All it takes is one look at your garage’s floor to know it’s one of the most important, hardest working places in your home. Your garage door floor has to withstand things like water, salt, and dirt and most are covered in oil, grease and rust stains.

But times are changing. Now, homeowners are using their garage for a multitude of purposes from man cave to workout room. And that requires a good-looking floor that’s able to keep stains and puddles away.

One of the easiest ways to transform the look of your garage and to keep your garage door floor looking it’s best is to apply a coat of sealer or epoxy, vinyl rolls or tile. All of these options are excellent, but which floor option you choose depends on your budget, your personal style, and how you use your garage space.

Below are our tips for choosing the best garage floor covering for your garage.

Concrete sealers and stains 
Concrete sealers are a very inexpensive option and they can be applied quickly. This is a clear coating that covers the garage floor that makes it easy to clean up gasoline and oil spills. It also protects the floor against water damage. Sealers come in matte or gloss and can’t be used over painted floors.

Another similar option is concrete stains. Like sealers, they protect your garage floor. However, they contain pigment to add a touch of dimension to your floor.

Epoxy 
Unlike paint, epoxy contains chemicals that bond tightly with the prepared surface. The result isn’t just a clean, great looking floor, but also one that is protected against spills, stains, and abrasions. Epoxy, if applied properly, won’t chip and is an excellent long lasting solution for your garage.

Look for epoxy coating specifically designed for garage floors at your local home improvement store. Or contact a professional painting contractor who can help you pick out the perfect epoxy coating for your garage.

Vinyl garage rolls 
Vinyl garage rolls range in prices, so they can work well with any budget. Made with very flexible PVC, it can withstand car traffic, tire traction and is very easy to clean. It is also often slip-resistant when wet, and are easy to install.

Vinyl garage rolls can be cut to the size of your garage and can be installed very quickly and easily. In fact, you could use the vinyl flooring on your entire garage door floor or just a portion of it. The possibilities are pretty endless.

Garage floor tiles 
Garage door tiles come in a wide variety of materials, from vinyl to plastic to ceramic. The most popular and cost-effective option is vinyl garage floor tiles. These come in a number of different thickness sizes, colors, and are interlocking to offer the perfect fit.

Another popular garage flooring choice is plastic garage floor tiles. Hard plastic flooring is great for garages that need top-notch durability like commercial garages or residential garages that get a lot of vehicular traffic. Soft plastic flooring is also very durable but is quieter than harder flooring.

Of course, you could also choose ceramic porcelain tiles for your garage. These aren’t just great-looking, they’re also extremely durable, long-lasting and stain and scratch resistant.  Ceramic porcelain flooring can often be seen in car showrooms, but it’s growing in popularity for homes and businesses.

Before choosing ceramic tiles for your garage, consider how they will be installed. Because they require additional materials and tools, it’s a more expensive flooring option, especially if you hire a professional team to lay the tile.

What about carpet? 
Good question. Carpet, whether in roll form or carpet tiles, isn’t a good choice for your garage unless you don’t house your car there. That’s because most carpet does not repel water, oil, gasoline, and other substances usually found in the garage.

Want more advice about garage door flooring options? Give us a call. We’ll be happy to give you more advice to get your garage looking its best.