One lesser-known garage floor tile option available today is self-stick floor tiles. Otherwise known as peel-and-stick garage tiles, these are polyvinyl tiles that incorporate an adhesive pressure-sensitive backing that will securely adhere to the concrete.
If you like the idea of vinyl composite tiles, but without the hassles of applying glue during installation, plus the ongoing maintenance of stripping and re-waxing of the floor, then this sticky tile is worth a serious look.
Tiles are typically available in 12”x12” and 24”x24” sizes with either a raised diamond surface tread design or a textured smooth surface. Tile thickness runs from 47 mils to 95 mils.
There was a time when these tiles were available in a variety of other colors. However, manufacturers have since reduced the choices to Black, White, and Gray. The traditional black and white checkered garage floor design are the most common.
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Benefits of peel-and-stick vinyl garage tiles
Like all garage floor tiles, self-stick tiles will completely transform the look of your garage. The polyvinyl construction absorbs sound, helps to insulate from the cold, conforms well to the floor, and unlike VCT garage floors, it delivers some anti-fatigue benefits as well.
They are also easy to clean. Oil and other liquids just wipe right up. A dust mop or soft bristle broom works best for light dirt and debris.
Regular cleaning can be done with a mop and a mild solution of Mr. Clean or other ammonia-free cleaners. Non-slip vinyl floor cleaners can be used as well. Plus, there is no waxing or other floor maintenance to perform.
Polyvinyl is also resistant to many automotive chemicals and road salts. This includes oils, anti-freeze, battery acid, and most other liquids a car can deposit on the surface. Caustic chemicals such as battery acid or brake fluid should be cleaned up immediately. Though it will not physically damage the tiles, it can discolor them.
Drawbacks With self-stick garage floor tiles
As nice as these self-stick garage tiles can be, they are not perfect and do have some characteristics to be aware of.
The first is that tiles with the diamond tread pattern do not always line up perfectly next to each other. It is much less noticeable though if you are doing alternating colors such as a checker design for example.
Also, just like VCT garage flooring, vinyl self-stick tiles can be spun loose by a vehicle if you turn the front wheels while not moving. This is easy to avoid if you ensure the vehicle is slowly moving while you are turning the wheels.
Another matter that has been encountered with peel-and-stick tiles is the occasional edge that wants to lift. Most often this is due to the floor not being cleaned and prepped properly. This is usually remedied though with some spray-on 3m glue applied to the underside edge of the tile.
Additionally, liquids can stain if left to puddle for long periods. Ink, dyes, and harsh chemicals are known to stain the tiles also.
Furthermore, polyvinyl self-stick garage floor tiles are susceptible to tire marks where vehicles sit. High-performance tires and some all-season tires are the biggest culprits. The easiest way to avoid seeing tire marks is to use the black tiles where the car tires sit.
If you want to help reduce the possibility of tire marks, then we suggest applying an acrylic finish to the floor. The product we recommend is by Hilway Direct. You can find it here. It won’t prevent tire marks, but it works very well at keeping them to a minimum.
Lastly, we do not recommend peel-and-stick garage floor tiles if you live in an environment with cold winters and snow. Though the tiles are resistant to road salts, the pressure sensitive adhesive can begin to relax during sustained periods of very cold weather. This can lead to tiles pulling up and or water migrating underneath the tiles.
Where to Purchase Peel-and-Stick Polyvinyl Garage Tiles
Currently, there are only two brands of self-stick garage floor tiles to choose from. There is also a large price difference.
The first is a low-cost self-stick garage tile. This is mainly due to the materials used and overseas manufacturing. The other is American-made and is considered a premium, longer-lasting tile. It also offers an additional color choice and two surface designs.
Solid Peel-and-Stick Garage Tiles
The first is Solid Peel-and-Stick garage tiles by Garage Flooring Inc. These budget polyvinyl tiles are 12”x12” in size with an overall thickness of 47 mils. They have a semi-gloss finish with a smooth but textured surface design.
