Flooring for show cars

Nomadness · Jul 21, 2018

Have a budget somewhere between $2-4 a square foot installed as i have disability. There is little to no work performed on these cars except for detailing,oil changes on the four post lift. Welders, torches,floor drill,grinders and such have been sold so no more sparks.
Concrete floor is in good shape with no cracks and 4-5 stone pops as i call them just oil stains and other stains here and there. There will be no snow,salt or water brought in as these cars are not driven in that type of weather. I do have a handyman friend that does any kind of work and if need be he has his nephew to help him. So i have some one to do the work for me. So what are you recommendations?
I see the race deck type products and they look beautiful but do not how practical they are. Been to big box stores and Sherwin Williams and their "KITS" to do the floors are cheap enough but that's what worries me i don't want something that will only last a few years and look like ****.Also had 3 flooring companies give me bids that are higher than my budget,so? Thanks in advance for your idea's.

Jinks · Jul 21, 2018

Racedeck. Design a pattern that compliments your garage/shop & the cars you store there. The only minor problem could arise from several years of open garage doors & sun fading some of the tiles. I've seen photos of some of their floors that have been restored with their cleaning products, but haven't tried them myself. The other inexpensive solution would be to replace faded tiles every few years. There won't be many & it's easy.

I've had my floor for five or more years & with the exception of a few faded tiles it's doing fine. I've also moved a few things I mount to the floor. Covering mounting holes is as easy as dropping in a new tile & moving the old tile along with the mount.

Nomadness · Jul 21, 2018

Thanks that's the way i am thinking for now. But have been told by several friends the only way to go is with coatings. Like i said i want something much much better than the SW, HD, Lowe's and Menards diy stuff.

LXCam · Jul 21, 2018

Considering your budget I wouldn't go with a coating. If it doesn't turn out nice how then would you handle it.

Shiftless · Jul 21, 2018

How much higher than your budget were the bids from pro flooring companies?
If it costs like a dollar or two per square foot more than you initially hoped for to get something you really like and can be proud of for years to come, maybe you should consider reassessing your rather arbitrary floor budget. There might be other ways to economize in order to get the floor you desire.

Nomadness · Jul 21, 2018

Don't really know which floor i desire. The Race Deck type falls easily into the price range and the DIY expoxy falls well below also even conidering the $$ for my friend to install. But the polyureia type bids are $6-$10 per sq ft so it is well above. I would think between first 2 choices the RD type would be?

poppakap · Jul 21, 2018

Seems like a perfect candidate for a race deck. The big box “epoxy” kits are garbage and the good stuff is inordinately expensive. Maybe a simple sealer and find someone to install it but that’d still probably be on the high side of your budget.

77thor · Jul 21, 2018

I put down a rubber mat called G-Floor. It comes in different sizes, thickness, and textures.
Home Depot carries it (online only). Ships to store for FREE.
https://www.homedepot.com/s/g%20floor%20garage%20floor?NCNI-5

Nomadness · Jul 21, 2018

I think it keeps coming back around to Race Deck or similar tile flooring. Now to find out who has the best price for my 1500 sq ft garage. Any help would be appreciated.

kelpaso1 · Jul 21, 2018

Nomadness said:
I think it keeps coming back around to Race Deck or similar tile flooring. Now to find out who has the best price for my 1500 sq ft garage. Any help would be appreciated.

There are several racedeck style flooring reps here. They usually give discounts for members here. They will chime in soon.

Jinks · Jul 21, 2018

Nomadness said:
I think it keeps coming back around to Race Deck or similar tile flooring. Now to find out who has the best price for my 1500 sq ft garage. Any help would be appreciated.

Most of the Racedeck dealers here offer a discount to forum members so the prices are pretty reasonable. You can also look to bigfloors.com. They carry Racedeck & Garage deck/track. They're good people to work with, very helpful, & free shipping. Compare prices & go with what works for you......... :thumbup:

Mr. D · Jul 22, 2018

I'm seeing about $1.50 Sq Ft for epoxy flooring products from on site vendors so I would think installed using your handy man would be in your budget.

I just priced out what it would cost me to coat 680 Sq Ft using ARMORPOXY II Job on a pallet system and the cost was $1.49 Sq Ft.

Garage Flooring · Jul 23, 2018

Nomadness said:
Have a budget somewhere between $2-4 a square foot installed as i have disability. There is little to no work performed on these cars except for detailing,oil changes on the four post lift. Welders, torches,floor drill,grinders and such have been sold so no more sparks.
Concrete floor is in good shape with no cracks and 4-5 stone pops as i call them just oil stains and other stains here and there. There will be no snow,salt or water brought in as these cars are not driven in that type of weather. I do have a handyman friend that does any kind of work and if need be he has his nephew to help him. So i have some one to do the work for me. So what are you recommendations?
I see the race deck type products and they look beautiful but do not how practical they are. Been to big box stores and Sherwin Williams and their "KITS" to do the floors are cheap enough but that's what worries me i don't want something that will only last a few years and look like ****.Also had 3 flooring companies give me bids that are higher than my budget,so? Thanks in advance for your idea's.

