For individuals looking for a simple yet durable garage flooring solution to protect the bare garage concrete floor, a garage floor mat will give you that wall to wall coverage and is a great choice if it’s a fairly quick and straightforward installation that is needed. There are a number of options ranging from mats meant for garage floor protection to those designed to contain dirt, snow, and moisture. There are also absorbent garage mats meant to absorb oil and other common spills.
When it comes to installation, most garage floor mats are made to simply roll out, giving you a no hassle, one-day installation process that beats out other more permanent and complicated flooring methods, at least in the way of simplicity and ease. Garage floor mats are a great option for anyone needing a flooring solution for their garage space but that might be picking up and moving at some point, need to take their purchased flooring with them.
Here’s how to install a garage floor mat properly, to ensure that it is flush against all the spaces and dimensions of your particular garage space and does not roll up over time or cause other issues:
Step 1: Remove Floor Base Moldings
For a more professional look and to ensure a flush installation, removing floor base moldings to leave about a 1-inch gap between the end of the floor and the wall, then put the moldings back once the mat is installed. It’s important to leave this gap all the way around the perimeter of the room.
Step 2: Clean and Clear the Floor Space Below
The first step is clearing the floor space and cleaning it thoroughly. Laying a garage floor mat on top of dirt, grit or debris will keep it from being secure and flush to the ground. It’s important to completely clean off the concrete flooring and that it is completely dry before proceeding with the rollout. Laying the flooring on top of wet or damp flooring can also cause issues with the mat staying flush to the ground and worse, could cause mildew issues below.
Step 3: Roll Out
Across the board, most garage floor mats, regardless of brand – whether its G-floor Mats, TruContain Containment Mats, TruContain Absorbent Mats, and other Specialty Rolls & Mats, can simply be rolled out.
Step 4: Get Rid of Excess and Cut to Size
Once the garage floor mat is rolled out, you will have excess flooring depending on your garage’s dimensions and layout. This is where you’ll need a tape measure, T-Square, long straight edge, utility knife, carpenter square, and pen. Cutting the floor is easy when using a carpet or laminate blade. Use a carpenter square or T-square to make the cuts and place cardboard under the mat as you cut to keep the blade from getting dull or making cuts against the bare concrete floor underneath. Certain areas, like stairs, you will need some of the trimmings.
Step 5: Lay Mats together to deal with seams
Should there be any seams, lay the garage mats together over a seam strip or center strip. Indoor/Outdoor double-sided carpet tape is not recommended for all roll out mats, particularly the non-carpet mats. The seam strip or center strip solution is much more secure for keeping the mat pieces fused together and will keep them from separating or curling up. Please note that while the center strip is much easier to install, it is also more visible. For posts, measure the length and width from the mat to the post and make those cuts into the flooring mat – if it was measured correctly, you will be able to keep the mat flush around the post for a clean, continuous flooring completion. After installation, mats take a bit to harden; be sure not to clean the mats for at least 72 hours so as not to cause any permanent damage.
Keep in mind, these installation instructions work for garage flooring mats such as the G-Floor Mats. For Containment Mats, such as the TruContain Containment Mats, which are designed to contain moisture, snow, and fluids to protect the garage floor. They are not a wall to wall coverage mat, so they simply require rolling it out and laying it down in the area you wish to protect, texture side up. Flatten out the edges and center it to ensure it’s in the right place to be under the vehicle it should be under. For these, it does require at least 24-48 hours of being kept indoors or in the sun before installation due to the fact that the product is hard to install when it’s cold.
