Anyone use modular tiles for their workshop floor

[Richard Link]

I am remodeling my 2 car garage workshop and am contemplating flooring options. Hate the grimy concrete and this is an opportunity to improve things while I am temporarily "machine poor." I considered the epoxy options but don't really have a place to store my other stuff for the days it takes to get that done. Also considering options such as foam-backed OSB underlayment and even laminate and engineered hardwood flooring.

I came across some of the modular tile options, in particular the Racedeck product. These seem to be comparable in price and have the advantage that they are removable go down without a lot of fuss. Does anyone use modular tile in their workshop and have an opinion? I am concerned about dust cleanup and heavy machinery on the tiles (of course these things are supposed to have cars sitting on them so that seems a non issue).

I would certainly love to see any photos of a woodshop application of these tiles. Most of the online photos look like Nascar mechanic shops so its hard to grasp how it would look.

Thanks.

Rick

[David Hostetler]

While I haven't done it myself. Wood Magazine in one of their special publications this past winter showed off these tiles from DriCore. They looked really good. Basically a resin / foam underlayment with an OSB topper, T&G connection. It looked really good, but would probably need epoxy paint on top of it for ease of cleaning, and to brighten things up.

If you are going to consider foam backed OSB, I know this sounds funny, but go to Home Depot and check out the floor in the Tuff Shed models on display. Gulf Freeway @ El Dorado has them... They use the gray porch & garage paint on the floors in the demos. Give you an idea anyway...

Not sure I have ever seen sheets of OSB with a foam backer built in, but I have seen plenty of folks use foam board, with sleepers and OSB on top. That would give you some nice cushion.

[Prashun Patel]

It's a quality product, but I have a few caveats (from having researched it and having seen it my neighbors garage).

1) Sweeping might be a pain as the floor is not smooth.
2) Some people find these kinds of floors 'cheap feeling' only because some tiles can shift a tiny bit under yr feet.
3) On extremely dusty floors - like in a shop, it can be a pain to get all the dirt out of the tile seams.
4) Last, it's not cheap. Not sure it's the best choice if yr machine poor.


I don't belive durability will be an issue though.

[Roger Jensen]

I used Tuff-Seal flooring and have been very happy with it. Just the right firmness. Soft enough so things don't chip when dropped, but hard enough to roll heavy equipment without bunching up. Only drawback is cost - I think I paid $1400 for a 266 sq ft shop.

Roger

[Aaron William Moore]

I just finished putting DriCore over old concrete in my 2 car garage workshop and I like it a lot. It's certainly a lot nicer to walk on and is much easier to clean. Really easy to put down too. I like the glossy OSB finish as it is, but I think they may have just changed the product so that it now has a flat finish with an embossed waffle-type pattern, which probably would not look as nice. (When I needed a few extra tiles, I had to hunt for glossy ones.) I have a PM2000 and a Powermatic Model 45 on it, and the weight does not seem to be a problem at all.

[Chris Damm]

Racedeck is nice but very expensive. I use the 2x2 rubber interlocking squares I got at Sam's Club. They were about $.50 a sq. ft. and have held up very well in the 8 years i have been using them. They are much easier on the feet and are easy to keep clean. No problem sweeping up the sawdust.

[Bas Pluim]

My previous shop had these tiles. They came from Sam's club, but I believe it's the same kind of polyvinyl.

It's very simple to install. It clicks down with almost no effort, and you can easily cut it on the table saw or miter saw (use a throwaway blade) for the edges. The material is extremely tough, the only way to damage it is to do something stupid like dropping your workbench top on a corner onto the tiles... Cleanup is simple, sawdust, glue, paint all come off without issues. I didn't have any problems with dust buildup in the seams.

There are two things I didn't like about it. One, it's a bit noisy. The tiles sound a little hollow when you walk on them. You get used to it after a while, but it never goes away completely. Second, it looks very industrial. A local workshop here has beautiful tongue-and-groove pine floors which looks very "authentic". I may not have the skill, but I want my shop to at least look like I know what I'm doing :-)

Pictures -
http://baspluim.googlepages.com/2008_tablesaw_dc.jpg/2008_tablesaw_dc-full;init:.jpg

http://baspluim.googlepages.com/2008_bench_drillpress_compressor.jpg/2008_bench_drillpress_compressor-full;init:.jpg

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1147/workbench_frontview.JPG

In my new shop, I plan to put down laminate.