Considering Racedeck, but I have questions...

[lane_change]

I am building a new house currently and I am wanting to protect the garage floor from spills, provide for greater lighting when vehicles are on the lift (light reflection), and to make a cosmetic improvement to the garage.

I have been planning on going with a high-end epoxy sealant (solid white w/ no flaking and just some anti-slip material). But the more I price out these higher end products since I want a fairly maintenance and trouble free ownership, Racedeck is becoming a more viable option. But I have concerns over Racedeck and their ability to handle liquid spills. My garage is my hobby shop for my cars and will have a lift installed along with a workshop. It will see a multitude of fluids being spilled on it over the years as it's impossible to prevent any and all spills or leaks of oil, coolant, water, trans, etc...fluids from making a mess. I do not have a drain in the garage, so I would like to be able to clean up a potential leak or spill from the surface of the Racedeck or by easily being able to remove the tiles, clean them, clean the floor, and easily re-install. Is this possible? I have also read that they can deform from using jacks, jack stands, lifts, etc... and I am not a fan of that possibility. From a light reflection standpoint, I don't want a glaring or obnoxious floor coating, but when a car is on the lift, I don't want the floor to absorb all the light from the ceiling without providing some up-lighting to the underside of the car.

I like the idea of Racedeck providing additional anti-fatigue with a higher comfort level, but does it make it difficult to roll jacks, hoists, tool boxes, etc...around on the flooring? I don't want to regret the decision by constantly being frustrated by having to pull/push everything uphill all day. Is it slippery when wet? We don't have snow or salt here in Houston, but we get plenty of rain. Anyways, I appreciate the forum and I am hoping to utilize the knowledge and resources moving forward.

Here is a generic design on the garage and workshop. Garage is 35'x35' with a 10'x10' corner missing from the perfect square (1125 sq/ft), and it has a 15'x14' (210 sq/ft) attached work room through double doors on the front. Lift is shown in the back left and car dimensions have been overlaid to help with the layout. Ceiling heights are 12' in the center, but it does have sloped edges which is what I indicated on the perimeter of the garage. Plate height is only 10', hence the slopes. Played around trying to see how vehicles would fit in some of the drawings.

 

[Garage Flooring]

My garage is my hobby shop for my cars and will have a lift installed along with a workshop. It will see a multitude of fluids being spilled on it over the years as it's impossible to prevent any and all spills or leaks of oil, coolant, water, trans, etc...fluids from making a mess. I do not have a drain in the garage, so I would like to be able to clean up a potential leak or spill from the surface of the Racedeck or by easily being able to remove the tiles, clean them, clean the floor, and easily re-install. Is this possible? I have also read that they can deform from using jacks, jack stands, lifts, etc... and I am not a fan of that possibility. From a light reflection standpoint, I don't want a glaring or obnoxious floor coating, but when a car is on the lift, I don't want the floor to absorb all the light from the ceiling without providing some up-lighting to the underside of the car.

I like the idea of Racedeck providing additional anti-fatigue with a higher comfort level, but does it make it difficult to roll jacks, hoists, tool boxes, etc...around on the flooring? I don't want to regret the decision by constantly being frustrated by having to pull/push everything uphill all day. Is it slippery when wet? We don't have snow or salt here in Houston, but we get plenty of rain. Anyways, I appreciate the forum and I am hoping to utilize the knowledge and resources moving forward.

RaceDeck and other tiles are very easy to clean. Selecting the correct pattern will make sure you can roll everything you need to around without issue. Even their diamond is designed for easy rolling.

If you don't want to go with an open tile, but an open tile over the drain. That will make clean up real easy and water tends to take the path of least resistance. If it was me I would do the ribbed or flow through tiles and wash right through them. Otherwise, removing a section is not bad at all -- ince you get the hang of it.

Use a product like TrueLock B4 before installing the tile

 

[Jamie V]

I wanted to go with epoxy in my garage like you but after a ton of research I realized that a good epoxy and the proper prep was out of my budget. I ended up going with the racedeck and I'm pretty happy with it. Now it does have some drawbacks but I think every floor does. If you like to stick or mig weld a lot you will need to protect it because it can melt (but worse case you could replace a melted tile). And if you have a ton of weight in a jack stand with no flat pads on the feet you can dent a tile (but you could replace a tile if that ever happened).

