RaceDeck installation questions

[dislexiclawyer]

I have finally decided on RaceDeck for my garage flooring, and plan to purchase and install around April or so. I have looked at a lot of people's threads here to get ideas for my floor, and have seen some great technical expertise. However, as I have been planning my install, I have realized there may be some tips and tricks that those who have installed this floor before can pass on, but didn't include in their build thread. I hope this thread can be a repository of knowledge.

To start, the spaces on either side of my garage door to the side walls are not equal. I have an 18' door and plan on centering 18 tiles in front of the door to make my floor pattern look cenered (similar to dubber and Rick's border pattern). This is contrary to RaceDeck's instructions about starting in an "L" shape against the walls. I was planning on starting in an "L", but along the edge of the garage door opening, and then work my way to the walls once the center section is filled in. Will this be problematic?

This means I will have roughly a 3" cut tile around the sides of the garage, instead of a 6" tile along the right half based on my garage dimensions (23' deep, 21.5' wide). I shouldn't have any issue using 1 tile to get a right and left half should I? Because of the loops and tabs on either side, I am thinking I should be able to essentially cut 6" out of the center of the tile and use the loop end to meet up with my left wall, and the tab end to meet the right wall.

I also plan to use ramp edges at the front of the garage. Is there any percentage of this ramp edge that people are having the door shut on? I am assuming I will have to lay my edges first, then my first row of tiles, then have to cut and trim tiles around the door track since the ramp edge will set the tiles back 3". How has everyone else dealt with this?

Now on to expansion. I know I need to leave an expansion gap along the walls. If I leave the tiles in the sun prior to installation, will I in turn need to leave a smaller gap? I would prefer as small of a gap as possible, but Missouri summers can still get above 100 degrees, so I need to account for that. Also, all of my benches and cabinets are along the back wall. Will an expansion gap at the back be necessary? Will the floor move with that much weight on it? There will also be less temperature change at the rear of the garage versus the front apron.

Clear as mud? I would like to know what you all think.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I have finally decided on RaceDeck for my garage flooring, and plan to purchase and install around April or so. I have looked at a lot of people's threads here to get ideas for my floor, and have seen some great technical expertise. However, as I have been planning my install, I have realized there may be some tips and tricks that those who have installed this floor before can pass on, but didn't include in their build thread. I hope this thread can be a repository of knowledge.

To start, the spaces on either side of my garage door to the side walls are not equal. I have an 18' door and plan on centering 18 tiles in front of the door to make my floor pattern look cenered (similar to dubber and Rick's border pattern). This is contrary to RaceDeck's instructions about starting in an "L" shape against the walls. I was planning on starting in an "L", but along the edge of the garage door opening, and then work my way to the walls once the center section is filled in. Will this be problematic?

This is more time consuming but not problematic. Typically you can get started from there, and assuming everything is square, you will know the size of your cuts and be able to move forward per the instructions -- after the first row or two.

This means I will have roughly a 3" cut tile around the sides of the garage, instead of a 6" tile along the right half based on my garage dimensions (23' deep, 21.5' wide). I shouldn't have any issue using 1 tile to get a right and left half should I? Because of the loops and tabs on either side, I am thinking I should be able to essentially cut 6" out of the center of the tile and use the loop end to meet up with my left wall, and the tab end to meet the right wall.

It can be done. We do not estimate that way. We always assume if you cut a tile you throw the rest of it away. With RaceDeck tiles you are ordering by the piece. Never hurts to have a few extra.

I also plan to use ramp edges at the front of the garage. Is there any percentage of this ramp edge that people are having the door shut on?

Please treat the garage door like a wall and leave appropriate expansion gaps.

I am assuming I will have to lay my edges first, then my first row of tiles, then have to cut and trim tiles around the door track since the ramp edge will set the tiles back 3". How has everyone else dealt with this?

Close your garage door and draw a line where it comes down. Draw a line 3.5" from that. Start your tile there. Snap your edges on when you are all said and done.

Now on to expansion. I know I need to leave an expansion gap along the walls. If I leave the tiles in the sun prior to installation, will I in turn need to leave a smaller gap? I would prefer as small of a gap as possible, but Missouri summers can still get above 100 degrees, so I need to account for that. Also, all of my benches and cabinets are along the back wall. Will an expansion gap at the back be necessary? Will the floor move with that much weight on it? There will also be less temperature change at the rear of the garage versus the front apron.

Minimum of 1/2" all the way around. That's if you leave the tiles out in the sun before installing.

Clear as mud? I would like to know what you all think.

Please see my comments above

 

[NUISANCE]

Only suggestion I can give is to use their edging around the walls instead of cutting a tile 3" wide. I just measured the extra edging pieces I have from them and they are 3 " wide.

 

[RaceDeck1]

nice reply/ response Justin! if you have any questions while installing, please call us and we are happy to walk you through it. Thanks for choosing RaceDeck

 

[Garage Flooring]

Only suggestion I can give is to use their edging around the walls instead of cutting a tile 3" wide. I just measured the extra edging pieces I have from them and they are 3 " wide.

I have seen edges that way but it really is not what they are designed for and it ends up being a little odd looking. Using a tile is not much more expensive -- and could be less if he can in fact get both sides out of it -- and it gives you a square surface to work with -- so base molding etc will **** up nicely. Even if no base is used; the trim pieces call attention to the area where a tile does not.

nice reply/ response Justin! if you have any questions while installing, please call us and we are happy to walk you through it. Thanks for choosing RaceDeck

Thank you sir

 

[Tucker99]

Dislexi I'm in the same boat as you. I have my design plan and finishing up the ceiling and walls now. Hope to get my order into Racedeck early next week. That procedure Justin explains is well detailed on youtube video's. Yea, I have some fancy trimming to do also around my garage door hardware but it's just plastic, a sabre saw should make short work of it. Are you using cove base molding to hide the expansion gape? I would not compromise on the expansion gap. Remember reading a thread about a guy that did not allow for enough and had a 4"-5" buckle in the floor where the sun hit it.

 

[23 CHIEF]

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[dislexiclawyer]

Dislexi I'm in the same boat as you. I have my design plan and finishing up the ceiling and walls now. Hope to get my order into Racedeck early next week. That procedure Justin explains is well detailed on youtube video's. Yea, I have some fancy trimming to do also around my garage door hardware but it's just plastic, a sabre saw should make short work of it. Are you using cove base molding to hide the expansion gape? I would not compromise on the expansion gap. Remember reading a thread about a guy that did not allow for enough and had a 4"-5" buckle in the floor where the sun hit it.

I do remember the thread you are talking about and will leave the proper gap to prevent that problem. I plan on using painted MDF baseboard, although it will only cover the gap on 1 wall because of the stem wall on the other 2. I am more concerned about finishing the bottom of the drywall than covering the expansion gap. Doing both would be nice though.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I had not though about leaving a gap at the door. I could have sworn I saw a video saying to push it up to the door seal. Maybe that was a swisstrax video?

 

[Tucker99]

Yea, I have 2-stem walls. They're on 4" blocks and I painted the blocks the same color as the Racedeck border (graphite). I have off-white sheetrock walls and plan on running cove base along the walls. Not sure if that is a solution to your dilemma. I'm researching the different cove base colors now.