welding on racedeck
- Thread starter jlsanzaro
- Start date
MSG C5
Well-known member
I am planning a new Racedeck Freeflow floor to replace the rubber garage/car mats I have now (three in total). At that time, I plan to keep the best mat for future use when working with fluids, etc. I don't plan to ever weld in my garage, however the floor mat idea might work for you. The only issue I guess is whether or not any hot metal that falls onto the rubber floor mat would work it's way through the mat an onto the Racedeck tiles. Similar to the movie Alien when it's acid blood spilled through the ship.
Cruisinthe34
Active member
Get yourself some welding blankets. NEVER weld over carpet !
RaceDeck1
Well-known member
nolimits76
Well-known member
I'm not a welder, but have had to deal with some fires on project sites due to careless techniques used by welders.
It's already been said...but it's worth repeating...DO NOT use carpet or any other flammable material to catch welding sparks! You can buy a special welding blanket that is designed to do so and is safe to use.
Save your house from burning down, and spend the extra money!
It's already been said...but it's worth repeating...DO NOT use carpet or any other flammable material to catch welding sparks! You can buy a special welding blanket that is designed to do so and is safe to use.
Save your house from burning down, and spend the extra money!
Harbor Freight sells cheap welding blankets. The trick is to keep them nearby and remember to use them.
i've worked on heavy equipment for the last 12 years and constantly use old scraps of carpet to protect my knees while kneeling on steel, i've welded on it, torched on it, and have yet to light my self on fire. its not like i went out and bought a new piece of **** to weld on lol. thanks for the input
So since I've enjoyed looking at the fancy floors you guys snap together, now I read that you cant do any work on them? Just lipstick to park on is what I'm gathering and if a guy needs to use the garage to work on a project you have to remove it or build a working garage?
Trying not to be cinical, but what's the point of it then other than lipstick?
Trying not to be cinical, but what's the point of it then other than lipstick?
IHI, I've got a Jeep CJ7 that I've owned for 20 years. To my knowledge, I've never washed it at all. The rain gets it, and I don't care much how it looks beyond that. Reading your post, I guess I could say that anyone who washes their truck is basically putting on lipstick. 
I don't know of any floor surface, including concrete, that doesn't burn from welding slag (or torch spray or plasma slag). If someone wants their garage floor to look better than standard-issue oil-stained concrete -- or even if they're trying to protect their bare concrete -- then they need to use welding blankets.
I don't know of any floor surface, including concrete, that doesn't burn from welding slag (or torch spray or plasma slag). If someone wants their garage floor to look better than standard-issue oil-stained concrete -- or even if they're trying to protect their bare concrete -- then they need to use welding blankets.
matty d
Well-known member
Plenty of pics of functional shops using Racedeck or quality tiles. There is lot of **** floor product out there too....after reading alot of posts it's very much an individual thing when it comes down to it...just do the research so you are happy with the investment...
I'm just a function over form guy, I like nice stuff, don't get me wrong, but "I" cant imagine having to make a big production out of something before doing something as simple as welding. Granted I grew up, hung out in "working garages" so I think of them differently than some folks...just like I'll never understand the idea of a show car that only sees the light of day to wash it and then sit in a parking lot a few days a yr LOL. If I waste money on something, I'm going to wear it out and move on, or start over again.
Was just asking, I know there's all sorts of thread on here concerning racedeck and the like, and always wondered if you could actually do anything on it, or if it was just a pretty floor to park things on. What happens if you get oil on the floor, what about saw dust, what about painting a car/painting anything...(hitting my head) never mind, probably gotta draga bunch of stuff out before you do anything with fluids too LOL. As a secondary "show garage" I could understand it, as a garage for guys that pay to have everything done for them, I can understand it...but I just don't think it's practical at this point for anybody that actually USES their garage for "man type projects" since it turns into a circus side show before any actual "Work" can actually take place.
Was just asking, I know there's all sorts of thread on here concerning racedeck and the like, and always wondered if you could actually do anything on it, or if it was just a pretty floor to park things on. What happens if you get oil on the floor, what about saw dust, what about painting a car/painting anything...(hitting my head) never mind, probably gotta draga bunch of stuff out before you do anything with fluids too LOL. As a secondary "show garage" I could understand it, as a garage for guys that pay to have everything done for them, I can understand it...but I just don't think it's practical at this point for anybody that actually USES their garage for "man type projects" since it turns into a circus side show before any actual "Work" can actually take place.
I think your chain of logic basically narrows your choice down to any flooring product that you simply don't care about cosmetically. Because, I don't think you're going to find a flooring product that is cosmetically pleasing while being completely immune to all sorts of "manly garage" abuse. I mean come on... if you're going to use your garage as a paint booth.... even if it was bare concrete, you're going to get overspray on it... the only difference will be whether you care or not.
And if you're the person who wants to not have to care about it, then you shouldn't even spend a penny on any flooring product, it would be a waste of a penny.
That said, and changing the discussion to a more pragmatic note, I have Gladiator flooring, which is basically RaceDeck with fire retardant to meet UL requirements. I throw my cars up on jack stands on this floor, i've dropped stuff on this floor, i've dripped oil, brake fluid, anti-freeze on this floor, etc... I maintain and repair about 7 cars on this flooring from basic oil changes to complete suspension overhauls, etc. I don't know if that qualifies for "manly garage" stuff or not.. but that's what i do in my garage in addition to fixing toys my kids break or as a staging area for home renovation projects. I can tell you that for the most part, the Gladiator/RaceDeck stuff stands up to the abuse. For clean up, after absorbing up any major spills, a quick spray of some degreaser/cleaner and a mop and the floor is clean. The only issue I have with it is that I've accidentally dropped some heavy car parts on the floor that had sharp edges and that's left a dent, gouge, or in one case a big round hole (dropped a wheel hub and the stud went into the floor). No matter what flooring product I could have chosen, or even if I left it bare concrete, that wheel hub I dropped would have done some damage. At least in this case, it's not hard to pop out the damaged tile and replace it with a new one.
