Carpad containment mats

[jsraaf]

I'm thinking of getting containment mats for winter use, to hold all the melted snow, ice & other muck that makes it's way into the garage. I've heard some good comments on Carpads, particularly about the edges of the mat, into which sections of radial tire cord hose are inserted, that they don't crush from being driven over. Looking for some comments on from anyone whose had any experience with them.

http://carpad.stores.yahoo.net/index.html (terrible website by the way)

 

[Garage Flooring]

Containment mats are a fun subject and everyone has their own opinions. I have been selling them for over a decade now and here is my opinion. There are a couple of good ones on the market but I can't say that I find any of them to be great.

We sell three products.

ParkSmart 20 Mil Product. I would not use it. Its one of a few products that we tell people upfront we do not recommend it, wont take it back, etc etc.

ParkSmart 50 Mil Product. Good Product. I would use it. Pros nice thick mat. Cons assembly required.

AutoFloorGuard. Good mat. Pre assembled. Its a relatively thin but reenforced fabric thermal welded over a closed cell foam (backer rod). Pro's no assembly required. Cons only one size.

Regarding CarPad, we have chosen not to sell that product. They have done a nice job creating their market but it does not fit with the quality of products we like to sell.

 

[jsraaf]

Justin, thanks for the info. Some comments I've read related to the edges of the mats not holding up well were directed at the Park Smart mats. Can you respond to that?

 

[Garage Flooring]

The parksmart product is designed with two different types of edges. The ramp edges are the parts you are supposed to drive over. The other edges which are part of the containment system are not supposed to be driven on. If you do it once you will probably be ok. If you do it a lot they will crack -- because they are not supposed to be driven on.

I have sold hundreds and on the 50 mil we get few complaints. If you are worried about the edging, I would go with the AutoFloorGuard.

 

[pwschuh]

I have extensive experience (7 years) with the CarPad and Park Smart 20 mil products. Neither of them are great. I like the CarPads "hose in tube" edge system the best since it is seamless (except at corners). But 20 mils does not stand up to hard use very long. If your garage floor is exceptionally smooth and you never park on the mat with hot tires, they will last much longer.

Hot tires caused both products to wrinkle up at the 'tire spots' very significantly. Naturally these wrinkles became areas of increased wear when the car drives over them and creases them. They eventually turn into cracks. Make sure your floor is VERY clean before you put them down. If a pebble gets underneath and you drive over it: that's a hole. If you can keep them "hole free" they do a good job of containing water. But the plactic side edges of the Park Smart eventually broke on mine (even though I didn't drive on them) and the resulting gaps between plastic pieces became a source of spillage.

I have not tried a 50 mil product but I imagine it would be better. The question is, is it immune to the 'tire heat' problem? If not, and you still need an insulator like my floor mats, then is it worth the extra expense? If it is, then great.

I ended up getting a CarPad and 4 heavy duty rubber outdoor floor mats (the kind with holes through and drain channels on both sides). I put these down under each wheel spot to insulate the mat from heat of summer tires. This has preserved the life of the 20mil CarPad significantly.

 

[jsraaf]

Thanks for all the feedback. I certainly don't want the added expense of add'l mats to protect the containment mat, but since my intended use is only during the winter months my hope is that they wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I have extensive experience (7 years) with the CarPad and Park Smart 20 mil products. Neither of them are great. I like the CarPads "hose in tube" edge system the best since it is seamless (except at corners). But 20 mils does not stand up to hard use very long. If your garage floor is exceptionally smooth and you never park on the mat with hot tires, they will last much longer.

Hot tires caused both products to wrinkle up at the 'tire spots' very significantly. Naturally these wrinkles became areas of increased wear when the car drives over them and creases them. They eventually turn into cracks. Make sure your floor is VERY clean before you put them down. If a pebble gets underneath and you drive over it: that's a hole. If you can keep them "hole free" they do a good job of containing water. But the plactic side edges of the Park Smart eventually broke on mine (even though I didn't drive on them) and the resulting gaps between plastic pieces became a source of spillage.

I have not tried a 50 mil product but I imagine it would be better. The question is, is it immune to the 'tire heat' problem? If not, and you still need an insulator like my floor mats, then is it worth the extra expense? If it is, then great.