As for spills, I've spilled a ton of stuff on mine. Gas, oil, trans fluid, antifreeze, gear oil, etc and it comes right up. Unless you let it sit there for a long time it won't even go between the tiles.

My thinking was that if I had a problem down the road with the epoxy and had to redo it I would be out all the money. With the racedeck I could replace pieces or sections and I could even take it with me if I moved or sell it.

 

[lane_change]

Glad to heat that the fluids do not leak in between the seams. I was not sure how well that worked and if they did tend to leak, I was planning to go with their free-flow design, so I could at least see where it had leaked through instead of guessing on the solid floors. I do not have to worry about snow or salt and I don't have a drain so I'd prefer the solid floors. Is it slippery when wet?

 

[Garage Flooring]

Glad to heat that the fluids do not leak in between the seams. I was not sure how well that worked and if they did tend to leak, I was planning to go with their free-flow design, so I could at least see where it had leaked through instead of guessing on the solid floors. I do not have to worry about snow or salt and I don't have a drain so I'd prefer the solid floors. Is it slippery when wet?

Fluids CAN definitely go between the tiles. Any floor can be slick when wet, but I don't find RaceDeck to be bad

 

[lane_change]

Would you recommend that I seal the floor beneath the Racedeck with something similar to HD-6600 to mitigate the amount of exposure the concrete would have beneath the Racedeck? I do not want to have stained floors ideally, hence the original decision to go with an epoxy, but the quotes I am receiving to install a quality epoxy makes Racedeck seem like a much cheaper option for me.

 

[Jinks]

If you want to protect "everything" paint the concrete with any reasonable garage floor paint. Then install a Racedeck type flooring. I have two garages, one with "coin" pattern flooring, & the other with "diamond plate" flooring. The "diamond plate" causes some vibration in rolling equipment (tables, stools, tool boxes) but no real problem. The "coin" pattern is smoother & causes less vibration...<shrug>

I clean both by sweeping, then mopping with a cheap steam mop. I have dented a tile by using a jack stand without protection. Not enough of a dent to bother replacing, but it can be done. If I ever have a tile damaged badly enough I'll just replace it. Takes a putty knife & about 30 seconds. My floors have been down nearly three years.

 

[Rv-Junke]

I did the paint move before the floor for 2 reasons. 1. Cut down on dust and make spills easier. 2. I used Free Flow under tires (see below image) and wanted the color to show underneath. I love the product. Actually installed Race Deck product in my basement after it flooded.

I am NOT trying to hijack this thread, but it seems like a good dialog with feature adds to a great flooring system which you are considering...

Question I have not solved is what to use under my 3ton floor jack. I've thought of getting a 24x36 Steel plate or aluminum plate. Just can't decide the right thickness. I am open to other solutions, so if you have please let me know. Using just the floor jack I find dents the floor.

If you want to protect "everything" paint the concrete with any reasonable garage floor paint. Then install a Racedeck type flooring. I have two garages, one with "coin" pattern flooring, & the other with "diamond plate" flooring. The "diamond plate" causes some vibration in rolling equipment (tables, stools, tool boxes) but no real problem. The "coin" pattern is smoother & causes less vibration...<shrug>

I clean both by sweeping, then mopping with a cheap steam mop. I have dented a tile by using a jack stand without protection. Not enough of a dent to bother replacing, but it can be done. If I ever have a tile damaged badly enough I'll just replace it. Takes a putty knife & about 30 seconds. My floors have been down nearly three years.

 

[Shea]

The easiest option to help protect the concrete is to apply a penetrating sealer. While not stain proof, they are stain resistant and chemicals wont affect them. They are extremely easy to apply as well.

If you are going to go the topical route with a film forming coating, then you are creating more work and possibly more expense. That's one reason people elect to put down interlocking tiles to begin with - to avoid the work required to put down a topical coating.

Just a thought.....

 

[Garage Flooring]

If you want to protect "everything" paint the concrete with any reasonable garage floor paint. Then install a Racedeck type flooring. I have two garages, one with "coin" pattern flooring, & the other with "diamond plate" flooring. The "diamond plate" causes some vibration in rolling equipment (tables, stools, tool boxes) but no real problem. The "coin" pattern is smoother & causes less vibration...<shrug>

I clean both by sweeping, then mopping with a cheap steam mop. I have dented a tile by using a jack stand without protection. Not enough of a dent to bother replacing, but it can be done. If I ever have a tile damaged badly enough I'll just replace it. Takes a putty knife & about 30 seconds. My floors have been down nearly three years.

