In Dutch, it's called a "Garage"

[YoshiHNS]

If you anchor the feet of the racks, and anchor to the wall, you should be fine with an extra beam on the wall side lower down. Another general principle is to not exceed beam deflection by (beam length)/180".

[Dutchy]

You want to be able ride them easily.

 

If not, look what our (deceased) club president did to his livingroom.

https://www.motor.nl/video/motormuseum-in-je-huiskamer/

[Terry]

13 hours ago, Dutchy said:

You want to be able ride them easily.

 

If not, look what our (deceased) club president did to his livingroom.

https://www.motor.nl/video/motormuseum-in-je-huiskamer/

I hope his wife likes doing the dusting.

[The Phantom]

Well this is interesting. Strangely enough I was only last night working out how my new shed (ground up build) needed to be laid out, and what I wanted to do in it. While sitting on the lounge, brainstorming with a glass of red wine, I came across this video. Bike wall storage at 5.25:

 

SO MANY GREAT SHED IDEAS - OUR MATE BRENTONS SHED TOUR

 

Not quite what you have in mind, but food for thought. This shed also has a sliding gantry with electric hoist, which is shown later in the video (used to get things up into the mezzanine areas).

[JZH]

Nice "shed"...  It's about twice the size of mine, but I saw some good ideas I think I might borrow!

 

Regarding the racking, I think I will be able to use the lower beams on the back sides, as Yoshi suggested, as well as bolting the feet to the floor and bolting the tops of the frames to the walls.  That should be that.  As for what goes onto the racks, I think I've got a solution:

 

 

I went through a couple of designs, trying to minimise the expense of the materials as well as the cutting and welding operations I will need to do.  There's still a lot of steps to manufacture one of these, and I still have to do it 6-7 times...

 

The wheel chock parts (not drawn, because I'm not making them) come from this kind of Baxley knock-off:

 

In laying out my motorbike carriers, since I have 6-7 of these wheel chocks already, I've measured and duplicated the locations where the M10 and M12 bolts go.  My bikes' wheelbases range from 1,440mm (the 5th gens) to 1,335mm (the NC35), and all the bikes' rear tyres sit basically in the middle of the steel plate at the back.  It's pretty secure, but I will probably also strap each bike wheel to the front vertical to make sure it can't go anywhere.  I was also thinking about welding some steel angle onto the plate at the rear, maybe 160mm apart, to help locate the rear tyres, but my bikes all have different sizes of tires, so one size won't fit all (in the same way).  Not sure it is necessary, anyway. 

 

The fork hoops look huge, but the forks on the pallet stacker are quite large (ca. 170x70), and I don't really want a tight fit.  I haven't actually measured the clearance between the bikes' bellypans/stands/exhausts and the forks that need to stick through, which I will do before I finalise this design. 

 

I decided to use the 60x60 c-channel, rather than the angle iron I had first used, mainly because of strength.  I will have to plasma cut them, but I can set up a jig to make that do-able.  This way, the channel just sits on top of the 50mm horizontal beams of the racks, and it will be very obvious when it has dropped into place.

 

I've provided for the fitting of 100kg casters, which should make these carriers more useful when down on the ground.  I wonder if I can make some sort of (removable) lifting device using the swing arm pivots, a la an ABBA Stand?  That would make them even more useful for chain adjustment, etc.  And I'd only need to make one, which I could pop into each carrier only when needed.

 

Any thoughts on my bike carrier frame design?  

 

Cheers,

 

JZH

[Lorne]

8 hours ago, JZH said:

The fork hoops look huge, but the forks on the pallet stacker are quite large (ca. 170x70), and I don't really want a tight fit.  I haven't actually measured the clearance between the bikes' bellypans/stands/exhausts and the forks that need to stick through, which I will do before I finalise this design. 

Clearance for the forks will be at a premium, my Vtec's ground clearance is only 125mm per the manual. Every time I think of an idea to try I end up looking was puzzled as Nathan Fillion. Good luck, John.

[JZH]

Had to look that one up!  

 

Measuring is good: I have loads more to do.  I also have to re-design the carrier (again), because I forgot about my SXV550...  First world problems!  Unfortunately, it is longer and taller than the other bikes, which throws off some of my calculations.  Better to know now than later...

