Race Deck what is your long term experience

[UncleJoe]

I really like the look of the Race Deck flooring. I have read many reviews from people that have just installed them and as a rule they are all great. I am curious as to how they have held up over the years. It would be helpful to me and I am pretty sure others if you could share your experience and photos of the floor after years of use.

How long have you had it? What is the primary use of the shop/garage (automotive, woodworking, other?) What would you do differently now if you were to do it again?

I assume nobody is welding above a floor like this, am I right?

 

[jermar]

I've had Race Deck in my garage since 2003. [Private home] The structure of the tile holds up fine. However, the finish is still plastic. After years of tires & grit, the finish becomes dull with fine scratches and I have tire marks that do not come off. I tried a Xylene based clear coat and this helped. After a few years, it looks worse with the coating. I expect some people would want to replace after ten years.

 

[Chevy350]

I have had it just over a year in garage/shop. I have gray tiles under the area that gets used/abused the most which is under my lift. I have done timing belts, oil changes, clutches etc. The tiles do scratch, especially moving some of the heavier metal things on/off the car like a transmission, dropping tools. etc. It can be a pain to clean this area since it does end up with the most grease and wear, but hitting it with a good degreaser (dawn, simple green, etc) seems to work for clean up. I can see having to replace maybe ten or so tiles do to wear in 5-10 years time around the immediate abuse area if you care about the appearance. If not, from a function over form matter and that the over all deal is to protect the actual (new in my case) concrete underneath I think it will last long term.

 

[crepr12]

Great question OP hopefully there will more replies

 

[mrvm]

I have had it just over a year in garage/shop. I have gray tiles under the area that gets used/abused the most which is under my lift. I have done timing belts, oil changes, clutches etc. The tiles do scratch, especially moving some of the heavier metal things on/off the car like a transmission, dropping tools. etc. It can be a pain to clean this area since it does end up with the most grease and wear, but hitting it with a good degreaser (dawn, simple green, etc) seems to work for clean up. I can see having to replace maybe ten or so tiles do to wear in 5-10 years time around the immediate abuse area if you care about the appearance. If not, from a function over form matter and that the over all deal is to protect the actual (new in my case) concrete underneath I think it will last long term.

Have you lifted any tiles to clean up any oil drips or spills? I'm interested in Race Deck but I have concerns about accidental oil drips/spills. I read other folks recommend paintng the concrete in areas where such spills may occur or maybe some free HF blue tarp sheets?

 

[Chris05gto]

My FreeFlow floor is about 5 yrs. old and it still looks great!

 

[azula]

My FreeFlow floor is about 5 yrs. old and it still looks great!

Do you do any maintenance on the tiles?

 

[crepr12]

My FreeFlow floor is about 5 yrs. old and it still looks great!

Any reason you went free flow instead of he solid tiles?

 

[Chris05gto]

Do you do any maintenance on the tiles?

Every couple years I take the whole section out were I park my dd and clean underneath to get rid of all the winter junk.

Any reason you went free flow instead of he solid tiles?

So snow will melt off of my truck into the floor drains and I wash my cars in the garage.

 

[Garage Flooring]

I really like the look of the Race Deck flooring. I have read many reviews from people that have just installed them and as a rule they are all great. I am curious as to how they have held up over the years. It would be helpful to me and I am pretty sure others if you could share your experience and photos of the floor after years of use.

How long have you had it? What is the primary use of the shop/garage (automotive, woodworking, other?) What would you do differently now if you were to do it again?

I assume nobody is welding above a floor like this, am I right?

A lot of people weld over Polypropylene tiles and like you might expect is causes some damage. Use a welding blanket in those areas. Some have had better luck with a densifier and sealer -- no cosmetic value unless you grind and polish-- or ceramic tile.... BUT you will find TONS of happy tile customers.

I've had Race Deck in my garage since 2003. [Private home] The structure of the tile holds up fine. However, the finish is still plastic. After years of tires & grit, the finish becomes dull with fine scratches and I have tire marks that do not come off. I tried a Xylene based clear coat and this helped. After a few years, it looks worse with the coating. I expect some people would want to replace after ten years.

Have you checked with Jorgen (Racedeck1) about his cleaning and renewal product for Racedeck?

