pick up, etc...
If there were only one or two - I could rationalize - but there are lots that failed.
Makes me think the conditions and application have to be perfect. That's a potential problem since few DIY projects are perfect since the doer is doing it for the first time.
Also, there is lots of cleaning and etching of the concrete before the epoxy application.
do you have a garage? i can't imagine thinking these are an upgrade over bare concrete in any way. just picture yourself sweeping dirt and shit off those textured tiles. or rolling a stool around on them. or spilling liquid on them and it seeps all down through the joints.
It's worse. Those tiles in OPs picture look like swisstrax, which do have a texture, but they're more like grates. They let liquid and dirt right through. You have to empty the place out, pull them up, and clean the concrete once in a while.
To look good in IG/jewtube/etc shoots. They're not even high end utility for people with shit to burn. It's for Black person rich gear head boomers to put their garage queen on.
Poor
They suck if you actually drive and park cars over them; some hold up better than others but they all eventually break down and distort under the weight and forces involved as that weight moves. Once that distortion happens it gets harder and harder to replace the damaged ones because they don't intermesh right.
Otherwise they are OK.
are they rubber or something? I'm sure a buncha horse mats would be fine too
We use old conveyor belting
>old conveyor belting
https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/over-36-48/conveyor-35-x-35-x-1-4/
Because of this post I did such a deep dive on conveyers last night i stayed up 2 hours past my bed time
>selling that stuff
my company just got a quote for disposing one of those for 6K€
Holy shit, my new favorite website for the month.
Some interesting stuff if you dig for a while:
https://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/clearancestuff/blast-resistant-trash-can-w-o-lid-27-x-33/
I had a similar feeling when I found the biohazard car auction site.
Just pressure was it off. Beats having to clean an interior (we'd remove any affected parts and leave them outdoors in sunlight after pressure washing).
Probably worth ozoning it
I wouldn't actually cover an entire floor with those and expect them to be used as permanent flooring. Setting up a few areas which have them (so you can lift them up easily, clean under them, throw them away eventually and get new ones etc) is more sensible
They do almost nothing for utility. If you want to be a pretty girl and spend extra time cleaning, they're great. But fatigue mats, oil spill mats, ESD mats etc are all better choices for actual work.
Holy hell my sides!
My mom has a 20x30 shop at her house that her and my dad built probably close to 50 years ago. The floors are concrete and spalling badly. Probably due to the fact that they mixed it themselves and it may have frozen before fully cured. Been thinking of covering it with some.of these tiles or horse stall mats, but will the concrete need to breathe? Sometimes if something is sitting solid on the floor and you move it the concrete looks damp. I'm sure the old man didn't put down any kind of vapor barrier under the concrete...
Concrete doesn't need to breathe. It cured by hydration long ago. Horse stall mats work great. I cut them using a thin kerf cutting disc on my 6" angle grinder. Make your cuts outdoors because the dust is nasty.
If its just a visual thing, paint the concrete.
I looked at several interlock tile types - but at this point - I am considering more of a peel-n-stick vinyl 12x12 floor tile.
see this example for reference:
It's hard to find a downside.
- Easy to cut/trim.
- Cost seems about right.
- Available from Lowes or Home Depot.
- Should hold up well to most traffic types in the garage.
- Will not deform from car weight.
- Not for a flood, but should tolerate a bit of water from say, a dripping air conditioner compressor on a hot car.
- Can replace individual tiles if necessary.
- Can create a pattern other than checked if desired.
What's not to like?
The ground under it will give way so they'll straight up crack and water will get under there and freeze or mold or ants?
I don't think so in my case - as I have a solid concrete floor, mature at over 10 years old and I live where we get no snow or freeze.
In a different climate or area with snow, I would likely change my mind.
If you're going for looks, just do an epoxy floor. Weight wise, it will hold up (up to 10k lbs) and won't deform.
I've look hard at epoxy solutions. I would want to DIY to save money rather than have a contractor perform the work.
But honestly, just read the reviews at any of the big box stores for customers that have attempted to apply an epoxy garage floor.
I mean really, almost half of them failed. Peeling, bubbles, tire pick up, etc...
If there were only one or two - I could rationalize - but there are lots that failed.
Makes me think the conditions and application have to be perfect. That's a potential problem since few DIY projects are perfect since the doer is doing it for the first time.
Also, there is lots of cleaning and etching of the concrete before the epoxy application.
It's a lot of fricking work.
just my take on the subject.
I went with Horse Stall Mats About 10 Matts did my whole Garage
Just make sure to wash them and let them air out before putting them in a closed room as they got the rubber stink
do you have a garage? i can't imagine thinking these are an upgrade over bare concrete in any way. just picture yourself sweeping dirt and shit off those textured tiles. or rolling a stool around on them. or spilling liquid on them and it seeps all down through the joints.
It's worse. Those tiles in OPs picture look like swisstrax, which do have a texture, but they're more like grates. They let liquid and dirt right through. You have to empty the place out, pull them up, and clean the concrete once in a while.
holy shit you're right this is so much worse than i was thinking. why would anyone buy these
To look good in IG/jewtube/etc shoots. They're not even high end utility for people with shit to burn. It's for Black person rich gear head boomers to put their garage queen on.