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.
Is the speedway tiles the exact same as true lock diamond? I found the speedway tiles on sears website on sale for $2.00/sf (discount $0.59 each)
was originally about to get garagetrac tiles @ $2.15/sf from big floors. What do you guys recommend?
Hi Jeff. Yes, the Speedway tiles are the same. They make the budget TrueLock Diamond at their factory and just name it differently. That’s a great deal at $2 a tile. Just remember to factor in possible shipping costs and tax when comparing tiles as well.
thanks Shea. with taxes. the speedway tiles @ $2/sf from Sears (shipping is free) comes out to just about same price as Garagetrac tiles @ $2.15/sf from Big Floors (no taxes and free shipping) Which would be my best choice? Why?
They both are American made products that are good quality for the money Jeff. It really comes down to color and the diamond design (since they are different) that you like best. You won’t go wrong either way.
Are these UV resistant? I have a 2′ wide approach that is somewhat sheltered entering my garage I’d like to cover as well. Also, on that exterior edge is there a way to attached the edging to the concrete? Thanks.
Hello Doug. The tiles are U.V. resistant, but they are not U.V. proof. If left outdoors they will eventually fade a little bit. There is no need to anchor the edges as the tile is attached to the rest of the floor and will not go anywhere. Anchoring the edges can also create possible problems when the tile expands and contracts with temperature. What most people do that don’t want the outer 2′ of concrete bare is paint it with a concrete paint and then touch it up once a year.
Do all the tiles have hollow core underside? The reason i ask is that If there is a potential moisture issue with the garage floor, a hollow core underside tile will allow for air drying underneath which avoids mold and mildew problems. As well, it also allows for good drainage when pulling in a wet car from the snow or rain and can be a great buffer to cold concrete underneath.
Secondly, do they provide any anti-fatigue properties?
Hi Edward. Yes, all the hard plastic polypropylene garage floor tiles have a hollow core underside. They do provide anti-fatigue properties as well. RaceDeck actually has a tile called the Shock Tower which has special springs under the tile to combat fatigue.
Hi Shea – We are looking to make part of our garage our gym. We will have an elliptical machine and a bike. Do you recommend one product over the other for this use? Are there more expensive options that would be better? Thank you!
I meant to add that our drums will be out there as well. Do any provide acoustic insulation? Thank you!
LOL…. It will be better than bare concrete, but we don’t have any data on how well it helps when it comes to drums. Rock on though!
Hello Kirsten. They will all work well for what you want to use it for. The premium tiles can be the best deal if you can find them on special as they tend to have the best warranties. We know that Garage Flooring LLC has their Premium TrueLock HD tiles on sale right now at a great price.
Hi Shea – what type of product should I consider to help collect melting snow in my garage? Can I put some sort of industrial tray or carpet on top of the tiles for better absorption? Will this encourage mold and mildew? Thank you!
Hello Reaves, the tiles themselves will not create mold or mildew. However, if you are looking for something to help collect snow, we highly recommend a good containment mat. These will not encourage mold or mildew and they do an excellent job of keeping things dry. We have an article here with top recommendations.
Want to install True lock on my old garage floor. Do they get slippery with snow melt off and or water? Do the locking pieces separate at the seams when tires are turned on them? Does water penetrate through at the seams? Thank you
Hello Guy. Interlocking tiles will not provide the same degree of dry traction with water from snow melt, but they are not slippery either. They will only get slippery if the water were to freeze on the tile. Because they are U.S. made, you will not have issues with the tiles unlocking or breaking when turning the tires on them. They are very durable. Keep in mind that tiles like this do not provide a leak proof seal from water getting through the seams. However, the hydrophobic nature of water on the plastic helps to prevent the water from leaking through very much. If you turned on a garden hose to the surface of the tile, the water would pool and sit there quite a while. The reason is that water would seep very slowly through the seems. Many times, small puddles will not seep through at all.
Shea,
we are considering interlocking tiles and read your reviews. My wife says she heard that they are very difficult to clean and maintain and wants to consider an epoxy seal. Could you give us your unbiased opinion on the “cleanability” of the interlocking tiles.
Hi Jeff. Since these tiles are made of hard polypropylene plastic, nothing sticks to the surface of the tiles and they can’t stain. This actually makes them very easy to clean. This is even more so if you choose the self-draining or free-flow design tile since there is less actual surface area on the tile. We have an article about cleaning interlocking tiles which you can read here.
One thing to keep in mind is if the tiles see quite a bit of abuse, they can develop microscopic scratches that tend to degloss the tiles and hold the dirt more. Oil spills and greasy work can make them more difficult to clean when they get in this condition, but still easier than bare cement. The Restore product by RaceDeck does a great job of bringing the tiles back to like new condition though if they get that way.
I want the flooring to fit wall to wall. So odds are that the tiles will not be a perfect fit. What is needed to trim the tiles?
Hello Terry. Tiles have to be cut regardless since you need a 1/4″-1/2″ gap from the walls in order to provide room for expansion. If you don’t do that, the floor can buckle in warm weather. Plus, rooms are rarely square. A jigsaw, table saw, or circular saw will all work just fine to cut the tile.
you can trim with a hacksaw very easily.
