When we were all growing up, garage floors were covered with one of two things — dirt or oil, or maybe both. With the exception of that one whackjob neighbor at the end of the block who installed Astroturf on every hard, level surface, no one much cared what garage floors looked like; hell, you were lucky enough if you even had a garage. But somewhere along the line — perhaps it was with the dawn of the McMansion era — our garages became more than just a place to park the minivan and the John Deere. Today's garages are sort of the contemporary equivalent of the once-ubiquitous rec room, except that they are often visible to the entire neighborhood, so there's a showroom element going on as well.

As a result, the garage remodeling industry has become, well, an honest-to-god industry in less than two decades. There are now stores and mail-order companies specializing in all the cool benches, cabinets, slatwall, lighting, and vintage automobilia to turn the old two-car stall into a genuine garage-mahal. Of the countless products that make such a transformation possible, perhaps none is as important to de-industrializing the space as proper flooring. Covering up that bare, grey concrete with a bit of color, texture, and pattern instantly converts the garage into genuine living space. The options are countless, but they basically fall into two categories — coatings and tiles. Choosing the right product for your garage can be daunting, but we've been down this road a couple of times ourselves already, and we thought maybe we'd share some thoughts with you.

Before you begin shopping for garage flooring, you need to ask yourself a few questions. The most important one is how you plan to use your garage. How you will use the finished space will not only determine the type of product you choose, but may also dictate options like color and surface finish. Will it be a workshop, where jack stands, dropped wrenches, and leaking fluids will be the norm? Well then you might not want to go with a white floor. Will it be your detail shop, where you'll spend every Sunday wiping your car's flawless paint with stitch-free cotton diapers? Paint that place up like a science lab. Perhaps a personal museum, a place to show off that resto-rod you spent the last five years and countless bonus checks rebuilding? A nice black and white tile pattern might look perfect. Or are you just looking for a more interesting place to park the minivan and the John Deere?

Once you've figured that out, cost will likely be the next consideration. Within each category there will be a range of costs, and past experience tells us you that what you save today may cost you later if you have to re-apply or replace a cheap product shortly down the road. Our rule of thumb: buy the very best you can afford.

Finally, how much are you willing to be inconvenienced for this project? Some of the liquid coatings get applied over the course of several days, as each coat must cure before the next can be laid down. Some of these systems put off fumes that will send the family packing for a week or more. Other products are more installer-friendly, such as the modular plastic tiles that snap together like Legos and can be dropped in a matter of hours with no more odor than the smell of a cold brew in hand.

With these factors in mind, we've broken down the pros and cons of each of the major options, and have calculated a total cost for doing a 500 square foot (20' x 25') two-and-a-half-car garage, including prep materials and the purchase and/or rental of any special tools (since we'll assume here that you don't lay garage floors for a living) to get the job done right.

FLOOR COATINGS

Floor coatings are essentially paints developed for the specific needs of a garage. The most important of these is the ability to resist peeling away from the concrete to adhere to hot tires, but chemical resistance is also a big factor since any manner of fluid might drip off the bottom of your car while it's parked.

There are three main types of floor coatings — latex, epoxy, and polyurethane. While each has its own chemical properties (and their associated benefits), the application process is pretty much the same across the board. You start with a thorough cleaning of the concrete floor, degreasing any heavy spots; you then acid-etch the concrete, typically with a muriatic acid solution, to give it a "tooth" for the paint to adhere to; then you apply the actual coating to the floor in any number of steps as dictated by the actual product.

One other finish falls into the coatings category, though it differs slightly from the three paint types, and that is acid-staining and acrylic-sealing the concrete. If you've ever been into a Chipotle restaurant or an Old Navy store, then you've probably seen stained-and-sealed concrete. You essentially apply different acid-based stains to the concrete, altering the surface color, and then use a clear acrylic sealant to protect the finish. The results are as dramatically different from painting the floor as the process is.

Latex

Latex garage coatings are by far the cheapest option for covering up your grey concrete. They are also easy to apply and require nothing special in terms of tools or equipment. But, as per our earlier caveat, you get what you pay for. The downside of latex is that even those that claim to be resistant to lift-off or peeling generally aren't. You'll need to apply multiple coats to get an even finish, and even then the surface thickness will be slight, leaving the floor prone to scratching and peeling.

The best candidate for latex paint is a garage that won't see a lot of heavy use. If yours is filled with bikes and sporting goods and other non-automotive equipment, latex will provide a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to mask that ugly floor. Finishes are typically flat. Most stores will stock white or grey, and some can be custom tinted.

Pros: Cheap. Readily available at any hardware/home-improvement store. Easy to apply using conventional paint rollers. Low odor during cure. Little downtime.

