Heating/molding Racedeck tiles??

[grabeb]

I have a slight dip where my drain is. Covers maybe a 4 tile area. Is there any chance I could heat and gently mold the tiles to drop down in this area vs trying to build it up? Maybe even some ideas to shim the tiles but allow water to flow through?

If not I'll work on floating it even with concrete/grout. I worry about failure of that, reduced drainage and then the fact it's right where my front wheel goes, so I can't park in garage for a few weeks, which I don't love the idea of. Still in winter, then we will exit that into hail season.....

p.s.
FWIW, I'm also trying to think of maybe a way to level with concrete, but maybe throw a piece of plywood or something to spread the load!??

 

[NUTTSGT]

Are you going to be driving on these tiles or anything heavy on them?

 

[grabeb]

Are you going to be driving on these tiles or anything heavy on them?

Yes, they will be driven on. Right where my front tire lands.

 

[sgrammel]

4 tile...give it shot and see what happens...assuming you have extra tiles

 

[grabeb]

4 tile...give it shot and see what happens...assuming you have extra tiles

That's what I'm kind of thinking. Will have to figure out how best to go about it.

 

[Shea]

I have a slight dip where my drain is. Covers maybe a 4 tile area. Is there any chance I could heat and gently mold the tiles to drop down in this area vs trying to build it up? Maybe even some ideas to shim the tiles but allow water to flow through?

If not I'll work on floating it even with concrete/grout. I worry about failure of that, reduced drainage and then the fact it's right where my front wheel goes, so I can't park in garage for a few weeks, which I don't love the idea of. Still in winter, then we will exit that into hail season.....

p.s.
FWIW, I'm also trying to think of maybe a way to level with concrete, but maybe throw a piece of plywood or something to spread the load!??

How deep is the dip in relation to the rest of the floor?

 

[grabeb]

How deep is the dip in relation to the rest of the floor?

 

[toolmiser]

I would contact Racedeck, they might have a better idea.

 

[grabeb]

I would contact Racedeck, they might have a better idea.

I've asked, really didn't get good reply. I might try heating a few up and seeing. Trying to think of a way to warm them to do this. Doubt my wife will let me use the oven. Maybe a heat gun....

 

[Shea]

If the deepest part of the depression is near the intersection where the 4 tiles meet (center of a + sign), I don't think it will be a big issue. The seams of the peg-and-loop connection will allow the tiles to conform more easily to the depression under load or when walked on.

Can you shape the polypropylene under heat? Yes. However, the heat will typically create thermal degradation. This is fine for walking on, but it's not good for the tiles' structural support. The support structure underneath may bend or flex when the car tires sit or drive over those tiles.

 

[grabeb]

Understood.

If the deepest part of the depression is near the intersection where the 4 tiles meet (center of a + sign), I don't think it will be a big issue. The seams of the peg-and-loop connection will allow the tiles to conform more easily to the depression under load or when walked on.

Can you shape the polypropylene under heat? Yes. However, the heat will typically create thermal degradation. This is fine for walking on, but it's not good for the tiles' structural support. The support structure underneath may bend or flex when the car tires sit or drive over those tiles.

Understood. It'll likely be the freeflow tiles as well.

 

[strength_and_power]

Wait until your wife leaves and use the oven. As long as you don’t catch them on fire or make them smoke, there should be no smell. Got a gas grill?

 

[drx2]

I have a similar dip in my garage. Just laid them down and eventually they conformed to the surface. No issues.

 

[grabeb]

Wait until your wife leaves and use the oven. As long as you don’t catch them on fire or make them smoke, there should be no smell. Got a gas grill

I thought about the gas grill.

 

[grabeb]

I have a similar dip in my garage. Just laid them down and eventually they conformed to the surface. No issues.

That's good to know.

 

[rlitman]

...Can you shape the polypropylene under heat? Yes. However, the heat will typically create thermal degradation. This is fine for walking on, but it's not good for the tiles' structural support. The support structure underneath may bend or flex when the car tires sit or drive over those tiles.

You can heat polypropylene to the point it softens, place a weight on it and let it set, but you're absolutely right in that it's very easy to go past that point and damage the plastic. When I'm heat welding PP, I'll set my heat gun to 180C and go to town, and it's pretty hard to hurt things, but if you don't have a digitally controlled heat gun, I wouldn't advise trying this.

Here's a crazy idea... Do you have a belt sander? You could grind the underside of a spare Racedeck tile to taper from the center out to the edges and place that UNDER the top Racedeck layer as a shim. Or you could buy tapered plastic shim stock and make an asterisk * leading to the drain that levels out the floor while still allowing free draining.

 

[grabeb]

Don't have digital heat gun. I'll look them up. I have heat gun and temp probes and infrared thermometers. Maybe that would work?

Using a few spares for shims isn't bad idea either.

 

[rust in the eye]

My thoughts are to warm them while weighted. Heating pads under bags of sand?
If in a warm climate setting bags of sand, salt, something with mass in the hot sun then putting a bunch of them on that spot, covered with blankets to retain the heat may work.
Heat guns can only give localized heat. By the time one spot is warm another will have cooled.
That's all I have.