Sweet Garage Flooring

One option you may want to consider with your garage is garage floor paint. With garage floor paint, you can put a nice, shiny coat on your garage floor which will make it easier to clean as well as more attractive. This is a good option if you have a garage floor that’s already been coated with something that has either worn off or is undesirable. Most garage floor paints can be used on top of other epoxy paints or sealants, as long as they are clean and free of any contaminants. Since garage floor paint is typically pretty thick, there’s no need to match colors or anything like that.

Including preparation, many garage floor epoxy coating kits can take as little as three hours to apply. This is comparable to other garage floor solutions, like tile or mats, yet is quite a bit more permanent as garage floor paints are epoxy based. Also, this estimate is for a normal garage. If your garage is quite large, then expect the process to take longer, of course.

Before laying your garage floor paint, the concrete must be prepared for the epoxy solution as per the paint manufacturers direction. This applies even if your garage floor is brand new and has never had so much as a bicycle parked on it. The cement still has to be prepared if the garage floor paint is going to adhere to it as it should and provide you with a long life and beautiful finish.

If the concrete is brand new, as in has just been laid down and still has that darker color that indicates it’s not completely dry, even if you can’t carve your initials in it, then you’ll have to wait a bit before you can begin preparing the garage floor for painting. Most paint manufacturers recommend waiting at least thirty days, but be sure to check with the instructions before starting, as different kits will have different instructions. If you’re not sure when the cement for your garage floor was laid, you may want to get with the contractor and find out. Either that, or you could always wait thirty days from move in to apply the garage floor paint. Since the garage floor will have to be prepped, regardless of condition, there’s no harm in using the garage until the thirty days has passed. That being said, it probably wouldn’t be wise to pile half your belongings in the garage, as that would surely deter you from applying the garage floor paint when the time comes.

Choosing to use an epoxy garage floor coating will be a decision that you will be glad you made later on down the road.  Not only will it look nicer, but your garage floor will also last far longer, with maintenance becoming a non-issue for many years to come.

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.