Need guidance on RaceDeck edge

[thais0n]

So I am getting ready to order some RaceDeck tiles (well their private label brand GarageTrac - a friend had a bunch of leftovers from his install, so I have a nice jump start on my project).

Anyway, my garage has an interesting floor....let me try to explain. Most garage floors are a flat concrete pad, and there is baseboard where they meet the wall - pretty much like an interior wall.

In my garage the concrete goes up the wall about 1 foot and there is no seam/joint where the floor meets the wall. There is a slight radius, but the floor just continues seamlessly up the wall. So the first foot or so of my wall is concrete. It effectively makes a giant bowl.

My issue is how do i match my tiles at the edges? I know I need to leave a 1/2" gap, but with that radius there at the edges...I feel this would create a "hole" that would trap dirt/dust. I am thinking of using the edging all the way around. The edging would be black, and I would paint the concrete around the edges black to match. If I just **** the tiles up to the edge (leaving the gap), I can't attach base because my wall at the bottom is concrete...and then a foot above that is where my drywall starts and there is your typical base at the bottom of that. I feel with the edging, it would be a nicer transition from the floor to the wall.

Not sure if I painted a good picture, but any help would be great.

 

[piker28]

My garage is the same as yours with the bottom base being concrete. I was lazy and just ran the tile to the edge leaving an appropriate gap and only did edging on the car entry. Later I saw some users who did paint the floor leading up to the wall and that concrete wall section. I really liked that idea but never went back to follow through. My reason for not doing the edging like you was simply space. There is nothing wrong with how you want to try it out but my application would not have worked for me.

The nice thing with racedeck is that its just legos for adults. Start snapping stuff together and see if you like it. If not just unsnap and try again!

 

[Refuse1]

I also have a similar issue. I am wanting to order racedeck but my walls are concrete up about 24" above the floor. To make matters more interesting, the concrete walls have a brick-like texture. So, how do I create an edge that looks "finished" and not just an ugly gap around the walls ?

 

[thais0n]

And what paint would you all recommend for the edges of the concrete floor and up the wall?

I am doing my one car garage first which is my workshop. I don't need show quality, but want something that will hold up.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

I have the same situation in my house attached garage where I keep my vehicles. I painted the concrete stem wall before putting in my racedeck and left the appropriate gap around the edges. The gap doesn't seem to attract dirt, but I regularly find dead crickets and spiders in the gap. I make a quick run around the perimeter with my shop vac and I am good to go. I have a Hanging shop vac on the wall that I use to clean car interiors and I extended the hose on it from 12' to 18' so that I can reach any corner of the garage. I have thought that if I really wanted a more finished look, vinyl baseboard glued to the concrete would do the trick.

 

[thais0n]

I have the same situation in my house attached garage where I keep my vehicles. I painted the concrete stem wall before putting in my racedeck and left the appropriate gap around the edges. The gap doesn't seem to attract dirt, but I regularly find dead crickets and spiders in the gap. I make a quick run around the perimeter with my shop vac and I am good to go. I have a Hanging shop vac on the wall that I use to clean car interiors and I extended the hose on it from 12' to 18' so that I can reach any corner of the garage. I have thought that if I really wanted a more finished look, vinyl baseboard glued to the concrete would do the trick.

Thanks for the response Jeff....what kind of paint did you use? And do you think using the edging all the way around would give it a more finished look? Any chance you can post a pic or two?

 

[Garage Flooring]

So I am getting ready to order some RaceDeck tiles (well their private label brand GarageTrac - a friend had a bunch of leftovers from his install, so I have a nice jump start on my project).

Anyway, my garage has an interesting floor....let me try to explain. Most garage floors are a flat concrete pad, and there is baseboard where they meet the wall - pretty much like an interior wall.

In my garage the concrete goes up the wall about 1 foot and there is no seam/joint where the floor meets the wall. There is a slight radius, but the floor just continues seamlessly up the wall. So the first foot or so of my wall is concrete. It effectively makes a giant bowl.

My issue is how do i match my tiles at the edges? I know I need to leave a 1/2" gap, but with that radius there at the edges...I feel this would create a "hole" that would trap dirt/dust. I am thinking of using the edging all the way around. The edging would be black, and I would paint the concrete around the edges black to match. If I just **** the tiles up to the edge (leaving the gap), I can't attach base because my wall at the bottom is concrete...and then a foot above that is where my drywall starts and there is your typical base at the bottom of that. I feel with the edging, it would be a nicer transition from the floor to the wall.

Not sure if I painted a good picture, but any help would be great.

This is very very typical. First, the concrete that may feel like your foe now will be your best friend because you will be able to wash out your garage without fear of damaging the drywall.

Many people just live with it. In a lot of cases we have shelves and other items up against the wall and the area goes unseen. In other cases, you can use the tile as guide, slide it up to the wall, use a smaller piece of molding at a height just higher than the tile. Caulk the joint between the molding and the concrete and paint both the concrete and the molding a complimentary color to your tile and wall. Then pull the tile 1/2" back and do your installation.

Sidenote: Snaplock makes tiles for many companies but RaceDeck is RaceDeck. With one exception their is some very definite differences between Snaplock p/l tiles and RaceDeck branded tiles. We offer a full selection of tiles and would be happy to send some samples

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Thanks for the response Jeff....what kind of paint did you use? And do you think using the edging all the way around would give it a more finished look? Any chance you can post a pic or two?

Here is a picture taken several years after the Racedeck was installed. Please forgive the tracks on the floor, but I have a gravel driveway.

I don't remember on the paint for sure, but am fairly confident it was an acrylic latex that I verified could be used on concrete. I think I brushed it on because of how coarse the concrete is. If you need other pics, let me know what you want to see, and I will try to accommodate you.

 

[cb804]

I painted the concrete stem walls with an acrylic latex enamel paint. I also painted a couple of inches of the floor next to the concrete stems. I left about 1/2 inch for expansion next to the concrete stem walls.

Paint on the concrete has held up great!

 

[zeeway]

I used plain old black latex paint on the edges of my floor before Racedeck installation. I used blue painters tape to get a clean edge. With black tiles on the border, the paint "disappears." I cut normal tiles on a table saw to get a clean edge. Used edge tiles at the doorways.

 

[thais0n]

This is all awesome guidance - thanks everyone! I think I am going to the edge tiles at the door and none on the others edges. Got all my dimensions - just need to decide on a pattern!

Thanks again!!