Your garage can serve many functions. It’s not just where you park your car – it can also be a workshop, another place to hang out with friends, a storage area, and more. Concrete flooring gets the job done, but other types of flooring can be more appealing and durable, providing a clean aesthetic while conveying extra benefits.
Two of the most popular garage flooring types are epoxy flooring and tile flooring. Let’s break down each type, their pros, their cons, and which we recommend as the top contender!
Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring is a type of polymer resinous coating intended to bond with concrete flooring. To apply epoxy, concrete grinding will create a rough surface for the epoxy coating to bond with. Then, the epoxy is poured atop the concrete, hardening to create a seamless, perfectly level surface. Once cured, epoxy flooring is stain-resistant and durable, standing up well to high-impact activities. Epoxy flooring services for your home can provide a long-lasting investment and refresh your home’s look.
Pros of Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring is a versatile, long-lasting flooring that stands the test of time. Pros include:
- Durability: Epoxy flooring doesn’t stain or yellow over time, and stands up to high traffic activities like heavy vehicles. We’re so sure of epoxy’s longevity that our epoxy flooring comes with a ten-year warranty.
- Customizability: Epoxy flooring comes in standard glossy finishes, but it also comes in nearly any color combination you can dream of. Whether you want an elegant marbling pattern or a loud, bright pattern, epoxy flooring is perfect for any garage. Match your garage epoxy flooring to your favorite vehicle for a coherent aesthetic.
- Easy Cleaning: Another reason to love epoxy flooring is how simple cleanup is. Epoxy is resistant to chemical spills and staining, and it doesn’t have any cracks or porous surfaces that allow grime and bacteria to fester. Cleaning epoxy is a simple, smooth process.
- Quick Application: Epoxy flooring is fast to apply and cures enough to walk on within hours, but needs about 72 hours to finish curing, making it ideal for a quick turnaround if you need new flooring fast.
Cons of Epoxy Flooring
Epoxy flooring’s main drawback is that curing can take a variable amount of time. Epoxy curing can depend on factors like the humidity of the garage, the temperature, and the thickness of the coating. However, you can always ask your local epoxy flooring company how long they believe the curing process may take for your specific space.
Garage Tile Flooring
Garage tile floors are made from interlocking tiles and laid flush with one another on the floor. Like epoxy, garage tiles can come in a wide variety of colors. They also provide texture options, depending on the type of tile you opt for.
Pros of Tile Flooring
Some pros of tiling your garage include:
- Simple Installation: Unlike epoxy, you don’t need to grind your concrete floors or wait for the curing process. Tiles go right down over your existing floors.
- Durability: Like epoxy flooring, garage tiles tend to last over time. They’re also simple to replace when cracked or damaged.
- Customizability: Garage tiles come in a wide variety of colors, finishes, and textures. Geometric patterns can be easily installed by choosing multiple colors of tile.
- Drainage: Garage tiles have the option to come with built-in drainage textures, helping direct water away from your garage. This can be useful for especially damp, humid spaces.
Cons of Tile Flooring
There are a few potential cons of tile flooring, including the fact that tiles tend not to be as sturdy as epoxy flooring. Tiles are more susceptible to being damaged by impacts and everyday wear-and-tear.
Tiles also aren’t as easy to clean as epoxy. Tiles often have seams and porous surfaces that allow grime to build up and make it more difficult to wipe away. They can also be uneven if the installation is not done properly, posing a tripping hazard.
Should You Tile or Epoxy Your Garage Floor?
Choosing between garage tile floors and epoxy depends entirely on your needs. If you’d like a straightforward installation and don’t mind building up dirt in your tile seams, tile might be the perfect choice for you. If you want a seamless, polished surface that wipes away spills effortlessly and don’t mind a more involved installation process, epoxy flooring is your ideal match.
We personally recommend epoxy flooring for residential garage floors, since it’s long-lasting, provides hassle-free cleaning, and doesn’t require much maintenance to keep in pristine condition. However, you should decide based on what works best for your home.
Customize Your Boston Garage Floor Today
If you’re based in Massachusetts and considering an epoxy floor for your garage, get in touch with us today. At Saulnier Epoxy, we’re an elite local team of flooring experts ready to bring your garage to life. Based in Peabody, MA, we have over a decade of experience in flooring. Get in touch with us today to schedule a complimentary consultation, where we’ll outline the process and costs expected for your project.
