What do you use your garage for? Do you just park things on it, or do you actually get in there to work? Either way, you'll want some sort of epoxy garage floor coating or covering, but if you plan to be doing work, you'll want to get a lot more specific. After all, garage flooring is an investment, so you may as well get the right one!
Protection From Chemicals
If you are working in your garage, you will spill chemicals; that's just the way it is. Motor oil, of course, is the first thing to come to mind, but it's not alone. The manufacturers of most garage floor coatings and coverings seem to have thought of this, though, since pretty much all garage floors out there will deflect almost every type of chemical. However, if you would also like to manage the spilled chemicals, most mats and tiles actually channel the liquids, generally out of the garage. This is great because it makes a standard water hose into an awesome cleaning tool. Be careful that you don't pollute the ground, though, as the chemicals flow out of the garage. Contrary to popular belief, diluting dangerous chemicals does not make them any safer to the Earth.
Resisting Wear And Tear From Cars
This is an area where epoxy garage floor paint notoriously has issues. Cars go in garages, and cars tend to have hot tires when they've been going down the road, so the fact that epoxy paint has a reputation for peeling under hot tires is a heck of a stigma. There's even a term for it: hot tire pickup. Most paint manufacturers promise that, with newer blends, this is not an issue. However, practical experience does not always agree with these claims, although you can never be sure that those who complain applied the epoxy paint correctly. Neither garage floor tiles nor other garage floor coverings have this issue, although mats can bunch up under moving tires, especially during steering. Again, though, that's supposed to be a thing of the past.
Deflecting Other Physical Damage
Epoxy paint does not fare well here, either, due to chipping. When a dropped tool hits a garage floor mat, the result is usually a bouncing tool. However, if it hits paint, there will be a chip, and likely much cursing. Of course, an floor with epoxy paint is a lot stronger than a non-protected concrete garage floor, but anything solid is still going to be prone to this type of damage. Garage floor tile sometimes has the same problem, depending on the tiles' consistency, but unlike epoxy, you can merely exchange the affected tiles for new if needed.
Outlasting The Elements
Of course, the elements have a lot to do with exactly what the flooring will have to survive. As long as moisture doesn't get it first, epoxy will definitely do the best job protecting concrete. With that in mind, be sure to test your floor for moisture before you even order or buy your epoxy. Tiles do not do a lot to protect against the elements, except cause some heat retention, which is still a good thing in the winter months as that's when concrete often splits and cracks. Even less effective, but still better than nothing, would be a garage floor covering, such as a mat.
For more garage flooring information, check out Sweet Garage Floor. Learn all sorts of stuff about mats, tiles, stains, and epoxy paints and coatings.
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