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It’s strange when you think about it, isn’t it? How we invest quite heavily in certain aspects of day-to-day life, whilst neglecting others. Most homeowners decide, seemingly with unfair or very little reasoning, that some purchases justify a healthy financial commitment, yet others deserve the exact opposite.
Let’s go off-topic just briefly and take for example two important facets of life; our commutes, and our sleep. Most people will assign as much budget as they can possibly afford to the purchase of a new car or truck, and justifiably so. We spend much of our lives inside a vehicle and whilst using it, we like to be comfortable. We need it to deliver a smooth ride, with reliability and running costs a premium factor. To achieve this, we are willing to spend big.
By the same token, we all spend an entire third of our whole lives in bed. A good night’s sleep is essential to our well-being, and a decent bed can help us achieve that. So why do most of us tend to focus on a lower budget when buying one? It doesn’t make a great deal of sense.
But what does this have to do with garage floors, you are wondering?
Because with many folks, garage floors fall into the same remit as, for example, a new bed. For reasons unknown, we assign garage flooring quite randomly to a low-spend category. But that premise is changing, and over the last few years, there has been an increase in homeowners laying down better flooring in this important part of our homes. Take a quick look around your own neighborhood, and you will notice good quality garage flooring is suddenly making more of an appearance.
Best Garage Flooring Options
Of course, we don’t expect you to break out into a garage wallpapering frenzy and hang French drapes on the overhead doors, but treating basics such as the floor with a little consideration is only logical, and you will be surprised what a difference it makes. That amazing, much-loved car that you take great care of will now have somewhere nice to live.
Have you ever been to a motor show event? Vehicle manufacturers always put a great deal of effort into the display floor because it creates a nice framing of the vehicle. It is remarkable what a sudden difference it makes, and what an immediate impact it has, feeling almost like the house has a new room that wasn’t there before.
But let’s not get too carried away. A beautiful luxury wool carpet will not only look incredibly strange on the garage floor, but it also won’t last more than a few weeks. You obviously need something solid, sturdy, and forgiving of the elements, and there are pretty easy choices to make in that regard. So, let’s break it down and take a look at the various options we can work with, suitable for all budgets and usage.
Epoxy Coating
A popular choice with high-end car showrooms, well-laid epoxy flooring looks stunning when constructed properly, delivering that perfect balance of amazing glimmering looks, and high durability allowing for machinery storage, impact protection, and chemical spillage.
Homeowners often D.I.Y the project owing to apparently simple step-by-step procedures, sometimes with good results, but commonly making huge errors resulting in a botched project. Be careful. A good professional will ensure the whole garage surface is polished but not slippery, applying a precise formula whilst ensuring thorough preparation, which is critical.
Epoxy coatings come in a range of finishes including plain, flake, natural, and even metallic. It’s a tough choice, as they all look superb.
Garage Floor Tiles
Suitable for all budgets, interlocking tiles are available in the more cost-friendly foam tiling, to high-quality impact-proof plastic. This jigsaw style foam or plastic tiling is a hassle-free solution that you can have a little fun with, creating your own unique patterns.
Foam tiling serves a purpose for less used garages and is one of the cheapest options, but as with most things in life there is a caveat with the cost-saving; the quality isn’t the best, and you shouldn’t expect decades of usage. The more expensive but still affordable high-grade plastic option provides reasonable durability and can withstand workshop level usage, to a point.
Light liquid spills will soak straight through but in the event of something like an oil or chemical spillage, the tiles will need to be taken up and cleaned thoroughly if you want to maintain a nice look.
Concrete Sealer
By far the least expensive option - a concrete seal is simply applied as a finishing coat over a regular concrete floor. Simple, cost-effective, and easy to do without professional help, a well-applied concrete sealer provides adequate protection against average, day-to-day usage, but may not be a good option for those wishing to achieve something showy.
Concrete Floor Paint
A distant cousin of concrete sealers; paint might look a little better on the eye but it will flake over time and can get a little slippery. Easy to apply yourself though, and cheap too.
Stone Flooring
Another option for those needing something showier, stone flooring is highly durable, aesthetically pleasing, and highly practical. It can run a little pricey and requires professional fitting, but worth the effort if budget is not a factor.
Cold climate homeowners might wish to avoid stone flooring as it does tend to soak up the cold weather.
Additional Garage Flooring Options
Other garage floor coatings and various garage flooring ideas are available should you wish to do something a little different. Wood floors, believe it or not, are a consideration if you want an earthy, rustic look. They are very difficult to maintain though and are easily damaged.
Porcelain tiles can look beautiful and are not very expensive, but they can get a little slippery and will need re-grouting in time.
Garage floor mats are another idea with well-sized, good-quality mats laid around in high-traffic, well-used areas, although you will not be filled with pride whenever you look at your garage.
Ultimately, epoxy gets our vote as the best all-rounder owing to a mixture of durability, great style, and reasonable pricing.
