BIKEBOY Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 OK, I'm sure this has been covered a few times over the years, but I am not too sure I want to go through the whole cleaning process needed on a 25 year old garage floor that has had a few oil-leakers parked on it. My painter has assured me that the cleaning process...steam clean, acid wash, and such will only 'probably' remove all of the nasties that need to come up to make the epoxycoat stick good. Soooooo, I am beginning the thought process of RaceDeck flooring. Any thoughts? Pics.? Thanks to you all! :happy feet: The garage walls, ceiling, and backs of the doors are all painted grey now. Just need to figure the floor out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
car dude Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I dont have a garage right now but i have seen them set up both ways and while the painted garage looked good the racedeck just looked cleaner.When we finally find a bigger house with a garage i will install the racedeck flooring . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rag Top Day Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 I love the Race Deck Flooring. I have it in both of my garages. Had epoxy before the Race Deck. Chiped and had to keep touching it up plus its cold. Picture of main garage Picture of what my kids call dads "Dog House" Another shot of the "Dog House" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 I love the Race Deck Flooring. I have it in both of my garages. Had epoxy before the Race Deck. Chiped and had to keep touching it up plus its cold. Picture of main garage Picture of what my kids call dads "Dog House" Another shot of the "Dog House" Thanks RagTop... Is that a Sonic Blue Lightning? I love the truck! Is the leading edge of the RaceDeck tapered, for entry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rag Top Day Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 Thanks RagTop... Is that a Sonic Blue Lightning? I love the truck! Is the leading edge of the RaceDeck tapered, for entry? Yes they are tapered so you have a smooth transition. The lightning is 2004 Sonic Blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ati Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 I have RaceDeck in the Shelby section of my garage. Easy to install and looks great. Sorry, This is the only pic I have available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I have RaceDeck in the Shelby section of my garage. Easy to install and looks great. Sorry, This is the only pic I have available. Now THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN" ABOUT!! Thanks Alan. That is very sweet! That is kinda what I thought about doing...the checkerboard idea. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygator Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 That looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Gang- I sent an e-mail to RaceDeck inquiring about 600 sqft for my 3car garage. They responded with an e-mail stating that hard-copy of info is on it's way in the mail, but says that 600 sqft. is $1795, with tapered 'entrance' edging being extra on top of that, priced by the linear foot. It was gonna be $1500 for acid wash and epoxy-coat for same 600sqft. Hmmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0201212 Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I would pay the couple hundred more for the racedeck if it was me. Will always look good and won't chip!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-man Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I'm gonna go against the grain here. When I did my garage, I considered race deck versus epoxy. My big problem with epoxy was that I had heard stories of your how your hot tires could stick to it, and when you backed out the next time, you would lift the epoxy. Virtually everyone I spoke to who tried to save money and took the do-it-yourself approach with some product they bought from Home Depot/Lowe's/etc. was not happy with the out come. I loved the look of race deck, and wanted to do a black and white checker board pattern in my garage. I spoke to a dealer about it, and he immediately tried to talk me out of the black and white approach. He said the white looks good for show rooms or display areas, but in a 'real' garage the white would quickly become stained and discolored. He told me it basically could not be kept clean. He advised I think about black and silver checker board instead. He asked me if I actually work on my car in the garage, or just park it there. His concern was that if you did any grinding or welding, the hot sparks would melt and pit the tiles when they hit them. If you spill and fluid on the tiles, it goes down the joints between them and puddles underneath. You have to pull up the tiles to clean up the spill correctly. All these comments were from a guy trying to sell the race deck tiles to me. He really made me reconsider my approach. I found a guy who did commercial epoxy flooring work. Typically, he did car dealership service areas and airplane hangers....my garage was super small job for him. What made his approach different from everyone else's was that he didn't etch the concrete with acid, rather he brought in an industrial grinder and ground away about 1/8" to 1/4" of the garage floor. This made sure he was down to 'virgin' concrete, and provided a nice rough surface for the epoxy to stick to. He used industrial grade epoxies and resins, not DIY grade product. The only problems we had was he kept tripping the circuit breaker for the garage because the grinder