There are some good values to be found if you are looking for the best cheap garage floor tiles on a limited budget. The problem, however, is that the market is saturated with so many brands. It’s hard to distinguish the good garage tiles from the bad. So how are you to know the difference?
As a result, we decided to put together a short list for you that includes what we believe are the two best values for budget garage floor tiles. In addition, we have now included a third brand of garage tiles which is the cheapest overall if that is the most important factor for you.
Furthermore, we have included where you can purchase each of these three brands at the best price.
If you are not familiar with this type of garage flooring option, we suggest you read our article that discusses the facts of interlocking garage floor tiles.
This article has been updated to reflect the latest changes, pricing, and new garage tile introductions since it was first published in 2014.
Cheap garage tiles don’t necessarily mean cheap quality
The first point we want to make is that buying budget interlocking garage floor tiles does not necessarily mean that you are settling for an inferior product. The key is to look for garage tiles made in the U.S.A.
Our research has found that most American-made interlocking garage tiles use 100% virgin raw materials. They are manufactured using best engineering practices and have tighter quality control standards. As a result, they stand up much better to the abuse of a garage environment when compared to their foreign counterparts.
Typically, the one factor that distinguished budget interlocking garage tiles from the premium versions was the finish of the tile surface. It usually is not as refined. However, this has slowly been changing and isn’t always the case now.
In addition, the underneath support structure for budget tiles may not be as robust and have lower rolling weight limits compared to premium tile brands.
As an example, the two leading premium tile brands are engineered to withstand rolling weights of 70,000 lbs. or more. However, such extreme rolling weight ratings are rarely needed for tiles used in a garage.
Be aware that many of the cheap garage tiles that can be found via special deals on the internet, auction sites, and classifieds such as Craig’s List are typically made overseas. These are the ones you want to avoid. They are poor-quality knock-offs manufactured with recycled materials and substandard quality controls. Many are known for fading and staining easily. Their interlocking connections are known to break under strain as well.
Now that we know what interlocking garage tiles not to buy, let’s take a look at the budget garage tiles we recommend.
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Our Best budget garage tile picks
The two tile brands we list below are the finest low-priced garage tiles manufactured in the U.S.A. today. Both have an excellent reputation for durability, good looks, and great reviews.
TrueLock Standard Diamond Tile
The first of our two picks is the TrueLock Standard Diamond garage tiles. This tile has become our personal favorite for a couple of reasons.
The TrueLock Standard Diamond was originally founded and manufactured by a small company in Tennessee called Speedway. A few years ago, it was acquired by The Recreational Group. This is a large company in Georgia that provides and manufactures a variety of flooring solutions. VersaCourt, IceCourt, SwissTrax, and DuraFlex are examples.
After the acquisition, they re-engineered the tile molds. They added a slightly textured scuff resistance surface with a satin finish and created more color options. In addition, the individual raised diamonds now have a polished look that stands out and compliments the overall finish.
Another feature worth mentioning is that the TrueLock Standard Diamond tile best represents the traditional diamond plate design. Other budget tiles tend to have a cross-hatch or double diamond design which may look a bit busy to some people.
Each tile is 12”x12” by 1/2″ thick. They are manufactured with high-impact copolymer polypropylene and have 10 color options to choose from. The tiles have a rolling weight rating of 25,000 lbs. and an industry-leading 6 points per side patented interlocking peg and loop system. Other interlocking tile systems by the competition are only available with 4 locks per side.
TrueLock Standard Diamond tiles are highly stain resistant, slip resistant, and can withstand the abuses and chemicals of a typical garage floor environment. Lastly, they have a 5-year warranty against manufacture defects.
Purchase TrueLock Standard Diamond Tiles at the Lowest Price
Our recommendation for the best place to buy TrueLock Standard Diamond tile would be Garage Flooring LLC. Though this garage tile is available from a few other retail distributors, they guarantee the lowest delivered price.
If you find the same tile for less, they will beat the advertised price by 110% of the difference. They provide free shipping, the best customer service we have encountered, and a very knowledgeable staff to assist you.
In addition, they have a fun garage floor designer page. It will help you create your floor plan design, decide on color choices, and calculate how many tiles you need.
