Deposits coming up between Race deck tiles?

[jdm7]

Hi all,

We moved into our new house a few years ago and I'm on my second race deck floor. The first one was great, but the second floor has been problematic with regard to deposits coming up between the cracks of the tiles. Photos show the early installation of the floor and then the issue that I've been experiencing.




The condition of the floor below the race deck is very good and was much better than the previous floor in our last house. I had swept out the previous floor, rinsed it out, and even vacuumed prior to installing the tiles. In current state, I can rinse the floor off and it will look great until about a week or so later. Doesn't seem to matter if I wash the floor and then rinse or just rinse it off. Either way, I'm regretting not going with a commercial epoxy at this point because while this looks great when clean, it's almost always showing this issue.

 

[mepstein]

I would pull the floor, put down a sealer and then reinstall the floor.
Great looking garage.

 

[Ed in Virginia]

Can't help with the floor but love the C7!

 

[kngelv]

That is the oddest thing. What does it look like under the tiles? That stuff would have to migrate straight up a 1/2 inch. If that is happening then underneath would likely be filled with this stuff. Are you sure it's coming from underneath?

James

 

[jdm7]

That is the oddest thing. What does it look like under the tiles? That stuff would have to migrate straight up a 1/2 inch. If that is happening then underneath would likely be filled with this stuff. Are you sure it's coming from underneath?

James

That's a great question and I've asked myself the same thing. Only consideration is that it's a soap/cleaner build up of sorts. I've tried just heavily rinsing it out only using water and have the same results. Originally, I had cleaned it using my residual car soap and rinsed, but since that time have tried an ammonia based cleaner. Looking under the front edge of the tiles where I can lift up, I'm not seeing much other than a little water from when it was rinsed out last time. :-/

 

[jdm7]

I would pull the floor, put down a sealer and then reinstall the floor.
Great looking garage.

Can't help with the floor but love the C7!

Thanks for the complements! Added a little more artwork and the wheels are different on the C7, but much appreciated

 

[kngelv]

Is it your whole floor or just the areas where you wash and clean your vehicles and other stuff?

James

 

[larry4406]

Are you on a well?

Mineral deposits plating out from air movement at joints?

 

[jdm7]

Is it your whole floor or just the areas where you wash and clean your vehicles and other stuff?

James

I clean everything outside, but the part of the garage that has the most "deposit" is where the daily drivers are. There's a little bit where the Vette is, but not much. Because of that, I wonder if it is more soap or cleaner related because I've washed the main part of the floor more than that area.

Are you on a well?

Mineral deposits plating out from air movement at joints?

Not on a well and unsure. I went out today and sprayed everything down with water only, used a leafblower to move some water out and then actually used a towel (3) to dry. I'll report back on the results.

 

[CombatNinja]

Just pull up a few tiles in the most problematic area, put the cars in the driveway and watch it for a few days. You'll know soon enough if it is coming up through the floor. I find it hard to believe that there is some much liquid under there that it can push up via capillary action all the way to the top of the tiles.

If it turns out that it is something coming off of the cars and it bothers you, you could always swap out the section for the daily drivers for free flow in the same colors.

 

[Freakish Mind]

I have the same issue with mine. it started about a week after I used soap and pressure washed the floor. now it occasionally comes back when the floor gets wet, so i think some soap is trapped in between the creases of the floor in those spots.

 

[jdm7]

Just pull up a few tiles in the most problematic area, put the cars in the driveway and watch it for a few days. You'll know soon enough if it is coming up through the floor. I find it hard to believe that there is some much liquid under there that it can push up via capillary action all the way to the top of the tiles.

If it turns out that it is something coming off of the cars and it bothers you, you could always swap out the section for the daily drivers for free flow in the same colors.

It's 2/3 of the garage, but it's comes back even when things are dry and the cars haven't been in use (we work from home).

I have the same issue with mine. it started about a week after I used soap and pressure washed the floor. now it occasionally comes back when the floor gets wet, so i think some soap is trapped in between the creases of the floor in those spots.

Thanks for that. I was really hoping that was more the case and I'll just have to rethink my approach to cleaning the garage to keep this from happening. Any pictures of what yours looks like by chance?

Again, thanks all!

 

[Tostal]

If you're an adventuresome type, you could try rubbing the white stain with a wettened finger, then tasting it to see if it's some type of detergent/car cleaner residue.

I'm wondering if you might have used any of those wheel cleaning sprays designed to remove brake dust?, afaik some are acidic and can affect concrete.

The deposits in your 3rd pic don't look like simple concrete dust but rather detergent/soap (+/- concrete dust) that has dried out.

I think I'd try wetting the floor well in the affected areas and then sucking up the water with a wet/dry shop vac if you have one, paying particular attention to the joints and see if it either cures the problem or keeps it at bay for a longer time.

Before you laid the 2nd floor, you said you cleaned/washed the concrete but did you seal it? Might be that you will have to lift the tiles, seal the floor and relay the tiles as 'mepstein' has already suggested in post #2.

~T.

