Porcelain Garage Floor Tiles (Benefits & Problems)
When you think about flooring options for garages, porcelain tiles aren’t exactly the first thing to come to mind. After all, porcelain tiles are a type of flooring normally found inside the home. It may surprise you how many residential homes have porcelain garage floor tiles.
When you look at car showrooms and dealerships, many are tiled in porcelain. They look great, but at the same time, they can be impressively durable. If these commercial spaces can take on the weight of having vehicles indoors, there isn’t any reason why they can’t hold up to the requirements of your garage.
What Are Porcelain Tile Garage Floors
Porcelain tile is made out of a dense type of clay. It’s fired up at very high temperatures, much higher temperatures compared to standard ceramic tiles that are fired inside a furnace. Porcelain is highly prized because of its extremely dense and non-porous traits.
Apart from clay, porcelain tiles are made up of a bunch of other natural materials that bind with the clay and further strengthen it. This results in a flooring material that can deal with the fluctuating temperatures that it usually needs to withstand inside a garage.
This means that porcelain garage floor tiles can be quite reliable, especially if you’re planning to incorporate radiant heating solutions for the floors. Also, porcelain tiles are denser, which means that even if they have more or less the same thickness as ceramic tiles, they can turn out to be so much heavier than them.
Porcelain tiles can also come in a variety of different shapes and designs compared to ceramic types of floor tiles which is why a lot of people prefer them at the end of the day.
Why Use Porcelain Tiles In The Garage
Resists wear and tear: Because of the fact that porcelain garage floor tiles tend to stand up so much better against daily wear and tear, what this means is that it has a life span that easily outlasts ceramic tiles any day of the week.
It stands up well against wear and tear because porcelain tiles have fewer air pockets in them. This leads to a denser material overall. It makes the tile construction very uniform, so much thicker and harder, and so much more durable compared to other types of tiles.
Porcelain tiles are known to last for years. This is why they are oftentimes the top choice for commercial spaces such as showrooms, business establishments, rental spaces, and the like.
If you want garage floors that hold up well against the abuse of getting a car parked over it all the time, the occasional interaction with pets, and still manage to continue to look good as the years go by, then porcelain tiles are something that you are bound to enjoy immensely.
Very low maintenance: Floor maintenance can be really challenging and demanding. However, this isn’t exactly the case when it comes to getting porcelain tiles for your garage floors.
They are easy to clean, and you can even do it very quickly. They’re tough. They look great. And on top of all this, they are also a breeze to keep clean.
Unlike concrete floors and other types of tiles, they don’t require any type of sealing to keep them in top shape all the time. They also keep water out more effectively compared to how other garage floor types can.
If you’ve ever wondered why porcelain tiles are the main flooring choice for bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, and mudrooms where moisture is common and where it can get pretty dirty and cleanup is oftentimes required, this is the reason why. Although they aren’t entirely waterproof, water slides off of them pretty easily.
They’re very beautiful: The way the flooring material looks really is one of its greatest strengths. Because of the very high-quality components that bring porcelain tiles together, this easily makes such flooring almost a luxury product.
They can really easily transform your garage into a space that you can be truly proud of because of how beautiful it looks. You can have flooring options that come in a wide variety of appearances that are truly stunning and impressive.
Suitable for high traffic use: Garage floors are high-traffic environments. The kind of flooring you are going to need is something that is resistant to breakage, wear, and tear, against the heavy weight of vehicles or even the rough nails of pets.
The type of flooring you need is something that is resistant to moisture as well as something that is fairly easy to clean. All of these great benefits tend to come together in the form of porcelain garage floor tiles.
The moment that they’re installed and properly cured, you can be assured that your garage floors won’t require as much babying as the other floors do. You are guaranteed that your porcelain garage floor tiles will be able to hold up against the use and abuse of daily life. You get to enjoy the great aesthetics without the punishing maintenance as they require little to none.
Wide range of designs and styles: It’s difficult to imagine a situation where somebody will not be able to appreciate the beauty and variety that porcelain tiles can offer.
These can be made to look like literally anything from granite to slate to marble and even to hardwood, limestone, and literally any other type of flooring you would like it to appear like. It is a kind of tile that is actually highly diverse.
What this means is that when you’re going for porcelain, you never have to be limited to a particular style at all. You never have to settle on “what’s available” because it is bound to always have exactly the color, shape, style, and design you’re looking for. These options aren’t exactly something you have on the horizon with ceramic tiles.
Extremely durable: The crown jewel among all of the benefits offered by this tiling material would have to be durability. Because it’s made out of refined clay hardened by extremely high temperatures, porcelain tile holds up way better compared to the other flooring options available on the market right now.