Another very popular retailer you can purchase these garage tiles from is Amazon. Because these tiles have always been popular there, The Recreational Group decided to retain the Speedway name. No worries though, it’s the same tile.
Something to consider with Amazon is the lack of customer service. They cannot help you with any questions you may have regarding installation, floor design parameters, or other issues that may crop up.
GarageDeck Garage Tile
Our second recommendation for the best value budget garage tiles would be GarageDeck. The GarageDeck design is a coined pattern garage tile and is available in 7 different color options.
GarageDeck tiles are manufactured with high-impact copolymer polypropylene. They are American made by SnapLock Industries out of Salt Lake City, Utah.
If SnapLock Industries sounds familiar to you, they are the same company that manufactures tile for RaceDeck. But before you start thinking that you are getting a RaceDeck tile in disguise, we can assure you that you are not. The GarageDeck tiles have engineered design differences in the support structure as well as a less sophisticated cosmetic finish that puts these tiles in the budget category below RaceDeck.
All Garage Deck tiles are 12”x12” by 1/2” thick. They have the traditional 4 per-side peg and loop interlocking mechanism and a smooth satin finish. One feature of coined tiles is that they provide the smoothest rolling surface for wheels such as chairs, toolboxes, and floor jacks.
GarageDeck tiles are warranted against manufacture defects for 12 years and have a rolling weight limit of 44,000 lbs.
One thing to consider with coined designs is that they do not have as much slip resistance as other patterns due to the smooth surface. Though polypropylene garage tiles are not known for being slippery, it’s something to consider if slip resistance is an important factor for you.
Purchase GarageDeck Tiles at the Lowest Price
There are two retailers we recommend for purchasing GarageDeck tiles at the best price. The first is from Big Floors. They are a retail distributor for SnapLock Industries. Shipping is free and they have a fairly knowledgeable staff on hand to answer all of your questions.
The second retailer we can recommend is Amazon. We have found that you can sometimes get a lower per-tile price when you elect to purchase the larger quantity tile packs. As a result, we recommend checking between these two retailers to see which option is best at the time.
As a side note, this same coin tile used to be available from a few other retailers under the name Grid-Loc. However, it has since been discontinued by those retailers. Home Depot now carries it under the name MotorDeck, but the price point has always been more expensive.
Cheapest Garage Tiles
If you just want to purchase the lowest-priced garage floor tiles that don’t have a lot of bad reviews, then we have one more option for you to consider.
Our recommendation would be the Nitro Diamond Tile by Garage Flooring Inc. They are made in Taiwan and are the cheapest interlocking garage floor tiles you can purchase from a reputable retailer.
Nitro Diamond tiles have a glossy finish and eight colors to choose from. Each tile is 12” x 12” by 3/8” thick with the traditional 4 per side peg and loop interlocking mechanism. They have a limited lifetime warranty that covers workmanship and material defects.
There are a couple of facts that you should be aware of though before purchasing. After speaking with a representative, we found that Garage Flooring Inc. could not confirm that the tiles were not made with inferior or recycled materials. Needless to say, they could not confirm they were made with top virgin 100% polypropylene materials either.
The second is that Nitro Tiles are not rated for rolling weight capacity or limits for pounds per square inch. The only answer they could provide is that the tiles can easily withstand the weight of a car since the weight is distributed amongst the four tires.
When we asked if it would be safe to park our 9100 lb. F350 SuperDuty truck on Nitro Tiles, they could not provide a solid answer with the specs to back it up. They just said that it should be OK.
We do not doubt that you can park full-size cars and pickups on the tiles. However, we believe the reason for not testing, or at least not publishing, the rolling weight ratings for their tiles is that it is much lower than the competition.
The tiles are also a full 1/8” thinner than most other tiles. In addition, the support structure underneath compared to the TrueLock Diamond and GarageDeck tiles is less robust as well. The lack of overall material used in the construction and no material specification for the plastic is reflected in the lower price point.
Nitro Tiles do have good reviews on its website, but we found that most people who leave reviews only use their garage to park their cars. Rarely have we come across someone who is using the floor for garage projects, car repairs, etc. If you only plan on parking in the garage, then Nitro tiles may work just fine for you.
The biggest complaint is that the tiles expand and buckle in direct sunlight more easily than other brands of tiles. This is due to the simple fact that the material absorbs heat much faster since there is less of it.