When you read the review of tile comparisons don’t stop there before you decide. They left out a whole bunch of stuff. The loop connectors are the things to consider unless you are on a perfectly flat floor ( which will never happen ). Some loops can be broken of with the push of a finger. That will haunt you later when a 3 ton auto tweaks and pressures day in and day out. I have put these in for people and there is quite a difference so read between the lines and take any ( buts ) literally. Do your homework and a few years from now you will still be happy.
I am planning to lay my floor with Flexible PVC Ultralock tiles from Costco. I have some cracks and some slight sinking of floor between cracks and walls. The tiles will need to bend slightly on one side of the cracks. Do you think this will cause me problems or will the tiles be flexible enough to bend around the slight slope this slope
The tiles are fairly flexible Bob. As long as the bends are not too sharp you shouldn’t encounter any serious issues.
Thanks Shea. I am ordering the tiles on line and hope they are as flexible as stated in the ad.
I have two floor drains in the middle of my garage floor, so there is a very slight contour on the floor toward the drains. Will the locking mechanisms have enough tolerance for this? And would you suggest leaving the drains uncovered or cover them with a vented tile?
You shouldn’t have any issues with just a slight slope Dave. We recommend going with a vented tile over the drains instead of leaving them uncovered. Uncovered just presents a potential trip hazard and breaks up the nice look of the tiled floor. Some people use just one tile while others use four. It really depends on your garage layout and how you want it to look.
Are the tiles able to support floor jacks to lift vehicle, and jack stands to support car?
As long as you are using jacks with wide wheels or jack stands with flat bottom platforms you will be OK. If not, it’s best to have a small piece of 1/4″ plywood to place under the jack wheels or jack stands. The worst enemy is the jack stands with the angle iron legs. It’s all about load distribution Chris. If you can spread the load out just an inch or so, the tiles will support an amazing amount of weight.
I purchased garage tiles from Speedway Tile in Tennessee in 2015 and they are easy to install and very sturdy and the price was great for the quality of tile.
Installed in my garage and I am very pleased with the appearance, durability and how it improved the appearance of my garage floor. I purchased about 1000 tils and the shipping cost was very reasonable.
Hello Buddy. Speedway makes quality, budget minded garage floor tiles here in the U.S. We’re glad you are happy with them.
I found some coin style tiles at Modutile for $1.98/tile. I was told they are made in the USA and have a 10 year warranty. They look like Block Tile and I am think this is a great deal.
My understanding are the coin style tiles are easier to clean and little easier to roll around on the your creeper on the floor. Any thoughts here?
Do you have any experience or reviews or experience with this product?
https://www.modutile.com/garage-floor-tiles-coin-pp.html
That’s a great price right now Chris. There really isn’t much of a difference rolling around on a creeper unless you have the old style small metal wheels. Most creepers now have larger polyurethane wheels that roll nicely on all the tile surfaces. The only real difference we have found between the diamond design and coin top design is when mopping for heavy duty cleaning. Soapy water tends to collect more in the valleys of the coin design. Not a big deal though if you wipe it up with a towel.
Any thoughts about Modutile? How does it compare to other budget tiles on the market? Do you think the quality is comparable to those you reviewed above?
Thanks
Modutile is a good value as well for a budget minded tile that is made in the U.S. Chris. You wouldn’t be making a poor choice if you decided on Modutile. Our recommendation is to get some samples from each of the vendors or companies that you are interested in. Most will provide one or two samples for free. This will allow you to compare the tiles and help you determine which you like best.
If I get the tile flooring, do I also need a snow/rain mat to put on top of it? Are vented or self-draining tiles a better option?
A winter containment mat is not necessary in terms of protecting the tiles Shishu, but it would make keeping the floor cleaner much easier. If you have a place for the water to drain, the vented tiles work extremely well for winter weather. The solid top tiles would need to have the water and slush squeegeed out the door if it builds up.
My garage floor doesn’t have a vapor barrier under it, which causes moisture problems at times.
I’m thinking of adding a vapor barrier under the floor tiles. Any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated.
Hello Oliver. We aren’t sure how you are going to add a vapor barrier under the tiles but over the concrete surface. Vapor barriers are laid down before the concrete is poured. Any vapor blocking material (vinyl mats for example) that you place on top of concrete with moisture issues is going to develop mold and mildew underneath.
A big advantage of interlocking tiles is that they allow fresh air to circulate underneath. This prevents mold and mildew from developing under the tiles and it also allows the concrete to dry. We would recommend applying a penetrating sealer to the concrete before you put down the tiles. This will greatly slow down moisture issues and will even sometimes stop them depending on how bad the moisture is.
I live in a Condo complex which has a 400 sq foot concrete breezeway. Both ends are exposed to the elements. It does “sweat” in the middle on humid day and is exposed to the sun on one end for about 4-5 hours midday. What would you suggest for covering it and what would be an approximate cost
Hello Thomas. When you say “cover it”, are you referring to interlocking tiles? What is your goal exactly?
