Best Garage Floor Mats for Snow
If you live in an area where you get at least one snowfall or ice storm each winter, you know the struggle of trying to keep your garage floor clean. With the leakage, clumps of snow, mud and road salts you track in, you start to feel like you’re driving a snowplow rather than a sedan. There may be a solution to help keep your garage floor dry and in good shape – read on to learn about the best garage floor mats for snow.
What Are Garage Floor Mats and Why Would I Need One?
Your garage floor can quickly get dirty, stained or slippery thanks to everything your car tracks in from the outdoors. A garage floor mat is a quick and effective fix that soaks up or diverts fluids and debris, saving the surface of the floor from damage.
They’re also easy for anyone to use – in most cases, you can simply sweep the floor and unroll the mat – yet tough enough to withstand being driven on over and over.
You can avoid having to scrub or refinish your garage floor after every winter (or worse, slipping and falling!) by simply protecting it with a garage floor snow mat.
Other Features of Garage Floor Mats
Keeping the garage floor dry and safe from snow is the main thing depending on where you live, but protective mats are actually multi-functional. If you have a new garage or have recently finished or painted the floor, you would cringe to see oil drip stains or puddles of melted ice sitting on it – and a garage floor mat would keep it looking brand-new.
If you have an older garage with stains, chips and cracks on the floor, you might want to hide those from sight. Finally, heavy duty garage floor mats, especially fabric ones, add a layer of insulation and sound-proofing to the garage: perfect if you like to escape there from time to time for a little quiet or tinkering.
What Kind of Garage Floor Mat Should I Get For Snow?
There are a few different styles of mat, suitable according to how much snow and liquid they need to be able to handle.
Garage Floor Mats for Light Snow and Rain
If you plan to occasionally bring in a few clumps of snow or some rain, a ribbed garage floor mat might be the best choice for you. This style of mat has grooves or divots built in to hold liquid in and keep it from draining all over the floor.
They’re fairly easy to clean with a mop or wet vac, and are easy to install. They’re usually rubber for a good anti-slip surface, and work best on a level floor.
Garage Floor Mats for Medium Snow and Rain
If you’ll be frequently pulling into the garage dripping from the weather, you might want to look into a fabric garage mat. Some of these are built to hold five times their weight or more in liquid, and will soak up snow, rain, and road salt on their soft surfaces.
These are waterproof to keep your floor protected and are fairly durable. Fabric garage floor mats are also helpful if you have vehicles that leak fluids and leave stains.
Garage Floor Mats for Heavy Snow and Rain
For heavy snowfall and ice areas, you’ll be looking at a containment mat for your garage floor. Containment garage floor mats can hold gallons and gallons of liquid inside their raised edges.
Some of these can be drained, squeegeed out or cleaned with a wet vac. You should look for a heavy duty containment mat that’s anti-slip, reasonably easy to drain and clean, and able to hold as much liquid as you think you’ll be bringing in.
How Much Do Garage Floor Mats Cost?
The cost of a garage floor mat depends on the material and thickness, but for the most part a felt mat is going to be the cheapest and a big, heavy duty containment mat will require a little more of an investment.
You can get something as cheap as a small diamond-ribbed rubber mat for $30, up to a 17-foot, heavy duty PVC mat for $200. Take into consideration how much space you have in your garage, how much snow and debris you may bring in, and how heavily you’ll use it from day to day when determining your budget for a garage floor snow mat.
The best garage mats for snow are usually in the mid-to-higher price ranges – you often get what you pay for.
Best-Rated Ribbed Garage Floor Mat
One of the highest quality ribbed garage floor snow mats on the market is the G-Floor 55-Mil Ribbed PVC Garage Floor Mat. This mat is made in the United States and comes in three colors. It measures 7.5” by 17”, so it is best suited for small to mid size vehicles.
The G-Floor is a tough and rugged mat, which channels liquid to save your garage floor. The mat will arrive on a roll, which makes it easy to install, but for the best experience in getting it to lie flat it’s a good idea to unroll it in the sun for a few hours first.
The G-Floor 55-Mil Ribbed PVC Garage Floor Mat can be purchased from Amazon for $205.
Best-Rated Fabric Garage Floor Mats
If you’re looking for a fabric garage mat to help soak up snow and other outdoor messes, the Drymate Garage Floor Mat is a heavy duty, waterproof solution. This fabric mat can hold several times its own weight in melted snow and ice and keeps the liquid from running over or forming a fall hazard.
The Drymate also holds up well under exposure to oils and fuels, and is resistant to mold. The water-absorbing, sound-absorbing felt-like Drymate Garage Floor Mat is the perfect solution for dirt, oil drips, and light to medium snowfall and ice melt debris. It can be purchased from Amazon for $139.
Best-Rated Containment Mats for Snow
The Auto Floor Guard Containment Mat is a 4.5 star reviewed containment mat, coming in at 8.6′ by 20′ to fit the largest vehicles. Its raised edges keep mud and fluids from running off onto your garage floor, and it’s simple to sweep clean.
Some users have noticed that the material can bunch up when being walked or driven on, so smart buyers purchase some heavy-duty double sided tape along with the mat to keep it where they want it.
Constructed from commercial grade PVC, the Auto Floor Guard Containment Mat can be purchased from Amazon for $125.
Where to Purchase Garage Floor Mats for Snow
Garage floor mats for snow and mud can often be purchased at some big-box or auto parts stores. Be sure to call ahead and ask if there are any heavy-duty garage floor mats available to browse before you head to the store. If not, you can check online – look at the manufacturer’s websites as well as Amazon to see brand names, specs, and prices before you make a decision.
Whether you want to cover up an unsightly floor, or keep your pristine floor looking good as new, a garage floor protective mat will keep your garage clean and tidy throughout the winter and beyond.
It doesn’t matter how neat your mat is if your garage is old and disheveled. Danley’s has been building garage in Chicago since 1959. Get a free quote now and get started on customizing your dream garage today.
