Condensate and Racedeck Question

[Cruisinga]

Hello,
Sorry if this has been covered before, I did a little searching with no luck.

Now that I have bought my own house and moved (most) of my tools out, my parents want to install racedeck into their 2 car garage. The only concern is that their floor condenses a significant amount of moisture on a relatively regular basis, probably once a month. It is below grade on one side and in a heavy rain some water will seep out onto the floor. This happens about once a quarter.

My hope is that the tiles will stay dry on top when this occurs.
My concern is that they will retain moisture underneath and mildew etc. will occur.

Thanks for any insight!

 

[jethrodawg]

Personally, I would save any money planned for Racedeck and spend it on a drain/pump set-up to keep the garage dry.

 

[padre1964]

What he said !

 

[dubber]

I'll wait until Jorgen (aka Mr. Race Deck) jumps in with the technical information but i don't think mildew would be an issue. The bottom of the tiles have "channels" where the water easily gets wicked away.

 

[Cruisinga]

Personally, I would save any money planned for Racedeck and spend it on a drain/pump set-up to keep the garage dry.

A drain/pump will not do anything for condensation.

 

[RaceDeck1]

This sounds like a significant issue with the concrete & vapor barrier ( or lack of one). Concrete can act like a sponge soaking up any moisture from the ground then leaching out through the surface. There are a number of threads on this and you can do a simple test by taking a 2'x2' piece of clear plastic film and tape it to the surface ( sealing all sides), after a few days if there is moisture trapped inside, Bingo...you have an issue. I am no concrete expert on how to fix , but I am sure someone will chime in. Just painting or sealing will only lead to future issues.
YOu could go with our FreeFLow open rib surfacing that allows air to circulate and will give you a clean looking floor year round.

 

[nolimits76]

A drain/pump will not do anything for condensation.

You mentioned during a heavy rain, sometimes water seeps in. I'm guessing probably on the below grade side. Which is why I think a drain/pump was suggested.

I've recently noticed moisture in my garage and trying to determine what is going on. Being in a similar position, my thoughts are to fix what's causing the moisture problem first -- then get the floor.

In regards to the tiles, I found this.

http://www.joewilde.com/files/products/garage-screens/RaceDeck-FAQ.pdf

Can liquids get down through the seams of RaceDeck?
Most garage fluids such as grease, oil, or gas will not make its way down the seams if cleaned up in a short amount of time. However, water can and will get down under the tiles, but will evaporate easily as the tiles are breathable. They have an open channel system in the understructure to allow for air flow.

What about mold or mildew building up under the RaceDeck tiles?
All of the tiles contain anti-microbials, which will resist any mold, mildew or bacteria issues.

http://www.racedeck.com/whatisracedeckflooring.html

Diamond Superstructure (Patent)
* Functions as one complete sub-structure, making the system perfect for applications with temperature swings

* Easily supports tool chests, 4 post lifts, and other garage rolling equipment

* Fully channeled to allow air and moisture to escape, eliminating odor causing mold and mildew

* Supports rolling loads of over 80,000 pounds

 

[nolimits76]

Blah -- I guess Jorgen posted while I was typing. He's the horse's mouth so listen to him concerning the product.

 

[CheckeredFlag]

Would you consider running a dehumidifier in the garage ?

 

[TigerGA]

I've got RD tiles, wash my car, bike, etc., in the garage, live in the Deep South, so it's warm and humid all the time, and I've never had a mold or mildew issue.

 

[CheckeredFlag]

good to know info, right there

 

[steve308]

Would you consider running a dehumidifier in the garage ?

Yep --

 

[SteveCh]

I have RD FreeFlow for my carport. The structure is open on one side and half of an adjoining side, so now and then snow and rain blow in. Plus, the pickup drips all manner of road slush and etc. on it. So the floor often has snow and slush on it for a while, and in blowing rain, the concrete beneath the floor is very wet in places.

I've had the flooring down since last summer. What I've found is that once the rain stops and everything begins to dry out, or the temp' rises enough that the snow and slush melt and then wet the concrete beneath the tiles, it takes little time for that concrete to dry out completely. I suppose there is so much air circulation beneath the tiles and from above that the drying process seems to be almost as rapid as if the tiles were not there and the floor was bare concrete.

I do have a work area which is covered with solid RaceDeck tiles, too, but that area does not experience wetting, I cannot say whether that area would dry as quickly were it to become wet underneath. But even the solid tiles are designed to have good air circulation beneath them, so....

 

[nolimits76]

I think RD FreeFlow in an open car port would be a "near best case" scenario. That's not a knock to you or the tiles, just saying it might not be the best comparison because critical factors are very different.