alexb76

Came across this searching for new Garage Floors. Can someone who's done both Epoxy (i.e U-coat) vs. Racedeck and the pros/cons of each?

It looks like Epoxy would be cheaper, but much harded to install/apply correctly, while racedeck is just more money (still can't figure out the cost).

Mind you, this is for Vancouver, so many months of rain, and just 2-3 weeks of snow at max.

gr1275

In addition to feedback here, you might find these helpful:

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/garage-forum-61/

http://www.garageforums.com/forums/

Gary

997_rich

I did epoxy and I had the experience of having to squegee out 1" of water (melted snow that dripped from the car) yesterday. It was no biggie. I'm not sure about racedeck and how it works with water- does the moisture get trapped beneath it? That may be a consideration.

Minok

If you apply a finish (epoxy, yourself or professionally) and drive on it daily, you WILL have to redo the floor every 5-10 years I think. These treatments are not a 15-20 year solution.

sullivas

Did mine with a product made by Ameron, same stuff they use for Jiffylube floors. You can use one application and be ok or you can topcoat it with another 'shield' stage which is what I did. My floor is 15 years old and holding up well. I'd recommend putting some sand in the mix because the urethane is slippery when wet, I found out. Prep is everything, all old oil etc must come off floor. Then etch with muriatic acid to give the floor tooth. NIOSH mask required, stinks like hell. A lot of work but nice payoff. Probably find the stuff at industrial supply stores. I found it at a paint store, the guy there was really an expert on the stuff so I was lucky. However I don't know of any coating that will withstand sharp edged objects like floor jacks/trolley wheels etc. so I use 1/2 plywood under everything when lifting/supporting cars. BTW, I don't use the garage for DD's, only the fun cars. Good luck with whatever you decide.

gota911

Alex,

The Race Deck starts at about $3.50 per sq.ft. and climbs fast.

I just ordered some Modutile. I originally saw it on the Sears web site. $66.00 for 30 tiles in a case or $2.20/sq.ft. I needed 480 sq.ft. and they wanted $180 for shipping. Tile, transition edge, shipping and taxes was going to be $1,345.

Then I did a search on Modutile and found that they sell directly to the public. They have Coin Top, Diamond Pattern, and Perforated (vented).

I got the Coin Top - Regular price $3.55/sq.ft., Special price $2.48/sq.ft., or buy 30 or more tile for $1.98/sq.ft., transition edge $1.75 each, FREE shipping (in USA not sure about Canada), and NO tax. Total to my door $987. An additional 10 minutes of web searching saved me $355. It should arrive tomorrow or Thursday.

Here is a link to their web site. Modutile

I will start a new thread after I get it installed this weekend.

mmmazing

i think, i will do the same thing. looking forward to your write up. good luck

_Nathan

A raised floor tile system like Racedeck is not ideal for an area that gets a lot of snow. The road salt/sand/etc. will accumulate under the tiles. I have an epoxy garage floor and like Minok said, they don't last forever. Mine is 3 years old and is starting to look a bit scuffed up is the high wear areas.

alexb76

Cool, thanks for info. Racedeck ships for free in US, that's not a problem as I got a mailbox in WA.

How does the quality of that Modulite compare? Is it Made in USA? and using high quality material? Based on my research, most report that the top two premium tile companies are Racedeck or Swiss Trax. Never came across Modulite name.

PS. An interesting find is the tiles sold by Costco! An affiliate of Racedeck actually makes those and they are quite close to Racedeck quality, just a notch lower (i.e. not ideal for commercial use, while fine for garage).

I got a quote of just below $1200 with special discount for Racedeck for my garage... still a bit unsure if that's ideal for my climate. I don't get too much snow, but do indeed get a lot of rain.

alexb76

Epoxy is for sure cheaper, and should fine for my climate, but I am just not great with handywork and I believe you need to acid wash, level the floor before applying, and be good at applying it evenly.

Anyone with experience of applying epoxy and how easy/hard it was to do?

Thanks

boolala

Don't like the look of Racedeck but, admittedly, that's a purely personal aesthetic.

I would never try to lay down epoxy myself. Saw the pros do it in my garage (they claim to use some polymer that is more durable than epoxy) and it was alot of work.

mdr2001

I acid stained mine about 5 years back and put an industrial grade sealant on top ( it protects well against oil spills etc). It is ok, but if a pro had done it, it could have been great.

I cant wait to see the finished product Tim. I was considering racedeck to top my previous handy work. I may just wait till our new place is built.