What’s a scuff or two or three thousand? Garage floors see a lot of action in their lifetime. Through and through, they’re the bearer of all the roughness.
Perhaps you’re getting ready to sell the house or you’re looking for a new, fresh start in the cluttered garage. Whatever the reason, it’s time to redo the flooring. But choosing the right coating can be a little tricky for the uninitiated.
These are the 7 tips you should consider when looking for the best garage flooring.
1. Do the Drapes Match?
Matching the interior is something you might not have even considered when looking at coatings for your new flooring. However, a garage is an extension of your house – and you wouldn’t want the inside of your house to look like a disaster, right?
Before you go out of your way to look at which coating has the most resilience, consider how it will look. You should take the color, the fleck of the paint, and the interior of the garage into consideration.
It might not feel manly comparing hues, but it’s necessary. Don’t get something that’ll clash with the rest of the garage’s decor.
2. Consider Your Budget
A lot of guys jump into a project ho-hum without considering the consequences. This is disastrous, and more frequently than not, will lead to the project never being finished.
Create a budget that you’re willing to spend and stick to it. Don’t deviate from it, because that’s a slippery slope you don’t want to ride.
The amount you set aside should be reappropriated funds from unnecessary things that are in a typical budget: eating out, buying luxury items, or spending that $600 on sports memorabilia. Any luxury goods or services that aren’t key to survival is where you should get your budget for the floor.
3. Make a List (Check it Twice, Too)
Devise a list of everything that’s going to be done in the garage. When it’s finished, you’ll be able to rightfully decide which material for the flooring is best in your circumstance.
A lot of people choose concrete for their flooring, but the material is comprised of a porous compound. When liquids get into the pores of the concrete, cement expansion will occur. This can lead to bulging and cracking across the floors.
So, if you’re planning on doing something that involves a lot of loose liquids, you might want to get something else.
Some homeowners tile their garages. This can be a good look, but tile’s fragility can cause breakage if you’re prone to dropping things. If you’re a klutzy mechanic, you might want to go with concrete.
Carpet is another option, and it’s the cheapest. If your garage is bound to be your man-cave, opt for the furry shag that you were never allowed to get. But carpets will be stained, and the maintenance of keeping it clean is substantially higher than other options.
Whatever you plan on doing in the garage should dictate your choice.
4. When Does the Countdown Start?
You might be strapped for time here. If you’re selling your house, you could be put in the position where you need to redo your garage flooring immediately.
Take this into great consideration before picking something outlandish. When strapped for time, you’ll want to do something that’s quick.
Laying down carpet is perhaps the quickest option, but it might be off-putting for some of the buyers. Concrete is rather quick, too, assuming you have a good team to do it. Tiling, laminate, and wood floors will take the longest but might look the best.
Weigh your options and consider time constraints when necessary.
5. Picking the Right Crew for the Best Garage Flooring
First of all, resist the deep, carnal urge to floor your own garage. It’s a safe assumption, if you’re reading this article, that you probably don’t do this for a living.
It is absolutely pertinent to pick a crew and pay them. There are so many variables that amateurs will often forget that’ll lead to a bunk DIY-job.
Find a crew that’ll fit within your budget, but make sure they’re properly licensed and insured. Sure, you can probably find a couple of guys outside a hardware store that’ll do it for a fifth of the price, but they’re not contractually obligated to do it safely or properly.
Pick a team that has good reviews; don’t trust your neighbor’s word-of-mouth review unless it’s backed up by others’ opinions.
6. Look for a Good Warranty
You always do it when you buy a new flatscreen television. The same buying habits should extend to your garage floor purchasing decisions: does it have a good warranty?
If a company is guaranteeing satisfaction but doesn’t offer a favorable warranty, they likely don’t have much faith in their “guarantee.” But if a company has a 25-year warranty on just about any mishap, they’re going to do a good job – mainly because they don’t want to do any more work for free.
Use a warranty as a trophy of absolute satisfaction.
7. Think About the Maintenance
Lastly, you should think about the upkeep of your flooring. Some of us don’t want to come home from work and have to go vacuum the garage.
Cleaning should be done regularly, and some flooring types have different maintenance. A cement floor – and practically any hard flooring material – is easiest to clean; it just requires an occasional sweep. Tiling is a little more difficult, as the grout needs to be cleaned occasionally.
Think about how much you want to put into keeping your garage flooring clean before making your decision.
The Floor for You
Picking the best garage flooring is more of a task than some might think. Choosing what’s best for you should come down to a few things.
Think about how the flooring will match your decor and consider the cost of the materials and labor. Make a list of everything you plan on doing in the garage in order to choose the best material; if you’re short on time, pick the easiest to install. Lastly, don’t pick flooring with a lot of upkeep if you don’t want to do the work.
Are you planning on redoing your garage’s floor? Find one of our locations near you for a better, easier buying experience.
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