I ended up getting a CarPad and 4 heavy duty rubber outdoor floor mats (the kind with holes through and drain channels on both sides). I put these down under each wheel spot to insulate the mat from heat of summer tires. This has preserved the life of the 20mil CarPad significantly.

I have never had a single customer complain about hot tires on the 50 Mil product or the AFG for that matter. The 20 Mil is useless in my opinion. All the reasons you stated are legit. It wrinkles, tears, etc. I also have not seen the heavy duty carpad products so I can not speak to them.

 

[pwschuh]

You're going to roll them up and put them away during Spring through Fall? That sounds like a huge hassle. Even if you mostly want them for snow control, doesn't it rain where you live too?

The extra floor mats were maybe $80 total at Target.

 

[jsraaf]

The issue I have is during the winter with the frequent snowfall here in MN. I've got 3 vehicles going in & out on a daily basis, and that mean a lot of snow, salt & general muck on the bumpers & fenders that ends up on the floor. Since I don't have a floor drain, the floor is pitched to the front so all this stuff melts & is trapped by the garage doors, where it can build up and even freeze. I normally squeegee the stuff out daily, but then I have to shovel it out & put it somewhere, and it's a mess. The floors had been a smooth concrete & a death trap due to the slipperyness, but I just put down epoxy w/flakes and anti-skid, so that should help with the slippage. So yes, while it does rain here, that isn't an issue for me.

 

[Garage Flooring]

The issue I have is during the winter with the frequent snowfall here in MN. I've got 3 vehicles going in & out on a daily basis, and that mean a lot of snow, salt & general muck on the bumpers & fenders that ends up on the floor. Since I don't have a floor drain, the floor is pitched to the front so all this stuff melts & is trapped by the garage doors, where it can build up and even freeze. I normally squeegee the stuff out daily, but then I have to shovel it out & put it somewhere, and it's a mess. The floors had been a smooth concrete & a death trap due to the slipperyness, but I just put down epoxy w/flakes and anti-skid, so that should help with the slippage. So yes, while it does rain here, that isn't an issue for me.

As much as I hate to lose a sale, I have to ask a question. How does a containment mat fix any of this. The snow, etc is still there and still may need to be removed.

BLT ribbed garage floor mats could work well, but you still have to get all the moisture someplace.

The question becomes what are we really trying to accomplish here. If you are trying to keep the snow directly under the car, the containment mats will work... BUT I think you might be trading one issue for another.

Edit: The autofloorguard is the only containment product I will recommend based on these extra details (if any product will work for you). The reason is the ParkSmart edging won't fold or roll and does not go off and on that easy. AutoFloorGuards are folded and shipped assembled so we know you can store it that way. (BLT is not considered a containment product)

 

[pwschuh]

When I'm coming back into the garage in the snow, I stop outside and do a quick brush off to get the big chunks off before I pull in. Then as stuff melts off I either wet vac or mop it out of the CarPad. I keep the garage heated in winter so it melts pretty fast.

 

[jsraaf]

As much as I hate to lose a sale, I have to ask a question. How does a containment mat fix any of this. The snow, etc is still there and still may need to be removed.

BLT ribbed garage floor mats could work well, but you still have to get all the moisture someplace.

The question becomes what are we really trying to accomplish here. If you are trying to keep the snow directly under the car, the containment mats will work... BUT I think you might be trading one issue for another.

Edit: The autofloorguard is the only containment product I will recommend based on these extra details (if any product will work for you). The reason is the ParkSmart edging won't fold or roll and does not go off and on that easy. AutoFloorGuards are folded and shipped assembled so we know you can store it that way. (BLT is not considered a containment product)

Points well taken. I guess I was trying to keep the **** under the car, in the mat, as much as possible. But I did consider what you're saying about that having to go somewhere.

When I'm coming back into the garage in the snow, I stop outside and do a quick brush off to get the big chunks off before I pull in. Then as stuff melts off I either wet vac or mop it out of the CarPad. I keep the garage heated in winter so it melts pretty fast.

That's what I do, too, but getting the wife & daughter to do that is... well...

I wasn't 100% certain about getting mats, and given what I'm hearing I may not really gaining anything by having them, especially for winter only.

 

[pwschuh]

That's what I do, too, but getting the wife & daughter to do that is... well...

My daughter doesn't drive yet and my wife parks outside...