Keeping Racedeck Diamond Clean

[dfndr]

This post is a question for those of you who have Racedeck Diamond pattern already down on your floors. How hard is it to clean oily or greasy crud off the tiles? I've seen real diamond plate floors with black crud lining the edges of the 'diamonds' after being mopped daily. Do you have to get down on your hands and knees with a brush to clean every 'diamond'? It seems like a smooth epoxzy floor would be easier to mop and squegee. Am I right or wrong? I don't want to have to spend an undue amount of time keeping the floor from lookinging like ****--I can leave the oilstained bare concrete to get that! Thanks

 

[Severum]

I have received half of materials for my installation, the other half will be here this week. What I found when I ordered and received over 5 different flooring samples, was that the pattern on racedeck cleans very easily compared to some of the others. Some of the others have more relief in their patterns which could make cleaning more difficult. I don't know from experience yet, but I can almost guarantee you that the RD diamond tiles are gonna be easier to mop and clean that many of the others(at least the samples I received).

Severum

 

[jskco]

I Find with our JNK Diamond Garage Floor tile (on sale Use coupon code: "JNK10") as well as with the other brands out there that cleaning with a mild simple green solution works best for me. Once in a while we use the simple green and a floor buffer and they look like new.

Justin Krauss
Managing Member
JNK Products, LLC

 

[dfndr]

OK-but I haven't heard from any one who acutally has this stuff down in their garage. The reason I really want to know is that I often visit a place that has real aluminum diamond plate on the floors and it always looks dirty even tho mopped every night. There is always black crud against the raised diamonds left after the mopping. I don't want to be a slave to my garage floor and I don't want it looking dirty. Smooth epoxy is easy to clean-how does the racedeck tiles compare on a floor with auto fluids dripping?---And, please don't flame me for having drips, the vehicles are British!

 

[RaceDeck1]

Hi

The RaceDeck diamond tile is designed to be very easy to clean. All of the patterns we have have raidioused edges and profiled to eliminate dirt & debris build up. Many of the tiles on the market have very busy patterns and while they may look nice in the sample box or when you first lay it down, they are nearly impossible to clean as the the dirt gets trapped in the aggressive patterns. Here is a simple test. Take a little motor oil on a tile ( maybe even sprinkle a little dirt too) and then do a simple wipe with a rag on each sample. Now imagine the results over 300-1000 feet of flooring.

RACEDECK also has a commercial cleaning product that is available. We do not recommend using products such as Simple Green or Greased Lightening on RaceDeck, as they due leave a tacky residue that collects dirt. Any non-sudsing ammonia cleaner should do the job and for those really stubborn tar marks, you can even take acetone on a rag and wipe it off the floor as it will not effect the RaceDeck Tile

And...Remember, RaceDeck always offers GJ discounts and has an absolute price guarantee! We are the manufacture and 100% in-house from design, to mold building, to product manufacturing, and shipping it directly to your door.

Have a Great Day

 

[mikeyr]

Well my experience after many years of use is that those diamonds are a ***** to keep clean. I pulled the gearbox from my Dino a few years ago and worked the grease and dirt into those diamonds for several days while working under the car, ended up spilling a gallon of laquer thinner onto the floor and mopping it up just to clean the diamonds. If I keep up with the dirt its super easy but I prefer working on my car then cleaning the floor so I just poor some laquer thinner on it once a year and mop it up and LEAVE the house/garage for the rest of the day. A straight oil spill is not a problem they clean right up its when you have 70 year old grease/dirt coming off your current restoration that those diamonds get to be a ***** to clean. 3 of my cars are British and one is Italian, so oil leaks are a given, they wipe up easily.

However, I built a new (bigger) garage 2 months ago and oh yeah, more Racedeck went down on that brand new floor, I love the way Racedeck looks and its worth any and all minor hassles.

Gonna have to try the Racedeck cleaner someday very soon, my tiles make my new garage look "not as good as it should".

