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Transform Your Garage with Coin Dot Floor Tiles Complete Installation Guide

Give your garage floor a stylish makeover with durable coin dot tiles. This guide covers everything from selecting your tiles to easy DIY installation.

People often assume garages to be just a messy, disorganised space for housing cars.

But is that the case?

If your garage matches the above description and you are tired of staring at dull, cracked concrete whenever you pull into the garage, it may be time to give it a new look.

And the easiest way to make a space look much better than before is by changing the flooring.

While paint tends to peel and flake over time, modular floor tiles create a seamless, lasting upgrade.

One popular option for garage floor makeovers is coin dot tiles.

These tiles snap together to form a polka dot-style pattern across your floor.

The distinctive design hides stains and imperfections better than solid colours.

And compared to ordinary garage mats, they provide wall-to-wall custom coverage.

In this installation guide, you’ll learn all about coin dot tiles and the simple process to achieve a stunning garage refresh.

The Benefits of Coin Dot Garage Floor Tiles

Before going through the detailed installation procedure, let's first understand why these tiles are an excellent option for your garage flooring upgrade.

• Perfect for your garage: they are made of thick, commercial-grade Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic to withstand heavy vehicles.

• An easy DIY project: interlocking tiles connect firmly without glue or special tools

• Durable: Textured coin patterns hide oil drips, stains, and cracks better than solid colours. Also, they resist damage from chemicals, fluids, and heavy impacts.

• Easy to clean: Allow air circulation underneath to prevent mould and mildew growth

• Create the garage you dream of: These tiles are available in versatile colours like grey, black, brick, red, etc.

And the most significant benefit is that you don't need any adhesive to install them on your floors, making them perfect for first-time DIYers.

Let's see what material you need to get started.

Materials Needed:

• Interlocking garage floor tiles

• Bondo body filler to fill in any cracks or uneven spots on the concrete

• Utility knife for precise tile cutting

• Tape measure to map out your floor plan

• A straight edge for an accurate guide to run the utility knife evenly.

• Rubber mallet to lock tiles together without damaging them

• Pencil to mark cuts

• Safety gear like gloves and knee pads

Step-by-Step DIY Installation

1. Clean and Prepare the Floor

First, thoroughly sweep, and clean your concrete garage floor to remove all dirt and debris. Use a stiff broom and sweep out all corners and edges.

Start with a raw, bare concrete surface for the floor tiles to adhere to properly.

Remember, you must clear out all furniture, appliances (e.g. water heater), and other items to allow full access to the floor area.

Next, carefully inspect your concrete for cracks, holes, or uneven spots.

Use filler to patch and smooth over any low areas to create a nice, flat surface.

Allow adequate drying time according to the package directions before moving forward.

Proper prep now prevents problems later!

2. Layout and Measure Space

Once your concrete floor is ready, use a measuring tape to measure the full depth of your garage from the front wall to the back wall.

2.1 Taking Measurements:

• Take width measurements across the garage floor space's front entrance, middle, and back.

• Identify the measurement point closest to the garage door entrance opening.

• Find the centre point of this front garage entrance measurement.

• Make a mark on the floor at this centre point—this will be your tile layout starting point.

• Also, find the centre points for the middle and back width measurements.

• Double-check that if you draw centre lines between these points, they align reasonably well with the centre mark by the front garage entrance.

2.2 Starting Tile Installation:

• Measure the centre of one of the tiles and make a mark on it.

• Line up this tile centre mark to the centre floor mark you made by the garage entrance opening.

A quick installation tip: Be careful when opening up each box of tiles, as there may be exposed tile faces on top that you can easily damage.

3. Position First Row

With the first tile centred in front, install the first perpendicular row outward in both directions from this tile.

Connect and interlock additional tiles fanning outward from the first central tile. Gently tap together with a rubber mallet if needed.

Don't use a hammer, as that could crack the plastic material.

Work methodically across the front first in both directions from the centred tile to establish a balanced baseline row. This ensures proper alignment.

4. Installing Perimeter Trim:

Typically, you would fully install all the floor tiles first, then go back and add the decorative trim border afterwards.

However, in this case, installing the border before laying any field of carpet tiles will allow better control over the end positioning.

Installing perimeter trim is to accurately fix one outer tile row about an inch from the walls all the way around.

Once this trim frame is in the perfect position, you can lay the rest of the floor tiles working inwards, ensuring ideal spacing from the walls on all sides.

After securing the trim, install the first row of tiles flush along the inside edge.

Double-check the equal distance from the wall trim to the tiles on both sides.

5. Build Out Tile Rows

Continue adding rows of tiles from the centred baseline, branching methodically across the floor.

As you go, check that each tile lies completely flat and even with no air gaps or lifted corners, which can happen if debris gets underneath.

Keep floor lines as straight as possible.

6. Lay Remaining Tiles

When you reach an edge or wall and cannot fit a full tile, you must cut a custom tile to finish the area.

To install it correctly, measure from the inside edge of the interlocking connector on the last installed full tile to the wall.

Take that measurement and subtract 1/4 inch. This accounts for the spacer gap between the tile and the wall.

Next, transfer that measurement to the tile you need to cut.

To do this, measure from the outside edge of the interlocking connectors on the cut tile and make a mark at the measurement from the previous step.

If you measured the left side of the installed tile, make your mark on the left side of the tile you are cutting.

Do the same for right-side measurements. This ensures proper alignment.

Use a sharp utility knife and straight-edge ruler to score the cut line deeply on the tile.

Firmly snap the tile segment off along the cut line.

Test fit the custom-cut tile piece in the open perimeter space to ensure an accurate fit.

Repeat this process to cut custom perimeter tiles for gaps along walls or irregular areas that cannot fit whole standard tiles.

7. Finishing Touches:

The finishing touch comes after allowing a 48-hour settling period once all tiles are laid.

Apply trim pieces where the floor meets the walls for a streamlined, polished look.

With some patience and focus, these tiles can transform the garage aesthetics into a clean space you can be proud of.

Your Dream Garage Awaits!

There you have it!

With some planning and these step-by-step instructions, you're well on transforming your garage.

Remember, the key lies in preparation, careful installation, and choosing the suitable tiles.

In our Garage Flooring collection, you can find the perfect tiles for your garage, gym, or children's playroom.

Our Interlocking Garage Floor Tiles are designed for safety and durability, making them ideal for event and expo flooring.

Shop now and get a 60% discount on retail prices!

FAQs:

Q: What if my car leaks oil onto the tiles? Is it easy to clean up?

A: No worries - oil leaks happen! Just use a mild soap and water solution with a broom or tile brush to scrub away tougher liquid spills.

Q: What happens if the tiles get wet?

A: The thick plastic tiles can withstand wet garage conditions. Mop up excess standing water to keep your garage dry.

Q: What’s the best way to clean the tiles regularly?

A: Easy - Just sweep up any loose debris with a broom or vacuum when needed to keep your new floors looking sharp!

Q: How durable are the coin dot tiles?

A: Extremely! These commercial-grade tiles can handle parked vehicles, heavy equipment rolling around, dropped tools, and day-to-day garage use without any damage.

Q: Are there different tile colors to choose from?

A: For sure! We offer coin dot tiles in various colour options. You can select the perfect shade to match your garage style. Check them out now!