Why not put Racedeck just over Dirt

[gumps10]

If Race deck will work over a prepped dry surface why would I spend extra to pour concrete and not just put down the Racedeck in my pole barn?

Just thinking of the pro's / cons vs. the expense of Concrete.

A properly prepped base for concrete should be able to provide drainage and proper slope correct?

Thoughts???

 

[jim1987]

Dirt will settle and get lump over time. Then it'll turn into mud..no Buenos IMO.

 

[gumps10]

I say dirt but I guess it would be better to say compacted gravel (Pole barn would go up in existing Driveway next to house).

But, mud inside of the barn shouldn't be an issue as it is covered.
Correct?

 

[Trey T]

If the foundation shifts a bit, your plastic tiles will break from its joints when it's loaded; you might have wavery floor. The point of having a concrete floor is the high compressive strength that it has uniformly across the slab because of its rigidity. However, plastic flooring rely concrete slab to have the rigidity.

If the race deck was one continuous and ridgid layer (6" thick), then I would say your idea would work.

 

[RaceDeck1]

Some of the points are valid. With a dirt surface that has no real structural integrity and will wear away unevenly over time. For a semi-permanent install ( like a race paddock or event structure) our floors work great and will not 'break apart'.

 

[gumps10]

So hears another question....If you were to prep for an insulated concrete floor you would level and then put rigid insulation then pour concrete.........

What are your thoughts to this?

Remember all, this is just brainstorming...........when it comes down to it I will only have enough to put in one or the other and I really like the idea of Racedeck as a finished floor....

 

[RaceDeck1]

We have many customers who put in a wood subfloor and RaceDeck on top ( sheds, barns, storage bldg,et) and have had in place for years.

 

[Trey T]

I don't think anyone here can give you answer bc that's not something people practice. Fundamentally, do you think the insulation board is ridgid uniformly across the entire floor? If you think it is, then go for it.

The key point here is having a strong and ridgid floor slab, and there's no other material that can replace concrete slab economically.

 

[rsanter]

We use RD for trade show events. It is installed over fairly compacted dirt or compacted DG. It has worked well but not as nice and even as when it is on concrete.
One of the key reasons we went with it is that we will get rain at some of the trade shows and didn't want to be on mud or wet dirt.

Frankly you could avoid the concrete and just install several inches of a compacted gravel base. Go for a high compaction rate and you can have a very hard flat surface. You can then use it like that or even put the RD over it.
bTW, I'm talking like 90+% compaction rate...

Bob