Sweet Garage Flooring

If you’re doing the job yourself, then the hardest to install by far is going to be the epoxy garage floor coating kits.  Although they will likely protect your garage floor far better than any of the other alternatives, they are far harder to install, and a far cry from the simple cut and toss installation of the whole garage floor mats.  It may not be as hard as you would think, though, as there are DIY videos out there online, and kits to make the entire process go a lot smoother.  Everything is easier if you know how to follow directions, after all.   It’s really only 4-6 hours of labor time, but this time has to be spread out over 2-3 days due to dry times, which you would not want to skip, of course.  Also, you’ll want to apply a sealant coat, generally provided with the kit, so that the epoxy garage floor coating maintains its finish.  An epoxy garage floor coating can last up to 20 years.  That’s right, TWENTY years.  Most pets don’t last that long.  Don’t get me started on hamsters.

Unlike some other garage floor coverings, there is some floor preparation necessary for installing an epoxy garage floor coating kit; otherwise, the epoxy will not set correctly.  Again, all of this information will come with, and will likely be specific to your particular kit.  Only go the route of epoxy if you’re willing to invest the time and effort into getting it right.  If you just want something quick to slap down on some stained concrete, or to keep the concrete from becoming stained in the first place, an epoxy garage floor is not going to be your best option.  You’ll likely end up with a huge mess instead of a nice, protected garage floor.  Unless, of course, you want to pay to have your epoxy garage floor professionally installed, which is a whole different ballgame.  Though I would not suggest having ball players install your garage floor.  Unless they play ball as a hobby.  If so, that’s okay.

Epoxy garage floor kits will provide the best seal and the best protection for your garage floor.  It will look the most professional as well.  Epoxy garage floor kits resist stains and liquids, and many are self levelling, making them easy to apply and resisting drips.  They are slip resistant even when wet, which is something most of the other garage floor solutions cannot claim.

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Instead of actually installing an entire floor, you may want to go the route of containment mats.  They’re less expensive, to be sure, but you don’t get the effect of covering the entire garage.  Of course, you have to ask yourself, is it really worth it to cover the entire garage?  If you’re only going to be working in one area, or if you just want to protect the garage floor from the oozings of one car, then maybe it would make more sense to just buy a containment mat.  Garage floor containment mats are nice in that they can be moved about and taken out of the garage for easy cleanup.  They’re also very easy to replace should you somehow destroy or damage it.  Generally speaking, a garage floor containment mat is only going to be a good idea if you’re only protecting a small part of your garage floor.  If you want to protect the entire garage floor, you’ll want to do something more comprehensive, such as tiling or possibly a full garage floor mat; one that covers the entire garage floor instead of just a part.

Garage floor containment mats can also be combined, often snapping together so that you could eventually cover the entire garage, or at least a good bit of it.  They are lightweight, making them easy to move around, and very easy to clean.  Just take them out of the garage and spray them off, and then you’re done.  Like any other type of garage floor, containment mats will do a good job of protecting the concrete on which they are placed; it’s just that they won’t be placed on quite as much concrete.  So it really depends on exactly how much of your garage floor you expect to dirty and/or destroy as to which type of garage floor you would want to use.

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Another option would be garage floor tiles.  Peel and stick tiles beautify garages, but can also be used in pretty much any other work areas or shops.  They’re easy to install and custom fit.  They also hide stains and cracks in concrete floors, just like mats.  Garage floor tiles can also be used to protect floors so that they don’t get stained or cracked in the first place, which is, of course, the better idea, but hindsight is always 20/20, right?  I suppose after you’ve already dropped the car onto its axles, oil pan, and transmission pan, the condition of the garage floor is the least of your worries.  Not that I would know anything about that.

Garage floor tiles often have a patterned design that will keep dirt and debris from being tracked into the home, again, much like the garage floor mats.  They also provide cushioning and are very durable.  By the time they’re installed, you’ll have a virtually sealed, non-porous surface on which to work.  There are types of garage floor tiles that have sticky backing so that you simply remove the cover and slap them onto the concrete.  These are better if you’re in a situation where you’ll be turning wheel, as a garage floor mat can bunch up, depending on circumstances.  Interlocking garage floor tiles can also bunch up, but it’s not very likely.  They’re designed to grip the concrete, just like tires.

Burning out on either tiles or mats is not recommended, as you run the risk of losing control of the car, ramming the back of the garage, having the garage collapse on the car (ruining your nice new garage floor, as well as your car), setting the car on fire and alighting the entire garage and any nearby structure into a huge fireball of death.  Boom.  No one likes boom.  Well, some people like boom, but those people are either ballistics experts or in jail.  Or they will be in jail.  It really depends on what they’ve already tried to blow up.

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