Popular Flooring Options & Webfoot Concrete Coatings

Let's Talk Flooring

When it comes to flooring, the options are endless. It can be overwhelming trying to digest the millions of choices that come along with such a big investment. Especially one that remains a focal point throughout your homes' life span (If your home was built in the 60s, 70s or 80s, you know what we're talking about.)

To help settle your flooring based uncertainties, our experts have created a list of some popular floorings options & how they compare to Webfoot Concrete Coatings in price and durability. Whether you're looking to carpet your home or invest in a newly coated garage, our teams are here to help.

Carpet Flooring

Installation of carpet in your garage will run you between $3 to $6 per square foot.

Flooring that feels fuzzy and cushioned underfoot is a luxury all its own. There is just something cozy about stepping foot into a carpeted garage. Carpet in a garage creates a space that can be multipurpose, and it’s the reason many people still install carpeting in their garages today.

Pros:Cons:

• Resistant to staining

• Will deteriorate over time depending on garage use

• Resistant to chemicals

• Chemicals can cause the backing to degrade

• Slip-resistant

• Not recommended for parked cars

• Insulated

• Difficult to clean large stains

• Comfortable

• Fades and discolors over time

• Possible to DIY

• Won’t adhere to painted surfaces

• Easy to replace if carpet tiles are used

However, not all carpeting is created equally. Carpet that is made for installation in a home cannot be used in a garage; it is even unsafe to do so and poses a significant fire risk. Garage carpeting consists of synthetic fibers. This ensures that your garage carpet will repel oils and stains, as well as being fire-resistant.

While there are certainly some features to be appreciated about a cushy carpet in your garage there are also significant drawbacks, like off-gassing of VOCs.

The synthetic fibers used to produce products like garage carpeting is known by manufacturers to be toxic to humans and animals. “Off-gassing” refers to the release of chemicals into the air by common household products and cleaning agents. This includes products such as paint and MDF or furniture made from a combination of pressed fibers, wooden particles and formaldehyde.

VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are also found to be released from items like couches, blankets, throw pillows, and other decorative items and clothing.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOCs can cause health problems and complications. Some known symptoms of exposure are irrigation to the eyes, nose and throat, headache, nausea, asthma, upper respiratory infections, damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system, and even cancer.

With such a danger to your health, it’s wise to want to reduce your exposure to such toxic chemicals as VOCs.

Vinyl (PVC) Flooring

Installation of vinyl flooring can cost between $2 - $8 per square foot, including the cost of installation. On average, for a 200 square foot garage, vinyl flooring can cost between $800-$1,000.

Vinyl flooring is more popular than one might think and is widely used in residential homes and businesses. It’s cheap and doesn’t look half bad if done correctly. It’s also quite versatile and easy to clean with a quick sweep. Vinyl flooring installed in a garage can make for a great place for work and play.

Pros:Cons:

• Easy installation

• Installation needs to be done on a warm day

• Can be purchased in square feet

• Cannot be repaired if damaged

• Can be purchased as a roll

• Difficult to recycle

• Stains easily

• Fades easily

While vinyl flooring can be considered a good alternative to carpet in a garage, especially where cost is considered, you usually get the quality that you pay for; this product is also high in VOCs. Because VOCs are emitted as a material ages and degrades, the idea of hot tires making contact with plastic flooring doesn’t make vinyl flooring any more desirable.

Vinyl flooring is also prone to staining over time and yellowing if in contact with performance-oriented tires. You can avoid this by purchasing a darker color like black, but because the staining is a known issue, black vinyl will cost you more.

Rubber Flooring

Depending on what kind of rubber flooring you opt for, it will cost you somewhere between $2 - $18 per square foot.

We realize that is quite the jump in pricing per square foot, but it’s for a good reason.

Rubber flooring is available in two different forms; there is standard rubber flooring, referred to as “rebonded rubber,” and there is “vulcanized” or “virgin” rubber flooring.

The differences between rebonded rubber and vulcanized rubber vary greatly. Vulcanized rubber is called virgin rubber because it has not been processed the same way as standard rubber flooring.

Virgin rubber flooring is made by using natural rubber combined with high pressure and high heat, this results in a product that is not only strong and durable but is also less likely to break down from oils and chemicals being spilled onto the surface.

Rebonded rubber flooring on the other hand, is rubber that has been glued together using a plastic-based glue. Standard rubber flooring like this is the most popular for use in a residential garage and is not the type of flooring you want to park your car on. This is because petroleum based products, like motor oil, will deteriorate the surface. If you plan to park your car in your garage, we don’t suggest using standard rubber flooring in your space.

Pros:Cons:

• More eco-friendly than some alternative flooring options

• Porous

• Sound absorption

• Absorbs odors

• Shock absorption

• Not good for temperature insulation

• Available in rolls or tiles

• Vulcanized rubber is expensive

• Antimicrobial

While rubber flooring is a premium option, it is not recommended for spaces that contain moisture. If your concrete garage floor sweats, it will need to be sealed before installing a rubber floor.

Something else to consider is how much time you might want to spend cleaning your rubber flooring. It isn’t necessarily high maintenance, but it will need to be cleaned periodically. If you decide to power wash or scrub your rubber flooring, water can enter through seams and become trapped beneath the floor. Mold and mildew can develop quickly in these situations. For this reason you may want to consider rubber tiles as they are easy to take apart and clean without having to worry about water sitting underneath them.

Epoxy Flooring

Hiring a contractor to epoxy a concrete floor can cost anywhere between $3 - $7 per square foot. Cost depends on the current state of your concrete and if it will need to be repaired, which epoxy product is used, and how many layers of epoxy will be added to the floor.