The colors available are Black and White. They also offer a black and white checkered 12”x12” tile. This reduces the size of the black and white squares to 6”x6”. This can be a good choice for small spaces since it will give the illusion of the floor being larger.
We have seen pricing for these tiles at under $1 per square foot when on sale. The reason for the low pricing is that they are manufactured overseas and constructed differently.
Though they are a total of 47 mils thick, the actual polyvinyl wear layer is only 2.8 mils thick. The rest of the tile is constructed of inexpensive multi-ply laminated fillers to keep costs down.
As low-budget as these tiles are, they actually get very good reviews. The people who have purchased and understand the limitations of these tiles are genuinely very happy with them.
RaceDay Self-Stick Garage Floor Tiles
The other choice is RaceDay Self-Stick Garage Tiles. Manufactured in the U.S.A. by Better Life Technology, this is the same company that makes the high-quality G-Floor garage floor mats.
RaceDay tiles are available in 12”x12” and 24”x24” sizes that are 95 mils thick (slightly thicker than a nickel). Colors available are Black, White, and Gray. In addition, you can choose from a raised diamond tread design or a smooth textured design called Levant.
The raised diamond tread pattern can provide extra grip when needed and stands up well to a traditional garage floor environment.
What sets RaceDay self-stick tiles apart is that they are manufactured of 100% solid polyvinyl with no fillers. This makes them twice as thick as their competitor and extremely durable. They have a 5-year limited warranty as well.
This is also why they run an average of $4 more per square foot than their competition. It’s a premium self-stick tile that demands a premium price.
The best place to purchase RaceDay garage tiles is Garage Flooring LLC. They are a large vendor and distributor for Better Life Technology and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to their products. This includes installation tips as well.
Shipping is usually free and they have a 110% price match guarantee.
How to Install Self-Stick Garage Tiles
Though the installation of self-stick tiles is not difficult, the floor preparation required is consistent with that of vinyl composite tile.
The concrete needs to be thoroughly cleaned and free of oil and dust. All large gaps such as contraction joints, divots, and large cracks, need to be filled and smoothed out. Any sharp raised edges should be knocked down as well. Saw cuts in the concrete will not affect the tile.
If the large gaps are not filled, it will cause the tile to pull away from its neighbor as you drive or walk over it. This happens because the tile can be pushed into the gap due to its flexibility. A self-leveling underlayment works well in this case for filling contraction joints and can be found at most home improvement centers.
This is an installation by the crew at Dirt Rider Magazine
Peel-and-stick tiles should not be applied directly to bare concrete. Once the concrete is clean, you need to apply a latex acrylic concrete bonding primer first. Here is an example. Otherwise, the tiles will not adhere long-term and will void the warranty.
Once the bonding primer is applied and dry, you will need to snap a chalk line down the center of your garage floor for reference. It’s generally a good idea to lay the tile out in a dry run to see how things will line up. We suggest starting in the center at the front and building out like a pyramid following your chalk line.
Just peel the paper release from the back of the vinyl tile and stick it to the floor using your reference line as a guide. Once your first row is laid, you are on your way. If you make a mistake, the tile can be lifted by holding a blow drier to the surface of the tile to soften the glue underneath.
All straight cuts should be made using a utility knife and a straight edge. Also, be sure to press out all air gaps in each tile before moving on to the next. A rolling pin can make simple work of this.
Final tips and notes
Reports of how well self-stick tiles stay put have generally been very good. They provide a nice finish without all the routine maintenance of stripping and waxing a vinyl composite garage floor. Plus, you get the added benefit of better light reflection off the floor.
If you are one to fret about tire marks, however, we highly recommend going the extra step and applying the Hilway Direct acrylic finish. Either that or at least strategically plan for black tiles where your car tires will sit.
Lastly, be sure to get any questions that you may have answered before you purchase them. This is where the benefits of a good garage flooring vendor will pay off. Good customer service will go a long way in making your garage flooring choice and installation a more satisfying experience.
Justeen says
Can you drive on the peel and stick tiles after installing it on your garage floor?
Shea says
Hi Justeen. Yes, you can drive on them. That is what they have been designed for.
