More questions on Tile options

[boostm3]

I am getting closer to pulling the trigger on one of the Snaplock products.. Ive received samples from Racedeck, Garagedeck, and Motofloor..

From what I can tell, the Garagedeck and Motofloor are identical.. Only the pattern is different with the Garagedeck having circles and the Motofloor having diamonds.

From the 3 samples I received, it is clear that Racedeck is the thicker, more substantial product. In addition, it has different contact points with the floor.. The Racedeck tiles have little 'criss crosses' which make contact with the floor. The other two have single linear protrusions, ie ridges, maybe an inch or an inch and a half long that contact the floor. From what I can ascertain, the Racedeck contact points make for a somewhat quieter experience when walking on the tiles.

Here's my quandry.. To do my 400 sq ft garage, the Racedeck tiles will cost me about $400 more than the other two, and thats with the forum discount. Im having the toughest time making up my mind whether they are so much better so as to justify the 50% price differential. I fear the only way to find out for sure is to find somebody who has installed and lived with both, and can do an objective comparo. Short of that, it becomes really tough.

Lastly, if I do the Racedeck, Im wondering if people who have done likewise find there is enough drainage via tile gaps in the standard solid tiles to dispense with surface liquid, and enough egress under the tiles to allow some drainage on a tilted, graded cement garage floor relegating the Freeflow tiles to more of a novelty, slick-appearance item rather than a strictly necessary functional one.


Thanks in advance for your ideas on these issues...

 

[MikeinLA]

Although I can't give you a comparison, I can give you some feedback on the Racedeck which you can't tell from looking at a sample tile. That is, the tolerance is very tight when you join the tiles and there is no real gap between tiles. They fit together very snugly with no looseness or rattle. You would have to have a bunch of standing water for a while in order for it to seep between the tiles, IMO. I was worried about having that "pop-pop" sound when you walk like on some Pergo floors. I think the grid support of the Racedeck helps to minimize this because I don't notice any real sound at all. Hope this helps.

Mike

 

[Wingnut65]

Paul,

I am also trying to make up my mind on what to put down. I thought I had decided on VCT with sealer and finish coats, but I am still concerned about it being slippery when wet. Here in Florida, my floor will have standing water at times. I have been concerned with locking tiles allowing water to get below and eventually lead to mildew, etc, but from what I have read, the non-perforated ones are realatively water tight and self-draining. Now, looking over all the varieties of tiles available, to me, the Racedeck seems to stand above the rest. From what I have read here on GJ, there is nothing but excellent customer service as the Snaplock crew is part of GJ. From Janine, Jorgen, and Kia, I am leaning more towards Racedeck than the others just for that reason. Granted, I will have to work this out with the Treasury Minister, but the very economical VCT will end up costing me more in time cleaning and refinishing than the added cost for interlocking tiles now.

I'd like to hear what experience others have had with other tile manufacturers.

Good Luck

Jeff

 

[boostm3]

Yea, Im leaning toward the Racedeck also. Im also leaning toward mixing in some of the freeflow tiles in the area that the car will be parked. Im up here in Hartford County, Ct, and its no secret that snow is an issue. I think if it were just water that was standing on the tiles, it would find its way to the inter tile gaps and drain down to the cement, where the slight grade would help to disperse it.. However, standing snow, and sand, etc, will at the very least dirty up the tiles in a hurry.. Im thinking that the freeflow tiles will allow this mess to flow through to the cement much faster, and facilitate overall water evacuation.. Im just a little concerned how these freeflow tiles will accomodate jacks, jackstands, etc...

 

[MikeinLA]

Im just a little concerned how these freeflow tiles will accomodate jacks, jackstands, etc...

Paul, one thought might be to define the area where the jacks & jackstands are typically used and use solid tiles in that area surrounded by the free-flow. That way, any water that does seep through the solid tiles would only have to flow to the nearby free-flow area. I have free-flow in a 2 X 2 area where the hose faucet is and I think you're correct to doubt it's load bearing strength over the solid tiles. I did a bit of overkill in the 3 X 8 area where I jack up my bikes for maintenance and used the metal Racedeck Pro. I like a solid floor.

Mike

 

[Wingnut65]

Snow... I've heard of the concept before. I think i've seen it on TV or mabye I read about it somewhere. But I can tell you about hurricane shutters...

I am not sure I want too much free-flow tiles because of how I want to use my shop. I do woodworking and after the girls are out of college and the planets are aligned, I hope to build an airplane in there too. I can just immagine how much sawdust and 3/32" rivets would collect below the tiles. Although, having a few along the door edge of the garage may help ventilate it if water would filter down.

Mike has a good suggestion, but with my luck, i would need the stands located somewhere other than where I planned for them to go. For me, no matter what floor I put down, I will always have small squares of plywood under my jacks and jack stands. It spreads the weight over a larger area and it keeps from scratching the floor finish with the sharp corners of my jack stands. And, I know what these plywood squares are for when I find them because they have the leg indentations where the jack stands sit. So, it shouldn't matter if you have free-flow or solid tiles if you use wood.

Jeff

 

[boostm3]

Yea, Jeff, I use those scraps too. Maybe that will be all thats required for use over the freeflow tiles.