These offer long-lasting resistance to stains and abuse. This makes them among the most durable garage floor ideas that can last for years.
You are going to be dealing with oil spills, other liquids coming out of the car, the weight of the car, and even heavy things you might be dragging in and out of your garage. If you have porcelain tiles, they can take in all of this abuse and so much more without ever fearing that it will break or get damaged.
Moisture resistant: The garage is an area in the home that’s bound to get wet all of the time. Because it also isn’t covered by a home’s typical heating system, the temperature fluctuations in that space can also lead the floor to expand and contract.
Freezing temperatures and damp tiles aren’t something that you have to worry about with this tiling because it’s highly moisture-resistant. Moisture will not seep through them because they’re highly non-porous.
Simple to clean: This flooring doesn’t suffer from staining that easily. You can easily sweep and mop up your garage floors, and you’re good to go. Your garage floor tiles will end up staying cleaner compared to traditional tiles.
Porcelain Garage Tile Problems
Difficult to install: Because flooring is so much denser compared to the other types of tiles, what this means is that they can be extremely difficult to install. The very traits that make them dense and durable are also the very things that make them difficult to work with.
Keep in mind that all tiling jobs require laying the tiles out and, at times, even cutting them. This isn’t something that you can easily do with such material. Porcelain tile installations also require highly experienced and skilled flooring professionals who will handle things with the utmost technicality and care.
They can be very heavy: Porcelain tile is denser compared to the other types of floor tiles out there. This directly translates to its weight. It’s heavier, and this means that there will be a lot of work involved when it comes to carrying the tile pieces around.
Then there’s also the difficulty of getting these cut and installed. This is why a lot of installers don’t really prefer this tile material that much. The workability variable is a bit of an issue.
They’re more expensive: If you happen to be on a tight budget, these tile options can be a problem. The thing is, they’re at times priced so high that it can be a bit outrageous. They cost so much more per tile and even more so for you to have them installed.
They cost a lot upfront, but when you come to think about it, because of their durability, they last longer, so in the long run, despite the extremely high upfront costs, they somehow still make up for it. On top of that, it looks really beautiful.
Difficult to repair: Porcelain tile can be really difficult to repair the moment that it has breakages or the moment that it shows signs of damage. Because they’re so difficult to repair or work with, chances are, you‘re going to get quoted a much higher price to get them repaired.
At times, it costs even less to just swap out the old ones for newer replacement tiles. You don’t have to worry too much about getting them repaired, though, as these tile pieces are pretty tough, and there is seldom a need for you to actually deal with any damages.
Porcelain Floor Tile Cost
$5- 30 range per square foot: When it comes to the costs for your garage floor, it can really vary greatly. It all depends on what your choices are, from the texture, the color, the size, and even the hardness rating of the specific porcelain tile you’re trying to assess the costs for.
There may be some instances wherein the cost for the raw materials can be around $5 or so per square foot. But this is on the lower end, and this is oftentimes for thinner tiling that is meant for the indoors.
The outdoor tiles (which are what you will need for the garage can end up costing so much more). This flooring type is meant to take on the weight and wear and tear of a high-traffic area such as a garage, which can cost you around $10 or higher per square foot.
These should have a minimum PEI rating of 4. Apart from the initial tile costs, you also need to consider the other supplies that come along with installing a tile. There’s grout, trowels, thinset mortar, and so much more.
Best Porcelain Garage Flooring
There are lots of different types of porcelain flooring available. The best types available for high-traffic areas, such as your garage floors, are the full-bodied ones. The double-loaded and the color-bodied ones are also similar in thickness, density, and durability and will turn out to do just as great as your garage floor.
These types of flooring are oftentimes manufactured by getting two layers of clay compressed together. This makes for an impressively dense and durable tile and something that can really hold up very well for your garage flooring needs.
Is Porcelain Good for the Garage?
These tiles thrive in very high-traffic areas. This makes them perfect for your garage floors. The thing with this kind of flooring is that it wears out incredibly well. It really is no secret that the garage is one of the areas in the home that tends to get an awful lot of foot traffic. Its floors also continuously get abused.
It deals with vehicle weight and tires, dripping car fluids staining the floors, water puddles during the rainy and snowy seasons, road salt taken in through the tires, and so much more. This is something that the garage floors are exposed to daily.
The thing is, if your garage floors are made out of porcelain flooring, they wouldn’t require so much attention to keep them spic and span. It’s easy to keep them clean, and they also don’t easily get stained nor is it easy to get them damaged.