Elmar says
I just painted my garage floor with 1-part epoxy and having a problem when rains…hot wet tires pull some paint. Can I use peel and stick tiles … I mean will they stick to the epoxy? And if yes how long will they last?
Shea says
Hi Elmar. Yes, you can apply the G-Floor Race Day peel and stick tiles to epoxy as long as it is nice and clean. Keep in mind however that the tile is sticking to the epoxy, not the concrete. So how well they stay adhered is dependent on how well the epoxy does on the concrete. These tiles are designed to last for years. We haven’t heard of anyone that has actually worn out a tile yet.
Elmar says
Thanks. The epoxy sits on the concrete fine, driving back and forth on dry days with no problem. Only hot wet tires pull some paint, so I hope that the vinyl will prevent that
Elmar says
Hi Shea,
It might be interesting to you… this morning we had heavy rain, so I decided to experiment – drove my car for a little, then left it outside for half an hour, so tires cooled down completely but remained wet. Then parked the car in the garage. Tires pulled some paint, so I guess it’s not temperature is evil but moisture (at least in my case)
Shea says
That sounds like the case Elmar. How did you prep the concrete before application? If the paint has not achieved a good bond, water can have this effect.
Elmar says
Pour-n-restore to remove oil stains and then Seal-Krete etching product, left overnight, then applied 2 coats of paint within 5 hours…. Wondering if it’s not a good bond why hot dry tires don’t create any damage
Shea says
It’s best to wait at least 24 hours, even longer depending on temps and humidity, before applying a coating after prepping a floor in this fashion. Fans help. The surface not only needs to be dry, but the moisture still within the concrete needs to rise to the surface and evaporate as well. I would suspect that the epoxy paint didn’t achieve a good enough bond Elmar. The drying process between the paint and the tires when it is wet may be causing the coating to stick to the tire and then pull it up. You may not have the type of tread design in your tire that will grip the paint real well when the tire is dry as it cools, though it could be loosening the bond at the surface. Then when you pull in wet, the paint sticks to the tire as it dries and pulls up when you back out.
If you are thinking about the peel and stick tiles, you may want to take a scraper to the epoxy paint and see how well it holds up. If it starts to come up in sheets in some areas, you would be better off removing the coating first. Out of curiosity, what brand 1-Part epoxy paint did you use?
Tommy says
I put down the rust oleum epoxy and having problems with it drying after two weeks it is still sticky in spots. What to do? can I apply the peel and stick piles to it?
Shea says
No you can’t Tommy. If those spots haven’t cured in two weeks time they never will. You will need to scrape up the soft spots first before you apply anything to the floor.
Elmar says
also Seal-Krete….
Yes, I’ve been thinking to place peel and stick tiles to the areas under the tires (there are some cheap on sale at the moment on rubberflooringinc.com – 10 bucks per 20 sq. feet), and if it starts to come up in sheets, then I remove the paint and stick more expensive ones (like diamond pattern) directly to the concrete.
Steven Bishop says
Can a floor jack be used on these tiles without causing damage to the tiles?
Shea says
Hi Steven. Yes, you can use floor jacks on these tiles. You just don’t want to leave the weight of the car on the jack for long periods of time. If you use jack stands, be sure to use stands that have a flat platform bottom. If they have pointed legs, place a piece of plywood or something similar under the stand or the pointed legs can damage the tile.
Robert says
Where can I purchase the peel and stick tiles?
Shea says
Hi Robert. Garage Flooring LLC seems to have the best price going on these right now. You can find them here.
Michelle says
Sams Club, Harbor Freight
Elmar says
Hi Shea, It’s been over 2 months and I just want to share my experience. I got the possibly cheapest black and white tiles (only 35 cents per sq. foot), didn’t remove the paint and stuck the tiles in 8 places (3 by 3) where the tires of 2 cars should be (my freshly painted garage floor looked great, so I didn’t want to cover it all). It worked nicely, 2 months and no problems, and even if I had them, then I paid next to nothing and could do it again every year. I’d post a picture if this site allows that…. But now I have a new project to paint my outside concrete area. Are there other than gray colors for a concrete? I know I can stain that but prefer to paint
Shea says
That’s good to hear Elmar. Unfortunately we don’t have a way to post images in the comments section. Great job of being creative!