>>Mike has a good suggestion, but with my luck, i would need the stands located somewhere other than where I planned for them to go. <<

Im thinking you can always order 4 xtra solid tiles, and after seeing where exactly the jack stands are going, snap out the freeflow and replace with solid.. Also, if/when you change cars, the jackstand points will likely change.. Again, 4 xtra tiles sounds like a solution, in addition to the use of load bearing wood scraps, etc.

 

[GarageRacerX]

You do have other options. Flooring tiles are also offered by sportcourt.com and another copmany swisstrax.com. Seen samples of all and certainly feel the swiss product the best. www.blt.com offers roll out flooring.

 

[boostm3]

Its also the most expensive.. What do you think is better about Swisstrax than Racedeck?

 

[PassnThru]

Its also the most expensive.. What do you think is better about Swisstrax than Racedeck?

Post number 1 + advertising product = spam.

 

[boostm3]

Post number 1 + advertising product = spam.

Not sure what you are talking about. I started this thread because I needed feedback on the brands Im considering in flooring.. Where do you see spam?

 

[PassnThru]

You do have other options. Flooring tiles are also offered by sportcourt.com and another copmany swisstrax.com. Seen samples of all and certainly feel the swiss product the best. www.blt.com offers roll out flooring.

Not sure what you are talking about. I started this thread because I needed feedback on the brands Im considering in flooring.. Where do you see spam?

Man - my face is red. I meant to quote the post before yours - the one at the top here.
Sorry about that.

 

[pdl2mtl90]

I have pretty much decided on Racedeck myself. Just waiting on the new house credit portion of our tax return. Then I should be able to pull the trigger.

 

[boostm3]

You guys who currently have, or are going with the Racedeck.... Do you use or are you planning any shelving in your garages; ie, the kind that rests on the floor? Are you putting this shelving on top of the tiles, or, are you resting it on the cement and somehow tiling around it?

 

[boostm3]

I just had a friend come over, and I laid down the samples from Garagedeck, Motofloor, and Racedeck.. The only difference he noticed is what appears to be 1-2mm difference in thickness, and the coin pattern is slightly bigger on the racedeck than the garagedeck... Also, the underpinning structure responsible for the evacuation of fluids while different doesnt appear to be functionally different.

As for clatter noise, we put all 3 down and walked... could really not discern any difference in the degree of 'clopping' as we walked over them.

Based on this, I think I really should be considering the garage deck more carefully.. .Before I pull the trigger, can anybody think of any reasons not to do so?

Thanks again for the help.

 

[MikeinLA]

Are you putting this shelving on top of the tiles, or, are you resting it on the cement and somehow tiling around it?

As a part of my garage remodel, I put in two 36" wide storage cabinets as you can see in the photo. For earthquake security, they are not only bolted together, but also screwed into the wall on the back and side. Since they are probably never moving, I decided to put them on the slab so they are more solid. It also saved me about 35 bucks in tiles. You're going to start your Racedeck at the garage door with the apron piece and move forward. Unless you're the luckiest guy in the world you're going to have to trim the last pieces along the front of the garage anyway, so why not just trim around the cabinets? Racedeck cuts like butter with a multi-purpose blade on a hand sabre saw, so the trimming is no big deal.

Mike

 

[Rick3Foxes]

Yo, Mike...
Your garage looks awesome, (from what little I can see of it)....

Do you have a full photo spread on the forum?

Thanks,
Rick.

 

[boostm3]

Mike, garage looks great. How do you guys paint that checkerboard pattern on the walls?

 

[KM1013]

I'm still hoping someone on here will provide more feedback on the Racedeck vs. Garagedeck. We know they are made by the same company that's no secret. They are about a buck a tile cheaper which adds up to a nice savings. One concern I have is the tile gap a 1/16 on the Garagedeck seems excessive to me. Why would one have a 1/6 gap and one fit tight? You can't say it's cheaper to manufacture one with a gap and one without. Do Racedeck and Garagedeck interlock? Not trying to jack your thread but since you have both samples maybe you can expand on things a bit.

 

[boostm3]

I'm still hoping someone on here will provide more feedback on the Racedeck vs. Garagedeck. We know they are made by the same company that's no secret. They are about a buck a tile cheaper which adds up to a nice savings. One concern I have is the tile gap a 1/16 on the Garagedeck seems excessive to me. Why would one have a 1/6 gap and one fit tight? You can't say it's cheaper to manufacture one with a gap and one without. Do Racedeck and Garagedeck interlock? Not trying to jack your thread but since you have both samples maybe you can expand on things a bit.

Why not call Michelle at Bigfloors and ask her about this gap... I sampled garagedeck and didnt have any problem with the gap, and frankly, other than the underpinning structure of the tiles, saw no important differences between garagedeck and racedeck.. Hence, when its time to pull the trigger, ie, after my shelves and workbench are down, Ill be ordering the garagedeck.

 

[KM1013]

Yeah I guess I'll have to get samples. I've seen close up pictures of the racedeck and there doesn't appear to be any gap. The person on here with the garagedeck has a tape measure in his photo and there is obviously a larger gap then I'd be happy with. Post some pictures and follow up experience after you get yours done. Thanks.