100% epoxy, also known as “solid epoxy” is around three times the cost of water-based epoxy; it is more durable and can last for 10 years or longer if care is taken to protect it. Solid epoxy is most popular for commercial and industrial applications.

Water-based epoxy is more common for residential applications. This is because most homeowners that coat their garages don’t need the durability and strength of solid epoxy.

Epoxy flooring is popular because it is highly customizable and long lasting; it can be stained virtually any color and can be poured into unique designs for a flooring solution that truly reflects your personal style and taste.

Pros:Cons:

• Durable

• Installation is dependent upon weather

• Available as glossy or matte finish

• Takes time to cure

• Easy to clean

• Floor needs to be prepped before installation

• Resists oil staining

• Customization is difficult without a pro

• Protects concrete subfloor

• Slippery when wet

• Self-leveling

• Difficult removal process

• Quick installation

• Strong fumes

• Discoloration is common as it ages

While epoxy flooring is durable, it is not forever. Even in the best conditions epoxy flooring can still fail after only a few years. This depends greatly on use and wear and tear, of course. However, when considering a flooring solution that could cost upwards of $3,000, it can be difficult for any homeowner to feel good about forking over that kind of money for a temporary flooring solution.

One of the main disadvantages of epoxy flooring is hot tire pickup. “Hot tire pickup” occurs when your hot car tires cause the epoxy finish to literally become picked up and stuck to your tires. This is more common with water-based epoxy flooring solutions, but to avoid it entirely you will want to avoid parking your car in the garage soon after driving.

Pebbled Stone Epoxy Flooring

Pebbled stone epoxy flooring options are available between $9 - $14 per square foot, on average.

This flooring is similar to epoxy flooring but features one main difference, pebbles are broadcasted throughout the epoxy giving the flooring a textured, pebbled surface.

Pebbled, stone flooring is popular for good reason—it looks great. It can also be customized to some extent, by selecting pebbles in a color of your choosing you can create walkways, paths and parking spaces.

This type of flooring is favored for its versatility as it can be used inside a garage or applied to patios, porches or swimming pool decks.

Pros:Cons:

• Durable

• Expensive

• Aesthetically pleasing

• Porous

• Trendy

• Difficult to spotless

• Slip-resistant

• Takes time to cure

• Customizable

• Strong fumes

• Good for hiding flaws

• Needs to be resealed at some point

• Fire-resistant

• Discoloration with age is common

Pebble stone flooring has some great advantages if you live in an area with a mild climate that does not experience a lot of varying temperatures. This is because pebble stone flooring isn’t made to expand and contract like other reliable alternatives.

When pebble or marble stone flooring is installed in a geographical area that gets warm in the summertime with harsh winters, the flooring can become susceptible to separating and crumbling.

Epoxy stone flooring also takes just as long to dry as regular epoxy flooring coatings and you will need to stay off the floor for at least a week to ensure proper curing.

Another common issue with pebbled stone flooring is that porosity can pose a major issue. Porous surfaces such as these can be difficult to clean, with all the nooks and crannies between the stones it can be difficult to eliminate motor oil that has spilled or pet odors that may get trapped in the surface.

Many companies that install natural pebbled stone flooring also require that you use their expensive, special cleaning solutions to prevent from voiding your warranty; so there may also be hidden costs to concern yourself with when considering this type of stone flooring.

Polyaspartic Polyurea Flooring

Also referred to as broadcasted chip flooring, installation of a polyaspartic polyurea flooring will cost you around $2 - $8 per square foot.

While it may have the longest and most complicated sounding name for flooring, don’t get spooked, this flooring material is the Rolls-Royce of flooring options.

Broadcasted chip flooring is a flooring solution that was created by flooring experts for flooring experts and made with the end-user in mind. Its extreme durability and long-lasting beauty is unlike any other flooring material.

Broadcasted chip flooring is a system consisting of multiple layers; a chemical and abrasion-resistant basecoat, a layer of uniquely blended chips in your choice of colors, and finally a polyaspartic polyurea (fancy for rapidly-curing) topcoat. The broadcasted chips create a slip-resistant surface as well, making it safe even when wet.

And if the broadcasted chip look isn’t for you, don’t worry, we can add in a silica sand layer to create slip-resistance instead. The system can also be tailored to match your decor by being painted any color imaginable. The result is a beautiful flooring solution that is not only built to last but is incredibly fast and easy for professionals to install—24 hours is all the time needed in most cases.

Pros:

Cons:

• Cost effective Pricey
• Rapidly curing
• Needs time to cure Slip resistant
• Professional application is required
• Resistant to chemicals UV-stable
• Highly customizable
• Low VOCs
• Low odor

The biggest drawback to installing polyurea floor costings is probably the cost, it isn’t a cheap flooring solution by any means. But it will last for years and comes with a 15-year warranty!

Polyurea floor coatings are worth the investment for most people, they won’t fade when exposed to sunlight, they won’t cause a stink in your home during installation, and there is minimal off-gassing when compared to other flooring alternatives. Polyaspartic flooring is FOUR TIMES stronger than epoxy flooring and takes a maximum of two days to completely dry.

If you’re in the market for a quality flooring investment that will look great for years, or even decades, consider polyurea floor coatings.

Here at Webfoot Concrete Coatings, we’re experts in concrete floorings solutions. If you have any questions and would like to talk about flooring options, we are here to help. We can also assist with pricing questions and if needed we can even come and take a look at your current flooring situation. If you decide that you need a change, our estimates are always free and are available to you at no obligation. Give us a call at (503) 850-2651.

Got more questions about concrete coatings? Check out our blogs' page for more information on things like: The Best Options for Custom Concrete Coatings, Concrete Coating FAQs, and Can We Coat Damaged Concrete?

‍