RaceDeck
TrueLock HD Extreme
TrueLock HD

I would not use G-Floor for this. If you have softer tires they are going to leave tire marks that wont come out.

Triumph1200 · Jul 23, 2018

I had a full chip 3 coat Polaspartic installed in January, very pleased. The garage stores the cars in the winter otherwise they stay out. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for show cars it looks that good. I work on the projects, motorcycles and tractors. Oil, antifreeze, grease all wipe up with a rag. Dropped a driveshaft off a workbench, no damage. Dragging floor jacks and jack stands do not show a mark. Cleans with a broom, haven't had the need to mop it yet. Cost was $4.75 a sq foot. I'm west of you in SW Michigan, let me know if you want a name.

pdl2mtl90 · Jul 23, 2018

Had Racedeck in my 3 car garage for almost 9 years now. One sunny day street/strip car and 2 daily drivers. Floor still looks great and only problem I have had is I placed a jackstand right in the corner of 4 tiles and damaged one. Pulled it up and replaced witha new tile. Highly recommended. I ordered directly from Racedeck and got a great discount.

Armorpoxy · Jul 23, 2018

Perhaps consider our solid PVC www.supratile.com. About $3.00 per foot and any handyman should install for about a buck a foot.

Nomadness · Jul 24, 2018

Thanks for all the replies

PCMusicGuy · Jul 24, 2018

You could always do polished/rectified ceramic or porcelain tile. You would be surprised what you can find clearance priced if you look. If you can find cheap labor to install it that is what I would do.

James-W · Jul 24, 2018

PCMusicGuy said:
You could always do polished/rectified ceramic or porcelain tile. You would be surprised what you can find clearance priced if you look. If you can find cheap labor to install it that is what I would do.

I don't think going with cheap labor on porcelain tile is a good idea. If the job gets botched up he will have a huge mess on his hands.

poppakap · Jul 24, 2018

James-W said:
I don't think going with cheap labor on porcelain tile is a good idea. If the job gets botched up he will have a huge mess on his hands.

The labor quote I got for porcelain in my garage was $4/sq ft.

DocRock01 · Jul 25, 2018

I'd strongly recommend the RaceDeck. Cost is right and can't be beat on looks, ease of installation and maintenance. Easily done in a day. Any damage (I certainly wouldn't expect any given your intended use) is easily fixed with a quick replacement for a few bucks.

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RaceDeck1 · Jul 29, 2018

We have a lot of options for show floors.. And of course GJ members get great prices

RaceDeck1 · Jul 29, 2018

DocRock01 said:
I'd strongly recommend the RaceDeck. Cost is right and can't be beat on looks, ease of installation and maintenance. Easily done in a day. Any damage (I certainly wouldn't expect any given your intended use) is easily fixed with a quick replacement for a few bucks.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

Very nice! :thumbup:

thanks for sharing and choosing RaceDeck

DocRock01 · Jul 29, 2018

RaceDeck1 said:
Very nice! [emoji106] thanks for sharing and choosing RaceDeck

Couldn't have done it without you guys. Thanks.

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redisthefastestcolour · Aug 14, 2018

Nomadness said:
There will be no snow,salt or water brought in as these cars are not driven in that type of weather.

I would recommend ordinary laminate flooring. I did so 4 years ago, my garage is looking like a living room, and the floor is like new after the first 4 years. No stains caused by new tires, leaking oil or fuel. You can wipe it off very easy. Also brake cleaner didn't damage my laminate.
Cleaning is much easier than Race Deck or similar garage floor.

Even using a jack is no problem: I'm using the jack on a sheet of aluminum which is again on a piece of carpet, as you can see it at the second picture left in front.

I used a very cheap laminate, I've tested at the dealer the scratch resistance of the different types of laminate with the edge of a key. My floor was 6$ per square meter.
The floor has a click-connection, which I glued with wood glue to prevent any liquid penetrating into the connection.

I'm not driving my cars in wet conditions, so I have not much experience with water. Only once I was surprised by rain when driving home, but I wiped off all the water dripping off the car onto the laminate, because I was afraid the get a damage.
Meanwhile a had a cooling water leakeage, which I realized some days later, but nothing happened. I wiped away all the water and everything was o.k.

Everybody warned me, not to do so, but I'm very happy with it and would do it again.

Edit: I just realized that Race Deck is offering a laminate floor, too: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=397417

KmanCave · Aug 14, 2018

Racedeck looks great but don't let gas sit on it for any longer than a few minutes, they swell if the gas gets in between the seams. Installed my floor about a month ago and already buying more tiles. Great for showrooms....

