Garage Floor Trim: A Comprehensive Guide
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Why Is Garage Floor Trim Important?
Trim is a strip of material that covers the joint between a vertical and a horizontal surface of a room. This narrow strip can be a very visible and often a defining feature. Trims are most notable where the wall meets the floor or the ceiling. Floor Trims are also known as Base or Baseboards.
But why is a Garage Floor Trim Important? Here are 8 ways a garage floor trim is helpful:
The Garage Floor Trim:
- Protects the garage wall from water splashes on the floor
- Protects the garage wall from chemical, oil & grease spills
- Protects the garage wall from impacts
- Covers any gaps between the wall & the floor
- Prevents ingress by small insects and making the gap their home
- Can help in car parking as a visual aid
- Defines & adds character to the garage
- Makes the garage more beautiful & pleasing to the eye
What Materials do Garage Floor Trims come in?
In addition to being the place to park the family cars, a garage is often used for a variety of other functions. In most homes it may be the preferred entrance to the home. Gardening equipment like lawn mowers or hedge trimmers get kept there.
In short the garage floor sees some real rough treatment. A garage floor trim has to be very functional.
Fortunately garage floor trims come in many different materials, so you can choose the one best suited to your needs.
| Material | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Thermoplastic Vinyl (TV) | Waterproof, durable, easy to install, inexpensive, comes in many colors | Not as impact-resistant as other materials |
| Thermoplastic Rubber (TR) | Waterproof, durable, impact-resistant, flexible, resistant to tears and abrasions, excellent chemical resistance, comes in a range of colors | Can be more expensive than TV |
| Thermosetting Rubber (TS) | Extremely flexible, easy to install, uniform color, satin finish, excellent chemical resistance, durable, easy to maintain | Can be more expensive than TV and TR |
| Diamond Plate | Durable, easy to install, comes in a variety of colors and finishes | Can be more expensive than TV and TR |
Thermoplastic Vinyl (TV) Garage Baseboards
Vinyl is the common name for Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC), a type of plastic. PVC is a synthetic material made from ethylene in crude oil and chlorine in sea salt. Through a series of chemical processes, PVC resin is created.
The names Vinyl and PVC are used interchangeably and refer to the same synthetic material. Vinyl is very dense, for a plastic (specific gravity of 1.4 for rigid PVC). This makes PVC very hard. Moreover, rigid PVC has very high tensile strength.
Vinyl is a thermoplastic. In other words it can be recycled. For this reason Vinyl Baseboards are called Thermoplastic Vinyl (TV) Baseboards by the manufacturers.
Vinyl baseboards are excellent as garage floor trim because:
TV is waterproof.
Garage floors keep getting dirty. Cars will bring in dust, mud or snow. There will be oil spills. So you are always washing and mopping your garage floor.
But you do not want the drywall (or plywood or OSB) of your garage wall getting wet. Mold will grow on them if they get wet.
A vinyl baseboard protects the garage wall from getting wet or damp.
TV is very durable.
Unlike wood or steel, Vinyl does not rot or corrode. Won’t fade, crack or chip even under tough conditions of a garage.
Ants & termites will not eat up the vinyl baseboard.
TV is easy to install.
Vinyl baseboards are light, come in preformed sections, are easy to cut and can be installed using adhesives.
TV is not expensive.
Vinyl is one of the most common building materials today. It is available in plenty. This means that vinyl baseboards are among the cheapest options available.
TV comes in many colors.
Vinyl baseboards come in many profiles and colors. The colors are a part of the material and not painted on. So no painting or repainting is required.
TRADITIONAL VINYL 1/8″ (TYPE TV) from Johnsonite
Traditional Vinyl wall base delivers beauty, quality, durability and solid performance. Perfect for any commercial application, Traditional Vinyl wall base is offered in three standard heights. With over 107 color options, the right color is available for any project.
Thermoplastic Rubber (TR) Garage Baseboard
When homeowners refer to Rubber baseboards they are in fact referring to Thermoplastic Rubber (TR) Baseboards without knowing it. TR Baseboards are not really made from natural rubber.
They use Thermoplastic Rubber (TR) which is an engineered synthetic material, TR is sometimes also known as Synthetic Rubber.
TR has the flexibility of plastics and rubber. TR Garage Floor Trim is glossy and comes in a range of colors. TR is also suitable for fixing to the wall using adhesives.