Joe says
Can a 4 post 8,000 lb capacity lift be placed on the peel & stick tile floor?
Shea says
Yes it can Joe. Just make sure to anchor it though. If not, the tiles could “walk” slightly under the weight if the lift wants to move at all.
Joe says
Is there any special preparation before installing the peel & stick tiles over an epoxy painted garage floor?
Shea says
Hello Joe. As long as the floor is clean they can go on without any additional prep.
Joe says
Do you have to fill in the concrete control joints?
Shea says
It depends on what type of contraction joints you have Joe. If they are saw cut joints that are only 1/8″ wide or so, then no, it’s not necessary. If they are troweled joints that are 1/2″ to 1″ wide, then yes. Since the tiles are flexible, driving over these joints will push the tile down into them over time. This will create depressions in the tile and cause them to pull away from the edges of neighboring tiles. Since you are just covering the joints, you can easily fill them with some inexpensive self-leveling concrete mix. It will crack in the joints, but that’s OK. The idea is to fill the valley under the tile in order give it support.
Justin Krauss says
A couple of really important notes. RaceDay Peel and Stick tiles require the use of a primer such as BEHR 880 first. They are not stain proof and on the Diamond pattern the diamonds don’t always line up. Most people never notice that but some do during installation
Shea says
These are great points Justin. We did include these in our latest update, but it’s always important to make sure people fully understand the requirements and characteristics of each flooring option.
Gail Glaneman says
Need assistance on order of prep work. We have a 20+ year old concrete garage floor (22′ X 22′). I don’t believe there was ever any sealant. We are planning to scrub with TSP. After reading this page, I think we should then fill in expansion joints, then prime, then tiles. Is that correct?
Shea says
Hello Gail. You are correct!
Ernest Amster says
Would lake to install tile in a apt. corridor,now we have carpet on concrete slab, the question I have if it is practical and the looks.
Shea says
Hello Ernest. There are other manufacturers of peel-and-stick vinyl tile that may be more practical for an apartment corridor. Armstrong is an example. You can find examples at your local home improvement centers as well. Self stick tile requires a clean, bare, concrete surface. Any carpet glue or mastic would need to be removed first.
Jo says
we had some tiles come up,what can be used to glue the tiles down?
Shea says
Hello Jo. Self-stick tiles adhere to the surface using a pressure sensitive adhesive backing. Assuming the surface they were stuck to is clean, many times they can be adhered again by applying heavy pressure across the surface once they have been placed. Standing on the tile does not work because the pressure is spread out across the shoe. It needs to be done using a vinyl floor roller. Sometimes you can rent these at your local home improvement center. Some are weighted while others require that you apply the pressure yourself. If that doesn’t work, then the last alternative would be to use a spray adhesive.
Linda says
Do these tiles do well in very cold winters
Shea says
Yes they can Linda. If you will be tracking in road salts and deicing fluids, it would be a benefit to treat the tiles first with an acrylic sealer.
Jason says
To add to this question, will they expand and contract in winter and result in less overall life span?
Shea says
Vinyl tiles will expand and contract, though ever so slightly Jason. Because they are glued down it’s not as big an issue as it would be if it was a free floating floor.
Jim Lauritzen says
Hi folks,
Where in Alberta Canada can I possibly order your product. Or what contact info for out of country ordering.
Thanks for your help
Jim
Shea says
Hello Jim. You need to contact Better Life Technologies. They manufacture the peel and stick tile can direct you to a distributor near you or one that can ship to you.
Elena says
I have fairly old concrete that has been painted (not epoxy). The paint is peeling/chipping in a few areas. Do you I need to strip all the paint from the concrete before installing the peel & stick tiles?
Shea says
Hello Elena. At minimum you need to remove as much as it as you can with a scraper. How well the tiles stay adhered all depends on what they are adhered to. If the paint is peeling, the tiles will come right up with it.