RaceDeck1 · Aug 14, 2018

Here are a few more pics of a garage with our Smoked Oak, TuffShield Diamondtile and FreeFLow

CJDave · Aug 14, 2018

DocRock01 said:
I'd strongly recommend the RaceDeck. Cost is right and can't be beat on looks, ease of installation and maintenance. Easily done in a day. Any damage (I certainly wouldn't expect any given your intended use) is easily fixed with a quick replacement for a few bucks.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

What he says. I love mine also. Peruse these flooring posts and see how many posts have to do with problems with coatings. Won't dry, stinks, can't use the garage for a few days, peeling, chipping, fading and God knows what else. Ya get what ya pay for. CJDave.

vectorw8015 · Aug 16, 2018

The only warning form my personal experience I will provide regarding RaceDeck is the following:

1. This flooring warps in sunlight due to expansion from heat. So even if you have the recommended clearances from walls and door openings, once you start placing items on the floor that constrict its movement, you will get waves in the floor from sunlight as the flooring expands.
2. Dirt impregnates the plastic and once it does the floor never shines again and no matter what you do to clean it, it still looks dirty.
3. If you start your car and let it idle the flooring will warp and buckle under the vehicle when the car sits and idles for a long period of time. It does it under my C6 Corvette, Under my Nismo 350Z and under my Vector W8. It buckeled so much under the vector that the flooring melted because it got to close to the catalytic converters.
4. If there is any moisture from your concrete the race deck will not allow it to evaporate and you will see mold growth between the tiles.
5. Rolling loads - Racedeck does not tell you what conditions the loads were established under. So they may have used a vehicle with very large tires or dual wheels like a dumptruck. If you have a large Mac, Matco or Snapon tool box loaded with tools you will find that the tool box will sink in to the Racedeck flooring. I have a Matco 6 series box and it has sunk in to the tile from its weight.
6. I have a rack of gas cans and I am not sure why but the flooring does not like the fuel that permeates from the plastic cans. My cans do not sit on the floor directly but are on a metal rack with a 2" gap between them and the floor. The tiles around the gas cans have warped. So fuel resistance is questionable.

Other than that its perfect.

RaceDeck1 · Aug 16, 2018

here are a few more 'Car Show' flooring shots

short tiger poems

RaceDeck1 · Aug 16, 2018

and a couple of more.. From show car display to race paddocks.

short tiger poems

RaceDeck1 · Aug 16, 2018

you name it!

short tiger poems

Bdick · Aug 16, 2018

I'm in the same process of trying to figure out what to do for garage flooring. Tougher decision than I thought.

poppakap · Aug 16, 2018

vectorw8015 said:
The only warning form my personal experience I will provide regarding RaceDeck is the following:

1. This flooring warps in sunlight due to expansion from heat. So even if you have the recommended clearances from walls and door openings, once you start placing items on the floor that constrict its movement, you will get waves in the floor from sunlight as the flooring expands.
2. Dirt impregnates the plastic and once it does the floor never shines again and no matter what you do to clean it, it still looks dirty.
3. If you start your car and let it idle the flooring will warp and buckle under the vehicle when the car sits and idles for a long period of time. It does it under my C6 Corvette, Under my Nismo 350Z and under my Vector W8. It buckeled so much under the vector that the flooring melted because it got to close to the catalytic converters.
4. If there is any moisture from your concrete the race deck will not allow it to evaporate and you will see mold growth between the tiles.
5. Rolling loads - Racedeck does not tell you what conditions the loads were established under. So they may have used a vehicle with very large tires or dual wheels like a dumptruck. If you have a large Mac, Matco or Snapon tool box loaded with tools you will find that the tool box will sink in to the Racedeck flooring. I have a Matco 6 series box and it has sunk in to the tile from its weight.
6. I have a rack of gas cans and I am not sure why but the flooring does not like the fuel that permeates from the plastic cans. My cans do not sit on the floor directly but are on a metal rack with a 2" gap between them and the floor. The tiles around the gas cans have warped. So fuel resistance is questionable.

Other than that its perfect.

Oh man.

RaceDeck1 · Aug 17, 2018

I know this thread is "show car" flooring but here are some of RaceDeck in real world

This shot is at Kirkham Motorsports, where they build aluminum body Cobras on RaceDeck, they have had this floor now for over 12 years

"We are really happy with the Race Deck flooring. It has made our shop look so much better. We drive forklifts, cars, dollies, jacks, and about everything else you can think of on it and we are happy with it.”
~ David Kirkham – President, Kirkham Motorsports

Pietro Aretino

RaceDeck1 · Aug 17, 2018

and a few others I have on file of real world home garages

Pietro Aretino

Armorpoxy · Aug 17, 2018

Here is a pic of a recent show car installation using our www.supratile.com

Flooring for show cars

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