Racedeck in a working shop questions

[Crazy Legs]

Hey guys,
I've been searching & reading for weeks or more about trying to decide between Racedeck "free-flow" tiles or Rustoleum type epoxy on my smooth 5 year old concrete in my 24x30 shop.

I use this garage as a shop, it has in floor heat and A/C in the summer. I weld, grind, paint etc on this floor but I have no problem putting a welding blanket down when doing this in the future to protect a new floor.

Originally on the new concrete I use a Menards "clear" concrete sealer (no paint) and added the flakes from the Epoxyshield kit and then sealed it all again. It looked great only problem is my drag car that has 10" slick tires picked up the sealer so you can see right where it sits and normal wear and tear has removed it where you walk on the floor etc.

I think i'll run into the same issue with a epoxy paint type floor but the quote from racedeck has got me scared to spend that kind of money too. But i love the looks!!!

My main question is, can i use a full size car jack, cherry picker, or car dollies on racedeck without worrying about cracking it? BTW, these tiles will be the "free-flow" vented versions cuz i've got to let the heat go through them in the winter.
I'm also worried about getting rid of the grinding dust, or dirt etc that falls through the tiles, does a shop vac work to get rid of this?

Anyway, i think you get the idea of what i'm wanting to know, Thanks!!!

 

[RaceDeck1]

Hi
Thank you for your interest in RaceDeck®. We can offer you a Member / Promotional Discount,
Thank you again for considering RaceDeck garage floors!

 

[gsxrken]

I have SwissTrax open tiles and they are very durable. Jack stands, jacks, welding all no problem. They are aso a great converstion starter. many people have seen nothing like it.

However, two things with the open pattern- if you drop a tiny part, and its not magnetic, you're pulling up tiles. It happens more than you would think. The other thing is the ribs can be tough on your knees. Standing on this stuff is much better on your feet than standing on concrete all day, but if you roll your knee the wrong way you'll know it!

 

[Jamie V]

I am in the same boat as you as far as using the garage to do almost anything. I'm afraid to spend all that money and find out it won't hold up. I posted on one of my other favorite forums and one guy didn't recommend getting it.....

I have racedeck in my garage and I wouldnt recommend it. it looks nice but it stains easily and scratchs/ dents if yo u actually work on it. If its just to park on you would be ok. Also I idled my car in the garage when I put a new blower on it and the cats melted the flooring. They said it would be warrantied but they never return calls and their customer service is terrible.

So now I'm more confused then ever.

 

[dwatsonkc]

I had "vented" kiwi tiles in my garage for 7 years. It was our primary use garage. I thought is was kinda neat that when your car was wet or icey it would just drain...

I sold the house and the buyer wanted to inspect the garage floor for inspection. It was a pain in the azz to chisel away 1/4" of hardened **** that accumulated over the years.

They will require occasional disassembly and cleaning

 

[Crazy Legs]

yeah I hear you guys, I can see me doing all of the above you guys have had to do.

Well.... back to being confused and wondering lol

 

[JakeKohl]

porcelain tile. The surface won't lift from sticky tires, won't burn, won't hide small parts, and won't diminish your heating system. Like anything, it needs to be installed properly but if it's good enough for Grand Central Station...

 

[Jamie V]

How are they with dropping stuff on them?

 

[JakeKohl]

How are they with dropping stuff on them?

There are several threads here about that - but as long as install is done correctly, they're great. Jack has a video in some of these threads where he has a video camera sitting on the floor 5 feet away recording him hitting the tile (in his case, a softer ceramic) with a 5lb sledge with nary a scratch on the tile. He's hitting it hard enough to make the camera jump.

Most people have the kitchen or bathroom floor that is installed over wood framing example in their head when considering tile and it would be sensitive to impacts because it's mounted on a significantly more flexible substrate. The tile is harder than concrete (significantly) and as long as it has minimal voids in the thinset, it is very very strong. Problems arise if there are air pockets in the thinset under the impact zone that make the tile bridge the impact instead of carrying it straight through to concrete below.

 

[Trey T]

Are RaceDeck flooring designed with pointy load in mind like jackstands?

 

[RaceDeck1]

Are RaceDeck flooring designed with pointy load in mind like jackstands?

I think I know what you are asking? there are basically two types of jackstands. the ones that have either a round or square baseplate built in ( like Snap-On, Mac , Sears, Race Stands, et) and the cheaper ones that are made from angle iron with legs that are just the metal 'blades' at 3 points. <^> . these are sometimes very thin and will act like a cookie cutter. all you need to do is place any solid flat object under the stand ( wood, metal plate, et) the weight of the car on the stand will not effect RaceDeck

 

[kweber1911]

What about sliding a floor jack around. Sometimes it is easier to slide the big wheels of the floor jack around on the concrete than it is to actually roll it everywhere. Does the racedeck get small cuts in the surface at all?

 

[BRIANBB]

Yes, it is not Kryptonite. It will scratch however slightly. But it is a super product that holds up great in most applications.

 

[RaceDeck1]

Yes, it is not Kryptonite. It will scratch however slightly. But it is a super product that holds up great in most applications.

Thank for the feedback.... we are secretly working on a 'Kryptonite' floor, but might only come in green.