What are garage floor tiles?
Garage floor tiles are tiles specifically designed for home garage flooring applications. They can withstand large rollover weight and will easily support large vehicles such as SUV’s, trucks or regular cars. There are many types of garage floor tiles on the market, but the best type is the interlocking garage floor tile made from a high-impact polymer material (high-impact plastic tiles). This type of tiles interlock using a loop-to-peg system. When properly designed, the locking mechanism will not come apart when a vehicle is driven on top of it. The characteristics of the components make the tiles resistant to grease, oils, gasoline and other chemicals commonly found in a garage. They are easy to clean using a sponge mop with water or a degreaser. And best of all, they are DIY (“do it yourself”), which allows you to save money on installation. When used for their intended purpose, these garage tiles can last 15 plus years.
Below are other descriptions of other types of garage floor tiles on the market that are not ideal for a home garage. Yes, you can still use them; but you should be aware of their drawbacks and potential issues.
Self-stick (glue down) garage floor tiles – These tiles are easy to install but the biggest problem with them is that they will tend to shift over time when a vehicle is parked on top of them. Because they are glued down, it is not possible to adjust the entire floor to compensate for the damaged or shifted section. Also, once you lay them on the floor they become a permanent fixture of your garage. Because of this problem, not many companies market them in order avoid the potential returns. For the same reason, ModuTile does NOT sell this type of garage tile.
Flexible PVC or Rubber Interlocking Garage Floor Tiles – These tiles will actually perform okay in a garage. However, they tend to get scuffed from car tires. Once they are scuffed, they do not clean easily and most of the time they are permanently marked. If your objective is to protect the concrete garage floor, then they are perfectly acceptable. They are easily installed and the structure will last 20 plus years. The biggest advantage of these tiles is that they can support a tremendous amount of weight. Because of this, they are commonly used in commercial warehouses, airplane hangars or places where a forklift is used. This type of tile is also ideal for home gym flooring or even commercial gyms. They tend to be more expensive than other types of garage floor tiles; but if the application calls for it, the price is easily justified. Yes, ModuTile manufactures and sell these rubber interlocking garage floor tiles, but would not recommend them for a home garage floor.
Can the garage floor tiles be cut to fit?
Yes, the most common garage floor tiles are the high-impact polymer garage tiles and they can be cut with a jigsaw. The image to the right is a common jigsaw found at any hardware store. Other types of blades can cut the tiles, but we do not recommend them. Flexible PVC or rubber garage floor tiles can be cut using a utility knife.
WARNING: Using a table saw is not recommend for the following reasons. If you try to cut a tile with a table saw, the blade can grip tile and send it flying like a missile. We have also heard of people reversing the direction of the blade. Please note that when this is done, it could cause the garage tile to become very hot and capable of burning you. Please use a jigsaw and follow the device’s recommended warnings.
Are garage floor tiles slip resistant?
Yes, all our garage floor tiles have patterns to make them slip resistant. Of course, remember that you will be using these tiles in a garage. Garages are prone to get wet when it is raining. Like any wet floor, we recommend caution. For anyone in northern states, please be particularly careful if the moisture on the floor freezes. No amount of slip resistant surface will protect you when the tiles are covered with ice or snow. Please use common sense and caution when the tiles are wet or covered with ice.
Will Garage Floor Tiles hold up to hot tires?
Yes, but not all garage floor tiles are the same. ModuTile’s garage tiles are specially made for cars to park on top of them. Tires will not damage, discolor or scuff the tiles. In other words, they are specifically made for garage floors. These types of garage floor tiles are made from a high-impact polymer (impact plastic tile) that allows for a wide range of heat and cold. Car tires simply do not get hot enough to damage these tiles.
NOTE: There are many people out there claiming that vinyl tiles can be used for your garage, but they will not hold up. The car tires will damage vinyl tiles. First, vinyl tiles are not made to take the abuse of a car moving its tires, and the vinyl tiles will tend to break off at the tips. Also, they are not intended to hold up to hot tires.
Are garage floor tiles better than epoxy floor paint?
Yes, in our opinion garage floor tiles are superior to epoxy floor paint when it comes to garage floor application. On a personal note, the owners of ModuTile had attempted to paint their own garage floor in 2001; and after multiple attempts, the epoxy paint would simply chip off. They figured there should be a better way. After a few years of extensive research to find an affordable solution, they invested in manufacturing garage floor tiles. The first tile was manufactured in 2005. The current version of our garage floor tiles is manufactured in the USA with UV color protection. Below are three reasons why we believe that garage floor tiles are superior to epoxy floor paint.
- Epoxy paint will peel off when cars are parked on top of it. Your vehicle’s tire pressure against the floor is simply too high even when parking small sports cars. Generally, it will take six months to a year to start seeing the effects, but you will see them. We have yet to see an epoxy floor paint hold up when a vehicle is parked on top of it on a regular basis. Many of our customers try to epoxy first and later end up buying our garage floor tiles. Our garage floor tiles (impact polymer types) will look and feel new for many years.
- Epoxy floor paint is very hard to apply properly. Professional application is highly recommended. The floor preparation prior to installing epoxy paint on a garage floor is not as easy as many people think. First, you must realize that epoxy paint will not adhere to the concrete well when there are oil or grease stains. Also, epoxy paint will not adhere properly when the floor was previously painted. If you decide that paint is the way you will go, please note that it is highly recommended to use muriatic acid to clean the floor properly prior to painting. You may need to use a surface grinder as well. In contrast, ModuTile’s interlocking garage floor tiles are very easy to install. There is no floor preparation other than to sweep the area clean. Tools are not needed for installation. You simply interlock them together with your hands.
- When you want your garage floor to have various color combinations and intricate patterns, epoxy paint will simply not do it. Our garage floor tiles come in various colors and top designs to allow you to make intricate designs. Please visit our garage-flooring gallery to view what some of our customers have done.
ModuTile Garage Floor Products
You can also visit our Garage Floor Tile page for more information.