The outstanding features of TR baseboards are
TR has High Impact Strength
TR baseboards can take a lot of hits, a lot more than TV baseboards can. So its Ok if you hit them with trolley castors at times. They do not mind your kids throwing their hockey sticks at them.
TR has High Flexibility
TR Baseboards are flexible. The flexibility allows them to have a closer grip on the floor. Water is unlikely to slip past them.
Higher flexibility also helps them hide any imperfections in the wall finish.
TR has High Resistance to Tears & Abrasions
High resistance to tears & abrasions is in part due to their flexibility. They will bounce back from a hit, not crack or chip.
TR has Excellent Chemical Resistance
TR Baseboards have excellent resistance to most chemicals. This property is especially helpful in a garage setting. TR has excellent resistance to Dilute Acids, Alkalis, Gas, Oils & Greases.
TR has Great Aesthetics
TR baseboards are highly glossy & reflective. They also come in a range of attractive colors. A brightly colored TR baseboard can be quite helpful for reverse parking in the garage. They are super easy to clean too.
TRADITIONAL DURACOVE THERMOPLASTIC RUBBER 1/8″ (TYPE TR)from Johnsonite
Traditional Duracove Rubber wall base delivers beauty, quality, durability and solid performance. Perfect for any commercial application, Traditional Duracove Rubber wall base is offered in three standard heights. With over 115 color options, the right color is available for any project.
Thermosetting Rubber (TS) Garage Baseboard
Thermosetting materials are different than thermoplastic materials. Once the process has been completed and the material has set it can not be melted by reheating. So thermosetting materials can not be recycled.
Thermosetting Rubber Baseboards aka TS Rubber Garage Floor Trim is made from 100% rubber (though most of it is synthetic rubber).
Some of the unique properties of TS are:
TS has Excellent Flexibility
TS is made from 100 percent rubber, so it’s extremely flexible and easy to install. Inside corners are easily mitered and outside corners can be formed and wrapped at installation. TS will not shrink or cup.
TS is less prone to distortion when exposed to heat and helps to hide wall imperfections.
TS has Uniform Color
TS Rubber Baseboard has a uniform color across the entire thickness of the trim. The result is that nicks are not easily visible.
TS has Satin Finish
TS Rubber Baseboard has a low-gloss satin finish. As a result scuff marks don’t show.
TS has Excellent Chemical Resistance
TS Rubber Baseboard has excellent resistance to chemicals and is highly durable. It is easy to maintain.
BASEWORKS™ THERMOSET RUBBER (TYPE TS) from Johnsonite
High-performance BaseWorks™ Thermoset Rubber Wall Base provides increased flexibility for standard, curved or column installations. Its surface resists fading, cracking and will not shrink or separate from the wall.
Diamond Plate Garage Baseboard
Diamond Plate as a garage floor trim is a great option too. You can install it on the drywall or plywood on your garage walls to any height that you want.
Online Diamond Plate has a complete garage kit which is customized to the size of your garage. Take a look at their video.
Will Garage Floor Trim let me Wash my Car in the Garage?
It is common for garage floors to get wet and even have shallow puddles of water on it. The water may be from the rain drip or snow melt from the car.
Garage Floor Trim is very useful in preventing water puddles from seeping into the drywall and making it soggy.
However, the trims are not very high. They typically come in 2 1/2″, 4″ or 6″ height. This is not high enough if you plan to wash your car in the garage. The spray from the carwash will wet the drywall.
If you plan to wash your car in the garage then you should install a metal wainscot, which is high enough. A height of 2 1/2′ to 3′ is a good height for a metal panel wainscot in a garage. You can use Diamond Plate Wall Tiles from CarGuyGarage.
With a Garage Baseboard and a Metal Panel Wainscot you can wash your cars in your garage itself. Of course make sure that your garage floor drains are properly installed and functioning!
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that installing a garage floor trim is really helpful and I believe that every garage should have it installed.
If you do not want to spend too much money, just go for the Vinyl Baseboard. It is pretty effective and won’t break the bank. It is simple to install and you can do it yourself.
There are many benefits of putting in a garage floor trim. The top 5 according to me are:
- Protects the garage wall from water, chemicals, oil etc.
- Saves the drywall from impacts.
- Covers up any gaps or imperfections between the garage floor and drywall
- Makes it easier to maintain the garage
- Adds character to the garage
Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.
