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CVO Social => Off Topic => Topic started by: ultra13 on July 16, 2018, 05:36:21 PM
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I know some people have touched on this subject before about laying the square rubber tiles on their garage floor. I am about to move into my new house which has a detached "man cave". I will be doing some upgrades to it as soon as I get the keys. My question is between painting it and installing the rubber tiles down. I like the durability of the tiles but upon reading some reviews on some tiles sights and people have had some negative responses as far as kickstands and floor jack usage leaving permanent indentions on the tile. I will ne using a floor jack, jack stands and a bike jack often. Should I be concerned?
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no problem with mine kick stands etc. if, u do have a problem the tiles are so cheap just replace the damaged one.
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No problem with my racedeck flooring....jack stands, floor jack, kickstands--all good.
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I had epoxy coating on mine, but after looking into these, I may go this route:
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/garage/products/swisstrax-rubbertrax-coming-soon
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I wouldn't be that concerned, there is a solution though.
Side Stand. use a side stand coaster to eliminate damage.
Jack Stand. place a piece of wood beneath the jack on both ends to raise the wheels off the ground slightly to eliminate indentations.
As smkymtnboy said you can easily replace any damaged tiles.
Or you can do what I did, split your MC into two sections.
1. Show room with Race Deck tiles for parking and day to day use.
2. Service bay painted in two pack for durability, remember paint will always show scuff marks.
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I used the paint with the sand sprinkled over it. 12 years and it still looks good.
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I noticed that Weathertech now makes these. Y'all may have already known this but news to me. I like their products and everything is made in the USA including the tooling and materials that make the products. Something to consider...
https://www.weathertech.com/techfloor/
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I wash my bike in the garage and the tiles do not work for thIs, dirt and then mold develops below the tiles. Industrial quality two part expoxy with clearcoat is the only way to go. You can put sand in it for traction, put decals or secondary colors such as a HD or whatever emblem below the clear. Just a lot more effort to prep properly for the paint than for the tiles, and the tiles do look good if all you do is store and work on the bike.
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Thanks for the feedback. That was another concern of mine with the tiles, washing bikes on them and wondering what the water getting under the tiles it does to the floor.
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I had the floor in my shop professionally done with epoxy and I love it but the jiffy stand sliding out as you lean the bike has scuffed the floor. The dealer offered to redo it because he gave me a lifetime guarantee but I didn't see the point. I've gone to using sidestand coasters. If you use tiles you can either use the coasters or change the tile when the wear bugs you. I don't wash my bikes inside but since that's a concern for you I'd look at going with the epoxy for sure.
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I've had my tiles for 7 yrs, wash my bike and cars in the garage, and do not have a problem...I live on the Georgia coast. Epoxy vs tiles...there are benefits to both. Tiles are easy to install and replace if damaged. Anything with a sharp metal edge is going to gouge tiles, especially if it slides across the floor. You actually mentioned "paint" in your original post - if you use paint (verses epoxy, etc), you're wasting your time. It will not last and has no durability.
If you've researched epoxy, you know the prep of the garage floor is the key. The most expensive epoxy on a poorly prepped floor will be a waste of your $$. Also, the low cost epoxy kits from Lowes & Home Depot will not last. You'll want to go with an industrial grade epoxy (go to the forums on Garage Journal...there's plenty of flooring info there). When I was researching epoxy there was an industrial grade product called Rust Bullet that I would have purchased if going the epoxy route.
Lastly, if you go with tiles, try to purchase them in the summer and leave them outside in the sun. After they heat up, install them. This will allow you to install the tiles at their max size, so they will not buckle (this is a tip from RaceDeck). Good luck.