Racedeck tuffshield vs regular

[STICandy]

I have made my design and picked my pattern. I'm flip flopping between regular and tuffshield.

Does anyone have any experience with either regarding color fading, cleanability? What about with water on it as far as being slippery?



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[Garage Flooring]

I like the regular product if the garage is an active garage. If it is a show garage you can't beat the look of tuffshield.

 

[STICandy]

It is an active garage, but I was considering the cleanability. I figure tuffshield would maybe clean up easier?

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[CombatNinja]

It will clean up easier but also show the wear & tear more. The more reflective a surface, the more every little imperfection shows. You have to decide what kind of work you have planned for it. If you are talking serious gearhead stuff like engine swaps, fluid changes on the regular and so on, I would personally avoid the tuff shield.

 

[STICandy]

It will clean up easier but also show the wear & tear more. The more reflective a surface, the more every little imperfection shows. You have to decide what kind of work you have planned for it. If you are talking serious gearhead stuff like engine swaps, fluid changes on the regular and so on, I would personally avoid the tuff shield.

Being a tech, I'm always turning side jobs out. Brakes, suspensions and general repairs and maintenance is a weekly occurrence. I plan on building an engine for my STI in the near future. Your suggestion is very much noted. Thanks.

Is racedeck slippery when wet?

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[Garage Flooring]

Being a tech, I'm always turning side jobs out. Brakes, suspensions and general repairs and maintenance is a weekly occurrence. I plan on building an engine for my STI in the near future. Your suggestion is very much noted. Thanks.

Is racedeck slippery when wet?

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I would do their standard product in that garage. There gloss is the toughest I have seen, but still the more gloss the more any imperfection shows.

I have no issues walking on RaceDeck when wet. If I was concerned about a lot of moisture I would use a flow through tile. The bottom line is any floor can be slick when wet and here, we are talking about hard plastic....

It will clean up easier but also show the wear & tear more. The more reflective a surface, the more every little imperfection shows. You have to decide what kind of work you have planned for it. If you are talking serious gearhead stuff like engine swaps, fluid changes on the regular and so on, I would personally avoid the tuff shield.

Completely agree

 

[STICandy]

I would do their standard product in that garage. There gloss is the toughest I have seen, but still the more gloss the more any imperfection shows.

I have no issues walking on RaceDeck when wet. If I was concerned about a lot of moisture I would use a flow through tile. The bottom line is any floor can be slick when wet and here, we are talking about hard plastic....



Completely agree

Thanks for the input guys. I ordered a couple samples but I think you guys have convinced me to go with the matte finish.

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[shelteredV]

The regular diamond pattern is the one I picked for my own shop after using it in a fair number of clients garages and my home garage. I like the look of the other versions, but they aren't as tough and not easy to keep clean. As far as being slick when wet, it is not as bad as painted slab, but is not truly grippy either...
Excuse the mess in my garage, I was transferring some of the wifes ****, er stuff to the attic.

 

[STICandy]

The regular diamond pattern is the one I picked for my own shop after using it in a fair number of clients garages and my home garage. I like the look of the other versions, but they aren't as tough and not easy to keep clean. As far as being slick when wet, it is not as bad as painted slab, but is not truly grippy either...
Excuse the mess in my garage, I was transferring some of the wifes ****, er stuff to the attic.

Is that first one the regular? Seems quite shinny....

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[kngelv]

I would look at the recent thread below. That floor looks great and he appears to have done plenty of maintenance work in his garage. I debated this same thing two years ago. I knew I was moving so held off on buying any tiles. I did look at a garage that had orange and black regular tiles and it looked pretty drab. I have never seen a full tuffshield garage in person. I have four regular and four tuffshield samples connected together laying right in front of my workbench. I have swept but not washed them at anytime. The regulars are dull and lifeless while the tuffshield still look good even if a bit dirty. I'm finally going to order on friday and I will be getting the tuffshield.

James

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=336825

 

[drcollie]

I'm sold on the Tuffshield, myself. It looks SO much better and is super-easy to keep clean. The standard floor looks a little dull. I'm a neatnik though, and clean up spills promptly. I think it depends more on your garage lifestyle...if you are proud of your garage and want it to looked squared away - Tuffshield. If you want more of a utility floor and leave an engine sitting on it for a couple of weeks, the regular tiles.

 

[shelteredV]

Is that first one the regular? Seems quite shinny....

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Yeah, it is. It's just the way the light is coming across it.

 

[ViperJon]

A vote for Tuffshield here as well. It just looks better. Even though mine has it's share of nicks and scuffs when you stand back the glossier look sort of blends it all in. I did the checkerboard pattern and in hindsight I would probably have chosen an alloy instead of white. Love the white but it gets really dirty. I don't think the Tuffshield is any "tougher" than regular when it comes to scratching but it looks better from the start.

http://i.imgur.com/lOEFyaH.jpg?1[/img][/IMG]

 

[STICandy]

Got my samples today. I'm going with the toughshield, it looks more professional. The quality seems great, and I poured some water on it, it doesn't feel to slippery at all.

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[DocRock]

I've had the standard tiles in for a year. It's a working garage, general maintenance to hot rod work, both family cars in and out including winter. Still look like the day I installed them. But as noted they are duller than the Tuffshield by design. If had it to do over I think I might go with the Tuffshield. I think you'll be happy either way you go - I am.

