Rural Location - Epoxy or RaceDeck?

[MisterMike]

Here's the deal: We have a place in Wisconsin that will, in the next few years, become our primary home. We built a 30' x 48' pole barn with 14' walls that functions as a garage and general catch-all. The spray foam insulation is done. The walls are finished. Ultimately, I'll do something to finish the ceiling and add heat.

We have a blacktop driveway, but are located on a gravel road that will (hopefully) one day be chip-sealed. I manage to keep the current concrete floor pretty clean, but when the weather gets nasty, my vehicles do drag in a bit of mud and snavel (snow mixed with gravel). I've got a couple of smaller vehicles I park in there--lawn tractor, RAZR, and a few implements.

So, while I tend to be a little compulsive about keeping it clean, realistically it's different than a garage in the 'burbs.

I've had epoxy in my suburban garage and it's worked well over a span of 11 years; it's a little stained in a couple of spots, but overall looks pretty darned good.

I am, however, drawn to RaceDeck. I'd likely stick mostly with light gray/beige tiles, which would not show griminess as much as darker colors. My concern is with the wear and tear of the added muck that I occasionally drag into the shed. Will it hold up? Will it show visible wear faster than the epoxy? I'd appreciate the perspective of those of you who have installed one, or perhaps both, and have subjected it to a bit rougher/dirtier use than most people might.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stinger]

I think the main concern would be the mud getting between and then under the racedeck tiles. Only way to get that would would be to pull up the tiles and wash it, then let it dry and put the tiles back in place. If you have no concern about what's underneath as long as it looks OK up top, they will probably be fine. That sand getting smashed into the floor under the tiles won't do the concrete any favors though.

 

[benwah]

Epoxy/urethane flooring systems are proven again and again in different industries across the world. With the right products you can protect against damn-near anything.

I personally have never used RaceDeck type tiles, and more than likely never will. They are just not my thing, not saying they don't work or look nice.

That being said, be sure either product can hold up to your exposure there. Look into UV resistance, freezing/thawing characteristics, abrasion resistance, impact resistance, chemical resistance, chloride (sodium, calcium, magnesium) resistance and so on.

 

[MisterMike]

Good points. One significant potential issue is the range of temperatures we experience. Anywhere from -20 to -30 F. and as high as 100 F or so.

 

[Garage Flooring]

Here's the deal: We have a place in Wisconsin that will, in the next few years, become our primary home. We built a 30' x 48' pole barn with 14' walls that functions as a garage and general catch-all. The spray foam insulation is done. The walls are finished. Ultimately, I'll do something to finish the ceiling and add heat.

We have a blacktop driveway, but are located on a gravel road that will (hopefully) one day be chip-sealed. I manage to keep the current concrete floor pretty clean, but when the weather gets nasty, my vehicles do drag in a bit of mud and snavel (snow mixed with gravel). I've got a couple of smaller vehicles I park in there--lawn tractor, RAZR, and a few implements.

So, while I tend to be a little compulsive about keeping it clean, realistically it's different than a garage in the 'burbs.

I've had epoxy in my suburban garage and it's worked well over a span of 11 years; it's a little stained in a couple of spots, but overall looks pretty darned good.

I am, however, drawn to RaceDeck. I'd likely stick mostly with light gray/beige tiles, which would not show griminess as much as darker colors. My concern is with the wear and tear of the added muck that I occasionally drag into the shed. Will it hold up? Will it show visible wear faster than the epoxy? I'd appreciate the perspective of those of you who have installed one, or perhaps both, and have subjected it to a bit rougher/dirtier use than most people might.

Thanks in advance.

I think the main concern would be the mud getting between and then under the racedeck tiles. Only way to get that would would be to pull up the tiles and wash it, then let it dry and put the tiles back in place. If you have no concern about what's underneath as long as it looks OK up top, they will probably be fine. That sand getting smashed into the floor under the tiles won't do the concrete any favors though.

Plastic tiles absolutely let stuff through. If you do a plastic tile, it is vitally important that you protect the floor with something like TrueLock B4 first. Coatings do a great job of protecting the floor and the right coating will hold up. Unlike tile they traditionally require a lot of prep work.

Have a look at free flow tiles or our ribbed tiles. At least you can clean through them. If you decide on a coating there are plenty of options, including some like Rust Bullet that require much less prep.

 

[MisterMike]

I got a RaceDeck sample and I'm confident that it's not the answer for this application. I've used WeatherTech's TechFloor in part of our basement and as a parking pad for my motorcycle and, with all due respect to those who sell or use RaceDeck, the TechFloor is a much nicer product.

However, as I've read about Rust Bullet, it does seem like an excellent solution. How would you incorporate color flakes into this type of coating . . . or is that a dumb idea?

 

[Garage Flooring]

I got a RaceDeck sample and I'm confident that it's not the answer for this application. I've used WeatherTech's TechFloor in part of our basement and as a parking pad for my motorcycle and, with all due respect to those who sell or use RaceDeck, the TechFloor is a much nicer product.

However, as I've read about Rust Bullet, it does seem like an excellent solution. How would you incorporate color flakes into this type of coating . . . or is that a dumb idea?

We have a lot of customers who do exactly that.

Full Broadcast

Random Broadcast

The process is pretty much the same. Two coats of base, one coat of clear for random broadcast and two coats of clear for full broadcast. A friend of mine just did it with no clear... Not my first choice but just saw it this weekend and it looks fine. I just don't know how long the flake will last. Here is a quick unedited iphone video of that. I have no even muted the sound and will delete this shortly. http://www.garageflooringllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Rust-bullet-after-flake-2.mp4