Indoor Car Wash Pad suggestions..

[nperkins]

I'm looking to add an indoor wash bay to my shop... Here's my dilemma. I AM NOT going to modify floor to add drains. NOT gonna happen. So technically I need semi-permanent...

Looking for something elevated to drive ON, not a drive IN pad. So far the best thing i've found is this from MorClean... But I'm looking at 10-12k without any waste management between cost/shipping/vat...

Anybody have any other suggestions? I've been looking for a few weeks now, but figure good ol' GJ is the best place to find something!

Also, I don't really NEED waste management either, as I can just do runoff where its located.

 

[rjacobs]

racedeck free flow(or another brand of free flow type tile), provided your shop floor has a slope that will let the water run out.

That would be the cheapest option.

 

[nperkins]

I had looked into racedeck, but I would want something that's easier to clean/maintain. Since this will be getting used daily, and in New England, underneath the decking will need to be cleaned out regularly, and would also still need some sort of box/pad to contain the water even for runoff..

I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest option, just trying to avoid spending 5 figures if I can..

 

[CJDave]

For the most part if it goes thru the Free Flow slots it will rinse away with a hosing and follow the slope of the concrete. If not a shop vac works. Had mine for 5 years and a long handled brush with a little car wash soap cleans the tiles. I wash my Mach 1 in the garage and this works fine for me. All of the winter gunk from her dd also disappears thru the tiles. Love it. CJDave.

 

[Stevee]

2 rows of plastic pallets (6 or 8 total) with some sort of ramp to get on them.
Move them to squeege the floor.
Non-permanant and fairly cheap.

 

[nperkins]

The plastic pallets won't work for my application. I would definitely want something with a sturdier, more finished product...

I'm possibly considering something with Racedeck, but I still need some sort of bin/basin to contain the water. This is not my entire garage, but just one bay. So I don't want the water just running anywhere.

 

[CJDave]

The plastic pallets won't work for my application. I would definitely want something with a sturdier, more finished product...

I'm possibly considering something with Racedeck, but I still need some sort of bin/basin to contain the water. This is not my entire garage, but just one bay. So I don't want the water just running anywhere.

Thats the benefit of FreeFlow. The water drains through and out under the tile and not across the top. CJDave.

 

[jbwilkins]

Maybe some kind of 'dam' you could put up while washing the car indoors would be my thought.....then open the end near the garage door and squeeze out the water....

 

[Mpower5266]

What about a water reclamation mat and a dedicated wet vac?

https://store.detailking.com/vinyl-car-wash-mat

 

[nperkins]

Yeah but the freeflow allows water to move in any direction.. including back into my shop.

I want to avoid the mats as they tear easily. You get a rock in a tire and turn the wheel even a little bit and you can tear the mat.

 

[thickhead]

How about spill containment curbs, free flow tiles and a vac/pump at the lowest point of the contained area?

 

[thickhead]

https://www.newpig.com/pig-spillblocker-rough-surface-dike/p/PLR230?couponCode=PLAFLEECE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItZuhwdn95QIVx5-zCh1LtwaqEAQYASABEgJb4vD_BwE

 

[jbwilkins]

https://www.newpig.com/pig-spillblocker-rough-surface-dike/p/PLR230?couponCode=PLAFLEECE&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItZuhwdn95QIVx5-zCh1LtwaqEAQYASABEgJb4vD_BwE

For a removable system it looks like these guys have some solutions.....

https://www.newpig.com/spillblockers-berms-dikes-barriers/c/5029

Keep in mind NOTHING will capture everything....You're going to have over spray, spills, etc....

You might combine something like this with freeflow....

 

[nc.detail]

The underneath will get absolutely trashed if you use free form tiles. I wash maybe 5 cars a month and the underneath of mine swisstrax is disgusting. It's to be expected though, so no complaints. My plan is pull it out 2x a year for a full cleaning.

That said, Jason uses racedeck in the wash bay of one his shops without issue. They're in Chicago. Plenty of vids to comb through if you're interested.