Garage flooring - paint, self stick tile or interlocking tiles?

[CBattaglia]

Originally Posted by BDR879

I just put down the Behr product (from Home Depot). It looks good and the application was easy. The tough part was the prep work. Degreasing, etching, finding out that a coat of sealer was put down 10 years ago , stripping, etching again, priming then painting. It took 2 weekends to complete, but I'm satisfied at this point.

This product works and looks great. It comes with a "spekle dust" that you sprinkle down after you lay the paint down. It gives a great looking finish.

[MaSnaka]

2 part epoxy here. The kind that will kill you without proper ventilation and respirator. Acid wash and detergent clean to get all the oil up. 1 day to prep and dry, 2 coats of the epoxy the next day. 13 years later and still holding good. No tire lift. But sawdust or water does make it slippery, so I would recomend an additive for some texture. Rainwater dripping from the car also accumulates and tends to puddle. But anything else wipes right off or cleans off with laquer thinner. It can be tinted to just about any color you like too. Mine is blue like the blue masking tape. Pics in my gallery.

John

[DanEC]

A question on the Race Deck type products - how do they hold up under the use of floor jacks and jack stands? Do the point loads crack it or permanently deform the surface?

Thanks

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by DanEC

A question on the Race Deck type products - how do they hold up under the use of floor jacks and jack stands? Do the point loads crack it or permanently deform the surface?

Thanks

It's not supposed too. I haven't had any cracks, I have had a few "dent" a bit if the jack stand rolled up on two of the 4 legs at all because the floor jack didn't roll properly. It may have returned to normal, I need to look again. But I would say that I am happy with the performance of the tiles in this respect. You could always put a bit of plywood under the jack stands if you had an issue, but I haven't seen the need.

[REAL 1]

Epoxy. I've had no lift. No chance for water/moisture accumulation under tiles etc...

Epoxy floors do scratch some over time but generally hold up well and clean off well.

[Gatorac]

My garage floor has 8 years worth of oil, brake fluid, dog water, diff fluid and probably even nuclear waste on it. Is it possible to clean this floor up enough to use an epoxy type system reliably? I really hate the nasty looking concrete and would love a nice floor that doesn't soak up all the stuff I drop on it.

[wetdog]

Epoxy ...my garage should be a test facility welding slag ,chemicals , dogs running and skidding with their nails, jacks being drug all over ...it can be slippery but if you add the sand it does not clean up as easily ..also dont use the colored flakes ,if you ever drop a set screw or small part its real simple to find witout all the visual clutter..WD

[REAL 1]

I would have a professional look at the floor. My floor was 15 years old when I had an epoxy floor put in. They acid etch the floor. Let them tell you if the floor can be sufficiently cleaned. They should guarantee it for at least 5 years.

My guy did.

[RaceDeck]

Originally Posted by DanEC

A question on the Race Deck type products - how do they hold up under the use of floor jacks and jack stands? Do the point loads crack it or permanently deform the surface?

Thanks

Hi
You should be find with all car lifts and most all jacks. The only time we see anything is when someone uses the cheaper angle iron jackstand with heavy vehicles ( looks like this < and acts like a cookie cutter). The easy solution is to just place any small solid pad on the floor
In the event you do damage a module, just give us a ring and we will replace it...
Cheers

[jmimac351]

I have racedeck in my garage and it looks great. There are 2 issues I've had which are drawbacks for me.

1- When mig welding it's prone to suffering some damage from large fragments. These spots are not really noticeable but the product is probably not suitable for an environment with a lot of welding going on.

2- When I am aligning my car the diamond plate Racedeck causes me issues when trying to calibrate my Fastrax tool for level against the floor. I've solved this by pulling up some tiles to reach the concrete.

As mentioned, a minor issue has been if I leave the car on a jackstand in place for an extended period of time then it can cause a small dimple. The dimple is not noticeable given the diamond plate pattern. Probably less noticeable than a scratch or gouge in a black checkerboard tile.

These issues are not the floor's fault. The floor has proven to be very durable and strong.

One big plus to the floor is that if we move I can take it with me - and will. If you want the look it creates it's a great option and I think it will last a long time. It's plenty easy to put down yourself. Before I put mine down I did a very light coat of cheap epoxy to try and keep some concrete dust down. Seems to have worked out well.

Jim

[Lew Ledyard]

Epoxy will bubble/peel if there is no moisture barrier under the concrete. To check, tape a 1'X1' piece of Saran Wrap on all sides to the floor for a week or so. If there is any fog or condensation, then you don't have a moisture barrier and the epoxy will lift. Also, concrete takes a LONG time to fully cure (6 months, a year maybe?) and if it isn't fully cured and epoxy is applied, it will lift.

Race Deck is nice, water will flow under it, it can be kept clean easily (although epoxy sweeps up better with less effort) and it isn't slippery. When it is extremely hot for long period of time, Race Deck can buckle very slightly. It is easy to install and is removable, which is a place. It is very durable.

[thudmaster]

I used roll out rubber mat. Two twenty foot rolls. I wish I had not bought the ribbed one though. Tough on the knees. Install time about two hours if you have a friend.





I know its not racedeck or paint but it sure is easy to clean.

[pablo63]

Originally Posted by thudmaster

I used roll out rubber mat. Two twenty foot rolls. I wish I had not bought the ribbed one though. Tough on the knees. Install time about two hours if you have a friend.





I know its not racedeck or paint but it sure is easy to clean.

Looks good. Where did you purchase? Cost?

[FUNFER2]

If you like the plastic tiles, I can still get a great price from "Swisstrax". Best tiles out there & the best warranty.

http://www.swisstrax.com/

[mkassab]

2 part latex epoxy with clear coat.... been there for 5 years in the hot south.... no sitck/lift from tires. The key is prep, dry mositure free concrete and no dust. With the latex opion..... less worry with not perfect dry concrete. And a must.... no green new concrete. I'd think at least a year old? Here's my pict's below

Mark

[RaceDeck]

If you have any questions on your particular garage set & needs up just give us a call ... and remember, all CC members get deal$

[CobraEd]

I am constantly working in the garage on my cars and my kids cars. So if I went to Racedeck and I was always jacking up cars (like my 4,000lb Caddys), I would not really perminantly dent the tiles ??????


.

[RaceDeck]

For the most part no, but if you are using cheaper style jack stands ( angle iron legs Vs the round or square base plate style ) it may. The weight of the vehicle is no issue ( you could park a 50,000 Prevost on it if you wanted). also simply placing a pad under those style stands would solve any issue.

[CobraEd]

What about the wheels of the jack itself?


.

[Bud K]

I had epoxy put down on my garage floor. Looks great, oil cleans up nicely, however, rebuilding a car will definitely take a toll on the finish. Moving my car around on wheel dollys became a problem when I ran over a small rock. The rock cut through the epoxy. Also, a car with hot (Tucson heat) sticky tires can lift up the finish, even if applied by a professional.

Bud K