MGB & GT Forum

What do folks use on there garage floor? Bare concrete / painted concrete or some sort of rubber matting.Ive actually used carpet in the past,nice in winter but short life span with oil drips etc.

Large cardboard boxes , flattened. Easily recycled. Not the prettiest but I'm the only one in the garage.

Years ago I found some peel and stick tile on sale for less than $1 for an 18x18 square. I put that down on the concrete and it works pretty well. And whenever I damage a piece I can put in one of the extras I have.

My floor is sealed, which control dust and helps to keep oil from seeping in. Then I put cardboard down on top of that if I'm working on the floor or if I'm dealing with a leak problem.

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Documenting my project in my journal at https://www.mgexp.com/home#journal

I just use a liberal coating of oil and brake fluid....saves time!

two big anti-static plastic carpets from IKEA.

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1977 MGB Red 'Victoria' and 2018 Jaguar XE 'Meghan'
All Classics:
Married, 2 children, MG MGB May to December, Jaguar the rest of the year.

Painted with the typical grey epoxy floor paint available at Lowe's.

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Shaun Johnson
1972 MGB Tourer, Second Owner

Not sure what they have over there for brands, but ideally rough up the concrete and apply an epoxy. The paint stores here carry all sorts of products now. I may do a base/clear that they have.

roughing it up and getting rid of surface contaminants is hugely important to reduce future peeling issues.

At my last house I used the cheap gray epoxy from Home Depot. It looked great for a while...but eventually looked dingy in the area where I mostly worked as dirt and grime got ground into the surface. There was also some lifting from the tires. I recoated it, but that didn't adhere very well....the tire lifting got worse.

When I moved to this house I wanted something to coat the virgin concrete, but didn't want to spend a fortune. I finally decided to use the sealer that you see used outdoors on exposed aggregate concrete to make it look "wet". I figured that if it held up outdoors and tires didn't lift it there, it might work in the garage. The fact that it was only about $50 or so made me decide to try it. It's "Eagle" brand and came from either Home Depot or Lowes (can't remember which ).

I rolled it on before anything was ever put in the garage. It dried overnight but, as a precaution, I waited a few days before parking on it. It was a little slick at first when wet, but that seemed to mostly go away once it was down for a while.

After several years, I decided to freshen it up with a new coat (doing one side of the garage at a time) mainly because a gas leak in the MG damaged/removed some in one spot. It had been down about 7 or 8 years at that time (I think) and there was no lifting from tires. It still looks good. Still no lifting from hot tires.

It lets you sweep or blow off the floor like it's teflon. Stuff like oil will stain it a bit if you don't wipe it up right away. Solvents (carb cleaner, brake cleaner, etc.) will soften it temporarily, but then it rehardens.

For the money I've been real happy with it.....especially since it's about $1500 cheaper that the high quality epoxy.

Here's pic from 2009....it's the best one I could find showing the floor....

Joe,that looks fantastic.I think your garage is cleaner than my living room.

"I just use a liberal coating of oil and brake fluid....saves time!"
Love it.

Cardboard will soak in oil, and if you're not diligent, will seep through onto floor.

I found some thin plastic (ex bus sign) that is long enough and fits between wheels.

With a small leak, it's easy to clean to determine where leak might be coming from, and if small leak, you can leave it for a long time before cleaning.

Thick poly good too, just weight it down a bit.

Joe: You could hire yourself out as a consultant for a clean garage.
Can I rent floor space to sleep? Easier than cleaning my house!

I did the epoxy from lowe's too...The end product was not really a "professional" look but it looks good enough and makes cleanup easy. Cant beat the price too!...The key is the prep work. I have a lot of autobody experience and spend 2 days over a weekend cleaning and acid etching...Anyone that does come over says that it looks good.

I'm actually a painter in real life these days...

Here is one link to a possible solution

http://www.roddapaint.com/for-your-home/home-projects/interior-projects/concrete-garage-floors

I just use the bare concrete, after a garage refurb I didn't have the funds, nor did I want to put
in the time of scrubbing and etching (not to mention having to wait to get my garage back) to
put a covering on.

I did pick up 3 large baking trays from a commercial restaurant supplier (Daytona). They are
about an inch deep and almost 30" long and 24" wide. They're great for leaving under the car
so the floor doesn't get dripped on.

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"Remember, for every mile of road, there are two miles of ditch."

Bill MacTavish
Clayton, Ontario
'70 BRG Roadster 'Monty'

I used tile from Sears $2 each. I tried the paint, but it pealed after a few years