Race Deck Compared to Garage Trac/Deck

[John Harry]

Snaplock Industries makes various flooring products, including Race Deck and Garage Trac/Deck garage flooring. In order to help decide which I should get for my residential garage, I got a tile of Race Deck diamond pattern and Garage Trac in their Alloy color. The Race Deck is more expensive; you can get current prices from Snaplock and other sellers on the web. Refer to Jeff’s “Interlocking Floor Tile Comparative Study” at www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114940 for his pics and comments.

Here's what I found:

- A Garage Trac tile weighs 12 3/8 oz. versus 14 1/8 oz. for the Race Deck. Both feel substantial.

- The Garage Trac diamond surface is more raised, which probably gives good traction but also may trap more dirt and make it harder to roll creepers, equipment etc.

- In the Alloy color I compared the Garage Trac is less shiny. Not better or worse, necessarily.

- The Garage Trac and Race Deck tiles have the same locking system and will physically interchange. While both have a “diamond” pattern, they are not the same and might not look right if mixed.

- The pattern of the structure underneath is more visible on the top of the Garage Trac (not necessarily bad looking, just the way it is). It also shows on the Race Deck but is not nearly as noticeable because the diamond pattern on top matches the structure underneath.

- Loops on the Race Deck are an integral part of the sub-structure; they are more separate on the Garage Trac. I suppose this could mean they are stronger on the Race Deck, but it may not make a lot of difference in practice.

In summary, the Race Deck is more rugged and probably looks a bit higher in quality, but I think either one would work well in a residential garage. I have until spring to decide but am leaning toward the Race Deck if the price difference is still reasonable then.

Thanks to Jennifer Storms in Snaplock Customer Service for answering all my questions. Very helpful.

 

[Shea]

One of the differences you may want to compare John is the porosity of the surface. Premium tiles like RaceDeck, Swisstrax, and TrueLock Plus as an example, are easier to clean and more resistant to stains because the surface doesn't tend to trap dirt like some of the lesser expensive brands. It's one of the reasons that the premium tiles have more shine.

 

[KPSquared]

Helluva detailed first post. . . so, who do you work for again?

I'm kidding . . . Thanks for the in depth review!

 

[John Harry]

Helluva detailed first post. . . so, who do you work for again?

I'm kidding . . . Thanks for the in depth review!

Retired computer tech. And with the snow in Pittsburgh and tomorrow's forecast of terrible morning commute, the emphasis is on Retired!

 

[John Harry]

One of the differences you may want to compare John is the porosity of the surface. Premium tiles like RaceDeck, Swisstrax, and TrueLock Plus as an example, are easier to clean and more resistant to stains because the surface doesn't tend to trap dirt like some of the lesser expensive brands. It's one of the reasons that the premium tiles have more shine.

I don't want to be a tile testing lab, but that seemed like an interesting suggestion. So I took my Race Deck and Garage Trac tiles and cleaned a portion of each with an alcohol pad to remove any oil, molding compound, etc. that remained from manufacturing. Then I put a couple drops of motor oil, antifreeze, coffee, yellow mustard, and a black Sharpie permanent marker line on each. Repeated same on uncleaned areas. A few times I added a drop of water to the coffee and mustard to keep them from drying out.

After two days everything except the Sharpie wiped off both tiles with no stain. Soap and water on a towel lightened the Sharpie a little, and an alcohol swab completely removed it with just a wipe. I saw no differences between the Race Deck and Garage Trac. Obviously other materials and longer times might have had different results, but this test convinced me there are not major differences.