pulled so many amps, and while the epoxy was curing the fumes were pretty powerful. Mrs. Z almost took the kids to a hotel for the weekend (no kidding). The installer told me the more it stunk, the better it was going to last. Price wise, the race deck was a little more than the epoxy. I have had no chipping, even when I dropped a wrench or two. I did have a 4" x 6" section lift, but it was determined to be because of a defect in the concrete (a bubble in the concrete had caused a small void that ultimately cracked...maybe due to it being closer to the surface of the concrete because of the grinding). In any case, the epoxy guy fixed it at no charge. He had guaranteed it would not lift, and even though he was sure it wasn't his fault, he wanted me to be a happy customer (there's a good lesson in customer service to be learned there). I didn't get my black and white checker board, but a nice speckled blue. If you do go the epoxy route, make sure to put some grit in the top layer. It may not look quite as good a a smooth finish, but without the grit it will be slippery as ice when it gets wet. The installer told me of a client who refused the grit, and slid his car through the back wall of his garage the first time he pulled in while it was raining. Good luck with your decision, and I hope you end up pleased with whichever choice you make. Z-man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I'm gonna go against the grain here. When I did my garage, I considered race deck versus epoxy. My big problem with epoxy was that I had heard stories of your how your hot tires could stick to it, and when you backed out the next time, you would lift the epoxy. Virtually everyone I spoke to who tried to save money and took the do-it-yourself approach with some product they bought from Home Depot/Lowe's/etc. was not happy with the out come. I loved the look of race deck, and wanted to do a black and white checker board pattern in my garage. I spoke to a dealer about it, and he immediately tried to talk me out of the black and white approach. He said the white looks good for show rooms or display areas, but in a 'real' garage the white would quickly become stained and discolored. He told me it basically could not be kept clean. He advised I think about black and silver checker board instead. He asked me if I actually work on my car in the garage, or just park it there. His concern was that if you did any grinding or welding, the hot sparks would melt and pit the tiles when they hit them. If you spill and fluid on the tiles, it goes down the joints between them and puddles underneath. You have to pull up the tiles to clean up the spill correctly. All these comments were from a guy trying to sell the race deck tiles to me. He really made me reconsider my approach. I found a guy who did commercial epoxy flooring work. Typically, he did car dealership service areas and airplane hangers....my garage was super small job for him. What made his approach different from everyone else's was that he didn't etch the concrete with acid, rather he brought in an industrial grinder and ground away about 1/8" to 1/4" of the garage floor. This made sure he was down to 'virgin' concrete, and provided a nice rough surface for the epoxy to stick to. He used industrial grade epoxies and resins, not DIY grade product. The only problems we had was he kept tripping the circuit breaker for the garage because the grinder pulled so many amps, and while the epoxy was curing the fumes were pretty powerful. Mrs. Z almost took the kids to a hotel for the weekend (no kidding). The installer told me the more it stunk, the better it was going to last. Price wise, the race deck was a little more than the epoxy. I have had no chipping, even when I dropped a wrench or two. I did have a 4" x 6" section lift, but it was determined to be because of a defect in the concrete (a bubble in the concrete had caused a small void that ultimately cracked...maybe due to it being closer to the surface of the concrete because of the grinding). In any case, the epoxy guy fixed it at no charge. He had guaranteed it would not lift, and even though he was sure it wasn't his fault, he wanted me to be a happy customer (there's a good lesson in customer service to be learned there). I didn't get my black and white checker board, but a nice speckled blue. If you do go the epoxy route, make sure to put some grit in the top layer. It may not look quite as good a a smooth finish, but without the grit it will be slippery as ice when it gets wet. The installer told me of a client who refused the grit, and slid his car through the back wall of his garage the first time he pulled in while it was raining. Good luck with your decision, and I hope you end up pleased with whichever choice you make. Z-man Thanks Z-man... I have had several homes with epoxy coat, but all in Az. where wetness from rain, etc. is not of concern. I had talked about doing a sand coat on the top, and the painter liked it. The only real problem I ever experienced in Phx. was dragging the floor jack around! The wheels scratch the @#$% out of the coat!! Thanks for all of the great tips bud. BTW- you write well. And...your spelling and English is near perfect! