Busy moms need to know that their home is a comfortable, safe environment for their families. As hard as you try, you can’t chase your kids around every corner or wrap them in bubble wrap. Garages, however, are one of the most dangerous places in the house for them. The typical garage flooring is concrete, which is not forgiving. Learn more about what the perfect garage flooring is for your home.
Spills of oil, water, and other liquids are ever-present in garages, and if you fall, injury is likely. At the same time, many families choose to store kid’s toys, bikes, and other outdoor equipment in their garages.
How can you make the garage as comfortable, safe, and functional as the rest of your house? Consider getting your garage floor redone by a professional.
In this guide, we’ll make it quick and easy for you to find the perfect garage flooring choice for your lifestyle and your family.
Choosing the Perfect Garage Flooring
When it comes to choosing the perfect garage flooring, it’s important to think about safety and functionality. With the right choice of flooring and professionals, you’ll have your garage looking great, too
When you browse garage flooring options, you need to consider:
- How often do you use your garage for vehicles
- If you store hazardous chemicals, oils, and other liquids
- You spent more leisure or work time in the garage.
- If children spend time in the garage.
- How often the inside of your garage is exposed to the elements
- How much time do you have to clean and maintain your garage
If you’re a busy mom, you’re likely using the garage for storage and vehicles. You probably are hoping that your garage won’t require much maintenance or time for cleaning. You also might have children that go out to fetch their own things like bikes or outdoor play equipment and want to be sure they are safe.
In that case, you need flooring that is low-maintenance once it is installed but still delivers functionality and safety for years to come.
Types of Garage Flooring
There are a few different types of garage flooring to choose from, and each has its own benefits and flaws. Most people start with the typical concrete garage floor, which can be good enough in general for a while. Over time, however, constant heavy use can lead to damage that leaves your garage looking dingy.
Some people choose to keep their concrete floor and repair it with paint or stain. Others who want a more supportive garage floor might choose to cover it with mats or tiles.
Using Concrete Paint
Some people choose to refinish their concrete garage floors with special concrete paint to cover stains and wear. This type of paint can expand and contract with your concrete floor and protect it a bit but chip away over time.
Rapid damage can occur if you use your garage for vehicles that leave and often return, especially from harsh weather. Constant exposure to road salt, for example, can wear away the paint easily. This paint is also vulnerable when exposed to other chemicals you store in your garage.
Concrete paint is a fairly quick fix to improve appearance, but it will not improve the functionality or safety of your garage. It will also require a lot of maintenance and won’t hold up to constant use.
Using Concrete Stain
Similar to concrete paint, the concrete stain will quickly fix the appearance of your garage but do little else. Even worse, it will not protect the floor as concrete paint does. It does not add a layer on top of the concrete but chemically changes the color of the top layer of the concrete to change its appearance.
If your concrete floor has stains on it, using a concrete stain can actually worsen the appearance of the stains. You might also choose to coat your floor with a protective coating after you have stained it. Concrete stains require even more upkeep than concrete paint does.
Using Floor Mats
For people who are looking to have a more cushioned floor and lose the concrete look, floor mats are an option. Garage floor mats can be ordered to the size you need and trimmed easily. Once laid down, they can resist car fluids and chemicals.
Floor mats can be easily cleaned and will cover up imperfections on your garage floor. Mats will give your garage floor a seamless, smooth look.
A downside to floor mats is that many brands will curl up or twist when you turn your vehicle’s wheels. Many brands also aren’t made of the best materials and will break down or tear.
If you go with this option, it’s important to do your research and pay more for a higher-quality brand.
Using Epoxy Paint
As opposed to concrete paint, epoxy paint is much more durable and protective. While concrete paint lays on top of concrete and is vulnerable to chipping, epoxy seeps into and binds with the concrete and is very hard to damage. Because of the increased durability of the epoxy paint, the colors and gloss you choose are resistant to UV fade.
This type of garage flooring is also super easy to clean and requires little maintenance. It also doesn’t support bacterial growth, so it’s safer for your family to use the garage.
As epoxy garage floor installers, we estimate it takes only takes hours to dry, so your busy schedule won’t be interrupted for days like other flooring refinishes.
The key to properly applying epoxy paint is to prepare the concrete first. It’s possible to buy at-home kits, but most DIY-ers do not properly prepare the floor or apply the epoxy. This improper application leads to a breakdown and cracking of the paint.
Hiring professionals to apply epoxy paint to your garage floor will not only save you time but ensure the paint is properly applied.
Using Floor Tiles
If you’re looking for flooring that gives a little more cushion to your garage floor, you can look into mats or tiles. An added bonus: kids who love racing will be really into Racedeck garage flooring!
Garage floor tiles, such as Racedeck flooring, snap together so that you can create the garage floor of your liking. You can choose from several different tile sizes, colors, and styles. It will cover and mold to your floor if you have cracks, imperfections, or uneven concrete floors.
Floor tiles like Racedeck flooring are made for heavy use, so it stands strong against oil and chemical spills as well as UV exposure and heavy machinery. You can also clean it just by hosing it off.
Installation and use of Racedeck flooring release no toxins into the air like other applications. It’s also easy to pull up the tiles when needed.
Most garage tile flooring comes with a huge guarantee of over a decade warranty. Racedeck garage flooring comes with a 15-year warranty, ensuring you can put your garage at the back of your mind and take care of your busy schedule.
How Well Can Your Garage Flooring Hold Up To a Car Lift?
If you’re a busy mom with a spouse and several kids at home, you’re probably constantly fielding fights about who has to park in the street and driveway while others get to park in the garage. Have you ever considered freeing up space with a car lift?
Hiring garage car lift installers can easily turn your two-car garage into a three or four-car garage. Automobile lift installation can be effortless, and the professionals can teach you how to use the equipment once it’s installed easily.
However, experienced car lift installers will warn you that not all garage flooring can hold up to the machinery. If you’re considering housing any machinery or equipment in your garage, including a car lift, you need to make sure you have a garage floor that can handle it.
Racedeck garage flooring is proven to hold up to the heaviest machinery use and will have no problem handling a car lift!
Give Your Garage a New Life Today
You’re probably running out of time in your research for refinishing your garage flooring, so we’ll keep it quick. While concrete paint and stain are choices for altering the appearance of your garage, they’ll do nothing to protect the floor or your family. If you’re looking for lasting change that provides safety and functionality, you should be considering epoxy flooring or floor tiles.
If you’re interested in learning more about hiring professionals for the perfect garage flooring, Garage Designs of St. Louis, Inc., is here to answer all your questions. Contact us today for a free in-home estimate!
