Useful Garage Floors:

1. Epoxy Garage Floor Paint – It’s cheap, it covers the entire concrete garage floor, and it’s nearly impenetrable.  The more expensive versions will even cushion your step.  The biggest downsides involve failed installs.

2. Garage Floor Tiles – If tools get dropped, they bounce.  Laying on good garage floor tiles is like laying on a bed in comparison to concrete.  The biggest downsides are cost, and the fact that you likely won’t end up covering your entire concrete garage floor.

3. Garage Floor Mats – Similar advantages to tiles, with the notable exception that they typically cover far less concrete.  Also, be careful that, if you’re going for function, you don’t purchase simple parking mats.  Those are not for working, but rather for trapping the dirt and debris that vehicles drag in.

4. Garage Floor Stain – Useless for anything but aesthetics.  Most stains do state that you should use some sort of sealant, though, which might provide some protection.

Pretty Garage Floors:

1. Garage Floor Tiles – Tiles can be had in a variety of colors, can include things like team logos, and some of them just look downright cool.  Even if they’re not any more functional than a good epoxy paint job, they can certainly look like they are.

2. Garage Floor Stain – Stained concrete can look downright elegant.  Some stains actually make concrete look like some sort of stone.  It’s also the cheapest option, and probably the most unique.

3. Epoxy Garage Floor Paint – Paint can be as colorful as tiles, though it sometimes takes some searching.  One can also add color flakes for extra flare.  Many garage floor paint kits can be ordered with different color flakes, too, so that you can actually make yours look unique.

4. Garage Floor Mat – It’s a mat.  It’s really not that interesting to look at, unless you just really like rubber.

Epoxy Garage Floor Paint

As opposed to some other applications that also carry the name “paint”, the goal is not just to change the color of the garage flooring.  An epoxy garage floor coating will also provide some of the best protection for the concrete underneath.  It’s often the cheapest, too, as long as you can afford to install it yourself.  It will likely be the most difficult of any finish to install.  Epoxy garage floor coatings have a very long life span, and can often be installed over other paint jobs, depending on the kit.

Garage Floor Tile

Tiles are probably the next best thing when it comes to the most comprehensive solution.  Garage floors with tiles are protected almost as well as those with epoxy, but the install is not nearly as finicky, though it can be just as time consuming depending on the type of garage floor tiles used.  Unfortunately, tiles can also easily be the most expensive of all garage flooring.  Interlocking garage floor tiles will give you the flexibility and leak resistance of a mat, but they can be costly.  Peel and stick garage floor tiles are just as finicky as paint when it comes to the cleanliness of the concrete, and they depend on the human hand and eye to create a seal by getting them close enough together.

Garage Floor Stain

This option is not for those who want to protect their garage flooring, but more for those who want an interesting looking floor where they park.  The object is not to add any type of garage floor coating, but just to change the color of the existing concrete garage floor.  Concrete staining is really seen less in garages than interiors, so this would probably be the most unique choice.

Garage Floor Mat

There are two main different types of garage floor mats: parking mats, and compartment mats.  Both can be referred to as garage floor coverings, so be sure to check the sizes of what you are buying to be certain that you get what you’re looking for.  A parking mat may take up your entire garage, and be referred to as a whole garage floor mat.  Alternatively, it could only take up as much space as the vehicles that park there, since the purpose is to protect your garage flooring from their leavings.  Compartment, or containment mats generally have raised edges or some other method of controlling the flow of any dropped liquids, and are used primarily for working on vehicles.  They are not intended to be a full time garage floor covering, being only a temporary, used-as-needed tool.

So, that’s all of the various garage floor finishes in one post.  Check out some of the other posts for more information about each individual option.

That’s a question that a lot of people ask, especially as winter hits, when there will be tons of nasty stuff being dragged into their garage with the snow.  Mud, sand, twigs…dog poop…you name it, will all be mixed in with the snow, so having a good, solid garage covering of some sort is very important.  However, no matter how important it is, it doesn’t mean people suddenly have a ton of money to spend on something like garage flooring.  With Christmas just around the corner, everyone has less money, and most can’t justify spending a ton on their garage floors.

Back to the original question.  There are really two answers, and I’ll explain that.

Generally, when someone mentions a garage floor covering, I immediately think of mats, or maybe tiles.  Garage floor tiles either use traction like mats, or stick to the concrete, and a garage floor mat just lays on top of it as well.  I usually consider epoxy garage floor paint more of a garage floor covering.  However, if you lump them all together under the even more generic “cover” term, I would have to conclude that garage floor paint is definitely going to be the cheapest, with a few caveats.