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-man Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thanks Z-man... I have had several homes with epoxy coat, but all in Az. where wetness from rain, etc. is not of concern. I had talked about doing a sand coat on the top, and the painter liked it. The only real problem I ever experienced in Phx. was dragging the floor jack around! The wheels scratch the @#$% out of the coat!! Thanks for all of the great tips bud. BTW- you write well. And...your spelling and English is are near perfect! Chris My floor jack leave marks if I slide the wheels sideways as opposed to rolling them in the direction they are pointed. The grit seems to act like sandpaper and rubs off little particles of the wheels. The marks wipe up easily and don't leave any permanent marks or scratches. BTW - Thanks for the complement. Your spelling comment made Mrs. Z roll here eyes BIG TIME!!! She thinks my spelling stinks...but at least I know how to use 'spell check.' That, and the undo key on most programs, are probably the best two options ever added to software. Too bad there's not an undo feature in 'real' life...that would have saved by butt once or twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbymotorsports Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 We have a company with a Shelby License that produces these type of modular floor tiles in case anyone is interested. Steve http://www.carrollshelbymerchandise.com/garage-flooring-c-148 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 My floor jack leave leaves marks if I slide the wheels sideways as opposed to rolling them in the direction they are pointed. The grit seems to act like sandpaper and rubs off little particles of the wheels. The marks wipe up easily and don't leave any permanent marks or scratches. BTW - Thanks for the complement. Your spelling comment made Mrs. Z roll here eyes BIG TIME!!! She thinks my spelling stinks...but at least I know how to use 'spell check.' That, and the undo key on most programs, are probably the best two options ever added to software. Too bad there's not an undo feature in 'real' life...that would have saved by butt once or twice. Hahahaha!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 We have a company with a Shelby License that produces these type of modular floor tiles in case anyone is interested. Steve http://www.carrollshelbymerchandise.com/garage-flooring-c-148 Thanks Steve!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-man Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Hahahaha!!! You got me!!! Looks like they need to invent a proof reading 'button' as well. Z-man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 The wife went to Lowes today satisfying the grocery list of things for the new digs. While there, she says there is a RaceDeck 'knock-off' product? It seemed cheaper, she thought? Anyone know of it? Usually cheaper means just that!! EDIT- sPlLeeNg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ati Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 The wife went to Lowes today satisfying the grocery list of things for the new digs. While there, she says there is a RaceDeck 'knock-off' product? It seemed cheaper, she thought? Anyone know of it? Usually cheaper means just that!! EDIT- sPlLeeNg I did some research on floor tile and "You get what you pay for!" If your going in this direction I would stay with RaceDeck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIKEBOY Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 I did some research on floor tile and "You get what you pay for!" If your going in this direction I would stay with RaceDeck Don't yell at me Alan! Thank you sir. I think I'm with ya on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rag Top Day Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 The wife went to Lowes today satisfying the grocery list of things for the new digs. While there, she says there is a RaceDeck 'knock-off' product? It seemed cheaper, she thought? Anyone know of it? Usually cheaper means just that!! EDIT- sPlLeeNg I saw some knock off race deck at Costco once and my friend bought some for his garage. Replaced it with Race Deck as it did not fit tightly and was not as strong. You are right you get what you pay for. Also alot of times Race Deck has a discount price for Car club members. Make sure to ask. edit for more bad spelling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EL SHELBY Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 I have RaceDeck in the Shelby section of my garage. Easy to install and looks great. Sorry, This is the only pic I have available. That is slick! You just gave me inspiration to wall in the 3rd bay in my garage and creat a nice SGT jewel box! I enjoy wood working and was stumped about how I was going create 'zones' within my garage and protect my Shelby from te fallout. I was considering walling in the 3rd bay to create a wood shop but knew it wouldn't be enough room to work. It didn't occur to me until now that I should place the Shelby in the 3rd bay. Some of the best ideas are looking you right in the face and go unnoticed until some points it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ati Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Thats exactly what I did. This protects the Shelby from all the family hazards including the kids and all their junk... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Robinson Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Hi guys, I have the floor tiles and I like them but if you use black make sure your floor gets very little heat from the sun or they will bow due to the heat. Mine warp all the time in the summer and it drives me nuts. Gotta close the door to cool them so they will flatten out. That's my only complaint otherwise I'm ok with it. Easy to clean just mop it up. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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