What do you use your garage for? Do you just park things on it, or do you actually get in there to work? Either way, you’ll want some sort of epoxy garage floor coating or covering, but if you plan to be doing work, you’ll want to get a lot more specific. After all, garage flooring is an investment, so you may as well get the right one!

Protection From Chemicals

If you are working in your garage, you will spill chemicals; that’s just the way it is. Motor oil, of course, is the first thing to come to mind, but it’s not alone. The manufacturers of most garage floor coatings and coverings seem to have thought of this, though, since pretty much all garage floors out there will deflect almost every type of chemical. However, if you would also like to manage the spilled chemicals, most garage floor mats and tiles actually channel the liquids, generally out of the garage. This is great because it makes a standard water hose into an awesome cleaning tool. Be careful that you don’t pollute the ground, though, as the chemicals flow out of the garage. Contrary to popular belief, diluting dangerous chemicals does not make them any safer to the Earth.

Resisting Wear And Tear From Cars

Epoxy garage floor paint has always caught flak in this area. Cars, especially in the summer, can have very hot tires by the time they are parked, and epoxy paint has long had a reputation of peeling when it comes in contact with hot car tires. In fact, there’s a term for the effect; it’s called “hot tire pickup.” Most companies who make epoxy paint say that, with their newer, more modern blends, this issue has been addressed. Practical experience, though, sometimes tells us otherwise, but keep in mind that what others say may also be the result of a botched install. Regardless, neither garage floor coverings or garage floor tiles exhibit these issues, though a mat will sometimes gather under car tires, especially when steering. That, too, is supposedly a thing of the past, though.

Deflecting Other Physical Damage

In this category, epoxy paint loses, for one main reason: chipping. Dropping a tool on a garage floor mat usually ends up with the tool bouncing a ways, but that’s about it. Chip your epoxy paint, though, and you’ll be cursing up a storm. There’s no doubt that an epoxied floor is much tougher than a concrete garage floor, but it’s still susceptible to chipping. Garage floor tile may or may not have this same limitation, depending on what the tile is made of, but at least you can just swap out the damaged tile if it becomes damaged.

Surviving The Elements

The ability to survive the elements depends a lot on, well, the elements. Epoxy will protect the concrete itself the best, there’s no doubt, but only if it’s not defeated by moisture. Make sure you test your concrete for excess moisture before considering epoxy. Tiles don’t do much when it comes to protecting from the elements, but they do help your concrete retain heat, which is good during the wintertime when concrete tends to split and crack. A garage floor covering, like a mat, will do even less, but it will still be better than no protection at all.

Visit Sweet Garage Floor for more information about every kind of garage floor out there.