Jerry meckley says
I want to use the self stick tiles in my garage The manufacturer recommends stripping the epoxy off and priming with Behr 880 even though the epoxy is in good shape Has anyone ever used self stick over epoxy and if so how were the results?
Shea says
Hello Jerry. We don’t see why you couldn’t apply the Behr 880 primer to the epoxy. All that would be required is to rough up the surface of the epoxy with 100 grit sandpaper in order for the primer to obtain a mechanical bite to adhere. The tile then adheres to the Behr primer. If you have any other questions about the tile, we recommend giving Justin from Garage Flooring LLC a call. He has a lot of experience with this tile and he can give you any additional information that you should be aware of.
Anu says
I have two car garbage .How many boxes do we need to finish it
Shea says
I don’t know Anu. The information you provided does not list the square footage of your garage floor.
Spencer says
Where can I buy the race day peel and stick garage floor tiles?
Shea says
Hello Spencer. You can by RaceDay peel and stick tiles here.
Jeff Augg says
Is there a “minimum temperature requirement” for installing self stick tiles? I want to install these this fall/winter in a non-insulated garage. I can temporarily warm the garage with a propane heater but concrete floor may still be cool to the touch.
Shea says
Hello Jeff. You actually ask a good question and it required that we place a call with the manufacturer. They state that the tiles should be stored at a room temperature of no less than 65 degrees for 48 hours prior to installation and that they should not be installed on concrete with a surface temperature of less than 55 degrees. If you heat the room for a few days the concrete surface temperature may come up. We found that an inexpensive infared thermometer works well for checking concrete surface temperatures.
Bill says
I am interested in using your product but am concerned about the tiles “creeping” when I enter the garage and stop the car. Currently have tile on the floor that has moved due to stopping even though we try to stop slowly. Will these self adhesive tiles creep from “normal” stopping??
Shea says
Hi Bill. Just to avoid any confusion, we don’t sell or install product. You can purchase these tiles from Garage Flooring LLC or BLT Technologies direct. In terms of the tiles creeping, we have not heard of any such issues. However, it could be possible if the tiles are not adhered properly.
Charles Smith says
Do you sell these with a smooth finish? Rolling toolboxes and motorcycle lifts will not smoothly glide over the rough faux diamond plate pattern, and that’s a big problem.
Shea says
Hi Charles. Because we are an informational website only, we do not sell product. However, you can purchase these in a Levant pattern (smooth) from Garage Flooring LLC. You can find them here.
ED says
Can peel and stick tiles be installed on heated concrete garage floors?
Shea says
Hello Ed. Yes, you can apply peel-and-stick tiles to heated floors.
Doug says
Hello,
Is there any concern that the exposed edge near the garage door may lift if any rain/moisture comes in when the garage door is opened?
Is there any type of boarder that can be applied to this exposed edge? Thanks
Shea says
Hello Doug. You can always glue down a vinyl transition edge strip for the leading edge into the garage. These are popular to use for VCT tiles as well. This here is and example.
Rich. Axtell says
Do I have to go edge to edge or can I cover center of garage and off finish with edging floor in great shape and I just as soon not remove all the floor cabinets
Shea says
Hi Rich. You can finish off the edges as you move the cabinets.
Chuck says
Why not make the diamond pattern match up, seems like a no brainer.
Walter Woerner says
Trying to decide on what to do with my garage floor. I have the gfloor roll on there now & after driving the car in & out the roll doesn’t lay flat at all. Do hot tires (live in Fla) tend to lift the tiles after time.
Shea says
Hi Walter. I would recommend contacting G-Floor and discuss the issues you are having. They have good customer service and will want to help solve your problem. If you opt for a different flooring, you may want to consider interlocking garage floor tiles. These are easy to install and can be laid over your existing floor.
Jill says
Do studded tires affect the floor?
Shea says
Hi Jill. You ask a great question that we don’t have a definite answer for. Generally, studded snow tires will not affect vinyl flooring. However, I recommended contacting G-Floor customer service to find out for sure.