One of the best things about interlocking floor tiles is that you don't need a contractor, a mixer or a week of drying time. If you can measure a room and use a rubber mallet, you can lay a Floorless floor. This guide walks through the whole job, from an empty garage to a finished floor you can drive on straight away.
What you'll need
- Your tiles, plus 5 to 10% extra for cuts
- Ramped edge pieces for any open sides, and corner pieces where two edges meet
- A rubber mallet to seat the joints
- A tape measure, a straight edge and a marker
- Something to cut with: a handheld or table-top saw, or our 20 inch guillotine cutter if you have a lot of cuts to make
- A broom and, for PVC tiles in a sunny spot, a suitable floor adhesive
1. Get the floor ready
Clear the space completely, then sweep out all loose debris, dirt and dust. Interlocking tiles are laid loose, so they follow the floor underneath: the slab needs to be sound and reasonably flat, and loose grit under a tile can stop the joints closing. Deal with any deep holes or crumbling patches before you start.
2. Find and mark the centre
Use a tape measure to find the centre of the garage across its width, and mark a centre line in pencil or chalk. This line is your guide for where the first tiles go, and it's the secret to a floor that looks balanced: starting from the centre means the cut tiles end up the same width on both sides.
If you're mixing colours, sketch the pattern on paper at this stage. A stripe through the middle, an outline square or a chequerboard all line up neatly off the centre line. Our garage floor ideas article has a few layouts to borrow.
3. Make a start
Connect two tiles using the interlocking system. You can press them together by hand at first, but use a rubber mallet to make sure each joint is fully tight. Place the pair at the front of the garage with the middle of the two tiles on your centre line.
4. Build out from the front
Work width-ways across the front of the garage first, then row by row towards the back. Tap every joint with the mallet as you go. Keep going until you reach the point where the next tiles need cutting at the back and along the sides.
5. Cut the edge tiles
Because you started from the centre, you'll have an equal gap on both sides and a gap at the back. Measure from the last full tile to the wall at each position (walls are often slightly out, so measure tile to wall every time rather than once). Mark the cut on the tile, check it's on the correct side of the tile, then cut.
A handheld saw will do the job, but a table-top saw gives a cleaner, more accurate cut. For a big floor, our 20 inch guillotine cutter cuts vented, PVC and rubber tiles with no power needed. With PVC tiles, leave a small gap at the walls rather than forcing the last tile in; skirting will hide it.
6. Finish the edges
Open sides, and especially the garage door threshold, need ramped edges. They slope from the top of the tile down to the floor, so cars roll on smoothly and nobody catches a toe. Edges come in male and female versions to match the two kinds of tile side: the female edge has loops and the male edge has pegs. Add a corner piece wherever two edges meet on an outside corner.
Not sure how many of each you need? Measure each open side in centimetres and divide by 40 for vented tiles, or 50 for PVC tiles. If you send us a sketch of the floor, we'll tell you exactly which edges to order.
7. Sunlight and PVC tiles
Solid PVC tiles can expand in strong direct sunlight, for example just inside a glazed door. If part of your floor gets a lot of sun, glue the tiles in that area to stop them lifting. If you don't and a tile does bow in the heat, it returns to shape once it cools down. Vented polypropylene tiles don't need glue.
Final touches and aftercare
Once the last tiles are down, give the floor a wipe with a spray mop and the job is done. Day to day, a sweep is all it needs. Vented tiles can be hosed down, because water drains straight through to the slab. Solid PVC tiles keep spills on top, so a mop deals with most things. And because nothing is glued, you can lift a single tile to clean underneath or replace it if it ever gets damaged.
Need a hand?
If you're planning a floor and want a second opinion on quantities or layout, call the team on 0333 242 2442 or send us a message. Order before 10am and we'll despatch the same day.