 

[BigFloors]

HI

You can find the complete line or RaceDeck commercial cleaning products here

 

[BigFloors]

The Direct Page Link

http://www.bigfloors.com/Commercial-Flooring-Cleaners-C18.aspx

 

[fireman]

My RaceDeck floor is over 5 years old. I occassionally mop it using some Simple Green in the water. It is very easy to clean and still looks brand new. To answer your specific question, the diamonds are completely clean after mopping. No crud around the edges.

 

[mikeyr]

Fireman, the question is how much work do you do on your floor ? (I don't know you and this is NOT a offense at all) if all you do is polish your Vette then its easy to simple green the floor and have it come clean. I kept my floor very clean with just a broom for a week when I first got it. Once you start changing out gearboxes, pulling motors and getting serious grease on the floor, it is not so easy to clean so the original posters question is quite valid.

By the way, I am NOT knocking RaceDeck in anyway, I would personally never have anything else on my garage floor, when I built my new garage 2 months ago RaceDecks were part of the budget right along with pouring concrete and walls, etc. I took my 7 year old floor up from the old place to the new much bigger place and I had to get some more tiles, some heavy cleaning and you can't tell old from new.

RaceDeck can handle the rigors of a working shop but it won't look good doing it without some work, for me that is about once a year and it looks like new again for another year.

 

[dfndr]

Mikeyr, Thanks for the advice. Yes, it is a valid question and I need to decide between Racedeck and epoxy. Thanks for the advice. Hey, is that an MG-T chassis in your garage? Looks similar but the configuration at the back is not familiar. Rick

 

[dfndr]

Fireman, Thank you too. You and Mikeyr are only owners who responded. Rick

 

[mikeyr]

Mikeyr, Thanks for the advice. Yes, it is a valid question and I need to decide between Racedeck and epoxy. Thanks for the advice. Hey, is that an MG-T chassis in your garage? Looks similar but the configuration at the back is not familiar. Rick

You know my answer (be careful when welding don't ask how I know )

And no it is not a MG, that particular car is a 1934 Singer Le Mans, under the Dino on the lift is a 1.5 Litre 6 cylinder Singer as well. I am down to only 2 Singer's now.

 

[TONE]

Hello-----

Ive got a 3 car garage done in all racedeck and also a complete sign shop (about 3000 sq ft)

I was very happy with my homes floor that i ordered it for my store.

The home was done in 2003 and the shop in 2005.

In my opinion it is sorta a pain keeping the floor looking really nice and new. Dont get me wrong, when you do clean it, it does look brand new.

However, the dirt around the diamonds does happen when "mopping".

Seems like the only way to get it looking great is using an orbital buffing machine.

Or get on your hands and knees and clean it like a kitchen floor. (ive actually done this)

For a home garage, its really not that bad getting on your hands and knees with a bucket of clean water and a magic eraser.

Takes me about an hour this way, do it once or twice a year.

 

[kmcc927]

Don't worry, you'll love it......this is my second winter with Race Deck....living on a dirt road. Yes it gets dirty(all year long), yes I have to mop it. but just using water gets it looking good. Once a year I use Simple Green and it shines like new. I've never had problems with dirt sticking against the bumps. I try to sweep it weekly in the summer, and mop it every few snow storms in the winter. I have a 22X22 that the wife parks her car in and I have the other side for my toys.

Kelly

 

[RaceDeck1]

HERE IS THE DIRECT LINK TO THE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR RACEDECK http://www.racedeck.com/cleaners.html

These products were designed for commercial garages where 100's of cars drive through each week and/or daily mechanics is taking place.

 

[mikeyr]

Ok Jorgen, which one ?

My floor after 7 years of use is not as nice as it used to be

The cleaner sounds like more of a dirt kind of cleaner and the Renovator Cleaner sounds more like what I need BUT it says it is also a Coating Stripper, I don't need that do I ?

So which one do you recommend and I will call ASAP and buy it.

 

[RaceDeck1]

Hi MikeyR -

I am at a show right now, but drop a line to [email protected] or call and ask for Jennifer and she will set you up with a special package price on the cleaner and Renovator. ( the coating stripper really is not for the RaceDeck garage product, it is for a specialty RaceDeck commercial display flooring we offer to the industry).

Thanks

 

[mikeyr]

Jorgen,

Done, ordered, should be here early next week.

Thank You,
Mike