Sweet Garage Flooring

Well, have you?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Once the cracks appear in your garage flooring, your options become severely limited.  In fact, if the damage is severe enough, garage floor tiles can easily be out of the question, limiting you to a ton of repairs followed by epoxy garage floor paint, or a garage floor mat.  Why do that to yourself, and to your home, especially when it’s not exactly hard to install a garage floor protector.

Although adding garage flooring can definitely make your garage look sharp, that’s not really the point here.  Did you know that installing epoxy garage floor paint or garage floor tiles will increase the value of your home by far more than the cost to apply such things?  Even if you have to pay someone to do it, it’ll be worth it in the long run.  And consider the value of  painted garage flooring versus a cracked and stained one.  Even if you don’t plan to sell your home any time soon, there’s no telling what the future will bring. By the time you do end up selling your home, it may be too late to easily improve your garage flooring.

Your garage is a part of your home, and it should be treated as such.  There’s no reason to have a bare concrete garage floor when cheap epoxy garage floor kits cost under $60.  There’s just no point in letting it go, or putting it off, especially not when you make it so much harder on yourself by doing so.  Even if all you do is put a garage floor mat down as a temporary measure, it’s much better than nothing.  It’ll protect the concrete garage floor from stains, and some of the biting winter cold until you can get around to taking care of it, or covering it with a better garage floor protector. On quick, comprehensive, and easy option is interlocking garage floor tiles. The biggest downside to them, though, is that they can be quite pricey, and typically don’t cover the entire floor, unless you spend a ton of money.

Still don’t think it’s important?  Do a quick search of “damaged garage flooring”.  You’ll find out real quick just how fast your garage flooring can become very ugly.  A bare concrete garage floor may be okay with you, but how about stained, cracked, and chipped?  It’ll happen a lot faster than you think.  Yes, just parking your expensive SUV on your garage flooring will do it.  Just changing your oil will do it.

If you’ve got a new home, don’t think that it’s immune to garage flooring damage.  All concrete is intended to be finished if you want it to last, and that’s not something that home construction people typically take care of.  Make sure that it’s been a while since the concrete was laid, but get it taken care of before you regret it.

Garage floor mats come in various types of patterns and materials.  These garage floor protectors are some of the most varied available, and are also often the best at doing their job, provided they can cover enough of your floor to suit your purpose. It will take you some work and research to decide exactly which type is going to be best for your purposes.

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.

Why would anyone want to install flooring in their garage?  After all, won’t it just get dirty and look as bad, or worse than the concrete garage floor? To layman that’s never owned a home with a garage, it would seem that a garage floor protector would be a futile, and expensive gesture.

You may want to just cover some old, stained concrete.   Maybe you just want a better look.  Some people install a garage floor to get a softer step.  You’d be amazed at how much nicer it is to walk around looking for misplaced tools when you’re not jarring your back with every step.  These garage floor solutions are often quite a bit easier to clean than concrete, which is unbelievably easy to stain. In fact, after your first ugly concrete stain, you’re very likely to be hating yourself for not having installed a garage floor protector much earlier.

There are many different types of garage floors out there to chose from.  You may want floor tile, epoxy garage floor covering, a garage floor mat that will cover the entire floor, or maybe just throw some containment mats out there to catch the spills.  Don’t say you don’t spill.  Everyone spills.  I’ve owned cars where it was truly impossible to change the oil without spilling some of it, and I’d much rather it be on a mat than on the concrete where it will surely stain.  Or on my face or clothes for that matter.  I’ve actually caught myself catching oil on my shirt because it’s easier to clean than the freaking concrete.  Having a nice epoxy garage floor coating would have certainly kept my clothes cleaner.

Whatever your reason, there are plenty of options out there to chose from.  You can pay someone to install your garage flooring, though some types are plenty easy to install on your own.  As with anything, it all depends on how much money you’re willing to spend.  You just might be surprised, though, at how cost effective installing a garage floor can be.  It may seem like a luxury right now, but once you’ve covered that concrete with something far more effective and attractive, you’ll wonder how you ever did without, even if it’s something as simply as garage floor paint.

Concrete.  Psht.

On this site, you will find explanations and descriptions of the various types of garage floors that are available, and why you might want it (or not).  We’ll cover everything from mats to epoxy garage floor coating.  So hang on, and enjoy the ride.  Even though we’re not leaving the garage.