Hi absoluteczech,
I'd start with just a thorough cleaning & degreasing of the concrete. Let it dry thoroughly for a week (?) and then do the moisture test. Take a 3 foot by 3 foot piece of plastic tarp and tape it to the floor, sealing all edges very well with tape. Let it set for at least 24 hours. Then pull it up & look to see if the slab or the underside of the plastic tarp are wet. If they are dry, then proceed with whatever you decide to do. If, however, they are damp - that might indicate the lack of a vapor barrier underneath the slab, and you should come back & ask the vendors about that - they might have another suggestion or two.
The general wisdom is that if the slab didn't have a moisture barrier underneath it, the hydrostatic pressure could cause an epoxy to "pop off" the slab (perhaps a pro installer could talk about it more).
At any rate, it is a very simple & easy test to do.
It’s not unusual for us to get requests from our readers wanting a recommendation for good cheap garage flooring options. Typically though, cheap and good are not always synonymous with quality. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find the best value for garage flooring when you are on a budget. It just requires a little bit of effort on your part to do some research.
Another fact worth mentioning is that “cheap garage flooring” is relative. In other words, what one person finds too expensive for their budget another may find as affordable. With that in mind, we decided to put together a few garage flooring options that are relatively inexpensive in their respective category for you to review.
In addition, we have included many links where you can get more information on a particular type of flooring that you may be interested in.
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Undoubtedly, the most economical flooring option is garage floor paint. All it requires is a bit of effort to clean and prep the concrete prior to painting it.
Rust-Oleum 1-Part Epoxy garage floor paintPaint is one of the least durable garage flooring options. However, it can give you the greatest positive change in the look of your floor for the least amount of money. Keep in mind though that this is certainly an area where cheap and good are debatable.
Of the different concrete paint products available, we recommend that you choose an acrylic 1-part epoxy paint. For only a few dollars more per gallon, 1-part epoxy paint will last longer and adhere better than standard latex acrylic concrete paint.
Most concrete garage floor paints will cover 300 – 400 square feet per gallon. Do not try to stretch coverage rates. We always recommend using the minimum coverage rate when figuring out how much you need.
We have two favorites that we can recommend. The first is DryLok E-1 by United Gilsonite Lab. You can find it here on Amazon.
The second is Rust-Oleum Concrete & Garage Floor Paint and Primer. This is a new product by Rust-Oleum and is getting good reviews so far. You can find the Gray color here and the Sand color here.
In addition, you can review our recommendations for the best garage floor paint here. The Rust-Oleum paint has not been added yet since it’s fairly new.
If you have a relatively blemish-free garage floor, then another inexpensive garage flooring option would be an acrylic sealer.
MMA acrylic sealer by Legacy IndustrialAcrylic sealers are a clear topical coating that will highlight your bare concrete floor by coating it with a thin acrylic film. This topical layer helps to prevent concrete dusting, and efflorescence and provides moderate protection to your floor from chemicals, oils, road salts, and fluids.
Acrylic coatings are easy to apply, requiring only a garden pump sprayer or a paintbrush and roller. Most are available in a satin or glossy finish, with a choice of water-based or solvent-based formulas. We highly recommend using a solvent-based acrylic. Water-based acrylics tend not to perform well in a garage environment.
Coverage rates are approximately 200 – 250 square feet per gallon depending on the brand. For the best performance, two thin coats should be applied. Do not apply acrylic sealers in thick coats.
Pricing varies depending on brand and quality. Our recommendation for a good solvent-based acrylic is Armor AR500 by Foundation Armor. You can find it here. If you will need 4 gallons or more, then we recommend purchasing their 5-gallon container here.
The best performing is MMA acrylic sealers. They provide even longer protection and good protection against salts. You can learn more about MMA acrylics here.
One of the better values when it comes to budget garage flooring is an epoxy coating. Not to be confused with the multi-coat commercial quality garage floor coatings, we are referring to the single-coat, DIY epoxy garage floor kits that you can typically purchase at your local home improvement center or online retailers.
Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield garage floor coating with EpoxyShield clear coatAn epoxy coating does entail the most work in terms of preparing the surface. It requires etching the concrete to provide the proper surface profile for the epoxy to achieve a mechanical bond. Grinding may even be necessary if your concrete has previously been sealed.
These economical DIY epoxy kits are extremely popular. They offer longer-lasting coverage and better protection than garage floor paint or acrylic coatings.
Though they are a good value for the dollar, you need to have realistic expectations regarding their performance. These are not commercial-quality coatings. We suggest you read this article here to learn more about these easy-to-use DIY epoxy garage floor kits.
Our recommendation for the best budget DIY epoxy garage floor coating is Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield. You can find it here.
Hands down, the easiest flooring option to install is garage floor mats. Nothing can beat their simplicity.
G-Floor roll-out garage floor matsNo preparation of the floor is necessary in most cases. In addition, they do a great job of hiding imperfections, oil stains, and other unsightly surfaces in your garage.
Polyvinyl garage floor mats will provide the best protection and longest wear. They make cleanups easy and are very stain resistant.
You can opt to cover the entire garage floor or just select mats for your car to park on. Because they roll right out over the concrete, installation can take as little as a few minutes for a parking pad. Expect an hour or two to cover your entire garage floor.
A good budget garage floor mat is Diamond Deck mats by Rough Tex. They come in a variety of sizes and usually free shipping. You can price them here.
Our favorite vendor to recommend for garage floor mats is Garage Flooring LLC. They have good pricing, excellent customer service, and free shipping as well. You can price their garage floor mats here.
If you have some skills as a DIY homeowner, one popular garage floor option that will give you a genuine custom look for a good value is vinyl composite tile. They are available in a multitude of colors with the most common being the traditional black and white checkered design.
VCT tile installed in a garageAlso known as VCT flooring, these tiles can be purchased for just under $1 per square foot if you shop around. This is one of the best values for a good-looking garage floor.
VCT tile provides good protection of the floor and makes cleaning a breeze. Just be aware that the floor does require routine wax maintenance and your concrete may involve some preparation before installation.
Lastly, if you really like the custom look of a tiled garage floor but don’t want the installation and maintenance requirements of VCT, then interlocking garage floor tiles may be the perfect solution for you. They require little to no preparation for your garage floor and can be installed in only a few hours or so depending on the size of your floor.
Plastic garage floor tilesMade of polypropylene plastic, these tough tiles can withstand the rigors of most garages. They are extremely stain resistant, clean up easily, and do a great job of protecting your garage floor from the elements.
This is a good review of entry-level interlocking tiles. Visit Junkman’s Adventures.
Interlocking garage tiles can cost upwards of $3.50-$4.00 a square foot. Even more for the premium brands. However, you can purchase quality American-made tiles for less than $3.00 a square foot if you know where to look. We have more information about purchasing budget garage floor tiles here.
The least expensive garage floor tiles you can purchase are Nitro Tiles. These are made overseas and are not as thick as other brands. However, they can be a good value for the money and receive positive reviews. You can price them here.
The least expensive American-made tiles are TrueLock tiles. These get fantastic reviews and are thicker than the Nitro tiles. You can price them here.
One type of product that we did not include is penetrating sealers. Though bare concrete sealers are definitely affordable and do a good job of protecting your garage floor, we decided not to include them here.
The reason we did not include them is that they offer no aesthetic value to the floor and technically are not considered flooring. You can find more information about penetrating sealers here.
While some of these garage flooring options may not be cheap to some people, most are a good value for the dollar if you are on a budget. Just keep in mind that the least expensive garage flooring is generally the least durable.
Nonetheless, whichever option you may choose, you are guaranteed to transform the looks of your garage. It will make for easier cleaning and provide better protection to your concrete against the various elements that a garage floor encounters.