 

[jdm7]

If you're an adventuresome type, you could try rubbing the white stain with a wettened finger, then tasting it to see if it's some type of detergent/car cleaner residue.

I'm wondering if you might have used any of those wheel cleaning sprays designed to remove brake dust?, afaik some are acidic and can affect concrete.

The deposits in your 3rd pic don't look like simple concrete dust but rather detergent/soap (+/- concrete dust) that has dried out.

I think I'd try wetting the floor well in the affected areas and then sucking up the water with a wet/dry shop vac if you have one, paying particular attention to the joints and see if it either cures the problem or keeps it at bay for a longer time.

Before you laid the 2nd floor, you said you cleaned/washed the concrete but did you seal it? Might be that you will have to lift the tiles, seal the floor and relay the tiles as 'mepstein' has already suggested in post #2.

~T.

When the issue was first noticeable, it was the car wash soap that had been used first, so I'm leaning that way since floor underneath looks ok. I'm going to try the approach of water only for a little while to see if things calm down. I was actually thinking of the shop vac idea and might give that a go in a section to see if it improves it. It's crazy to think that I can't wash the tiles with soap water especially when the gaps are so tight.

 

[Freakish Mind]

It's 2/3 of the garage, but it's comes back even when things are dry and the cars haven't been in use (we work from home).

Thanks for that. I was really hoping that was more the case and I'll just have to rethink my approach to cleaning the garage to keep this from happening. Any pictures of what yours looks like by chance?

Again, thanks all!

Here's a pic of mine

 

[jdm7]

Ahh yeah, that does look very similar. Thanks for the picture!

 

[RaceDeck1]

Love your garage and thanks for choosing RaceDeck - we have seen this from time to time and what we learned it's basically 1 of three things that cause this 'deposits'' -

1. If you have an old or new unsealed concrete floor, the dust can 'puff up' resting and with moisture creates this
2. a dirty unswept garage floor prior to installation ( same result )
3. winter road salt deposits and/or hard water from rain or washing cars

once you determine which of the above, we would be happy to send you some of our commercial grade cleaner at No charge

 

[CombatNinja]

Take RaceDeck1 up on that offer. You probably need to use something that is not foamy on the floor.

 

[jdm7]

Love your garage and thanks for choosing RaceDeck - we have seen this from time to time and what we learned it's basically 1 of three things that cause this 'deposits'' -

1. If you have an old or new unsealed concrete floor, the dust can 'puff up' resting and with moisture creates this
2. a dirty unswept garage floor prior to installation ( same result )
3. winter road salt deposits and/or hard water from rain or washing cars

once you determine which of the above, we would be happy to send you some of our commercial grade cleaner at No charge

Appreciate that very much. I will see what this week brings after the rinse only method.

Cliff notes on garage:

• The garage floor is 20 years old, but was in great shape
• Floor was swept out and rinsed off prior to installation.
• I never wash cars indoors and do my best to treat the floor like a showroom, but elements do get on it with our daily drivers.
• There were many times this summer when I had cleaned out the garage and washed the floor and within a week of not using the cars with, it still had the same issue.
• Cleaners used.
  • Chemical Guys CWS_110_64 Honeydew Snow Foam Car Wash Soap (left over in sprayer)
  • Parsons Ammonia All-Purpose Cleaner (Only just tried this the last time
    Following all washes, rinsed with water. Sometimes air dry, other times leaf blower and or towel, same results.

I'll follow up with you to let you know how the rinse went and what the next steps should be.

Also worth mentioning, our tires picked up some driveway sealer (even after waiting 4 days) and tracked some specs on to some of the tiles. Best option for removing those marks?

Really appreciate you reaching out. Thanks again.

 

[Crowbarman55]

My RaceDeck floor does this too. I figured it was because of no vapor barrier under the almost 40 year old slab. And science stuff, that I don't understand is coming up between the seams of the tiles. I use my garage so it doesn't bother me. I would rather not have it happen but I can live with it.
Todd

 

[RaceDeck1]

My RaceDeck floor does this too. I figured it was because of no vapor barrier under the almost 40 year old slab. And science stuff, that I don't understand is coming up between the seams of the tiles. I use my garage so it doesn't bother me. I would rather not have it happen but I can live with it.
Todd

think of raw unsealed concrete as a sponge that leaches out whatever is in or under the floor.

 

[nodoor]

Efflorescence?
I have the same issue and that is what I was told by several concrete professionals. This is my second Race Deck floor, new construction and the floor went down within four months of the pour. I used landscaping fabric under the tiles to reduce the noise I had on the first installation. The white efflorescence began appears at the seams where the DD’s are parked. The garage is +1100 square feet and the efflorescence is only where the DD’s are parked, sometimes brought in during rain and snow. I called RD and spoke to my rep looking for suggestions, she immediately went on the defensive and explained it wasn’t from the tiles. I have used the RD all purpose cleaner, scuff remover and restore finish as well as other products but it comes back. The floor has been down four years and it has diminished somewhat. I just keep mopping it away, looking for long term solutions.

