Flooring.

[keithski122]

A couple of years ago I had my garage rebuilt for use for me to do upholstery in, unfortunately the floor was never right.After it had dried it would just keep dusting up so I used a two pack epoxy paint over the matching sealer, my hope was it would soak in and set the top.It still seemed week and easy to chip so I just chucked down a couple of large sheets of hardboard down and glued some thin auto carpet sheet over the top which has worked well.
Its now time to have another go at tidying things up so I have been looking at alternative flooring.Its used more as a studio(sounds posh!) so although its a working space its not harsh work. Laminate is out as expansion could be a problem and I don't want to leave an expansion gap or fit skirting.I have some samples of the posh plastic interlocking tiles you see people plugging on instagram and while they look great I think as they are solid plastic may be a little lacking in grip. My next idea has been either 8mm rubber(not eva) interlocking tiles(50x50cm) or 20mm non interlocking rubber tiles(1x1m).
Any opinions or suggestions?

 

[gaz1]

laminate flooring can be cheap

look for end of lines but that means a trip to the floor places for that

make sure you buy enough of it

my brother threw out proper hard wood flooring out well over 100 lengths of 1m interlocking

 

[Agroshield]

Laminate is out as expansion could be a problem...

...a problem that is more in the mind than in reality. People use a big gap because they either do not have the ability or the motivation to measure and cut precisely.

A 3mm gap each side is enough. Use broadfix packers when laying and then go around with a sealant (Screwfix 50081), removing the packers as you go.

 

[frank horton]

has the conc floor got a damp proof membrane.....
this will help u decde what to use.....
if it hasn't I'd just tile it...there are some really realistic wood floor tiles now and not very expensive....
if u need a soft spot just use a small rug....easy to clean and will last almost for ever for ur use....

 

[addjunkie]

LVT….click. 3mm all around and a bead of silicone. Quite happy being wet.

 

[MoreWellie]

I have used Heuga carpet tiles in a couple of rooms that were used as offices. Good heavy tiles with a tar like backing, fit together well and didn't need any protection for wheely chairs

After about 20 years of heavy chair use at the last place they didn't look perfect but no holes, no lifting, no moving

Edit: cut them with a sharp stanley style knife but don't hold the tile with your fingers in the direction of knife travel

 

[keithski122]

Thanks for the replies, lots of food for thought.
I've done laminate in our hallway and 8 -10mm was the recommended gap, if three works that would be good, silicon in the gap or over the gap?
Floor was insulated and damp membraned, not sure any fix down covering would work well due to the possibility of the paint not gripping the concrete.
Lvt might be a good idea, we have lvt tiles in the house and I think they are great, glue down in the house but click together might work.
Carpet tiles was a thought and I will have another look.

 

[angellonewolf]

in work the guys layed planks that looked like wood but had a rubber backed so was water proof went to gether like laminate flooring but looked very good when layed

 

[Agroshield]

...if three works that would be good, silicone in the gap or over the gap?

In the gap, full depth of the laminate. The Screwfix one above is an acrylic sealant not a silicone. Masking tape on board and wall, run along it with a Fugi tool pressing it into the joint. A 3-5mm gap is OK and is not too wasteful on sealant.

I have had only one issue with this strategy: if the gap is too small (like 2mm), when the floor shrinks (which it always seems to do rather than expand) the sealant joint cracks/splits. It can mean you have to re-seal in one or two places after six months. To avoid this, if you lay the board and the gap is tight, lift it again and shave 1mm off.

If it is a traditional garage with a wide door at one end, it could be worth gluing the boards in that area. Without some restraint (the sealant provides the restraint on three sides), and depending on how good the design of the joint is by the manufacturer, they can open up. I see it a lot in kitchens where the end of the board is 50mm under the kickboard - just the pushing of your foot walking on it can open the joint.

 

[Turbo]

Why not use a nice wood effect cushioned vinyl?

 

[RichardM]

Heuga tiles are good, dimensionally stable and sound deadening. Flotex would be good, but depends on the colour range suitability for you, the state of the sub- floor and would probably be horrendously expensive!
Your scooter centre stand will be a problem with any carpet / vinyl flooring.
Have you thought of ceramic floor tiles?

 

[addjunkie]

You can quite often get carpet tiles second hand from office block refurbishments.

 

[Newlands]

I've used these rubber stud floor tiles for a couple of jobs, and really rate them. They're good for workshops - we had them at one place I worked at - easy to keep clean, tough and always looked good despite the traffic.
I have them in a couple of bathrooms, and they're going in the next kitchen I do.

 

[keithski122]

The rubber tiles seem the best option at the moment, just waiting for some samples to turn up.
Cost is also good at £20 per sqm, most other options seem to be £30 sqm upwards.