Paint and epoxy have long been the go-to solution for those wishing to update or finish a garage floor. However, there is another option out there for the garage floor: floor tiles. Not just any floor tiles. There are actually floor tiles that are made specifically for the garage floor. Using such tiles in the garage can result in a great new look for the space.
Garage floor tiles are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 12-inch squares to 24-inch squares. Typically, floor tiles that are made specifically for the garage are constructed to easily snap together. As such, they are very easy to install and are consequently also very easy to remove in the future.
One of the best advantages to the garage floor tile is its appearance. Paint and epoxy provide a solid, sometimes lack-luster appearance to the garage floor. Tiling allows for patterns to be created, which many enjoy as it is a great opportunity to really infuse the garage with some style.
There are several types of garage floor tiles available on the market today. They are:
• Flexible
• Wood Composite
• Rigid plastic
Below, we’ll take a look at each one of these types of tile in a little more depth.
Flexible garage floor tiles interlock. They are soft and are very easy to install or remove. Because flexible garage floor tiles are soft, they are easy to stand on for long periods of time. Therefore, they are ideal if the garage is to be used as a workspace where someone will be standing for long periods of time. One popular material for such tiles is rubber, and they’re used in many high-traffic high-impact areas such as day care centers. Although such tiles might not be ideal to place heavy machinery on, they are a nice supplement to the floor around the area where someone working on machinery would be standing.
Wood composite tiles were originally created to be used in basement subflooring systems. They are also now used in garage spaces as well. These tiles are made of wood composite and have a polyethylene moisture barrier at the bottom of the tile, which works to protect the tile from getting moist. Wood composite tiles snap together with groove and tongue edges, and are therefore very easy to install. They are made to be placed in areas where the climate and temperature are going to change, and since wood contracts and expands, it is typically recommended that a 1⁄4 inch gap is left between the tile and the wall.
Rigid plastic garage floor tiles interlock much like flexible garage floor tiles. Rigid plastic garage floor tiles are made of PVC and are approximately 1⁄4 inch thick. Because they are made of PVC, they are resistant to most common garage substances such as oil, grease, and chemicals. Rigid plastic garage floor tiles are strong enough to support car jacks as well as cars.
|