Cruisinthe34
Active member
Throwing down a welding blanket is far from making a BIG PRODUCTION out of it. I had concerns about installing the tiles because mine is a 'working garage'. But I am very happy with my decision. Makes me more conscious of keeping my shop straight too.
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rlitman
Well-known member
I would think that if you used 100% wool carpet scraps, you would have little to worry about. That really cannot be set on fire. Synthetic fabrics can catch fire or melt.
MSG C5
Well-known member
Wow! I guess most of us should simply surrender our "man-cards" if all we do in our "pretty garages" is modify cars, change fluids, and no other type of "man-type projects."
Saw dust and other dirt is easily picked up over Racedeck freeflow tiles with any strong garage shop vac. Any fluids can also easily be sprayed out the door just like normal fluid run off.
I'm not a welder or an industrial painter, however I guess the garage floor would require the same type of preparation as any floor. However, if I used my garage for full-time welding, I doubt plastic tiles would be my choice of flooring.
To each their own as we all have different requirements and needs. If we didn't we'd all be driving black Fords...
Just some more reading on the product and now learned it doesn't hold up well in snow country since the salt takes a toll on it.
Have to have the jack stands with a solid base since "typical" jack stands cut through the surface
Floor jacks dig into the surface and make dents in the product
Looks pretty but just doesn't sound like a product that would be on my wish list for a working garage, and you guys are correct, to each their own...just wondered about it since I've seen pictures and it is pretty..but just not practical for garages that see typical automotive projects that are done in house...fabricating, welding/grinding/plasma and torch work, painting, and special jack stands needed and probable damage using typical floor jack.
Have to have the jack stands with a solid base since "typical" jack stands cut through the surface
Floor jacks dig into the surface and make dents in the product
Looks pretty but just doesn't sound like a product that would be on my wish list for a working garage, and you guys are correct, to each their own...just wondered about it since I've seen pictures and it is pretty..but just not practical for garages that see typical automotive projects that are done in house...fabricating, welding/grinding/plasma and torch work, painting, and special jack stands needed and probable damage using typical floor jack.
MSG C5
Well-known member
If I owned a garage where I needed to perform some hard-core automotive or industrial work, I would not choose any of the plastic tile options and would probably go with industrial epoxy or some type of concrete etching.
A friend of mine owns a beautiful Florida home that has an attached 3-car garage and a dettached 6 car working garage. In the garage space attached to his home, he installed a plastic tile flooring system. It looks great and serves a purpose in helping keeping the space clean and looking good. It's primarily only used for parking their cars and as an extra play space for their kids.
His working garage, which includes a paint spray booth and two four-post lifts, has an industrial flaked epoxy installed. The detached garage also has two floor drains built in. Pretty cool!
A friend of mine owns a beautiful Florida home that has an attached 3-car garage and a dettached 6 car working garage. In the garage space attached to his home, he installed a plastic tile flooring system. It looks great and serves a purpose in helping keeping the space clean and looking good. It's primarily only used for parking their cars and as an extra play space for their kids.
His working garage, which includes a paint spray booth and two four-post lifts, has an industrial flaked epoxy installed. The detached garage also has two floor drains built in. Pretty cool!
That's pretty much the scenario I think that product is designed for, show floor that sees nothing but parking and maybe an oil change mixed in, but it's just to delicate for any "real work" to be performed on it consistently. Your friends case is the exact scenario I figured would be typical case regarding a plastic floor covering.
One of the things I like the most about my tile is how it doesn't absorb oil and other fluids. With bare concrete, my choice was either to have spots and slick patches, or be putting down kitty litter and still having spots. To each his own, of course. But I think it's possible to have a decent looking floor in a working shop. I have LOTS of burns on this tile from welding, but they're like little pinholes.
One of the things I like the most about my tile is how it doesn't absorb oil and other fluids. With bare concrete, my choice was either to have spots and slick patches, or be putting down kitty litter and still having spots. To each his own, of course. But I think it's possible to have a decent looking floor in a working shop. I have LOTS of burns on this tile from welding, but they're like little pinholes.
Great point Jack!
It IS possible to have a decent flooring surface in your garage!!!!
When I was stationed in FL....I had a very nice epoxy floor put down. This was in 1993 so I am dating myself.....
However, it was an outstanding floor that I could do anything with. If fluids poured out I just simply "kitty littered" them and once taken off washed. Easy...part of my repair routine.
Was it a SHOW QUALITY floor......It was for ME!
I welded perches and mounts a few times and to be honest it was NOT an issue. Were there a few "pits".....yup!
But to be honest, I got more hair burned off on my arms than what I would consider damage to the flooring.
To each his/her own....but I am a fan and will continue to be one of a flooring system (in my case a good epoxy) for overall use. Overall use I define as parking vehicles in and out in various WX conditions with the occasional welding.
Just my 2.5 cents......
EDIT: If you are concerned about "spotting" from weld slag coming off.....just lay a surface around the area you are working on. I have my FLAME VEST ON...but simply laying down a few layers of cardboard...YES CARD BOARD....down will prevent the pin holes from happening. Oh and BTW...just spray some water on it if you are REALLY concerned about a flame up. Honestly I don't and haven't had an issue with the CB laid down when welding....to be safe have a buddy/wife/GF stand by with a spray bottle and FE and you will be good to go
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