GarageTrac flooring - good stuff!

I decided to update my garage recently and debated whether to epoxy the floor (never been treated in 10 years since construction) or get some of the modern plastic type tiles which are vailable from a variety of manufacturers.

After evaluating the options, I decided to go with GarageTrac flooring from BigFloors.com (GarageTrac® - Big Floors Garage FlooringBig Floors Modular Floors). The site is actually owned by the manufacturer, Snap Lock Industries, which also makes RaceDeck, GarageDeck, and several other pivate label brands. I believe that they may manufacture the flooring sold at Costco and maybe even Sams Club, though I can't be sure.

I decided on a checkerboard pattern of silver and dark grey, bordered by black after reading a number of reviews which noted that the darker colors can get a bit dirty. I also wanted to stick with neutral colors. The online tool on BigFloors.com was extremely useful in laying out the pattern for my 19x20 garage, which is quite tight. It helped me to calculate just the right number of tiles, which I even went a little generous on so that I would have enough for a few spares of each color.

My wife and I installed most of the tiles in half a day, as they simply lock together by stomping on them after laying them againstg each other. We spent another half day cutting all of the tiles for the various edges of our garage, as we had some complex cuts due to an uneven foundation and also had to move our freezer and cabinets. It was easy, though, and all we really needed was a handheld circular saw, a straight edge, a white crayon, and a file to clean up any rough edges.

One of the nicest features we found was the diamond-plate metal parking stops. These rise about a half inch above the tile surface and take the place of two tiles. They are actually plastic tiles with a flat surface onto which you "stick" the diamond plate which comes pre-backed with a very adhesive surface. You can also stick this onto a rubber mat (included with the purchase of the parking stops) in case you want to move them around, but we found a spot that would work for our various vehicles. It's a great feature and I no longer worry about parking my 360 Spider too close or too far from the back wall.

It's worth mentioning that all of the various tile systems on BigFloor's web site are all compatible, and the parking stops are actually from another system on the site. No matter, they just snap right together. I confirmed this with their customer care rep in advance. You can also purchase tiles with drainage grating or 18" tiles (these are 12") if you want to mix it up.

The results below speak for themselves. This tile can be had for a little over $2 per square foot (I paid $2.18 but it's currently listed for $2.11), which is quite a deal. The specs are virtually identical t0 those for tile costing $5-7 per square foot! You can even put a lift on top of this tile, with cars on it. It's rated for the weight. I'm very happy with it so far and it looks like it will hold up well to regular traffic and wear.
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Two close-ups of the parking stops
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Thanks. Fortunately the bikes are not normally that close, and the car most often has a cover on it. The kids also absolutely love the car and won't go anywhere near it for fear of hurting it