Porcelain tiled garage floor?
 

I was wondering if anyone here had their garage floor done in porcelain tiles. I know that this would be more expensive than epoxy coating, but I am thinking that it might be a better long-term investment for me. Thanks in advance to any that reply!

Doesn’t porcelain crack when stuff gets dropped on it? Wouldn’t it be very slippery when wet? I finished our garage floor with oil stains, it’s cheap, has a unique random pattern, and repels water. I guess the beauty of porcelain would be that you could use toilet bowl cleaner on your garage floor?

Concur with tophcfa. I would expect that porcelain would crack simply from the weight of a car on it. Didn't think about dropping things on it or how slippery it would be. Yeahhhh, if you got money to waste, go ahead and do it in mirrored glass, that'd look awesome. Can always see under your car for IEDs, leaks, etc. Otherwise, just go with epoxy or put down those interlocking rubber squares that make your garage floor look like a checkered flag.

Or if tile doesn't work, maybe try granite on the precious garage floor?

My brother-in-law went to Italy to visit family. Marble is plentiful and cheap in the area where they live so the garage floors are covered with marble.

I have had a garage done in porcelain. It is beautiful and easy to maintain if you use epoxy grout. A car will not crack it. I had a very heavy Snap-on tool box that did crack it on a few tiles when rolling it around though. The funny thing was that I called an epoxy coating dealer to give me an estimate and when he came by he suggested the porcelain. He used tile at his home because you don't have to redo tile but he said the epoxy would have to be redone every 10 years or so. I would do it again.

I would never consider tile for a garage, and would never consider buying a house with this option. As noted above there are many options for treating a garage floor, many people like epoxy, mine is a working garage, therefore I have it coated in a CLEAR finish with lots of shark grip friction compound so it is not slippery when wet. There also tiles that are specifically designed for garages, these which stand vehicle weight, tires, and offer many different designs.
IMHO, I would suggest a more tradition covering.

Tile on garage floor
 

That is not an investment. It is a liability: easily damaged and horribly slippery when wet. Send money to food bank.

garage floor
 

I have epoxy and I love it. It looks beautiful and it's very easy to keep clean. It has a textured surface so it's not slippery when wet.

worst idea ever - unless it's only golf carts... cars are too heavy for tile, plus you'll land on your a$$ when it's wet. The grout will never withstand it either

Will work if done properly
 

With the proper tile and properly applied grout, tile will work out just fine. I have seen it on many occasions in high-end garages. Slipperiness is a function of the type of tile. I am thinking of doing this myself. I suggest visiting Roberto’s flooring and discussing the best tile to use. I suggest Roberto’s because they are more focused on ceramic and porcelain tile than other flooring providers near The Villages.

We have porcelain in our bath. Never again. When we it might as well be an ice skating rink.

If you do tile your garage floor, would you also install multiple shower heads? Please lower your garage door if you follow thru on this.

Porcelain tile usage
 

The first thing you do is order nonskid porcelain tile. The design of porcelain tile is solid though out tile, and very hard, so chipping is less noticeable. I feel the most important part of doing it in the location you mentioned is installation. First make sure you have a very qualified installer and making sure your existing concrete floor is fairly level. A good installer can make the difference in job. Leaving hollow spots in installation, will cause cracks in tile. Use the recommended grout and cleaner and you will be a very happy homeowner. To check job yourself that it’s done properly on installation tap with you hand knuckles, so it has a solid sound, any hollow sounds have installer replace. Good luck

A durable, life-long surface is already present. Concrete. It's a garage.

I have seen some good epoxy floors and I’ve seen some really badly done epoxy floors.
I have not gotten around to doing my garage floor yet but when I do I will be using tile from a place called RaceDeck. I used this type of plastic tile in my last garage and it looked great and very easy to clean, also not slippery when wet. These tiles from RaceDeck are nearly indestructible, no problem driving over them, dropping something on them or spilling anything on them. These tiles will last a very long time with next to no maintenance other than occasionally wet mopping them. Easy to install. Google RaceDeck garage and take a look at what they offer.

Pros and cons on regular RaceDeck vs. RaceDeck FreeFlow?

Is this a candid camera episode?

OMG!!! Porcelain tile on your garage floor.
If someone was going to do another hit job documentary on the coiffed detached from reality life in The Villages this thread would be a great snippet for the trailer. :ohdear:

Would the porcelain tile be able to withstand the weight of a vehicle or 2? I think it would not be a better long term investment, as the weights of vehicles driving and sitting on top of the tile and grout would eventually break it up. Concrete is much more durable. Now if you turn your garage into a game room with no vehicles, that’s another story!

Have had Chatahoocie Rock in my garage for 15 years and it still looks like new and is non slippery.

If I was to finish off my garage floor, I would put in these tiles. Easy to put down, durable, multiple colors to make designs/borders.

Best Garage Floor Tiles for 2022 - CNET

Garage floor
 

Hello, Im John with Innovative Concrete Coatings. We are a better alternative to epoxy floor. Ill message you with more information. We have a 15 year warranty that our product will not peel or flake off your floor and a lifetime warranty against fading or discoloring from the suns UV light. Our coatings are slip resistant. If you use porcelain tile your floor will be slippery when it’s wet. You can call me at 352-913-1547. I’d love to schedule an appointment to come to your home to discuss your garage floor color selections and give you a free estimate

Very expensive. You’d have to get a very, very good tile installer to avoid having voids in the mortar substrate under tiles which would almost certainly crack under the weight of cars, or even a golf cart. It simply doesn't have the strength or stain-resistance appropriate for a garage floor..

Check out NewAge Products stone composite luxury vinyl planks for garage floors. I installed it in my garage and have no regrets.

It IS a garage after all not the inside of your home. You clearly have too much money to burn

Tile will not crack if mortar is applied with a small notched trowel across the entire back side, No gaps. The weight per square inch for a car is much less than a person walking; especially a high heel. My biggest concern would be keeping the grout clean and sealed against water.

Slippery when wet. Very slippery. Reduces usability and resale value. Fragile if you have the right hobbies.
We had the floor painted and grip coated. It is still pretty slick when we zip through the garage with wet shoes. Thank goodness we were skiers and skaters. Outdoor rugs help a little.

Proper Tile, Proper Installation
 

Tile will work fine and will be beautiful. You often see tile in high end auto showrooms and at entrances to expensive hotels and restaurants.

To prevent slipping when the tile is wet, you should consider using non-slip tile. This type is most often seen on the floor of a shower. You will also need a different grout to avoid stains from dirty water or oil dripping from your car or cart.

The trick is that the tile must be set in a solid base and lay flat on the concrete. Tile is most often set with "dabs" of mastic or quick-set mortar, perhaps a dab at each corner and one in the center. This is done as room will be left for the mastic or mortar to spread. It takes a lot of skill to set tile in a solid base. Too much mastic or mortar and it will squeeze up between the joints. Too little and there will be pockets or voids where the tile is unsupported. It is also harder for the installer to get the tiles level when set in a solid base.

If the tile is set in a sold base, it will not crack unless you drop a hammer, pipe wrench, or something of similar weight on the tile. Given that possibility, be certain to buy an extra box or two of the tile to make repairs.

Porcelain tile in garage
 

We had porcelain tile installed in a 4 car garage and had no trouble with it. We purchased tile at contractors price by the pallet. The cost was reasonable compared to other options considered

We used epoxy grout which I think is essential. One tiles broke on the edge when we rolled an extra heavy tool box over it .
Otherwise no other cracks or breakages over the 15 years in that house. I would not hesitate to use it again.