When you ask about “best garage flooring”, the answer cannot come out right away. It depends on a lot of things; your budget, the vehicle traffic and the quality of the flooring tiles itself. In order to find the most suitable garage flooring, you should go through comparison process. Are you ready to learn and take notes?
EPOXY PAINT
If you look into lots of DIY project, then epoxy paint will be often mentioned. There are two things you need to consider, though. First, you are willing to purchase the highest quality of epoxy paint. Second, you have prepared the floor for epoxy painting. You cannot compromise for these conditions. If you try to bargain, the result won’t be great.
After the application of epoxy paint, you will see why it is popular. This garage flooring method gives excellent view. Try to turn on the lights and you will see that the pain reflects the glow. As the result, you will have a brighter garage. Another strong point from epoxy paint is its color options. It won’t be difficult to find one that fits your theme.
As mentioned previously, you need to do proper preparation on the floor. It includes grinding and cleaning. If the surface is not grinded properly, epoxy paint won’t stick. For long lasting product, you will need urethane topcoat as well. When you work with epoxy paint, it will take around three days to finish the project.
ROLLED OUT GARAGE MATS
Those who have limited budget but still want great quality garage flooring should choose garage mats. Its price is average; higher than epoxy paint but a little bit lower than floor tiles. You won’t need extra effort to prepare the floor. Regular cleaning is enough. Don’t forget to note the size of your garage. Buy bigger size, so the surface is well covered.
Garage mats is perfect choice to hide the flaws on your garage floor. After you lay down the mat, simply use scissors to trim the edges. Roll mat will not be affected to oil, stains or salt. You could also pick the preferable color and thickness.
When you choose roll mats, you will get what you see. There is no dramatic effect or prettier effect once the lights are on. Also, your garage mats won’t last for more than five years. It means that your money will worth five years of use. This shouldn’t be an option if you want to get long term investment.
GARAGE FLOOR TILES
Some of you appreciate quality above any other requirements. Combining the strength points of previous options, you will have durability and easy installation. Is it possible to get these qualities in one product? Yes, you can. It is called floor tiles. They are the most expensive among all options, but offer best features you cannot resists.
Floor tiles have several variations. Some of them are great for long term use, while others might need extra care on its maintenance procedure. Make sure you understand them before deciding to buy one.
1. Nitro Tiles
It is the most popular, highly valuable and most commonly used in many fancy garages. Nitro tiles will last on any garage condition, even the harshest one. You could literally install them for showroom, regular garage, trade shows, and so on.
Price wise, nitro tile is the most affordable option. Balancing quality and cost, others cannot compete with this tile. You don’t need to question about its durability; it handles pressure better than hard tiles. You won’t have much trouble with installation. Even the cleaning process is simple; just sweep and mop regularly.
The down side of nitro tiles is the sound. If you prefer to have quiet garage, then take a look at other models first. You need additional layer to cut the noise, which means another dollars to spend. Moreover, you don’t have plenty color options.
2. Nitro Flex Tiles
People have good reason to doubt floor tiles; it looks sharp and produce loud noise. They want something with fierce look but soft to step on and quiet as well. If you agree with this opinion, then nitro flex tiles might be your best bet.
There are several great things about nitro flex. First, it is the least noisy tiles you could ever get. Even when you install it in family room, you will barely hear the footsteps. Also, you won’t need any specialties to install the tiles. You only need to snap the locks and it is already installed nicely. As for the maintenance, it only requires mopping and sweeping.
Compared to regular nitro tiles, flex tiles have higher prices. Even when it is still affordable, the cost lingers in between moderate to high level. Another thing to notice will be slight color difference for different product batch. So, after fifteen years of usage, you might see get different grey from the first purchase.
3. Grid-Loc Tiles
Basic feature any tiles should have is the ability to withstand oil, heat, tools and heavy traffic. It will be a plus point if the product has colorful options. Also, its manufacturer experience plays great role to ensure product quality. Good news for you; grid loc tiles covers all those qualities. Consider its pro and cons carefully before you make a decision.
If you live in American continent, it is not difficult to find one in the store. You will love how sturdy it is. The manufacturer even gives 12 years warranty for their products. Also, you don’t have to hire professionals to install the products. They come with instructions which are not hard to follow. Cleaning won’t be a problem either. You only need to sweep and mop it regularly.
For quietness, grid-loc tiles still cannot beat nitro flex. In fact, this product is just as loud as regular nitro tiles. Therefore, people wonder why the price is higher than its competitor. To answer this question, grid loc comes with wider color options. Other than that, there is no excuse for the moderate to high price.