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

[JZH]

Slight update.  I've had the keys for a month, and I've been very busy doing painting and flooring to prepare for moving day in September.  I still need to speak to people about my options for the garage, but I think I will probably need to put in a new floor... 

 

I understand that under the tasteful wood flooring that's there now, there is only more wood, bricks and sand.  Not so good for either the pallet racks themselves or for moving around a 800kg pallet stacker carrying a 225kg motorcycle.  

 

On the other hand, pouring a whole new floor will make installing a recessed scissors lift (which is for the van, but could also be used for working on bikes) and water drainage much simpler.  Silver linings!

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

[JZH]

Moving date is now end of October, due to all the work we (er, I) still need to do...

 

It seems I was wrong about what's under the garage floor.  It now appears (and I still need to pull more boards and maybe dig a little to confirm this) that there is already a concrete floor under the entire garage.  It seems like it is about 90mm thick (3.5"), and on top of that is (what I think is) a self-leveling layer and square terra cotta-type tiles, followed by a plastic sheet, 5-7mm green fiberboard and, finally, softwood tongue-and-groove floor boards.  All together, the surface of the wood flooring is 140mm (5.5") above the threshold of the outside double doors.  The painted-shut doors also open inwards...or at least they did before someone installed the concrete floor!

 

Since I want the doors to open again, I will either have to remove the entire concrete floor, or remove the part over which the doors will need to swing (leaving a step)--or raise the threshold and shorten the doors to clear the concrete floor.

 

So now I have a dilemma: what kind of floor do I really need/want in my garage?  Softwood is not very durable, but it's usable and slightly insulated.  Terra cotta tiles by themselves are subject to cracking from impacts, and I would have no insulation at all.  I could replace the wood with some of those trendy plastic garage tiles, but would that really be an improvement?  

 

Are there any other options?  I suppose I could remove the concrete floor (at great expense) and re-pour it with underfloor heating, insulation or something?  I wouldn't say there's absolutely no budget for that, but I think I'd rather spend the money elsewhere.

 

* * *

 

So, I've done some searching online, and I think I'm warming up to the idea of using 7mm PVC "x-joint" flooring tiles.  They aren't as flimsy as the vented ones I referred to above, and I can probably lay them directly over the terra cotta.  I can also glue them down.  I'd lose what little insulation I have, but I think they would probably create a safe, sturdy surface which would stand up to a 500kg pallet stacker moving a 300kg motorcycle.  Hot things would still melt them, but of course, soft wood doesn't like open flames much, either...

 

The pallet racks would probably need to be installed directly to the concrete floor, which would mean cutting away some of the terra cotta tiles and also fitting the PVC tiles around the legs.  But my workbenches could be set directly on the PVC tiles, and anything with wheels should also be fine.

 

This could work... 

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

[RC1237V]

Can you put different hinges on the door to make them open out, that way you can store bikes right up to the door?

[RC1237V]

From my experience PVC tiles do not hold up to floor jacks, jackstands, and other items with high loads over small footprints. Not to mention when you spill oil and wipe it up, you think you got it all, until you step in that area a week later, and some more oil weeps up through the seams. Heavy items might leave permanent impressions. I know they look good installed new, but I have tried them in smaller areas and was glad I did not spend for the whole garage. The pallet loader might torque them up into a pile, when turning at full lock loaded with a bike. Then you will have a floating bubble in your floor forever... 

 

I always go with high quality epoxy painted floors, or if budget does not allow, just bare concrete works fine - tried and true - you can even stain it if you don't like the plain gray look.

[JZH]

On 9/24/2025 at 5:57 AM, RC1237V said:

From my experience PVC tiles do not hold up to floor jacks, jackstands, and other items with high loads over small footprints. Not to mention when you spill oil and wipe it up, you think you got it all, until you step in that area a week later, and some more oil weeps up through the seams. Heavy items might leave permanent impressions. I know they look good installed new, but I have tried them in smaller areas and was glad I did not spend for the whole garage. The pallet loader might torque them up into a pile, when turning at full lock loaded with a bike. Then you will have a floating bubble in your floor forever... 

 

I always go with high quality epoxy painted floors, or if budget does not allow, just bare concrete works fine - tried and true - you can even stain it if you don't like the plain gray look.