For one thing, it has to be installed.  If you plan to do it yourself, that means getting on your hands and knees to apply it, waiting for the various coats to dry, and so on.  There are also temperature (in general, the temperature needs to be between 55 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit) and moisture limitations that apply even if you have someone else do it, so think long and hard before you decide to take this route.  Depending on your area, this may not even be an option until March or April.

Now, if paint isn’t an option, or you just don’t want to mess with it, then you’ll be looking at tiles or mats.  Both will be much easier to handle here in the winter months, especially a garage floor mat, which you can just lay out on the floor and be done with.  Tiles do take some installing, especially the peel and stick variety.  The garage floor tiles that stick to each other can be installed no matter the temperature, but the peel and stick ones generally have some sort of temperature requirement.

In the complete opposite end of the spectrum would be interlocking garage floor tiles. They’re usually among the most expensive, so be sure not to confuse them with the peel and stick type. They will also give you unmatched flexibility, though.

For our purposes, we will define “coverings” as things that can be moved, and “coatings” as solutions that cannot.  Keep in mind, interlocking garage floor tiles can easily be moved, while peel and stick tiles cannot.

Garage Floor Coverings Can Be Moved If Desired

There are a few different situations that come to mind where a garage floor covering may be a better idea than painting the garage floor. Permanency is a big factor. Do you need something that is going to protect the floor forever, or something that you can just pick up when you’re done? Some people like the look of a clean concrete garage floor as opposed to paints, mats, or tiles. Of course, this preference obviates the need to keep said the concrete very clean, which is where garage floor mats come in quite handy.

Garage Floor Coverings Are Quick To Install

Even a garage floor mat that is designed to cover the entire garage is faster to install than paint. Most of the time, it’s just a matter of cutting the mat to fit, then throwing it down onto the floor, and you’re all done. This is opposed to paint, which takes hours to install, or tiles, which can sometimes take even longer, depending on their design.

Garage Floor Coverings Are Easily Tossed If Needed

When it comes to garage flooring, sometimes you just have to anticipate taking losses. There are some things that even the toughest paints, tiles, or garage floor mats simply are not going to survive without taking some damage. Although it can be an expensive proposition, a garage floor mat can easily be thrown away and replaced if damaged or stained. Interlocking garage floor tiles are even better in this situation because you can just take out the damaged or stained tiles while keeping the good ones. For these reasons, some people who paint their garage floors use mats or interlocking garage floor tiles as well – to protect their paint! They may cover their entire garage when they get ready to work, or just the area likely to be contaminated. Even if not anticipating damage or stains, it’s much easier to clean a mat than it is to clean an entire painted floor. Just be careful that you do not get into any anti-environmental habits as it becomes very easy to just dump everything out of your garage floor mat onto the ground outside.

Garage Floor Coverings Are Easy To Install

For those of us whose backs or knees are not up to kneeling or stooping for hours, a big garage floor mat may actually be cheaper, even though paint by itself is far less expensive. This is because even those with physical issues can generally install garage floor coverings on their own. When you factor in the cost of install, suddenly the price savings of using paint go right out the window.

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.

There’s ribbed mats, mats with coin or diamond patterns, and some places sell less expensive matting that has almost no pattern at all.

Most of the time, when you buy garage floor mats, they come in one big size that you just cut with a pair of scissors or utility knife and lay out on the floor.  This is easy installation at its finest.  If you do need to split the mat, you can overlap or connect the mats together for a seamless look, as long as the mats have those types of edges.  No adhesives are required.  They’ll protect the concrete, prevent soil and water contamination, and channel liquid and debris out of the garage for easier cleanup.

Garage floor mats are cushioned for comfort when either walking, standing, or working.  They’re coated so as not to absorb liquids or chemicals, and they have a fresh scent that will keep the garage smelling great.  Garage floor mats are ultra durable, generally lasting years, and provide a slip resistant surface.  They’re anti-static and non-conductive as well.  The mats can even be laid in doubles where extra cushion is needed, such as under a car where you might be laying on your back, or on the sides where you may be doing a lot of kneeling.  Anyone who has done any major work on a car can appreciate the idea of having some type of cushioning under the body part that’s making contact with the hard, cold concrete.

Many places offer free, fast shipping, and prices are generally pretty reasonable, generally under $2 per foot.  It’s obviously much faster to lay out a rubber mat than it would be to paint the entire garage floor or install a epoxy kit, and often it’s quite a bit cheaper as well.

Garage floor mats are probably your best option if you’re planning on doing a lot of work in your garage and want the ability to just chunk it and start over if it gets ruined by something, though they’re durable enough that they’re not likely to be ruined.  There are other types of garage floor protectors, but they also have their downfalls. Although not as durable as epoxy, mats are much easier to install, and although not as mobile as containment mats, regular floor mats are designed to be driven upon and will, by nature, cover more area.