Garage Floor Options: Paint, Tiles or Coatings?

When it comes time to renew that cracked, stained old concrete garage floor, you need to decide which approach will work best for your home. There are many options to consider, ranging from simple floor paints to high-tech polymer coatings. Some can be purchased at your local big-box home store and installed DIY. Others require professional installation. So, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each:

• Garage Floor Paint — This option is probably the least expensive on the list. After all, paint is paint. And if you can paint a bedroom wall, you can probably paint your garage floor. But while it certainly will look better than an unfinished floor, it does have its drawbacks. First, it does nothing to address floor cracks; it simply paints over them. Second, because it’s so thin, it isn’t very abrasion and chemical resistant. This means it’ll likely end up bubbling and peeling soon. So be prepared to pull everything out of your garage and redo the floor in the near future.
• Garage Floor Tiles — This is another simple DIY fix that can be installed relatively quickly and looks pretty good when done. Unlike paint, tiles cover floor cracks and hide them from view. Plus, they offer a bit of insulation from the cold ground below. They’re relatively inexpensive too, but since you pay per tile this approach can get expensive in a hurry if you have a larger garage. However, the main drawback is the danger of moisture seeping between the tile joints, which can lead to problems down the road, including mold. In addition, plastic tiles, though durable at first, can crack overtime after being subjected to the weight of your vehicles day in and day out.
• Epoxy and Polyurethane Coatings — These options offer greater durability and abrasion resistance, plus they have a more professional, finished look. Epoxies, however, can be difficult to install due to their narrow operating temperature and short pot life. They can also yellow over time due to their not being UV resistant, which can look pretty ugly. Polyurethane coatings are UV-stable, but they can take two days to install and up to six days to cure, so plan to be without the use of your garage for a while.
• Polyaspartic Coatings — In use for more than three decades, polyaspartic coatings offer the best combination of beauty, toughness, and speed. Polyaspartic technology offers granite-like look and durability and can be installed in just a day. And as it takes only 24 hours to cure, you can resume normal use of your garage much faster than with other polymer coatings. The only downside of polyaspartic coatings is they require professional installation for optimum results. That’s because unlike epoxy and polyurethane coatings, polyaspartics require special surface preparation — including scarification from a walk-behind industrial grinder — to adhere properly. But when professionally installed by an experienced crew, the results are spectacular.

So, which option is best for you? If you want a beautiful, hard-wearing garage floor that will take your home to the next level, we recommend a professionally installed polyaspartic coating. It’s proven technology that offers many advantages and can be installed in just a day. Just make sure it’s installed by an experienced contractor for that professional dream-garage look!