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r There's not much to installing rollout floor coverings. Start by unrolling the flooring in your garage. (Ideally, it's best to let the unrolled flooring "relax" overnight.) Next, trim the flooring to fit, leaving about a V2" gap between the edge of the flooring and the wall for expansion. To cover wide areas, overlap two or more sections of flooring, taping the sections together with carpet tape. You can also use carpet tape around the perimeter of the floor. k Trim to Fit. Using a utility knife, trim the flooring to fit around any obstacles in your garage. Allow '// of space for expansion. A Tape the Seams. For wide garages, overlap or butt two sections of flooring together ana use double-sided tape at the seam. 49 standing in your garage. And since the surface of these floor coverings has a textured pattern, they offer more traction than a bare concrete or epoxy floor, reducing your chances of slipping or falling. Installation. But one of the biggest advantages of these coverings is the fact that they're so easy to install. All you have to do is sweep out your garage, unroll the flooring, and trim it to size. (See the box below for more on installation.) In fact, it's so easy that you can cover a standard two-car garage in just a couple of hours. Compare this with two or more days for prepping and applying ail epoxy floor paint and you'll see why rollout flooring is becoming so popular. SELESISOn Roll-out garage floor coverings come in a variety of thicknesses, colors, sizes, and patterns. One manufacturer, Better Life Technology (BLT), offers two thicknesses of flooring material (see photos at right). The standard-grade thickness is 50-60 thousandths of an inch thick and comes in a ribbed pattern. The ribs are designed to help channel away water from melting snow and ice brought into the garage by your vehicle. The commercial/industrial-grade flooring is 70-80 thousandths of an inch thick and comes in either the ribbed pattern or a "coin" pattern. Both thicknesses are available in six different colors — black, gray, tan, red, blue, or green. And they are sold in several standard sizes ranging from 7'xl7' to 10x25'. (Custom sizes are also available.) If you want an even thicker floor covering, take a look at the "Gladiator" flooring by Whirlpool Corporation. At 90 thousandths of an inch, this was the thickest roll-out flooring material we could find. It comes in one style only — a diamond-plate pattern. (Whirlpool uses the same pattern on their line of garage storage cabinets and appliances.) Other than the thickness and pattern, the material used in this floor covering appears identical to the others we looked at. Not Just for Garages. Although these floor coverings are designed for the garage, they can also be used in other parts of the house like basements, shops, or laundry rooms. If you plan to use them in a shop, there is one thing to be aware of. I noticed that rolling tools around became a little more difficult due to the added resistance of the covering. And the flooring had a slight tendency to buckle as I rolled tools over it. (But it laid down flat after awhile.) Cost. You may be wondering how much these garage floor coverings cost. Compared to other flooring options, roll-out flooring is in the middle of the price range. At roughly $2-3 a square foot, it's less expensive than most commercially applied epoxy coatings, but costlier than do-it-yourself floor paints. But when considering the cost, keep in mind that you don't have to do a total "wall-to-wall" installation. You can cover as little or as much of the garage as you wish. And unlike garage floors that are painted on, if you decide to move you can just roll up the floor covering and take it with you. Laying if Down: Fitting & Trimming Diamond Plate, i*- Whirlpool's "Gladiator" flooring comes in a diamond-plate pattern. Ribbed. ► The ribs on this flooring help to channel water and other liquids away, making it easier to keep your garage clean. Coin. Available in commercial grade only, the raised circles on this flooring offer plenty of traction, even when wet. |
