cgleathercraft Report post Posted January 8, 2015 I'll be moving out of a tiny 2 bedroom trailer in early Feb to a 3 bedroom rental house. I'm taking over one of the bedrooms as a work space. Currently I have one of those cheapo rugs from walmart as a cover in case i spill dye or finish. It will not be big enough as the work area will almost double. Anyone have any suggestions for covering up the carpet in the new place so I have less of a chance of mucking it up with dye? A couple more rugs would probably do but they slide around on top of carpet and get wrinkles that can be dangerous in a shop setting (i've already almost faceplanted twice). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papaw Report post Posted January 8, 2015 I would look at getting some heavy cardboard like fridge comes in put heavy double stick tape down and then rug. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snubbyfan Report post Posted January 8, 2015 Plywood, masonite, mdf, osb? Any'd last longer than cardboard, make a stable surface to walk on, protect the carpet and be easy to move. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Troy Burch Report post Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) You can get large plastic mats that have a nonslip underside made just for protecting floors. I don't know the exact name to search for but it shouldn't be that hard to find. Edited January 8, 2015 by Troy Burch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raysouth Report post Posted January 8, 2015 Hello CG, All of the above suggestions have merit. The only thing I will add is, you should have something around the edges of the flooring material you decide to use, that will absorb any dye that gets away. A splash will go everywhere but where it should go, as certain you know. You would want some type of material that would not bleed through and perhaps a heavy cardboard under some more solid floor covering would be good. In my shop, it is not an important issue but in house and on carpet, it would be a real issue. Hope you find something of use and get it down and working for you. Don't want any of those "faceplants" either. I don't think I would be able to get up again. lol. God Bless. Ray Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cgleathercraft Report post Posted January 8, 2015 Cardboard had crossed my mind but i fear it would break down too fast. Plywood would be an excellent choice and is less than $6 for a 4x8 sheet from home depot. For some reason I never thought of it. Plastic or foam mats is what I was thinking about like this. Right now plywood i think is leading the charge. It will cost less to cover the floor and I can cut to size exactly what I want. The foam may flex too much on top of carpet which would allow them to "unlock" (the faceplant comes to mind here). Thanks for the suggestions! I'll upload a pic of what I do when I get it done! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
needles Report post Posted January 11, 2015 ply wood, then use what ever is left over to make your shelves and supported worktops.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billybopp Report post Posted January 11, 2015 Plywood will probably work well, but I'd give some thought to getting a big roll of thick plastic when you're at the store for plywood. Put down the plastic first so that anything that might leak between the plywood seams (which according to Murphy's law it will ) doesn't go on down into the carpet. The plastic you buy in rolls for painting, etc isn't thick enough that it would hold up on its own, but beneath the plywood I think it would do alright. Just a thought Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cardinal leather Report post Posted January 12, 2015 it would be less expensive and a lot less work to pull the carpet and pad out and store it until you leave then have it reinstalled. You can work on the sub floor and who cares about a few spills. Also give you solid surface to roll equipment around on. Maybe your land lord would do it for you at a reasonable cost. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cgleathercraft Report post Posted January 12, 2015 ply wood, then use what ever is left over to make your shelves and supported worktops.... Had the exact same thoughts there! Plywood will probably work well, but I'd give some thought to getting a big roll of thick plastic when you're at the store for plywood. Put down the plastic first so that anything that might leak between the plywood seams (which according to Murphy's law it will ) doesn't go on down into the carpet. The plastic you buy in rolls for painting, etc isn't thick enough that it would hold up on its own, but beneath the plywood I think it would do alright. Just a thought Bill Mentioned this to the wife and she thought I was crazy. I'll show her your post and say i'm not the only one who thinks that things can go bad. Even with large sheets of plywood covering it all. it would be less expensive and a lot less work to pull the carpet and pad out and store it until you leave then have it reinstalled. You can work on the sub floor and who cares about a few spills. Also give you solid surface to roll equipment around on. Maybe your land lord would do it for you at a reasonable cost. Pulling the carpet is not an option as it is all one piece that makes it into the living room and its a rental. If it was my place i'd do it though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cgleathercraft Report post Posted January 27, 2015 Ended up going with the foam pieces that link together like puzzle pieces. they were less than 1/4 of the cost of plywood and i backed the seams with Gorilla Tape. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