Looking at these for under my Harley. This is about the heaviest touring bike HD ever made, close to 1000 lbs. My question is regarding the pressure placed on the tile by the jiffy (kick) stand. Will the tile handle this weight without crushing in that area or do I need something under the tile to fill the hollow spots?
Hello Jim. If you use a Jiffy Stand Coaster or something similar you will be fine.
Considering covering my entry garage floor with a vented pattern tile. Couple questions:
1) Are the vented tiles hard to walk on barefooted?
2) In laying the last row of tile in front of the garage door I intend to also purchased the 1 3/4″ edges to terminate. Should the termination edge be positioned under the garage door bottom weather strip or just butt up to the weather strip?
Thanks
Hi Robin. The vented tiles won’t hurt your bare feet. Regarding the 1-3/4″ ramp edge; it’s generally best to butt it right up against the garage door weather seal or strip.
Who makes the flooring for Sears? I am replacing mine. I purchased it when it was sold under the Gladiator label. They also don’t offer any colors other than the dark grey and silver. I would like to repurchase the same amount of sq. ft. but I would like to mix in some purple this time. Do you have any ideas how I could do this. Thanks, Curt
Hello Curt. Email us at info@allgaragefloors.com and send us a good picture of the top of the tile and then a picture of the underside of the tile. We just may be able to identify the manufacturer and point you in the direction of where you can purchase the same tile.
Hi Shea, I have been researching tiles for my garage and your article has been very helpful and I will probably buy the Trulock tiles from American Flooring. I live in snow counry, Syracuse, NY, where we get about 110 inches a year. Would it make more sense for me to buy the TrueLock HD Ribbed Flow Through tiles so that the snow on the cars will melt and the water go through to the floor? Or should I get the diamond or coin ones and just hose the garage out in the winter?
Hi Bob. You ask some good questions. We actually have an article here that addresses this exact issue. If you elect for a solid top tile you will want to rinse it out more than once. Just like bare concrete, all the debris that a car brings in will get deposited on the tile and begin to build up over time. The nice thing about the self draining tile is that all that debris falls through and you can wait till the end of winter before you clean it out.
Thanks Shea, I saw that article after I posted my question and it gives me all the information I need to make a decision. I may go for the self draining under the car area and solid around the edges. In any case, I now have what I need. Thanks so much for a great website and very useful information.
Bob
Thanks Bob and we are glad we could help!
Hi Shea,
I have a tight side entry garage, so there are lots of turning the wheels to get in position. I was kind of worried about tiles twisting and being damaged by not pulling straight in and out. I currently have epoxy paint about 10 years old that I want to redo or change to tile. You have any advice?
Hello Frank. If you do the entire floor with interlocking garage tiles you will not have any problems with turning wheels. Once the entire floor is locked together it’s extremely difficult to unlock or twist a tile that way. Some of the premium brand tiles have heavy motorhomes and trucks that do this all the time with no issues. If you want to redo your old floor coating, we have an article here about how to prep and old coating for new application.
Hey Shea, I recently installed Truelock diamond floor tiles in my garage and love them . They look great,are easy to clean and very durable.I recently had damage to the carpet tiles in my basement and Im considering replacing them with truelock or garagedeck coin pattern tiles.That being said,i know people have installed them in basements before but I cant find any spec sheet on them and im wondering if there are any voc’s associated with the product or if there are any hazards associated with installing them indoors.Thanks,Sean
Hi Sean. Great to hear you are happy with your TrueLock tiles. Yes, you can install interlocking tiles in the basement. It’s a popular option for those with moisture issues and there are absolutely no VOC’s to worry about. Some manufacturers even make an interlocking carpet tile as well.
Great article! I’m considering hard plastic tiles for my garage floor and have seen good prices on Nitro tiles. Have you heard of them? Thoughts? My only concern is I’ve seen a couple reviews that mentions buckling from expansion in direct sunlight if the garage door is open. Is this a problem with all tiles? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
Hello Brad. Last time we checked, Nitro tiles were made in Taiwan and not the U.S.A. They don’t state that the they are made of 100% virgin polypropylene which leads us to believe that they use recycled plastic, but we can’t be 100% sure about that. They are also 3/8″ thick instead of 1/2″ thick like most American brand tiles. This is why they are more susceptible to buckling in direct sunlight.
That said, all solid top plastic tiles can buckle somewhat if exposed to direct sunlight for a period of time. The key is to make sure you leave at least a 1/2″ gap between walls and immovable objects that the tile is trimmed around. This allows for expansion. It also helps to install the tile on a warm day when the tile can expand, then move heavy items back into the garage on top of the tile. If you want a good budget brand tile that is made in the USA, Speedway Tile is a great option. You can find it here on Amazon.
Another option that we chose for one of our family members is use a free-flow or drainage design for the first few rows of tile that will exposed to direct sun. This type of tile design is not a solid top and will not expand much in direct sunlight. Our family member has a south facing garage and the door is open for periods of time during the day. They chose a brand that had solid top and free-flow designs. It does not buckle, even in the summer sun.