Shipping is free with Garage Flooring Inc. and they have a flooring design tool to help with your layout and color selection.
Cosmetic Variants and Issues of Budget Garage Tiles
We mentioned earlier that budget interlocking garage tiles have a cosmetic finish that may not be as refined as premium tiles. Costs have to be reduced somewhere to offer a lower price point. Sometimes this reduction is in the tooling for the manufacturing process and the precision of the extremely expensive molds that are constructed that produce the finish.
Oftentimes, one common characteristic you can see is the outlines on the surface of the tiles detailing the structural bracing underneath. The tile brands discussed here have this to some degree. Marbling of the finish is another characteristic that may be apparent when compared to premium tiles.
To illustrate further, we have included images of the sample tiles we acquired to show the differences. We took these pictures on our workbench with an overhead shop light.
The underside bracing of the GarageDeck and TrueLock Diamond tile is fairly visible on the surface. This is not a bad thing necessarily. Once the tiles are laid out on the floor, it is much less noticeable.
In addition, the GarageDeck tile has a marbling effect in the finish from the injection mold process. However, the TrueLock Standard Diamond tile has a very nice and consistent finish throughout the surface.
Surprisingly, the Nitro tile has the most refined look. The underside bracing does not show through much and the finish is consistent throughout.
The one characteristic we don’t care for though is the gloss. Gloss finishes for tile show the dirt more and tend to highlight any scratches or marred areas. It also creates a more slippery surface.
If you look closely, you can see fine scratches which we easily created with a fingernail. In addition, there are smudge marks that don’t want to clean up. This is why most interlocking tiles have a matte or satin finish.
Do these characteristics make any one tile better than the other? Structurally it does not since it is only cosmetics. It typically comes down to personal preference. It’s easy to pick out discrepancies in a single tile, but once many are laid out together on the floor, they take on a unique look of their own.
which Low-Cost garage tile is best?
In terms of value, we would feel comfortable choosing either the TrueLock Standard Diamond or GarageDeck for our own garage flooring if looking to save some money. Both of these brands of budget interlocking floor tiles are going to provide you with a good value. They are American-made and sold by distributors that stand behind their products.
Our favorite is the TrueLock Standard Diamond. It costs less than the GarageDeck tile and has better color choices. In addition, it has a nicer finish (in our eyes) with the more traditional diamond plate design.
If you were to judge the tiles only on the warranty and rolling weight ratings, then the GarageDeck tile surely has the advantage. However, we have found that most manufacturing defects with interlocking garage tiles are discovered during installation or within the first few months of the tile’s life.
Secondly, in reference to the TrueLock Diamond, when was the last time you pulled into your garage with a vehicle weighing more than 12 tons? So, keeping that in mind, any one of these two choices is going to stand up just fine in a typical garage environment.
If you are not someone who has a busy garage with many projects, car maintenance, and other activities, then the Nitro tile may be a good low-budget choice. The gloss finish looks nice. Plus, there should be no worries about the strength of the tiles or marring the finish if all you are doing is parking cars on it.
What it may come down to are pattern design preferences and overall looks. If you aren’t sure which tiles you like best, be sure to get some samples. Garage Flooring LLC will ship you two full-size samples of the TrueLock Standard Diamond free of charge.
Big Floors does not provide free samples of GarageDeck, so you will have to purchase them instead. Garage Flooring Inc. provides free samples of the Nitro tile, but they are not full-size. They are 4” square cut sections from a tile. You will need to pay for any full-size tiles.
Final Thoughts about Chasing the Lowest Priced Garage Tiles
Don’t forget to factor in and price the ramp edge pieces that you will need for the front of the garage and any man doors you may have. Though a particular brand of tile might be 10 cents per unit cheaper, the ramp edge pieces may cost more.
And lastly, don’t forget about customer service. The warehouse clubs might have a comparable price, but they don’t have custom design software. Nor do they have anyone to answer your questions when you are installing your garage floor tiles or trying to figure out how many and which ramp edge pieces you may need for your design.
So, if finding the best cheap garage floor tiles is in your budget, take a look at these three brands for yourself before you make a purchase. We are confident you will discover that the quality and price are the best you can find for your dollar.
