RD Free Flow vs Coin Trac or Diamond

[racerx51b]

I've read through many threads and still have a few questions. I am finalizing my design and undecided between going with coin trac or free flow. Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated.

1. Does the free flow design make it a nightmare to find dropped small nuts/bolts/washers etc?

2. Does the free flow design trap in dust and debris? Or can you just blow it all out with a gas powered leaf blower. I am kind of a neat freak and seeing dust and debris trapped in all the grooves and seeing it on the bare concrete below would drive me nuts.

I live in South Florida so melting snow isn't an issue but we have plenty of summer showers that result in parking cars that are dripping plenty of water. The open air design of the free flow tiles seems ideal for this and plus I like the way they look. However, my goal is to have a clean looking garage and my gut is telling me the coin trac is going to give me that look. I don't do much work in my garage outside of maintaining my Motocross bike so I do have concerns will small nuts and bolts disappearing into the grooves.

Love to hear your thoughts on this.

 

[CRF8]

I am in central Florida, used RD solid tiles except the last 2 rows by the garage door. That's as far as the rain blows in. I am happy !


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[AaronTTRS]

I have all RD free flow.

Remember you can pull up a single tile at a time easily with free flow. If something small goes in and under, pop it up and put it back- takes 10 seconds.

I wash a few times weekly and use a gas 200 MPH leaf blower.

On the snow car side of the garage I pull them up and clean after winter to remove sand/salt.

Love my free flow, just great.
Aaron

 

[racerx51b]

Thanks for the responses.

Do you find that dust/dirt builds up in the nooks and crannys? My garage is level without a drain so cleaning it by just hosing it down isn't an option.

Jason

 

[SteveCh]

I use a shop vac now and then to clean out the sawdust, etc., that drops down in my FreeFlow. On occasion, yes, a washer or screw or nut will fall through. I fish them out with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or whatever.

For moisture, such as rain or water dripping off the undercarriage, it just evaporates quickly, no problem. I don't have a drain or sloped floor, either, and the water is simply no big deal, even when rain or snow blow onto my floor.

 

[Shea]

If you are bit OCD about keeping your floor clean, the Free-Flow hardly shows dust or dirt at all. Blowing sand and stuff will fall into the channels and disappear. As someone said, a good high power shop vac will **** most light debris right off the concrete floor. If you do need to remove a tile then a paint can opener will lift it right up. Rain from your cars will not collect on the tile and rarely leaves water spots to clean.

The coined design is easy to keep clean with a dust mop however. It just requires more frequent wipe downs than the Free-Flow because it shows dust and tire prints more depending on color.

 

[dubber]

I have all RD free flow.

Remember you can pull up a single tile at a time easily with free flow. If something small goes in and under, pop it up and put it back- takes 10 seconds.

I wash a few times weekly and use a gas 200 MPH leaf blower.

On the snow car side of the garage I pull them up and clean after winter to remove sand/salt.

Love my free flow, just great.
Aaron

This sums it up perfectly.

 

[JACDes]

The free flow looks nice but leaks (oil, brakes, etc) could go unnoticed will still stain the concrete below the tiles. Personally I would like solid floor beneath the car so you can see any leaks & wipe them up. More importantly fix the offending part !

 

[mygarageone]

Ok , I am still vacillating on racedeck or VCT . The biggest issue I have is the clacking noise the racedeck makes or is that something that really doesn't happen ?
Anyone and everyone , what do you say.

 

[JACDes]

My choice I would just do area mat(s) under the car(s) say 7.5' X 20' large enough to catch any spills and keep the floor clean beneath them.

leave the rest of the floor exposed especially if the concrete is in good shape.
I would just clean the floor and apply a water based concrete sealer. like VOCOMP-15 or -20

That will protect the floor from road salt, even oil spills provided you clean them up in time, but a mat under the car can deal with that.

so what if every 3-5 years you clean and reseal the concrete, a 5 gallon pail cost less than 100 $ plus you have a reason to "clean up"

 

[SteveCh]

I keep hearing this "clacking noise" business and after having Racedeck for two years and walking on it every day, I still don't know what that business is about. In my case, it's a myth, there is no clacking. Never has been. Footfalls no louder than walking across concrete. Is their noise? Of course. Walk across wood, tile, concrete, whatever, and you'll have a tiny bit of noise.

 

[mygarageone]

I keep hearing this "clacking noise" business and after having Racedeck for two years and walking on it every day, I still don't know what that business is about. In my case, it's a myth, there is no clacking. Never has been. Footfalls no louder than walking across concrete. Is their noise? Of course. Walk across wood, tile, concrete, whatever, and you'll have a tiny bit of noise.

So , your saying that if I walked across your floor with tennie shoes , it would not make and noise ? I wear soft soled boots and shoes , they really make no noise at all walking on any kind of floor. However my cowboy boots are a differant story .

 

[Chris05gto]

My FreeFlow floor makes zero noise when walking on it.

 

[CRF8]

There is a very slight clacking with my solid tiles. I put landscape fabric under most areas , someone else suggested it. It's not a problem! I have 2 rows of free flow, its silent.


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[1jjpop]

How would 1/4'' foam in 4'x4' sheets [like they use under vinyl sideing] use under race deck flooring ??? Just a idea ????? Buy it at a lumber yard.

 

[CRF8]

I would think 1/4 inch would be too thick. would crush in some places and be thinner

 

[mboss4]

Ok , I am still vacillating on racedeck or VCT . The biggest issue I have is the clacking noise the racedeck makes or is that something that really doesn't happen ?
Anyone and everyone , what do you say.

The noise is a little annoying, but I went with VCT for 12 months or so and wasn't pleased with the durability. I converted to racedeck and wished I'd had it to start with.

 

[Shea]

Very few people actually have any issues at all with interlocking tile making noise. For those that do, the synthetic landscape fabric will make it quiet. Foam sheets, cardboard, and other suggestions are not the way to go. Because they can soak up water, they won't dry well and cause mold and mildew problems. If you are concerned about noise, here is an article about how to use synthetic landscape fabric.

http://allgaragefloors.com/oh-my-noisy-tile/