 

[Shea]

This sounds like a case where you may be able to prevent this from happening by applying a densifier with a siliconate sealer added to it. Densifiers react with the concrete to create calcium silicate hydrate (CHS) which fills the open pores at and near the surface. This is what makes the surface harder and helps to slow down moisture vapor which can lead to efflorescence and the white powdery material that creeps up in the seams of the tile. It's an inexpensive and easy application process that may very well solve these issues. We discuss them below.

Why Concrete Densifiers are used as Garage Floor Sealers

Concrete densifier sealers can do double duty as garage floor sealers. Learn which densifier sealer is best, how they work, and how easy application is.

allgaragefloors.com

 

[larry4406]

This sounds like a case where you may be able to prevent this from happening by applying a densifier with a siliconate sealer added to it. Densifiers react with the concrete to create calcium silicate hydrate (CHS) which fills the open pores at and near the surface. This is what makes the surface harder and helps to slow down moisture vapor which can lead to efflorescence and the white powdery material that creeps up in the seams of the tile. It's an inexpensive and easy application process that may very well solve these issues. We discuss them below.

Why Concrete Densifiers are used as Garage Floor Sealers

Concrete densifier sealers can do double duty as garage floor sealers. Learn which densifier sealer is best, how they work, and how easy application is.

allgaragefloors.com

Can this be applied to "old" garage slabs?

My slab was poured in 1987 and I have no idea if it has a vapor barrier under it. It has failing battleship gray garage paint of unknown origin. I was thinking of scraping and power washing the slab to remove all the failing paint then going with a RaceDeck type product. Would hate to go thru this effort to have the deposits form on the tiles if this could be prevented by what appears to be an additional simple step of applying a densifier with a siliconate sealer.

 

[jdm7]

Update: 4-5 days later after rinsing with water, using a leaf blower and then towel to dry, the seams are all filling up again. No new moisture was brought into the garage via our cars, so the floor is clean except for the seams.

 

[Shea]

Can this be applied to "old" garage slabs?

My slab was poured in 1987 and I have no idea if it has a vapor barrier under it. It has failing battleship gray garage paint of unknown origin. I was thinking of scraping and power washing the slab to remove all the failing paint then going with a RaceDeck type product. Would hate to go thru this effort to have the deposits form on the tiles if this could be prevented by what appears to be an additional simple step of applying a densifier with a siliconate sealer.

Yes, it works for new and old concrete alike as long the surface is not in initial poor condition. You will need to remove all the paint so that the densifier can penetrate the concrete. It takes approximately 5-7 days for it to chemically react.

I would not stress about this particular issue happening with interlocking tiles. It's a rare case when it does. When someone reports things like this on a forum in order to seek help or a solution, it can quickly turn into a "perceived" common problem when it is not.

 

[Shea]

Update: 4-5 days later after rinsing with water, using a leaf blower and then towel to dry, the seams are all filling up again. No new moisture was brought into the garage via our cars, so the floor is clean except for the seams.

The tiles are not watertight. You introduced water that migrated to the concrete surface when you rinsed them.

 

[jdm7]

The tiles are not watertight. You introduced water that migrated to the concrete surface when you rinsed them.

I understand that the tiles are not watertight, but they are designed to allow water out via channels under the tiles and they work in that regard. I've also had race deck before, so I'm not unfamiliar with the product. It's not a realistic expectation to say that water isn't going to get on the surface of the tiles given that it's garage.

To be clear and I think you hit on it in your first post, my intention is to resolve the issue and how to move forward. If the answer is that you can't get racedeck wet (not true), then I have the wrong product. I went out and inspected again and part of the floor looks ok after the last rinse. My hope is that it's just build up from the soap rather than something coming up from the concrete. Racedeck was going to follow up on the next steps, so we'll see that goes.

 

[Shea]

I understand that the tiles are not watertight, but they are designed to allow water out via channels under the tiles and they work in that regard. I've also had race deck before, so I'm not unfamiliar with the product. It's not a realistic expectation to say that water isn't going to get on the surface of the tiles given that it's garage.

To be clear and I think you hit on it in your first post, my intention is to resolve the issue and how to move forward. If the answer is that you can't get racedeck wet (not true), then I have the wrong product. I went out and inspected again and part of the floor looks ok after the last rinse. My hope is that it's just build up from the soap rather than something coming up from the concrete. Racedeck was going to follow up on the next steps, so we'll see that goes.

One thing we've noticed with RaceDeck is that the seams can produce a capillary type of action due to how close or tight they are. We've had a few gear oil and motor oil spills that cleaned up quite easily on the surface. However, some of the gear oil did migrate between some tiles. A few days or so afterward, the oil crept up the sides of the tile to create the same look you are dealing with - only oily. Cleaning them again produced the same results.

The remedy was to remove those tiles, clean the sides up, and reinstall them. Obviously, you don't want to do that will such large sections of floor. Since part of the floor looks OK after the last rinse, it may just require a few more to get rid of the soapy film.

 

[Armorpoxy]

How about cleaning with CLR cleaner, that stuff works great on mineral deposits...worth a shot...

 

[jdm7]

I'm going to wait to try the product that RaceDeck1 was suggesting first, but that's a great idea too.