Armstrong floor tile in the garage?

**Peter Crowl** · 10-06-2004, 05:10 PM

Adding to the plethora of Garage Floor Threads...

I was at Lowes the other day and looked at their Armstrong floor tile. 12 x 12...rather thick...installs with trowel adhesive...seems like they`d work well and just 58 cents per tile.

Anybody have any experience with these in the garage?

Peter..in Denver

**Setec Astronomy** · 10-06-2004, 05:23 PM

I don`t see why this wouldn`t be fine, probably would wear some, but not that noticeable if you pick the right color/pattern. Think about what happens if you have ever seen a wheeled office chair damage this kind of tile, and think about the weight of your car and the kind of grit you could drag in. And then of course you have to keep it waxed...

**Peter Crowl** · 10-06-2004, 05:32 PM

Originally posted by Setec Astronomy

And then of course you have to keep it waxed...

Hmmm...Zaino, Klasse Twins or Collonite?

A friend has similar tile in his garage. He uses it as a shop and beats the cr*p out of it. When he cleans it it still looks pretty good.

I do know it isn`t nearly as slippery when wet as the epoxy finishes a couple of friends have applied.

Peter..in Denver

**'02GT5speed** · 10-06-2004, 10:57 PM

Is the adhesive used water proof? With all the water tracked in during rain, will the tile lift up and peel?

**Peter Crowl** · 10-07-2004, 08:39 AM

Well, it`s been a while since I`ve laid this kind of tile, but IIRC the adhesive is solvent based.. or I can make sure I get a solvent based adhesive.

Peter..in Denver

**'02GT5speed** · 10-07-2004, 08:08 PM

Thanks Peter, I`ll see what`s available locally.

**Peter Crowl** · 10-07-2004, 08:12 PM

Ok...this is interesting...I was at Buds Warehouse in Denver which is a surplus outlet that takes donations of building materials , usually left overs from construction projects, and sells them at very good prices.

Anyway..I was there to look at some cabinets but they were gone. What I did find was Azrock commercial vinyl floor tile. They had 1350 sq feet -12 x 12 - half in a grayish white and half in black. They`re a speckled black/white finish ... and they have a bit of a pebble grain to the surface. I think they`ll be perfect. I bought it all for $300!

There`s way more than I need but there`s bound to be some damaged tiles in the boxes. and this way I`ll have replacement tiles should the need arise.

So I`ll be laying tile this weekend. I`ll post a picture when it`s done.

I hope it turns out well...the price sure was good..if this works I`ll have a beautiful floor for about 25 cents / foot!

Peter..in Denver

**Redcar GUY** · 10-07-2004, 08:44 PM

Peter are they peel and stick?

**Peter Crowl** · 10-07-2004, 10:28 PM

Peel and Stick?

No...in my experience those don`t work well in a kitchen let alone the garage. DAMHIKT.

These are a trowel adhesive install.

I just looked them up- they`re indeed a commercial tile, they are a Slip Resistant design that`s ADA approved for slip resistant level floors...and I see that they sell for around $3/ft. So I guess 22 cents/ft was an OK deal.

Now all I have to do is come up with a design. Trying to think up something other than the traditional checkerboard!

Here`s the link to the manufacturer..

http://www.domcotarkettcommercial.co...94/product.asp

Peter..in Denver

**Redcar GUY** · 10-08-2004, 07:18 AM

THX Peter..

**wifehatescar** · 10-08-2004, 09:19 AM

Yes, please post pics when you are done!!!

**Peter Crowl** · 10-17-2004, 09:46 PM

Allright then...

5 full days and a few nights later ... the job is finished.

Photos are at

http://www.autopia.org/gallery/showg...=&ppuser=18435

It was quite a job...glad I over bought on the tiles... did it all for about 51 cents / foot though.

Comments? Questions?

Peter...who has the nicest garage on the block...in Denver

**scottlee** · 10-17-2004, 10:18 PM

dude you rock that looks great, did u custom cut the circles yourself? looks fantastic

**imported_Todd** · 10-17-2004, 10:26 PM

Wow! That looks like a million bucks!

**Peter Crowl** · 10-17-2004, 11:13 PM

The circles..yes..they were an adventure... especially since I`ve never laid tile before.

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to do something different by way of layout. I took tiles and tried a number of different patterns. All of them came back to checkerboard. I tried a few alternatives to that and then thought up circles.

The tile that I got - Azrock Granite Slip Resistant SR 120 and 123 - is a vinyl composite with a lot of mineral content. When you go to score and snap it you can do about 3 or 4 tiles before you have to change the blade in your knife..it`s that aggressive.

So...with a friend ... we built a jig with an aluminum arm and a sharpened stainless steel bolt to score the tiles in a semi circle. Nice idea...didn`t work worth a darn. Tried all sorts of other ideas. Then I thought of heating the tiles with a hair dryer and cutting them with a pair of utility shears. That worked. Not only allowing me to cut the semi circles, but this method also left me with a good "negative" piece which I needed to complete the circles.

All in all the circles added a day to the job...but I think they add some style to the floor.

Peter..in Denver