The easiest option to help protect the concrete is to apply a penetrating sealer. While not stain proof, they are stain resistant and chemicals wont affect them. They are extremely easy to apply as well.

If you are going to go the topical route with a film forming coating, then you are creating more work and possibly more expense. That's one reason people elect to put down interlocking tiles to begin with - to avoid the work required to put down a topical coating.

Just a thought.....

Another thing to consider with paint, while it is rare, coated floors can cause the tile to slip. Does not usually happen in a wall to wall application, but I have seen it. Using a product like TrueLock B4 for basic protection or a densifier and Ghostshield 8505 for full automotive protection, with no film, is a much simpler solution than paint and has less risk

 

[dubber]

RV-Junkie, sweet garage. Feels very familiar to mine. Obviously you have exceptional taste.

 

[RaceDeck1]

great looking garage

 

[Garage Flooring]

Having a hard time typing, I keep getting drool on the keyboard. NICE GARAGE

 

[lane_change]

Digging this back up from the dead as we close on our new build in a few weeks.

I had a company come out today to give me an estimate on doing either a Grind and Seal or doing a full epoxy coating, no broadcast flake because I think it's ugly and prefer the more industrial look of a solid color floor (whisper gray or white).

Grind and Seal is a bit cheaper, but the poly seal they use has anti-slip properties in it, it is not chemical resistant. His opinion is that it if I made a mess on it and cleaned it up rather quickly, I should not have any staining issues with most fluids (oils, coolants, etc..) but if the leak stayed too long in one location, that it is possible that it could seep through. Epoxy would cost a bit more, everything is ground smooth with a diamond grinder or orbital sander, primer applied, cured, and then a second coat goes on top. If I wanted a broadcast, it would go in between those two steps. Cost is $3/sf for solid color epoxy and around $2.75/sf for the grind and seal. More work on prep for grind and seal, but only a single stage poly coating on top.

Other option again is still a tile flooring system such as Racedeck which costs a bit less than these options, but I'd still have to do some form of protection or coating on the floor underneath to prevent having a mess under my tiles.

 

[FEVERinc]

wow..... that garage and flooring is amazing!

Race deck doesn't do well with floor jacks and things of that nature I take it?

Such an interesting product!

 

[wasupdu]

Great looking garages, guys. I have just over 1300 RaceDeck tiles in my garage and use a 1" thick piece of wood underneath the jacks and it works perfectly.

3+ years with the RaceDeck tiles and it looks like it did the day I installed it.

To clean the tiles I run a regular floor vacuum over everything and then a mop with water...no chemicals needed. Spend 2-3 mins walking around the garage with towels under your shoes to dry everything off and it looks awesome.

 

[Jinks]

3+ years with the RaceDeck tiles and it looks like it did the day I installed it.

Not quite........ I've had my floor about 3 years also & thought the same as you about the appearance. A week ago I moved some things I had mounted to the floor through the tiles. I found that I didn't have any more spare alloy tiles, so I ordered enough to replace the ones with holes & a few spares. The new tiles are brighter than the 3 year olds. For some of the OCD types here it would be a disaster!... For me it was something I noticed while on my knees replacing the tile. In a while they'll be the same color as the rest of the floor.

I clean my floor by sweeping, then mopping with a cheap steam mop. Basically a hot damp mop, & you don't have to dry it. Like you, I'm really happy with my floors!...

 

[lane_change]

I've decided on a polished concrete, no stain.

Will be a 3000 grit polish, densifier applied at 200 grit, then burnishing at 3000 with a stain guard. Garage floor is a 3000psi floor, curious to see how the aggregate looks once it is ground down some.

Since polished concrete does have a possibility of staining, I will also be installing Racedeck flooring under my lift area where most of the automotive work will take place. I figure the anti-fatigue nature of Racedeck around my lift will provide the benefit in the area I need it most, but I can keep the more industrial look for the rest of the flooring in the garage.