Cons: Will likely adhere to hot tires better than the floor. Poor chip and scuff resistance. Poor chemical resistance.

Total Cost (500 sq ft): $60-80
Prep Time: < 1 hour
Application Time: < 1 hour
Curing Time: 24 hours typically
Durability: 1-2 years

Links
- Insl-X Hot Trax
- UGL Drylok



Epoxy

Epoxy floor coverings make up the majority of do-it-yourself floor-coating products. Since you are essentially embedding your floor beneath a layer of liquid plastic, epoxy floors will give years of service and withstand most of the abuses a car enthusiast can throw at them. The surface finish is generally smooth and glossy, giving you garage a professional look, and the coating is highly resistant to scuffing, chipping, and most chemicals. As long as the concrete has been properly prepped, tire lift-off should never be a problem.

There are numerous varieties of epoxies, however, ranging from low-odor water-based systems to the full-on, nasty, solvent-based types that will clear the house and possibly the neighborhood. Many of these are developed for the DIY user and are sold at hardware/home-improvement stores, though some of the professional systems are only available through industrial supply companies. Most epoxies are offered in a broad range of colors, and because they are essentially liquid plastic, you can embed decorative items, such as confetti-like color chips, into the surface before it sets. All of them cure to a fairly glossy finish, and as a result you'll almost certainly want to add some sort of traction medium (typically a very fine silica sand), either mixed directly with the liquid epoxy, or broadcast onto the surface while it is still wet.

Applying the epoxy finish will require some special tools, such as epoxy-specific paint rollers. Rubber gloves are almost a requirement since it may take weeks to get stray paint off your skin; the same goes for safety glasses. Depending on how noxious your particular system is, you may also want to consider a solvent-trapping breathing mask. A pair of spiked shoes is helpful for applying traction medium or decorative color chips to the wet surface (a pair of obsolete metal-spiked golf shoes works great for this).

Otherwise, the process is essentially the same as for the latex flooring. You'll still need to degrease and etch the floor prior to rolling out the epoxy, but oddly enough, some systems are actually designed to go down while the floor is still wet, while others require 12-24 hours of drying time before laying it down. If downtime is a critical factor, you may want to seek out one of the wet-applied epoxies, such as UCoat. Epoxies are also particularly sensitive to temperature at the time of application, so it's best to lay it down on a 60- to 80-degree day for a proper cure.

Pros: Still very affordable. Beautiful finish. Many finish options. Very durable. Chemical resistant. Won't lift.

Cons: Finicky application process. Potentially hazardous vapors. Dark colors may fade, light colors may yellow with exposure to UV.

Total Cost: $90-300
Prep Time: < 1 hour
Application Time: 1-1.5 hours
Curing Time: 24 hours to walk, possibly several days to park
Durability: 3-5 years

Links
- Insl-X Garage Guard
- Epoxy Coat
- US Industrial Coatings
- Rustoleum Epoxy Shield

Polyurethane

Polyurethane coatings are the industrial standard, and the best coating solution for a garage that will see heavy workshop duty. They are even more chemical-resistant than epoxies, and wear better as well. Ironically, polyurethane floor coatings don't generally go directly onto the concrete, but rather use epoxy as a primer coat. The poly is then applied as a topcoat for protection.

Cost is the Achilles' heel of polyurethane flooring, since you start with all the expense and complexity of epoxy and then add on more materials, application tools, and time. Most poly systems are industrial grade, meaning you won't walk out of Home Depot with a weekend project in your cart. They also give off some of the most noxious fumes you've ever encountered outside the monkey house at the zoo, and because they require so many coats they can take up the better part of a week from prep to completion.

While polyurethane flooring is overkill for the average suburban garage, it is ideal for high-traffic zones. There are also numerous colors and the option of satin and low-gloss top-coatings. The floors in the Motive workshop and photo studio (above) are coated with the FloRock poly system (white with a matte finish) and are holding up exceptionally well considering how thoroughly they are abused.

Pros: Exceptional durability and chemical resistance. Excellent appearance. Easy cleanup. Lots of finish choices.

Cons: Cost. Complexity and inconvenience of application. Fumes. Fumes. Fumes.

Total Cost: $400-600
Prep Time: < 1 hour
Application Time: ~ 1 hour per coat, as many as 5 coats may be needed
Curing Time: 12-24 hours per coat
Durability: 5-8 years

Links
-FloRock



Stained and Sealed

Stained concrete can add a lot of visual drama to any space, but a functioning garage may not be the best space for such an effect. However, if your garage is more of showroom than a workspace, this type of finish could provide just the right ambiance.

