The Best Garage Flooring of 2018: 6 Garage Flooring Ideas
Create your man cave in style using the best garage flooring trends of 2018. Discover exciting, new garage flooring ideas – you’ll have your dream look in no time.
It’s finally here; the time you’ve been waiting for! It’s time to turn your garage from a boring, outdated storage room to a hot, envy-inducing man cave. That’s right, you’re going to finally give your baby the home she deserves.
And by baby, I mean your car. Naturally.
Of course, there’s a lot to do if you want to create your dream garage. But I always recommend starting with the floor. After all, it’s the foundation for your whole garage. And chances are, you’ll want to choose the rest of your decor to match.
Choosing your garage floor is a big decision, one you only want to make once. The great thing about flooring trends is they have some constancy. Unlike fashion and design, they’re not constantly changing, causing you to struggle to keep up with the latest and greatest.
No, flooring trends are steady and dependable. If you go with what’s hot right now, it’s likely that your floor (and garage) will still be 100% in style 10 years from now.
How to Choose the Best Garage Flooring
This is where people tend to get overwhelmed. Often, we hear “Can you just tell me what to buy?”
Actually, yes. Yes, I can.
But I want to include you in the process. Because my tastes might be different than yours. To be honest, they are almost definitely different because my taste can be kinda weird. Or, as I like to call it, “original”.
The main things you want to look for are durability, loudness (more on this soon), look, cost, maintenance and installation. It’s up to you to determine the priority for each of these – maybe you have
It’s up to you to determine the priority for each of these – maybe you have really bad hearing and don’t care how loud your tiles are? Or, maybe cost isn’t a factor for you. Every garage is different and so is every person. Let’s dive a little deeper and discover what’s best for you.
Durability
I mean, I think this is a deal breaker for just about everyone. There’s nothing worse than getting your garage just the way you want it and having your floor fall apart right underneath your feet.
In shocking new discovery: cars are heavy! So are tools. And oil, along with other automotive fluid, can be really tough on your floor. You need a beefy, brawny, durable floor that will stay sharp and intact through any amount of abuse.
Loudness
This one’s more of a personal preference. The truth is, traditional
plastic garage tiles are a little noisy when you walk on them. There are some tips and tricks for reducing this (like underlayment – it’s the best!), but they will never sound as smooth and quiet as walking over a garage roll.
In fact, even something like
epoxy has a certain degree of loudness. When you drop tools on a harder surface, they make a lot of noise.
The softer the flooring material, the quieter your floor. Simple as that.
Look
I mean, let’s be honest; you want your garage to look sharp. Although functionality is important, you get garage flooring because you want your garage to look awesome.
Most garage flooring options come in diamond, coin, smooth or vented patterns. And that’s just the beginning! If you choose tiles, you can do all sorts of fun patterns with your layout – mix and match colors, create that classic checkered look, or get real crazy with full on designs, like this Super Mario one.
Of course, epoxy is a whole other story, giving more of a speckled look. If you hire a pro, there’s a ton you can do with epoxy. However, it does require a bit more skill to get more than a basic wash, which, to be fair, still looks great!
Cost
Regardless of your budget, there is a garage flooring option for you. I promise.
You can cover a 2 car garage in anything from approximately $400 to $6,000+. There are a lot of variables here, including durability, brand, look, etc. But, seriously, you can start right around $400, which is super doable. Here’s the typical breakdown of least expensive to most expensive*:
- Peel & Stick Garage Tiles
- Epoxy
- Vinyl Garage Rolls
- Hard Plastic Garage Tiles (non-vented)
- Soft Plastic PVC Garage Tiles
*Note: This varies between brands/styles.
Maintenance
If you’re anything like me, you want to spend approximately 0.062 seconds per year cleaning your garage floor. I know some people think cleaning is “fun” or “relaxing”. I am not one of them.
My advice: check out how easy/difficult your floor is to clean and if it requires any special cleaners, tricks, etc. If you really love it and you don’t mind giving it a little extra TLC, then by all means! Otherwise, you may want to go with an equally sleek, less needy option.
Installation
A few things to think about:
- Are you installing the floor yourself? If so, how handy are you?
- Do you have room in your budget to hire an installer?
- Do you plan on keeping this floor here for a long time or do you want it to travel with you when you leave?
The truth is
none of the garage flooring ideas we’re discussing today are terribly difficult to install. A garage flooring roll or soft PVC tile will always be the easier, but the others just require a bit of patience and the intelligence of approximately a 3rd grader. I think you’ll be good 😉
Okay, so we all want that sleek, professional garage look. But many people are hesitant to go with a garage tile to achieve the classic checkerboard look or other patterns because they’ve heard about the sound you get with hard plastic tiles. I’m not gonna lie; hard plastic tiles are noisier.
But soft PVS garage tiles are quiet as a mouse! Sharp looks without the sharp sounds. A win, win if you ask me.
Beyond the garage, use these babies for basements, showrooms, tradeshows and, yes, even kitchen! For the most popular look, go for the classic checkerboard – it will always be in style.
SwissTrax is famous for their Ribtrax vented garage tile line. These tiles are extra-large and made right here in the USA. At 3/4″ thick, Ribtrax are the toughest garage floor tiles on the market.
Beyond the garage, use them for boats, docks, around the pool and pretty much anywhere with a lot of water. The vents allow water to easily flow through with no issues or mess.
Ribtrax tiles are also popular for their huge color selection. Like, ridiculously huge. With 19 different options, if you want it, they’ve got it.
Now for something a little different. Smooth Flex Tiles don’t look like any other garage floor tile on the market. They are, well, smooth, for one! Instead of diamond or coin patterns, you get a gorgeous, smooth leather look. Their interlocking system is hidden, giving you a flawless, cohesive floor.
Homeowners love how the Smooth Flex Tiles provide versatility. Yes, they’re garage tiles, but, beyond the garage, they look great in laundry rooms, basements, offices and more.
Looking for style? The classic checkerboard look always looks sharp.
Ready to get started? Order samples of your favorite garage flooring today!