 

Thanks for the "real world" report.  Which PVC tiles were these?  I just want to confirm they are the same kind I'm looking at.  Thanks.

 

I'm looking at the solid PVC interlocking 'x-joint' tiles made by the Garage Floor Tile Company in the UK.  The PVC tiles I've seen advertised in the USA are not solid and appear to be much less sturdy.  Nothing with seams is going to be great with spills, but I don't think the GFTC tiles would suffer from the high-load problems you mentioned, because there are no big air gaps.  This is a picture of the underside:

I don't seem to have a good picture of the terra cotta tiles I've found under my existing wood floor, but I think I would have to remove all of them and refinish the concrete floor before going down the epoxy paint route.

 

* * *

 

I'm not sure if I can hinge the doors to swing outwards or not.  The sidewalk outside the house is quite narrow...but, it's something to think about!  I'm pretty sure I'd rather shorten the doors and raise the threshold than make any kind of internal ramp or step.  I'd still need a ramp for some things, but it would be temporarily placed outside the house only when needed.  The 'step' is low enough that I should be able to ride bikes up over the threshold without a ramp.

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

 

[Lorne]

13 hours ago, JZH said:

I'm looking at the solid PVC interlocking 'x-joint' tiles made by the Garage Floor Tile Company in the UK.

Wouldn't it all come down to the load/area? Seems hard to believe that a company selling garage flooring wouldn't have taken into account the wear & tear of jacks and rolling cabinets full of tools. They list a Hardness = 89-92 Shore A, but not a more understandable load rating. Otoh, their faq says this:

[St. Stephen]

45 minutes ago, Lorne said:

Wouldn't it all come down to the load/area? Seems hard to believe that a company selling garage flooring wouldn't have taken into account the wear & tear of jacks and rolling cabinets full of tools. They list a Hardness = 89-92 Shore A, but not a more understandable load rating. Otoh, their faq says this:

 

Reading the last paragraph Lorne attached I found myself laughing hard as I recalled a friend who, yes, would have plugged in a blow dryer from the bathroom to heat and smooth the floor tiles in his garage. I can  be pretty OCD at times but please shoot me before I descend to that level of form over function.  

 

Anyway, I would go for simple cement, although it is obviously JZH's money spent not mine.

[JZH]

Here's what is there now:

 

I pulled up some of the interlocking boards in one corner, showing the tiles.  I think there's 9cm or so of concrete underneath (TBC).  The wood boards sit on top of 7mm green fiberboard insulation, which together equal 3cm.  I can pull up all the boards and expose the tile, but tools dropped onto those tiles will probably crack them, so I want to do something...

 

Removing all the tiles to get down to the concrete would be a huge hassle/mess.  I was never a big fan of plastic garage floors to begin with, but I'm not seeing a lot of other good options!

 

Of course, just leaving the wood flooring in place could also be an option, but I'm not sure how long it would last as an active garage floor.  The pallet stacker would probably drive over it with no problem.  The brick wall in the photo above will be coming out (it is not load-bearing), and there are some other gaps in the tiling which I could fill with additional boards. Plus, the wood & fibreboard together would provide the most insulation of any of the other options...

 

I do have to decide what I'm going to do pretty soon, though, because in order to get the doors open I will have to deal with the threshold and trim the doors accordingly!

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

 

[Bren]

@JZH

If it was me.....I'd lift the timber floor boards and use adhesive to fix down 18mm marine plywood (WBP) on top of the tiles. Hard wearing and will add even more insulation. Your pallet loader will run over it fine and all load will be transferred down through to the tiles. A coat of sealer if you wish to resist stains. Leave a gap at the edges of 10mm for movement.

Trim the door down to suit and it'll be good.

[RC1237V]

I don't remember the brand of tiles, it was over 10 years ago. They did not look as solid as those that you have pictured, so you may have better luck.

 

Do you know how much the pallet stacker weighs, and does it have solid rubber or plastic wheels? Also if it can turn on a dime, that creates an insane amount of twisting force under the footprint of the machine, as most can turn just a shade under 90 degrees (in their own profile).

 

I have never seen a professional workshop garage use any synthetic tiles - always concrete, bare or painted.

 

Not trying to argue, just giving you food for thought to save potential heartache/wallet ache...