I have had it just over a year in garage/shop. I have gray tiles under the area that gets used/abused the most which is under my lift. I have done timing belts, oil changes, clutches etc. The tiles do scratch, especially moving some of the heavier metal things on/off the car like a transmission, dropping tools. etc. It can be a pain to clean this area since it does end up with the most grease and wear, but hitting it with a good degreaser (dawn, simple green, etc) seems to work for clean up. I can see having to replace maybe ten or so tiles do to wear in 5-10 years time around the immediate abuse area if you care about the appearance. If not, from a function over form matter and that the over all deal is to protect the actual (new in my case) concrete underneath I think it will last long term.

Protecting the concrete is something that almost no one does before they put tiles down and almost everyone should. Especially those in northern climates. A densifier and stain protectant combination like TrueLock TL37 and TL40 is good but most people can use a simple all in one product like TrueLock B4 Mat & Tile prep solution and get the basic protection they need. Regardless of who's product you use or what product you use, protecting the floor with something is a great idea.

 

[LowandSlow]

I have had mine about 1 month now. I love it! I have the diamond pattern in red, graphite, and black. I need to get something like a janitorial floor duster to help keep it dust free. If you use it with a floor jack/jack stands I would put down a piece of plywood or something because when I jacked up my car for a brake job (Infiniti SUV) it left 2 dents from the jack. I will have to replace those.

 

[James-W]

I have had mine for a few months now and I really like it. I don't park my cars in the garage, but I do drive the cars into the garage in order to do a little work on them from time to time. I mostly do woodworking projects but on occasion I make a part or something from metal, or I decide to build something from metal. I like the way the floor looks and I like the ease in which I can clean up the floor after a project.

 

[mikeyr]

about 15 years now. 2 lifts in the garage, a 4post and a scissor (md6-xp), I was worried about the scissor damaging the tiles and it did first time I used it, the casters on the moving end had sharp edges, I radiused them on the lathe and no damage since. My table saw (Unisaw) can leave a dimple on them sometimes, but it goes away a day later. Its a 3-wheel moving platform, 2 wheels at the back and at the other end one swivel wheel, that one wheel gets all the weight on it with its down to move the saw, if I put it up so saw is stable then nothing happens to the racedeck. I have only damaged a few times and most of them were with MIG or Plasma cutting, I now have a small section where I pulled the tiles leaving bare concrete to do my welding/cutting. I restore cars and do all my own car work on my modern cars as well. Pulled quite a few motors, gearboxes, etc. and made quite a mess on the tiles, they clean right up.

I saw the comment about scratches at around 10 years, mine are 15 and still look good to me but I have used the Racedeck cleaning and renewal product twice in that time.

I had the tiles down in my old garage about 10 years, pulled it up when I moved and was shocked at how little oil had made it to the floor during those years and I spilled a LOT of stuff on that floor working on my FJ I had at the time, basically only one small area under the 4post had any oil that made it through the tiles. Best part was the floor looked every bit as good as the day I put the tiles down. Second best part or tied for best was my new garage was bigger and I was able to purchase new tiles (remember this is 10 years later) and match up perfectly with the old tiles in my new garage. Floor had been poured only 2 weeks earlier, I didn't pain or prep the old floor beyond sweeping and I did nothing to the new floor also.

 

[jd_1138]

Every couple years I take the whole section out were I park my dd and clean underneath to get rid of all the winter junk.



So snow will melt off of my truck into the floor drains and I wash my cars in the garage.

I don't think I'd want to wash cars inside a garage. I'd be afraid of water getting everywhere and possibly damaging building materials or items inside the garage. Generally, don't you want to keep water out of the shop?

I just hose my cars off out front in the driveway, hand wash them, and rinse off. Plus it gives you more room to work.

 

[Chevy350]

Have you lifted any tiles to clean up any oil drips or spills? I'm interested in Race Deck but I have concerns about accidental oil drips/spills. I read other folks recommend paintng the concrete in areas where such spills may occur or maybe some free HF blue tarp sheets?

I have not lifted any tiles as when I have drops of oil I clean them up asap. The few times I have noticed a thicker fluid (oil) spill it does not seem to seep between cracks all that fast. With that said before I put the tiles down, I did seal the concrete with some stuff my concrete guy used. No idea how its been doing so far, but we did the driveway and that is holding up well.