 

[FreedomPenguin]

The regular diamond pattern is the one I picked for my own shop after using it in a fair number of clients garages and my home garage. I like the look of the other versions, but they aren't as tough and not easy to keep clean. As far as being slick when wet, it is not as bad as painted slab, but is not truly grippy either...
Excuse the mess in my garage, I was transferring some of the wifes ****, er stuff to the attic.

The first picture is sweet. What colors did you pick? royal blue/black/grey ?
Is this the tiles you used in your garage?

http://racedeck.com/racedeck-products/racedeck-diamond/

 

[STICandy]

So I've had the floor down for a few months now and I've cleaned it a few times as well. I thought I'd share some things I've noticed with the tuffshield.

First off cleaning. I tried probably a dozen different cleaners and techniques from car soap to floor cleaners. None worked well. The only way I've to get this floor sparkling again is to use a good APC cut with water. I use chemical guys Grime reaper. I put just enough to coat the bottom of a 20L pail then fill it half full with hot water. After sweeping up all the ****, I tour around the floor dumping small amounts of cleaner on the floor and scrubbing with a firm bristle push broom. Once it's all be scrubbed, I use my 3200psi gas pressure washer to wash it all down, it does a great job of getting it really clean.

Now, you know how when you wash a car, you can't get it looking good unless you dry it properly? Well the tuffshield is no different. It takes me 4-5 towels and shuffling around the floor to dry it off to the point it will be sparkling when it's fully dry. If you leave it to air dry, it leaves a dull film on the floor.

As for the durability? It has it's share of scuffs and scratches that I can honestly say we're my fault. That being said, the black tuffshield it holding up very poorly and shows every little blemish and scuff it gets especially in the high traffic areas where (for the most part) people really only walk:

It even came up with a mysterious dull spot on one of the tiles that I think may have been brake fluid that was quickly cleaned up, but I thought it was supposed to be impervious to this?



In hindsight, I should have never gone with a black tile unless you don't even plan on breathing on it. The alloy tiles, although I'm sure they also have their share of wear are not noticeable at all. I may end up having to replace the black tiles in the checker pattern with alloy. The blue has also held up well although there aren't too many of them.

Anyways thats it for now. Just thought I'd update for anyone who would be researching this product.


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[Garage Flooring]

PM Jorgen. He has a great cleaner for this

 

[kngelv]

So I've had the floor down for a few months now and I've cleaned it a few times as well. I thought I'd share some things I've noticed with the tuffshield.

First off cleaning. I tried probably a dozen different cleaners and techniques from car soap to floor cleaners. None worked well. The only way I've to get this floor sparkling again is to use a good APC cut with water. I use chemical guys Grime reaper. I put just enough to coat the bottom of a 20L pail then fill it half full with hot water. After sweeping up all the ****, I tour around the floor dumping small amounts of cleaner on the floor and scrubbing with a firm bristle push broom. Once it's all be scrubbed, I use my 3200psi gas pressure washer to wash it all down, it does a great job of getting it really clean.

Now, you know how when you wash a car, you can't get it looking good unless you dry it properly? Well the tuffshield is no different. It takes me 4-5 towels and shuffling around the floor to dry it off to the point it will be sparkling when it's fully dry. If you leave it to air dry, it leaves a dull film on the floor.

As for the durability? It has it's share of scuffs and scratches that I can honestly say we're my fault. That being said, the black tuffshield it holding up very poorly and shows every little blemish and scuff it gets especially in the high traffic areas where (for the most part) people really only walk:

It even came up with a mysterious dull spot on one of the tiles that I think may have been brake fluid that was quickly cleaned up, but I thought it was supposed to be impervious to this?



In hindsight, I should have never gone with a black tile unless you don't even plan on breathing on it. The alloy tiles, although I'm sure they also have their share of wear are not noticeable at all. I may end up having to replace the black tiles in the checker pattern with alloy. The blue has also held up well although there aren't too many of them.

Anyways thats it for now. Just thought I'd update for anyone who would be researching this product.


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Do you wish you had gone with the regular diamond? I'm in my endless debate on these and the TuffShield looks worse than I expected after just a few months of use.

James

 

[STICandy]

Do you wish you had gone with the regular diamond? I'm in my endless debate on these and the TuffShield looks worse than I expected after just a few months of use.

James

That's hard to say. I think the gloss does hide some of the scuffs and scratches. I think the regular would have faired just as badly. I think this is more of a color (primarily black) issue as my alloy still looks mint.

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[DetroitAutoArt]

That's hard to say. I think the gloss does hide some of the scuffs and scratches. I think the regular would have faired just as badly. I think this is more of a color (primarily black) issue as my alloy still looks mint.

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3 years later, how do you like your Tuffshield tiles now?
I'm trying to figure out whether to get the regular tiles or the gloss, as I'm going all black for my floor.

If you could do it all over again, would you go for the regular ones instead?

 

[EPL79]

I have the regular ones since 2011 (bought used being 4 years old...), heavily used. But a mix of APC, a melamine sponge and polishing with the DA does wonders on the floor. I has some scratches and marks, but overall it still looks great. I wonder if the tuffshield could be polished as well?

Pic of the 14 year old floor:

https://i.imgur.com/VWSP7yF.jpg

 

[RaceDeck1]

TuffShield is very durable and holds up to a lot of abuse. Tuffshield is actually molded into the RaceDeck, not adhered or painted on. Because it is a high-gloss surface, a deep scratch would be more noticeable than our original DiamondTile that has a polished satin finish.
This garage floor is now over 10 years old