These days people hardly realize the importance of choosing the right parking floor materials. Traditionally, many homeowners and even commercial establishments have gone for plain old concrete flooring for their parking lots and garages. While sufficient for support and strength, a plain concrete finish often falls short of the design and appearance needs of a beautiful entrance or parking area.
Parking floor materials must be selected with equal care and insight as any other part of your building. Aster Granite comes across as the best choice in this regard, with the benefits of unmatched strength and limitless design options. The stunning variety of design, strength and applications that this natural stone boasts of makes it a top choice among parking floor materials.
However, there are tons of other parking materials to choose from when it comes to parking floor design.
Here is a list of 7 Best Parking Floor Materials:
- Granite
- Limestone
- Quartzite
- Cobbled Stone
- Tumbled Stone
- Parking Grade Vitrified Tile
- Interlock Parking Pavers
Granite
By far one of the most widely used and appreciated natural stones; granite is another name for durability and toughness. This material finds application in several parts of Indian homes, including kitchen countertops, backplashes, flooring, accent walls, and more. Not surprisingly, it can also be used as a resilient option for parking floors.
Pros
- One of the biggest advantages of using granite for parking is its incredible durability. With proper care and maintenance, in fact, you can ensure that your granite parking floor will last you a lifetime.
- Granite can be easily sealed to protect it from moisture. Therefore, washing your parking floor to keep it spic and span will not have any adverse effects on the underlying granite.
- Probably the most important aspect of using granite for your parking floor must be its timeless beauty. The sheer variety of design options when it comes to choosing granite for your parking floor can have you mesmerized. There are tons of shades, colours, patterns, striations and grains to choose from, and no two slabs are ever the same.
- Another advantage of a granite parking floor has to be its incredibly low maintenance. You do not have to bother about using any harsh materials to get rid of the dirt and grime. leaning with a mild soap solution works the trick well.
Cons
- The only drawback we can assume for granite is the wide variety of options to choose from. Unless you have professional help to guide you through the selection process, it is easy to get confused.
- Another important area of concern would be the installation and repair process of granite, which requires professional assistance. We recommend always calling in experienced experts in granite whenever you want to install or repair your granite parking floor.
8 Best Granites for Parking
There is no dearth of options when it comes to choosing granite for usage as kitchen countertops, room flooring, and so on. However, when talking about parking floor material, we have curated a list of a few best performing and high strength options that you could consider.
8 Best Granite for Parking in India | With Prices
| Granite | Price |
| Black Mist Granite | ₹122/sqft |
| Flash Blue Granite | ₹178/sqft |
| Icon Brown Granite | ₹166/sqft |
| Lakha Red Granite | ₹280/sqft |
| Black Forest Granite | ₹128/sqft |
| Magma Brown Granite | ₹144/sqft |
| Elite Brown Granite | ₹185/sqft |
| Vizag Blue Granite | ₹172/sqft |
Black Mist Granite
With a pitch black background and strikingly contrasting white striations, the Black Mist Granite is one of the most interesting parking floor options you could consider. Apart from the distinctive look of this granite slab, the other striking point to note is that this granite is available in book-matched slabs. Therefore, your parking floor could get a seamless look with this option – making it look magnificent.
| Properties of Black Mist Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | Excellent |
| Consistency | Moderate |
Flash Blue Granite
Characterized by long and translucent blue crystals embedded throughout the matrix, Flash Blue Granite is ideal as a parking floor choice due to its excellent strength and durability. Not to mention, blue-coloured crystals imbedded in the granite leave a mark on the onlooker due to their delicate grandeur. Flash Blue Granite adds depth and dimension to your parking floor with its stately appearance, and a slight greenish tinge.
| Properties of Flash Blue Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | High |
| Consistency | Moderate |
Icon Brown Granite
One of the most common granite variations in India, Icon Brown Granite is known for its dark brown base paired with light brown crystals. The appealing and gorgeous granite variety offers exceptional strength as well, which makes it perfect for use as a parking floor material. At the same time, Icon Brown Granite is one of the most reasonably priced granite options in this list as well.
| Properties of Icon Brown Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | High |
| Consistency | High |
Lakha Red Granite
Red is a rare choice for rare tastes, and if indeed it is your thing, Lakha Red Granite is where your search ends. Lending a grand look to your parking floor, this granite variety is known for its brilliant and unmatched red base with minimal grains. It is exceptionally hard. Also, stone performs exceptionally well in terms of chemical and heat resistance.
| Properties of Lakha Red Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | High |
| Consistency | High |
Black Forest Granite
Another black granite option that makes a stately appearance when used in any part of your building, Black Forest Granite is characterized by a lighter black background matched by less dense and widely varying patterns on the fore.
| Properties of Black Forest Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | Excellent |
| Consistency | Moderate |
Magma Brown Granite
As the name suggests, Magma Brown Granite comes with soft gold speckles and striations that look like swirls of honey, lending an overall delicate, gorgeous look to the stone. However, let the looks not fool you. Magma Brown Granite is one of the most resilient and strong parking floor materials you will come by. Though it is tagged on the slightly more expensive end of the spectrum, Magma Brown Granite continues to be in popular use because of its exceptional qualities.
