Race Deck after 10 years

[drcollie2]

I installed this Race Deck Flooring ten years ago (Sept 2014) and gave it the annual wash today using a foam cannon hooked up to a pressure washer. I never expected this to look this good a decade later. I have a few minor dents here and there from wheels on a floor jack, but other than those self-inflicted injuries it has exceeded my expectations. I did order the coated floor originally (in 2014 it was an extra $ 1 per tile) and well worth it for the high gloss, it has not faded.

I like the small amount of cushion it has when working on a car, the ease in cleaning up minor spills, and the fact that few things dropped on it will break, they mostly bounce. Some small parts will bounce a long ways! It will expand in the summer and shrink in the winter, so be sure to leave edge gaps so your floor will not buckle. It's also warmer in the winter than cold concrete, nice when you are working in the cars when its colder outside.

YES - I would buy it again.

 

[kngelv]

Very nice!

James

 

[larry4406]

Very nice garage and great experience with the floor!

 

[aff8863]

Is your concrete floor beneath that in good condition? Any issues with moisture beneath?

 

[Shea]

Is your concrete floor beneath that in good condition? Any issues with moisture beneath?

RaceDeck and similar flooring have channels under the tile that allow air circulation and drainage. Mold, mildew, or any other damage caused to concrete by trapped water does not exist with this type of flooring. We had RaceDeck tile in one of our garages for 8 years before the home was sold. The concrete underneath was in the same shape as it was when the tiles were first installed.

 

[aff8863]

I wasn’t sure how much about the channels enabling moisture to dry out was hype and how much was genuine slick design. Our house is 50+ years old, and the floor is pitted and spalled, ideally would just grind/patch/overlay but that’s more than I have bandwidth (or spousal consent) for. When it rains there’s moisture that comes up, will wick up into any absorbent things on the floor, but never (so far) generates standing water. The flush tiles would be nice, but I’m super skeptical about the adequacy of the channels to allow that much humidity to dry when it rains.

 

[drcollie2]

No issues underneath that I am aware of, however I obviously don't pull the floor up to check. If you do flood it with a lot of water, you will see the water squish up in the seams of the tiles for a couple of days until it all dries out.

I always power wash the floor, not flood it with a garden hose when cleaning it. The Power Washer puts down far less water so it doesn't pool under the tiles.

 

[maplewood]

Appreciate the long term review! There's so many reviews of products you'll have for years that someone has had for one week.

Gotta ask, what kind of work do you do in the garage, and how frequently? I've been debating racedeck myself, but am nervous about putting it in a garage with a race car that sees a lot of maintenance. Angle grinders, welders, the occasional transmission or engine removal...

 

[drcollie2]

Not as heavy as what you are doing to be sure. No welding, but I do the basics like oil changes, brake jobs, exhausts, motorcycle restorations, that sort of thing. Floor jacks and jackstands can dent the flooring. Race Deck will send you a replacement tile free of charge if that occurs (or they did in the past), to remedy that I picked up some sheet steel squares about 16" x 16" and used them under the jackstands and wheels of the floor jacks.

If you are going to do a lot of heavy maintenance, you will probably see dents in the floor, but I have not had any cracks. I used a mid-rise lift on mine with no ill effects, the dent issue shows up when there is a lot of pressure put on a small contact point. Even now. my 10 year old floor has maybe 6 dents in it, they don't bother me enough to replace the tiles.

 

[drcollie2]

Just for fun, I dug up the photos from ten years ago. My Floor before the Racedeck, and then the day I put it down. It has aged far better than I ever anticipated it would,

 

[Raptor916]

Looks great. I got a sample of the diamond and free flow. My wife was like "oh no" with the free flow so I will be ordering the diamond during the black friday sale. My new home will be ready in December.

Did you use landscape fabric under it? How is the sound when walking on it?

 

[drcollie2]

No, I did not put anything under the Race Deck. I want it to fully drain after pressure washing. No issue with noise at all (our Master Bedroom is above the garage and I walk on it many a night after the Mrs has gone to bed).

Be sure to allow for seasonal shinkage though. If installing this time of year, keep back at least 1/2" to 3/4" from the flush edge as in the summer heat and humidity it will expand that much.