In many Vancouver homes, the garage is often one of the largest rooms, accounting for a significant portion of a home’s total square footage. Why then, is the garage so often neglected, left to revel in the misery of its dull, dirty appearance? This point could not be driven home more clearly than with the ever-present dusty, grey concrete garage flooring found throughout Vancouver.
When square footage is at a premium, no space should be underutilized the way the typical garage is. A garage doesn’t need to spend its life as a catch-all for things you don’t need but aren’t ready to party with; there are other ways to utilize a garage that allow you to maximize your investment and benefit from a truly usable space. And perhaps the key to getting the most out of your garage is to treat it the way you would other rooms in your home – with a little bit of TLC and a new garage floor.
New Garage Flooring Will Make the Space More Enjoyable
The first step in maximizing your garage’s potential is to make it a space you actually want to be in. Nothing is inviting about oil-stained concrete; however, new garage flooring could go a long way in making the room more comfortable and appealing. Don’t think of a garage as just a garage; your garage could be a functional, multipurpose space. Not convinced? People have transformed their garages into workshops, game rooms, a home gym, or even an additional sleeping area. But even if you intend to use your garage as a garage, new flooring will make the space more pleasurable to be in.
New Flooring Provides Flexibility to the Overall Design of Your Garage
Just because concrete is the most common garage flooring material doesn’t mean it’s the only one; builders use it because it’s the least expensive and easiest to install. The good news is many materials are robust enough to be used for garage flooring in Vancouver, from epoxy coatings and sealers to interlocking tile and even vinyl. Depending on what your end purpose will be, you have options. The best part is that garage flooring is available in various colours, styles, and materials. Your garage flooring can be a feature that complements what you already have in your space, or serve as inspiration for the rest of your design.
Durable Flooring Means You Never Have to Worry
Despite being very hard, natural concrete is actually quite porous. That’s why it is so prone to staining, chipping, and cracking. If durability is your primary concern when considering a new garage floor, an epoxy coating may be worth looking at. Epoxy is a little more expensive than simply painting an existing concrete floor; however, once installed, it forms an impermeable protective layer over your concrete flooring – it won’t chip, stain, peel, or crack.
You Can Choose Low Maintenance Garage Flooring
The right garage flooring material will not only be attractive and durable, but it should also be easy to maintain. An epoxy coating checks all those boxes and several more. Whether it's wet hockey gear or a classic car project, epoxy can be cleaned with a damp mop and a little soapy water and look as good as the day you had it installed for 20+ years. Other options, such as garage floor tiles, may be cheaper initially, however, they are challenging to keep clean, particularly when water and debris get stuck underneath the tiles. Their average life expectancy is only about 5 years.