| Properties of Magma Brown Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | High |
| Consistency | Moderate |
Elite Brown Granite
Boasting of a rich brown undertone and striking light brown striations, Elite Brown Granite is what you need when looking to make a statement with granite slabs as parking floor materials. The stone has a unique appearance and brilliant strength to offer, making it a suitable choice for not just residences but also commercial establishments.
| Properties of Elite Brown Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | High |
| Consistency | Moderate |
Vizag Blue Granite
As mentioned earlier, blue is already a difficult colour to spot when it comes to natural stones, leave alone granite. Therefore, the Vizag Blue Granite is set to become an iconic parking floor choice for your home or building due to its fantastic bluish-grey undertones.
| Properties of Vizag Blue Granite | Remarks |
| Heat Resistance | High |
| Mechanical Strength | High |
| Consistency | Moderate |
Limestone
Limestone is already an extremely popular choice when it comes to picking natural stone for parking floor materials. The stone boasts not just of exceptional strength and durability but also impressive design options to choose from. Interestingly, limestone is quite affordable, making it a must on this list of the best parking floor materials to choose from.
Pros
- Limestone is exceptionally strong, and its strength comes from its formation history. The stone forms organically upon deposition of calcium carbonate in warm waters by sea animals. The process of formation of limestone involves corals, algae and sea shells, all of which lend the stone its characteristic durability.
- Compared to other natural stone options, including granite, limestone does not burn a hole in your pocket. In fact, this makes it much more suitable for smaller homes on a budget who want to experiment with stylish natural options, or even large commercial establishments seeking an uplift on a budget.
- The stone can last a lifetime if taken good care of. Despite falling into the category of “soft stones”, limestone is one option that always impresses with its strength and resilience.
- Lastly, limestone is an environment-friendly option that releases no toxins into the atmosphere either during its life or manufacture.
Cons
- One of the most notable drawbacks of limestone is the difficulty in its maintenance. Although one of the best parking floor materials to consider, limestone is porous in nature and must be sealed frequently for optimum performance.
- Its softness can also be a matter of concern, considering sharp objects can lead to dents and chips in the surface, and this is quite possible in a parking area if not taken care of properly.
Quartzite
Comparable to marble in its looks and granite in terms of strength, quartzite is one of the best parking floor materials you can consider as far as looks and performance are concerned. The easy-to-maintain natural stone boasts of a striking appearance, and makes up for the shortcomings of other parking floor materials in a single sweep.
Pros
- Quartzite is exceptionally durable – in fact is one of the hardest natural stones found in nature. Therefore, you do not have to fret over cars and heavy objects damaging its surface during use.
- Next, the natural stone is extremely easy to clean and maintain. Considering there is a lot of grime and dirt involved in a parking lot, this is a pretty handsome advantage you get.
- Quartzite also offers impressive resistance to UV rays. Therefore, if you are looking for parking floor materials for an open-to-sky area, quartzite is one of your safest bets.
Cons
- Out of the drawbacks of using quartzite slabs as parking floor materials, the first has to be its poor performance in the face of moisture content. Unless sealed frequently, quartzite cannot resist water percolation and damage.
- At the same time, this natural stone offers limited variety in terms of design. Although its appearance is as stately as can get, they are not too vivid or varied to experiment on a broad scale.
Cobbled Stone
Interestingly enough, “cobbled stone” refers to the small blocks of paving material that are made using an array of materials. While some prefer using resilient concrete bricks, most cobbled stones are manufactured using granite, basalt or limestone. The idea is to create a unique parking floor surface that has a characteristic old-school charm and interesting appearance.
Pros
- Out of the several advantages of using cobbled stones as parking floor materials, the first and foremost has to be their exceptional durability. As these stones are made out of resilient materials such as basalt, granite or limestone, you can expect optimum performance from their end.
- Secondly, cobbled stone has a charming old-world appearance that is tough to match. Such pavers are common in most of the old cities of the world, and hence lend a stylish retro edge to your parking area.
- The water-permeable surface means that you can alternate these cobbled stone surfaces with grass or water-absorbent layers, and use your open-to-sky parking lot for efficient rainwater harvesting purposes.
Cons
- One of the prime drawbacks of cobbled stones as parking floor materials has to be their labour-intensive installation process. These small pavers require time, energy and focus for laying, and can turn out to be quite tedious and time-taking overall.
- At the same time, the rough uneven surface might not be suitable for all types of parking lots. Say, if you plan on doubling up your parking area for some other function, or for a covered parking space such as in the basement, the rough surface might not be very pleasing.
- The gaps in between cobbled stones might be good for rainwater harvesting, but not so when it comes to the growth of weeds. Removing dirt and even snow from these crevices is quite difficult.
- Lastly, cobbled stones are on the higher end of the price spectrum. Not everyone would want to pay as much for a parking area, when they have other affordable and aesthetic options.
Tumbled Stone
One of the most recent trends when it comes to parking floor materials has to be tumbled stone, which is ragingly popular in the West. The reason behind its massive preference is the rustic look it brings along, with a raw, more natural finish. This brings out the grace and elegance of natural stones much more than a polished, seamless look.