I bought garagetrac tiles. Look fantastic. I have the male end on the edge. Need a female edge with the loops protruding from the tile but I don’t see a matching female edge. Can you recommend one?
Hi Mitch. You should be able to find everything you need for edge ramps right here.
I have a 12 x 16 detached workshop building with a wood floor. I’d like something that looks better and is easier to maintain than the current painted floor. Do you think interlocking garage tiles would work in this application?
Hello David. Yes, as long as the floor is not uneven, interlocking tiles would work very well.
What would you recommend for a garage floor that has a gentle/negligible slope to a center drain.
Hi Cherie. If the drain is actually used, then we suggest you opt for a free flowing tile design. This will allow water to flow through the tiles to reach the drain. This garage project here is an example. One of the least expensive available in this design that is still excellent quality can be found here.
Thanks for your in depth post. Super helpful because we were unsure of the quality of big floors service and product quality.
I actually did find a lower price on RaceDeck at a different distributor than Big Floors beating them by 20 cents a tile. I contacted Big Floors and asked about the “120% low price guarantee on the same product” that you mentioned above. I spoke with two different people at Big Floors and neither have ever hear of any sort of a low price guarantee or any 120% price matching, so they would not do it.
So ya may want to rewrite what ya have above because it is not true according to Big Floors.
Hi Lyle. Big Floors did indeed have the 120% price matching. Evidently they have changed their policies lately. Thanks for pointing it out and we will update the information.
Which, if any, of these floors would work in a shop where many of the tools are on rolling carts. The carts weigh from 100 lbs. to several hundred lbs.
Hi George. Any of those choices will work fine. We have similar flooring in one of our garages and roll around a 600 lb. stacked tool chest. The smoothest rolling surface of the tiles mentioned would be GarageDeck by Big Floors. This is due to the flat surface from the coined design.
Thanks.
My two car garage has a 4 inch step down from the side and front areas of the garage to where the cars are parked . I plan to lay interlocking tile throughout the entire garage. Can the tiles be cut and attached to the vertical portion of the step? Also, is there an “outside” trim piece that can be used on the step edge, with or without cut tile on the vertical portion per my above question?
Hello Robert. There is not a solution by the tile manufacturers to cover and interlock vertical edges like that. Typically, the raised area around the floor is treated as a separate floor. Most people paint the vertical surface. You could always cut the tile and glue it to the surface, but you still have the issue of the exposed cut edge. Some people have used 6″ tall vinyl cove molding. They glued it to the vertical surface and then trimmed the excess off even with the top of the tile on the raised portion of the floor.
She’s,
Thanks for the quick response. I will probably paint the vertical portion of the step. My current thinking is that I will glue a 2” rubber outside trim piece to the step to cover the cut edge of tile tile. I will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks
My old concrete floor has rugosity issues. Flaking areas here and there about 4-6″ in diameter and 1/8 to 1/4 ” deep. Do I need to grind the floor first to provide a flatter base?
Hello Scott. Not necessarily. The tiles do not have to be 100% in contact with the floor. Since they are depressions and not high spots, they will be OK as long as they can span those areas and remain fairly flat. Grinding is not the best option because you would need to lower the entire floor to the lowest point. The best option is to clean the surface and then knock out any remaining loose concrete. After that, use a polymer-modified self-leveling repair mix or epoxy slurry to fill those spots and be level with the rest of the floor. It would be far easier and much less costly.
Ny garage is 26×26 and use it as a workshop. I have an F150 that I use ramps or garage jacks with jack stands. Which floor if any would you recommend using these types of tools?
Hi Anthony. Of the three we mention, our pick would be either the TrueLock or GarageDeck tiles. The Nitro tiles with the glossy finish will scratch much easier and look nasty after a while in the areas where you perform your work. When using rolling floor jacks with interlocking tile, you will need to place the jack on a 1/4″ piece of plywood or similar. If not, the round steel wheels will sink into the tile as you add weight since they are not flat. Jack stands should have flat feet and not the sharper angled feet. The tiles will take a lot of weight in a small area as long as it’s a flat foot print. We have done suspension changes and pulled transmission on our tiled floor following those simple rules. We always had a piece of 1/4″ plywood cut to size for the floor jacks up against the wall.