To get a quality appearance from a stained floor, the concrete must first be in good shape, free of major cracks and pitting, and without chemical stains. For these reasons, new garages are the best candidates for this type of finish. Once the floor is cleaned and prepped, you apply an acid-based stain to the surface, changing the color of the concrete. A combination of stains can be employed to get contrasting shades and add complexity, but this can be daunting for the first-timer, and the results of an amateur effort may send you running to the hardware store for an epoxy kit in the end.

Of course, once the stains dry, an acrylic topcoat has to be applied to protect the bare concrete. This topcoat will need routine maintenance, including buffing and waxing, and will probably need to be reapplied every year or two. This factor alone will take it out of the running for most people, but when properly applied and maintained, a stained concrete floor is a thing of beauty.

Pros: Stunning when done right.

Cons: Cost. Poor chemical resistance. Poor wear resistance. Complex application. Requires lots of maintenance. Not very durable.

Total Cost: $300-700
Prep Time: < 1 hour
Application Time: 3-5 hours total
Curing Time: 24-48 hours
Durability: 1-2 years

Links
- AcidCrete



FLOOR TILES

One of the largest areas of growth in the garage-refinishing market has been in floor tiles made specifically for under-car use. The most popular are the snap-together modular tiles made of plastic, but other systems are starting to emerge as well, including wood-look laminates and genuine metal. Often overlooked for garage duty are ceramic tiles — they work just as well here as they do in the kitchen.

Modular Tiles

Modular flooring tiles were conceived as a simple, do-it-yourself option for getting a professional look in your home garage. The tiles are all uniformly sized, typically 12- or 18-inches square, and snap together at their edges. Other than removing everything from the garage and giving it a thorough sweeping, no special preparation or tools are required to install modular tiles. They can be cut and trimmed using a tablesaw, jigsaw, or circular saw, allowing for easy installation around obstacles like stairs, floor drains, and support posts.

Since most tiles are made of molded plastic, typically PVC or polypropylene, they come in a variety of colors and patterns. This is the easiest way to get the classic black-and-white checkered flag floor, but the options are endless. Tile surfaces include smooth, diamond-plate, and coin-like buttons. There are even open mesh tiles that facilitate drainage.

Most tiles are about a quarter-inch thick and can withstand the rigors of jacks and jackstands, making them not only decorative but also functional. Depending on the finish you choose, they generally clean up well and resist fading. They are also impervious to damage from dropped tools or parts. Still, it seems most garages that get the plastic tile treatment are used more for showing off than for working.

Price is the major obstacle, with individual tiles ranging from about $3 to $5 each before edge trimming. However, unlike other flooring options, modular tiles are not permanently attached, meaning you can take your significant investment with you if you move, or take part of it with you for a car show display base. Most have a warranty as well, ranging from 5 to 10 years, meaning you won't be shelling out every few years for a new floor.

Pros: Professional appearance. Numerous color and style choices. Easy to install. Very little prep or installation time. Durability. Low maintenance. Easy to replace individual tiles.

Cons: Cost. Can feel a little cheap under foot.

Total Cost: $1500-3000
Prep Time: < 1 hour
Application Time: 1-2 hours
Durability: 5 to 10 years or longer

Links
- Race Deck
- XFloor
- SwissTrax
- Auto Deck



CERAMIC AND STONE TILE

You've probably never though twice about the flooring in a dealership showroom, but chances are it's ceramic or natural stone tile. Ceramic and stone tiles aren't cheap (cost can range from about $1 to $10 per square foot plus mortar and grout), but they add a finished look to a garage that no other product can. Between colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes, the decorative options are virtually endless, even if there are limits to the practicality of ceramic tiles in the garage.

While ceramic tile itself is durable, it's also prone to chipping and breakage. Stone tiles are subject to natural irregularities that could lead to cracking and chipping as well. The other major drawback is grout, which can stain easily. For these reasons, ceramic and stone are best used in garages that don't see workshop duty, but are used simply for parking or displaying cars. (Ones that don't leak.)

If you've never installed ceramic or stone tile before, the garage is probably not the best place to learn. Laying tile is tedious and time consuming, and requires special cutting tools. It also requires an perfectionist's eye to keep the spacing consistent, to prevent the rows from "walking," and to keep the tiles floating level. A key factor in avoiding breakage is preventing hollow pockets in the mortar, which should be applied to both the floor and the tile to ensure full coverage.

If it sounds like ceramic and natural stone are more hassle than they're worth, you may be right. Nevertheless, in the right situation either one can be the perfect solution.

Pros: Unbeatable appearance. Limitless color and style options. Excellent durability.

Cons: Cost. Time-consuming installation. Keeping grout clean. May require lots of cutting. Difficult to replace individual tiles.

Total Cost: $650-5500
Prep Time: < 1 hour
Application Time: 3-5 days
Durability: Lifetime

Links
- Griot's Garage