Pros
- Tumbled stones give off a very raw, edgy look for a more old-world elegance. Many designers are actually looking for such a timeless look for their parking area design, making tumbled stones a quick preference.
- These parking floor materials also readily add much real estate value and design significance to your building, thanks to their unique aesthetic appeal and the use of quality natural stones. Eventually, you can sell off your property at a comparatively much higher price than regular concrete finish for parking areas.
- Tumbled pavers are also great for creating an anti-skid surface. If you are creating a parking lot in an area prone to high rainfall, or simply with too many cars to be accommodated in the area, skidding and untoward accidents are a constant worry. Using tumbled stones as parking floor materials can help get rid of this issue, no matter whether you use them indoors or outdoors.
- At the same time, tumbled stones are quite versatile in their applications. Besides offering handsome slip resistance to parking lots, they can also double up as resilient floor surfaces for outdoor courts. You can even use your parking lot as a multifunctional space with these parking floor materials.
- Lastly, one has to mention the durability of tumbled stones when talking about their many advantages. Made out of robust natural stones, tumbled stones are made through intensive turning of stones, which gives them their stunning sturdiness. Travertine, limestone, sandstones, quartzite and granite are treated harshly to produce these tough natural stones, making them a long-lasting and durable choice as parking floor materials.
- Also, tumbled stones are quite easy to install and maintain; not to mention, they are waterproof parking floor materials that also provide protection from tremendous heat or cold.
Cons
- Coming to the demerits of using tumbled stones as parking floor materials, the most obvious one has to be that they are not seamless. Though less visible and broad compared to cobbled stones, tumbled stones also come with visible grouts that may give easy way to water, dust and grime.
- Also, tumbled stones are quite an expensive option, if budget is a constraint for you in the designing or renovation of your parking lot. There are other cheaper options to consider which also provide a similar level of durability, though you would have to give up on the brilliant old-world charm of tumbled stone parking floor materials.
Parking Grade Vitrified Tile
A brilliant product of advanced technology, parking grade vitrified tiles are easily the most robust parking floor materials you can get within a budget. Besides impeccable durability and scratch resistance, these high-performing vitrified tiles offer the exquisite option of myriad designs, colours and patterns – something that is visibly lacking in most natural stones other than granite.
Pros
- Made of a mixture of high-performing materials such as silica, clay, quartz and feldspar, vitrified tiles involve subjecting all these materials to high temperatures, leading to their characteristic durability and unique texture. This is the reason behind their impressive mechanical strength and scratch resistance, making them an ideal choice as parking floor materials.
- With a very low absorption rate, parking-grade vitrified tiles offer more water resistance than many other natural stones. This not just protects them from damage, but also makes it easier to clean their surface without any hassles.
- Parking-grade vitrified tiles are available in a range of different sizes, shapes and design options. There are so many colours, patterns and shades to choose from that you can rest assured that you will always find ways to experiment with these high-grade vitrified tiles as your choice for floor materials.
- Apart from the aesthetics and performance, these tiles are also comparatively more affordable than some varieties of natural stones mentioned above. The ease of installation paired with lower costs makes them suitable as parking floor materials for larger commercial areas as well.
Cons
While these high-grade tiles might be less expensive than a few natural stones, they are not the most affordable options on the horizon. Many prefer using limestone or rubber tiles instead because of the cost issue involved in high-grade vitrified tiles.
Though these tiles are easy to maintain, they are prone to cracks and chips if treated harshly, or in the face of some accidents, which is a possibility in parking areas for heavier vehicles. Therefore, the long life of parking-grade vitrified tiles is subject to how well you maintain it.
Explore the Different Tile Design Options for Parking
Play with Patterns
Unlike natural stones, there is an endless variety of patterns, designs and striations that you can experiment with when it comes to using heavy duty vitrified tiles as parking floor materials. From circular patterns to interesting stripes, replicating natural stones to bringing in an element of surprise with geometrical variations, there are limitless possibilities of playing with patterns and transforming your area into a work of art.
Opt for Textures
Another advantage you have upon using vitrified tiles as parking floor materials is that of unlimited variety of textures. From ribbed and grainy to striped undulations, from rubber tile-like projections to simple polished surfaces, you can experiment with a wide variety of textures with high-grade vitrified tiles. No wonder, these tiles have quickly replaced other conventional materials due to such impressive variations on the horizon.
Dash of Colour
Parking lots do not have to be mundane anymore! Heavy-duty vitrified tiles actually offer a wide variety in terms of colours as well – black, grey, beige, brown, blue, red, white, gold – name it and you can have it! The availability of so many colourful options means that you can always find something you want that exactly matches the space and vibe you were aiming for.
Still Confused? Get in Touch with Experts on Parking Floor Materials!
Picking out the right parking floor materials can be a tedious task if you do not have the right experts to guide you. After all, parking flooring is as much about the technicalities as about trends and design. At Petros, our team of highly experienced experts is always ready to help you with all your doubts and queries related to parking floor materials. Jus give us a call and schedule an appointment today!
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