The garage may not be at the front of your mind when you’re considering new flooring for your home—the concrete slab is just fine, right? It can be, but it can also be improved on. Plenty of options exist to improve the durability and look of your garage floor. Whether you turn to a contractor for Chicago garage flooring or take it on as a DIY project, here are some types of flooring to think about if your garage needs a touch-up.

Floor Paint

A coat of paint not only gives some color to your concrete slab and covers up rust and oil spills, it also lends some protection against caustic materials that may come up while working in the garage. Concrete paint—and make sure it’s specifically concrete paint, because standard paints won’t work as well—is generally latex acrylic-based, though some paints have epoxy added. However, while you can use paint to cover up stains, it’s still smart to power wash before painting to remove dirt and grime so it won’t be trapped under the paint.

Epoxy Coating

Though applied in a similar way, epoxy floor coating is not the same as concrete paint, even if the paint has epoxy in it. Paint dries when the solvents in it evaporate, but epoxy hardens and bonds to concrete surfaces through a chemical reaction between a resin and a hardener. The result is also significantly more durable, making it a smart choice for dealing with high foot traffic and vehicles. That isn’t to say it doesn’t look nice, though; some epoxy coatings can contain pigments or flakes of other materials for a nice visual touch.

Rubber Tiling

Rubber tiles are often simpler as a DIY solution, as they interlock without gluing and can be safely installed over slightly damaged concrete. A checkerboard pattern of textured tiles lends a professional “workshop” aesthetic to the garage that appeals to folks that do a lot of work on their car, truck or motorcycle. The surface is easy to clean, provides higher traction for safety and, depending on the materials and treatment in the tiles chosen, benefits from resistance to heat or chemical damage. Plus, if tiles do get damaged or worn out, you can replace them individually.

Roll-out Mats

An alternative to tiles can be found in vinyl mats that are rolled out across the entire floor. If you have a simple floor plan, this makes for one of the easiest installation options. The quality varies based on the material and surface treatment, like with tiles, but generally floor mats benefit from ease of cleaning and resilience underfoot. They can also come in different patterns and textures for style or for safety.