Has anyone used the Tuffshield or Racedeck Pro, any noticeable benefits over standard Racedeck diamond pattern? I don't care much for the look of the circles....I like the look of FreeFlow, however it would serve little purpose for me to protect the concrete from staining.

 

[wrench409]

Racedeck and Tuffshield are cool for the immaculate garages, but
I'd like to see such a product that mimics the old wood floor in Nimrod's garage.

 

[x98boardwell]

Great thread and info! I'm building a new garage and this is great info. Since my cement is new I'm thinking of doing a treatment to that since the prep is easier than an older floor which has had years of abuse and stains... I will keep looking. Still a 50/50 option for me on tiles or epoxy/polishing

 

[lane_change]

Polished concrete is scheduled to begin next week for the garage and workshop area. Racedeck has been ordered for under the lift area where the car will be parked most of the time. Can't wait to see how it will all look.

 

[firemailwv]

I have 1500 sq ft of Racedeck in my 3.5 car garage for about a year now. I have Freeflow in each bay and standard Racedeck in the shop area. I have had absolutely zero problems. I bought two 1 ft by 2 ft pieces of black diamond plate from Lowes and cut them into a total of four 1 ft by 1 ft squares. I then liquid nailed them to pieces of 1/4 inch thick fiberboard. I use these under my standard jack stands. They work perfectly to prevent any type of damage from the jack stands. I have not put anything under the floor jack when lifting up my cars and have never had any damage. Maybe if I was lifting my dually, I would put something under the jack. I receive nothing but compliments from anyone that sees my garage.

 

[lane_change]

Sounds like a pretty good solution.

I just received my Racedeck in the mail today. Super fast shipping. We close on the house tomorrow and polishing begins on Wednesday. Hoping to have the Racedeck installed this weekend.

 

[James-W]

I don't use anything under my floor jack either and the Racedeck doesn't get damaged at all. I put a piece of 1/2 inch plywood under the jack stands just to be on the safe side, but it really isn't necessary because there isn't anything sharp on the jack stands feet.

 

[ky-mike]

I had Racedeck in the garage in my prior house. Looked great. However, it does not seal tight enough to prevent fluids from seeping between tiles. Not a big deal if you catch spills right away. Water underneath never worried me.

However, I did have a waste oil container leak on me. I didn't notice the leak for quite a while as the fluid seeped under the tile. When I went to clean it up, I probably pulled 25% of the tiles up to get all of the oil. What a mess to clean up (both the concrete and the bottom of the tiles.

I may go Racedeck again, but not in a working garage. May do it in my attached garage as I now have a detached garage that will be my workshop. The detached garage will be getting a basic floor coating to seal and add anti-slip features.

There is a reason that showrooms are more likely to have tiled floors while the shop floors are painted/sealed.

Here is a pic of my former garage - http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=13099#post13099

 

[mikeyr]

i see no reason to not have Racedeck in a home working garage. Best part about Racedeck is when you move, you can take it with you. My Racedeck is well over 10+ years old (has to be 15+ by now, dont remember the year I bought it) When I moved it was surprising how little oil had made it under the floor.

And in the new garage, no its not that clean anymore, this pic was taken first week garage was finished, all the tools had not yet been moved in.

Also under the lift is no longer all white, I had initially done it all white to reflect light back under the car on the lift but it got too dirty, its now alloy. In my new garage I kept a small area of bare concrete to weld and plasma cut on.

 

[micafd3s]

..Hoping to have the Racedeck installed this weekend.

interested to see the results... just closed on my home last week and the garage floor is the priority.. racedeck currently the frontrunner...
although the plan is to add an underlayment that will absorb fluids and noise..

 

[lane_change]

Polished garage flooring for entire garage. Racedeck installed underneath lift area. Bendpack XPR-10A-LP installed earlier this week.

Buy a lift they said.

It will be fun they said.

Well, I'm here to tell you....they are exactly right. Loving having a lift.

 

[x98boardwell]

Looks nice! How high/tall is the bendpack lift? What clearance did you need and how much did you pay? I see its the angled version which is great!

 

[lane_change]

The lift is just over 12' high...garage ceiling height is 12'3". Cost right at $4000 installed. Lift can be purchased for around $3,000 but you would need a forklift or some way to unload it at your location. I paid a bit more for it, to have them order it, deliver it, and install it. Installation I want to say was around $600, so I paid $3400 for the lift.