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Do any of you have/use flooring in your garage/workshop? I have a (pretty well built) barn where my 7 will live, the floor is concrete but I guess when they poured it there was no vapor barrier, as such it occasionally gets damp (and slippy). While I'm not overly worried about the level of moisture I am looking at flooring options to see if there is something practical and affordable.

 

The main goal would be separation from the concrete, it should probably be vented so that when there is moisture it can evaporate so I was thinking more along the lines of a ribbed matting or tile, then again I wonder if it'll just gather dirt in the gaps. I'm also considering maybe just some mats to park (the wheels on) and getting a fatigue mat to move around as I work (concrete gets remarkable cold and hard after a while).

 

What do you guys do? I have done rustoleum on previous garages and loved it but I don't think an applied product will adhere well due to the moisture, I think I need more of a tile-style product - they do however seem expensive.

 

Stick with the concrete? Tile? Suggestions welcome!

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Do any of you have/use flooring in your garage/workshop? I have a (pretty well built) barn where my 7 will live...... Suggestions welcome!

 

I'm not sure how it would relate to your barn, but my garage--referred to as "Taber's Toybox"...has RaceDeck flooring. This is a plastic tile that interlocks, comes in lots of colors, and different "anti-skid"designs. One version is even designed for washracks and has a big drainage capability. While not inexpensive, it works great and lasts a long time--my floor has been down for about twelve years. While it withstands oil, gas, brake fluid, acetone, etc. IT DOES NOT withstand a slow gas tank leak while you are working overseas for three months! BUT, the company replaced the three "buckled" squares free of charge. I strongly recommend it.

Toybox Tour Caterham 7SV.jpg

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I'm leaning towards race deck (although there seem to be other similar ones) but the ribbed/vented style due to the moisture I have. For now I've ordered some samples to see how it looks. I'd honestly perfer a solid tile similar to yours but I don't think it'll be practical in my barn as I'll need the ventilation.

 

I'm not sure how it would relate to your barn, but my garage--referred to as "Taber's Toybox"...has RaceDeck flooring. This is a plastic tile that interlocks, comes in lots of colors, and different "anti-skid"designs. One version is even designed for washracks and has a big drainage capability. While not inexpensive, it works great and lasts a long time--my floor has been down for about twelve years. While it withstands oil, gas, brake fluid, acetone, etc. IT DOES NOT withstand a slow gas tank leak while you are working overseas for three months! BUT, the company replaced the three "buckled" squares free of charge. I strongly recommend it.
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I'm not sure how it would relate to your barn, but my garage--referred to as "Taber's Toybox"...has RaceDeck flooring. This is a plastic tile that interlocks, comes in lots of colors, and different "anti-skid"designs. One version is even designed for washracks and has a big drainage capability. While not inexpensive, it works great and lasts a long time--my floor has been down for about twelve years. While it withstands oil, gas, brake fluid, acetone, etc. IT DOES NOT withstand a slow gas tank leak while you are working overseas for three months! BUT, the company replaced the three "buckled" squares free of charge. I strongly recommend it.

 

My house came with RaceDeck (how could I not go for this one after seeing that?). But I'm thinking they installed it immediately before selling it, because it was pristine. Nowadays? Not so much. What do you use to clean it?

 

(PS: My review of RaceDeck, besides "gets filthy easily" is that it's pretty good! But if I had the time and the empty garage to do polished concrete or epoxy, I might consider that too...)

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From what I have read yes, comments suggest that with a heavier vehicle to put a piece of plywood underneath but that for a 7 it’s light enough not to be necessary.

 

Can you use a floor jack and jack stands on top of RaceDeck flooring?
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From what I have read yes, comments suggest that with a heavier vehicle to put a piece of plywood underneath but that for a 7 it’s light enough not to be necessary.

 

I think it depends on the construction of the jack stands. I have done some slight damage to my RaceDeck even jacking CAT7SV and my Elan M100 because an older set of jack stands had "sharp" edges on the bottom of the legs. I have since made some plywood bases for my jack stands. It is possible to replace single tiles that get damaged, by prying out that tile and snapping in a new one.

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I put epoxy floor in a shop we recently built. It seems to be pretty durable so far. It is a tan color with flecks of something that is sprinkled on it. It is relatively inexpensive too.

 

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=13846&stc=1

Work-Space-almost-ready.jpg

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After having epoxy failures on an older garage floor, I went with plastic tiles on my new house15 years ago. They are similar to RaceDeck, but a different brand which I have lost track of. They have lots of holes for the water to drain through, then it runs out the garage door due to the slope of the floor.

 

To clean the tile, I spray water over the whole floor, then mop with a soap mixture ( Simple Green) they flush off with the hose, and squeegee it dry. You can also use a floor sander type scrubber. I rented one at Home Depot once to do it. The floor scrubber will take the shiny finish off the tiles which allows them to show more dirt, so I do not recommend it.

 

Yes, I put a 1/4 sheet of plywood under the jack or jackstands when lifting a regular car, or my Tahoe (7000 lbs), nothing when working on the Seven.

 

here are some pics.

IMGP4155_Small.JPG

IMGP3457_Medium.jpg

IMGP3464_Medium.jpg

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Here is a better photo of how this floor looks. If the concrete is well prepared, it stays in place great.

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=13850&stc=1

Epoxy Floor.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I bought a building a few years ago when I owned a business that dealt in fabric. It had been an auto shop with a concrete floor that had stains and cracks. I had the floor polished and the result was remarkable. It was less expensive than any alternative I could find and resulted in a floor very easy to wash, sweep and keep clean. It will stain from oil but given the way the polishing leaves a stone like appearance from the aggregate in the concrete, it is mostly invisible. In one picture the boat is center stage, sorry. And apologies for the sideways picture too.

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=13939&stc=1

IMG_0792.jpg

Caterham:workshop.jpg

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I have what looks to be the identical floor in post #10. It's 7 years old and still near-perfect. I will say the claim that the "decorative flakes add traction" is a stretch, this floor is like teflon when wet. Oh, and it will gouge if something sharp and heavy is dragged across it, but no further lifting or flaking in the area of the score lines.

Full disclosure regarding preparation - I had the benefit of buying a house previously built on-spec, which sat empty for 18 months after completion prior to me coming along, so the floor had fully gassed out and dried out prior to me starting the install. I'm told this is a huge plus regarding long-term durability.

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While I'm not against epoxy it isn't likely to be an option as the slab in my barn isn't great - and I don't plan to have it re-done.

 

It gets damp, has some cracks etc, it is quite "livable" but I don't think a paint/epoxy solution is going to be an option for me. I'm leaning toward RaceDeck

 

I have what looks to be the identical floor in post #10. It's 7 years old and still near-perfect. I will say the claim that the "decorative flakes add traction" is a stretch, this floor is like teflon when wet. Oh, and it will gouge if something sharp and heavy is dragged across it, but no further lifting or flaking in the area of the score lines.

Full disclosure regarding preparation - I had the benefit of buying a house previously built on-spec, which sat empty for 18 months after completion prior to me coming along, so the floor had fully gassed out and dried out prior to me starting the install. I'm told this is a huge plus regarding long-term durability.

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I’ve been there, I see the discoungngaragedlooringllc offers but didn’t see anything on racedeck discounts - do you have any details on that?

 

A great resource for this topic is the Flooring forum on GarageJournal.com. RaceDeck posts there and does offer a discount for members.

 

-John

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