Turn Your Garage into a Showplace

But the role of the garage is changing from a place to store your car (and your sports equipment, extra freezer, and assorted boxes of junk) to an extension of the home, complete with flooring, cabinetry for all your storage needs, and even furniture. Entire companies are devoted to nothing besides helping your garage clean up its act.

If you’re ready to upgrade your garage, start with the floor. Bare concrete floors are functional, but not very attractive -- they crack and show stains. There are many concrete paint products on the market, but they can be messy and very time consuming to apply -- and your garage will still look bare.

“Having had many years of experience in the floor coating business, I advise people against do-it-yourself floor coating kits,” says Mike Parker of American Garage Floor, a company that specializes in garage solutions. “Not only do they involve a lot of preparation, but after all of the work, it is very possible for the coating to start peeling and chipping within a matter of weeks.”

For an attractive floor that offers performance and value, Parker recommends the G-Floor roll out garage flooring by Better Life Technology. “This flooring is easy to install, durable and attractive,” he says. Created by father and son Brett and Don Sneed, the G-Floor, made of specially formulated polyvinyl, hides cracks and stains while protecting floors from oil, battery acid, grease, brake fluid, antifreeze, salt, mud and other dirt that finds its way into the garage.

The original G-Floor features a rib/channel design which controls debris while liquids are contained by the channels. The company recently introduced an attractive new coin pattern as well. “Anyone who lives in a colder climate knows what a mess winter snow, slush and salt can make both in the garage and in the house,” says company president Don Sneed. “Not only does our flooring beautify your garage, it also allows you to keep dirt outside, where it belongs.” Also important in winter weather, the flooring puts a vapor barrier between the cold concrete and your vehicles -- and it’s slip resistant.

The flooring comes in six attractive colors, and installation is a snap: Simply unroll and cut to size using a utility knife, overlapping or butting the flooring together for seamless protection and a custom fit; no adhesives are required. The flooring comes in a variety of different widths, up to 10 feet wide, and a typical two-car garage will use three rolls of flooring, at a cost of $500 to $1,000. To clean, simply hose off the floor. Among the satisfied customers is Edward R. Noble, publisher of Wheels magazine. “I have a nice garage, but the G-Floor makes it a show place,” he says.

Once you’ve finished sprucing up your garage, consider other uses for the G-Floor. The coin pattern version of the flooring also looks great in other areas of the house, such as a workshop, laundry room, basement storage room, even a wine cellar.