 

[RaceDeck1]

In my own personal garage, I have RaceDeck FreeFlow an area where my daily drivers are parked all year with snow and road slop flowing through ( making for a nice clean floor in the mornings and where I wash my cars year round.

 

[azula]

I've had my racedeck installed for almost a year now and I have not had any problems. I had some slippage only because I had nothing on the tiles. I put some rubber matting underneath and it has been perfect! I have freeflow

 

[azula]

In my own personal garage, I have RaceDeck FreeFlow an area where my daily drivers are parked all year with snow and road slop flowing through ( making for a nice clean floor in the mornings and where I wash my cars year round.

More pics of that car!!! lol

 

[Jarred767]

In my own personal garage, I have RaceDeck FreeFlow an area where my daily drivers are parked all year with snow and road slop flowing through ( making for a nice clean floor in the mornings and where I wash my cars year round.

This is good to hear! How slip-resistant are they when wet (is it like a skating rink)? How would they hold up if you were washing cars daily?

I'm looking for a flooring option for a new detailing shop (that will have an indoor wash bay) that will be easy to clean (the roads get cinders put on them in the winter, so wheel wells are usually caked with this stuff), won't get too slick when wet, and will hold up to some harsher wheel cleaning chemicals.

I love the look of Racedeck, but trying to figure if they are a decent fit for my need.

 

[dubber]

This is good to hear! How slip-resistant are they when wet (is it like a skating rink)? How would they hold up if you were washing cars daily?

I'm looking for a flooring option for a new detailing shop (that will have an indoor wash bay) that will be easy to clean (the roads get cinders put on them in the winter, so wheel wells are usually caked with this stuff), won't get too slick when wet, and will hold up to some harsher wheel cleaning chemicals.

I love the look of Racedeck, but trying to figure if they are a decent fit for my need.

The FreeFlow tiles are especially slip-resistant due to the nature of their design and wicking water away from the surface of the tile. Based on your need this type of flooring would be ideal for you. There are a lot of detailers that use this.

 

[Jarred767]

The FreeFlow tiles are especially slip-resistant due to the nature of their design and wicking water away from the surface of the tile. Based on your need this type of flooring would be ideal for you. There are a lot of detailers that use this.

Thanks, will the cinders and road dirt all get trapped in the ribs though? How often would these need to get pulled up and cleaned underneath?

If I were to go with these Racedeck FF tiles, would it probably look the best to continue them through the entire shop, or just switch to a different style tile outside the washday? Anyone have any pictures of going from one style to a different one in the same space?

Epoxy with an anti-slip agent in the topcoat was recommended in another thread, but I'm trying to figure which might be best for me. Thanks again!

 

[dubber]

Thanks, will the cinders and road dirt all get trapped in the ribs though? How often would these need to get pulled up and cleaned underneath?

If I were to go with these Racedeck FF tiles, would it probably look the best to continue them through the entire shop, or just switch to a different style tile outside the washday? Anyone have any pictures of going from one style to a different one in the same space?

Epoxy with an anti-slip agent in the topcoat was recommended in another thread, but I'm trying to figure which might be best for me. Thanks again!

During the winter up here, we get a lot of snow mixed with a TON of nasty salt. I mop the surface throughout the year and vacuum the surface when everything is dry. A good shop vac will pull up debris through the tiles. After the winter is when i pull up a large section of the tiles and give it a thorough cleaning underneath.

 

[Boggs]

My floor will be at my house this week excited to put it in my man cave the racedeck cleaning and renewal you get that right from racedeck

 

[James-W]

My floor will be at my house this week excited to put it in my man cave the racedeck cleaning and renewal you get that right from racedeck

Welcome to the forum.

Don't forget to post before and after pictures. It is pretty amazing when you see the transformation from the old concrete floor to the new Racedeck floor.

 

[pdl2mtl90]

Had my RaceDeck in my 3 car garage since 2009. I love it and so does the wife. It is not any more slick than normal flooring when wet. I detail cars part time in the 2 bay and work on my Mustang street/strip car in the 3rd bay. There is some staining here and there from fluid spills and such but it cleans up well with Simple Green. I get lots of compliments from neighbors. I would do it again in a heartbeat.