Flooring recommendation for garage arcade

[jasonbar]

Howdy-

I'm looking to rent a home & set up arcade games/pinball machines in the garage (and maybe a TV for home consoles).

What sort of flooring material is recommended to put over concrete to allow the following:
- temperate insulation
- wife-approved aesthetics
- low foot/knee/hip fatigue from extended periods of standing at a machine
- relatively easy scooching of games

Keep in mind that this is a rental property, so it would be nice if:
- it was inexpensive
- it could be taken away with me when I move out
- it would leave no permanent damage


Thanks,
-Jason

[HaRuMaN]

Garage tiles:

http://www.amazon.com/Garage-Floor-Tiles-Tread-Black/dp/B00310O5VG/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1353506889&sr=8-10&keywords=garage+tiles

Or something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/We-Sell-Mats-Anti-Fatigue-Interlocking/dp/B001EJI6CK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1353506889&sr=8-5&keywords=garage+tiles

If you get creative and get multiple colors, you could even do a space invader pattern on the floor.

[DeLuSioNal29]

http://www.amazon.com/We-Sell-Mats-Anti-Fatigue-Interlocking/dp/B001EJI6CK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1353506889&sr=8-5&keywords=garage+tiles

Or better yet, created a template of space invaders or other graphics onto cardboard and spray paint them onto a few of the tiles.

Being that you are renting, those tiles sound like they are a semi-permanent solution that you can easily remove if needed.

DeLuSioNaL29

[rCadeGaming]

I'd look into some locking casters to put on the bottom of the cabs, or at least get some nice hand trucks.  Even if it's not permanent, I wouldn't want to be just scraping cabinets around on the nice new floor.

[EightBySix]

If you get creative and get multiple colors, you could even do a space invader pattern on the floor.

Genius 

[jasonbar]

Garage tiles:

http://www.amazon.com/Garage-Floor-Tiles-Tread-Black/dp/B00310O5VG/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1353506889&sr=8-10&keywords=garage+tiles

These look just right. These seem durable & I think games (with furniture sliders like these ones called "sliding robots": http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/cysunny/product-detailYeyJnrsAbjhM/China-12PCS-Sliding-Robots-Easy-Mover-Furniture-Sliders-CY-SR603-.html ) will slide quite nicely.

Or something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/We-Sell-Mats-Anti-Fatigue-Interlocking/dp/B001EJI6CK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1353506889&sr=8-5&keywords=garage+tiles

If you get creative and get multiple colors, you could even do a space invader pattern on the floor.

I already have some of these squishy gray ones around my workbench & shelving in my current garage. Easy to assemble, clean, rearrange, & they're great on my bod. These would work well when plopped in front of a game while playing, but they're too mushy to use as a permanent full floor covering--games won't slide well on these, & they do come apart relatively easily.


Thanks,
-Jason

[jasonbar]

I ended up going with these in black & red: http://www.floorjunkies.com/modutile-garage-flooring-coin-black.html

They were easy to set up, easy to clean, look snazzy, etc. I'm happy.

Sorry for the fuzzy pics. Snapped these in a hurry last night.

Thanks for all of the input!
-Jason

[Nephasth]

Love the Invader!

[jasonbar]

Thanks. HaRuMaN gets credit for the idea! (see above)

Just realized that I have a bunch of waterjet-cut aluminum composite Space Invaders & Berzerk robots/guy to put up still! =O

[Nephasth]

Just realized that I have a bunch of waterjet-cut aluminum composite Space Invaders & Berzerk robots/guy to put up still! =O

Make sure you backlight 'em. 

[thatpurplestuff]

Excellent!  That looks very nice

[jasonbar]

Just realized that I have a bunch of waterjet-cut aluminum composite Space Invaders & Berzerk robots/guy to put up still! =O

Make sure you backlight 'em. 

Too much work! Will never happen! =[

[ChadTower]

No way.  Cut a rope light to size and mount it on the backside with adhesive cable guides.

[jasonbar]

How to provide discrete backlighting to a couple dozen separate items, without having unsightly cables running between them???

These are the things of which I speak. I have 1 set of each:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/200102-cnc-routed-aluminium-berzerk-wall-sets-20-shipped/page__hl__+berzerk%20+aluminum#entry2558740

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/173848-my-space-invader-ceiling-tiles/

(Whoops, they're routed, not waterjet--I mis-typed up above.)

-Jason

[ChadTower]

Small battery powered LED lights?

[jasonbar]

Too much work! :]

[Nephasth]

How to provide discrete backlighting to a couple dozen separate items, without having unsightly cables running between them???

Like this:





And then just figure out some easy way to hide the wires. Badda-bing, badda-boom!

[jasonbar]

Awesomeness!

And too much work for me right now!  :]

[Nephasth]

To hide the wires you can mount them to a sheet of wood (or something else) with stand offs and run the wires through the sheet behind the invaders, all the wires would then be behind the sheet.

[eds1275]

I am sooooo doing style flooring that in my workshop. After I build my workshop.

[Gray_Area]

All those tiles are expensive. I got a pack of four of the squishier kind for eight bucks at Pepboys, eleven years ago. Now they're priced like gold. And the denser ones like platinum.

[paigeoliver]

If you are renting then just chuck the games in the garage. You would be throwing money away trying to do any sort of custom flooring in a rental.

[chopperthedog]

If you are renting then just chuck the games in the garage. You would be throwing money away trying to do any sort of custom flooring in a rental.

See post #6. He's done.


good day.