It can outperform ceramic tiles every single time since porcelain is solid and materially impervious. When compared to concrete, which is another popular flooring option for garages, porcelain also wins as concrete tends to shrink and expand with temperature changes. It can be notorious when it comes to taking moisture in, especially when a garage floor sealer isn’t used on it.
Porcelain Vs Epoxy Garage Flooring Comparison
If you’re looking into redoing your garage floors, the two top candidates in the running for the best flooring options would have to be epoxy flooring and porcelain tiles.
Both types of flooring have their advantages and disadvantages. These are things that you need to be aware of for you to arrive at an informed decision on which one will actually suit you best.
To start, what exactly is epoxy garage flooring? Epoxy is a flooring type that’s made mainly out of a material called resin. This main core material makes epoxy flooring extremely resistant to damage coming from substances that garage floors typically get exposed to.
These substances include water, chemicals, heavy items being dropped or dragged on the floors, oils, and other liquids coming out of the car, along with the usual daily wear and tear.
This makes flooring with an epoxy coating so popular for high-traffic areas such as garage floors. Moreover, epoxy flooring can withstand the heavy weight of vehicles and even the impact coming from skid marks.
Porcelain tiles have the upper hand when it comes to aesthetics and design. It can bring out the beauty of any room, even something as industrial and high-traffic as a garage.
These tiling options offer every bit of durability and longevity that epoxy flooring can, but with the added benefit of you having the freedom to customize the look of your garage into something modern, stylish, or literally anything that you could possibly have in mind.
If you’re keen on following through on a particular design theme, these will really be able to deliver for you.
To compare them side by side, here’s a comparison of the different traits that come along with epoxy flooring and porcelain tiles and how they differ from each other:
• Appearance
Epoxy flooring: The color and finish are customizable. You can go from matte to metallic to extremely glossy and smooth. You also have the option to mimic the look and feel of having a solid piece of natural stone by adding in some small flakes and flecks.
Porcelain tiles: Looks very upscale and stylish. Porcelain garage floor tiles look very well done and sophisticated. It’s a great upgrade coming from the usual concrete floors with finishes that we see in the garages of most residential homes.
• Durability
Epoxy flooring: This type of flooring can last for years and years without flaking, peeling, or chipping and fading. There are no grout lines or extra adhesives you need to worry about.
Once they’re set in place and properly cured, you can be assured of the fact that it will not move around, nor will it show any signs of coming up from the subfloor. Epoxy is also resistant to sun exposure. It doesn’t fade or turn brittle.
Porcelain tiles: They don’t break easily. They’re very hard and dense. Porcelain tile is as solid as it gets, and it can stand up to even the heaviest pressures and stresses.
If you want to go for the extra durable porcelain tile type, opt for thorough-bodied porcelain flooring pieces. They’re known to be extremely strong and to even stand up against freezing temperatures during the colder months.
• Stains and dirt
Epoxy flooring: Extremely stain resistant to fluids common in the garage such as motor oils and other assorted types of fluid. A quick wipe down or mop to clean up any spills can usually get the job done. This means that you wouldn’t have to worry too much about any “accidents” as they won’t leave your floors with any lasting damage.
Porcelain tiles: Stains and dirt aren’t that much of an issue for this type of flooring, especially those with a glazed finish. These types of flooring usually have a liquid glass-like layer that’s been fired up inside a kiln.
This baked surface provides a smooth and glossy surface that acts as a very effective barrier against stains and dirt. Any messes can be easily cleaned up with a mop.
• Maintenance
Epoxy flooring: Usually, a good mop or a soft-bristled brush can get the trick done in cleaning up and maintaining epoxy flooring. Usually, you would just need some hot water, then mop it up and dry it out further with the use of a squeegee.
If you notice any spots left on the surface, investing in a sensible surface cleaner that’s all-purpose would be smart. You can simply drip a soft cloth on the cleaner and rub it off with a circular motion until the stains come off.
Avoid any acid-based cleaners such as vinegar or citrus cleaners at all costs. This can deglass the surface of your epoxy flooring and fade the color out.
Porcelain tiles: Cleaning up and maintaining your porcelain garage floor tiles is simple and low-key. You only need some warm water, a little bit of soap, and a mop.
When you’re using detergent, you need to make sure that it’s diluted and in very weak concentrations and only use it if there happen to be stubborn stains on the tile surface that you need to take care of.
For basic dust and debris, you can sweep or get them vacuumed up. You need to make sure that you do this regularly as much as possible. Grit particles, especially the small ones, if left unchecked, might tear away at the protective coatings on the surface of the tiles. Wipe up any stains as soon as you possibly can as well.
See more related content in our article about garage design programs on this page.