 

That tile floor would be great, but like you said the first time you drop a jack stand or large adjustable wrench, or anything else heavy, it will crack and break....

 

The wood might be fine for awhile, but debris from the pallet loader wheels will probably get pushed into the wood if it is soft enough. Another concern is getting all your racks bolted to the concrete below for best integrity, you will likely need to cut through all the layers to achieve that anyway.

 

It looks like the floor is opening up the proverbial "Can of worms" causing a project within the project. I can hear all the old-timers I used to work with, they would always say,

"Do it once - Do it right" and I'm sure you will knock it out of the park with whatever you decide! Looking forward to seeing the progress as it comes to fruition.

[V4 Rosso]

The tiles look like a good surface/foundation for an epoxy floor.

[JZH]

Great ideas, guys.  I think I have a solution, which I will discuss with my builder.  Maybe not the permanent solution, but maybe...

 

(A pallet stacker weighs about 600-800kg, and they generally have polyurethane wheels.)

 

So, although I'm a traditionalist and would prefer a solid concrete floor, the garage's existing floor could work, but the soft wood isn't very durable and the fibreboard underlay contributes slightly to floor movement.  I'm not thrilled about a wooden floor in any case, but Bren's idea about using marine ply got me thinking,  Why not use the existing wood floor (and which is already pre-cut to size!) to provide some solidity on top of the terra cotta tiles, but instead of it also sitting on top of the 7mm fibreboard, removing the fibreboard and putting the wood underneath the 7mm PVC interlocking tiles? 

 

The "sandwich" of my garage floor would therefore be exactly the same thickness as before, so I could get the threshold raised and the doors trimmed right away--even before getting the PVC tiles from the UK.  

 

The only other option I'm thinking about right now would involve pouring a layer of self-leveling compound on top of the tiles and building up the sandwich from there--maybe substituting thinner marine ply for the soft wood if the SLC makes it too thick.  Or, maybe I could forget about the SLC and pour a 30mm layer of concrete directly on top of the tiles?  I'm not sure that's a good idea or not, frankly.  Would 30mm of concrete (on top of tiles on top of 90mm of concrete) be as functional as 120mm of concrete?  But it would result in a totally uninsulated floor, that's for sure!

 

I've ordered some samples of the aforementioned PVC tiles and I'll have more thoughts about this garage floor dilemma later.  Now, back to painting and flooring the house above...oh, and re-furbishing the kitchen. 

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

[Dutchy]

Let us know when the house warming party is eh? 

[JZH]

I have received the PVC flooring sample(s), and while it's a nice material which should look good and meet most of my needs, there is one glaring problem with going down this route...

 

 

...and that is that even solid plastic is really not great for a working garage in which I will be welding, cutting and grinding.  Bah!

 

But, I now realize that I may have underestimated tile for a working garage floor, based on my mixed experiences with household ceramic tile.  I have recently learned that porcelain tile, properly installed, can indeed be used in a very rough environment--without cracking or breaking, as I had assumed.  The porcelain tile, provided it is of a suitable type (e.g., PEI 5 with rectified edges), would in fact be stronger than the concrete underneath it.  And so long as it is installed correctly, should withstand even the dropping of heavy objects directly onto it (not that I would try to make that a habit...).  It would still be subject to discolouration from welding splatter, but as it is a garage, I can certainly live with that.

 

Now, I have to figure out how best to install it over the existing tile, or if I have to remove that layer first.  But, I will leave that to a professional to figure out next year.  For the moment, I will keep the tongue & groove soft wood floor in place and hope for the best!  

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

[Lorne]

Regarding your tile over concrete floor, Sreten Milisavljevic, of the M539 Restorations channel on YouTube, just moved to a new shop. He's had a pair of 2 post car lifts installed on top of the tiles. No idea the details of the flooring, but I'm guessing Nussbaum approved.

 

[mello dude]

Wondering how things are going....😉

[JZH]

Thanks for asking!  We just moved into the house this week, so things in the garage are a bit...crowded.  At this point I can barely see the floor!  So it will be some time before I'm done with house-things and can progress the garage.  (The kitchen looks great, though!)

 

Ciao,

 

JZH

[bmart]

While trying to find Dirk Pitt's hangar house online: