Rawhide Report post Posted February 11, 2008 Just a question to pose to all of you. What type of flooring do you have in your shops? What you prefer to have if you don't have it yet? Thanks, Marlon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted February 11, 2008 I have hard wood.... I prefer nothing else.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
indypbear Report post Posted February 11, 2008 Marlon, I have a raw concrete floor which is dusty. I'd love to uncover it the stuff stacked and packed and seal it with an epoxy or other sealer then re-apply my snap together cushion pads for my traffic area. That makes it easier for cleaning and standing. Indy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted February 11, 2008 Marlon, My shop is a long single car garage - concrete floor. I like the concrete under the sewing machine for oil drips. I like concrete at my tooling area, so my chair can roll easily. Around the work bench and cutting table I put down those anti-fatigue mat squares from the building supplier/big home improvement places. They are squares that interlock. Makes a nice surface to stand on, and forgiving for blade tools that might fall. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildrose Report post Posted February 11, 2008 I have linoleum here, better than the carpet in my last place! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jordan Report post Posted February 11, 2008 Painted concrete right now but I want to put down rubber or carpet of some kind, I got a cataloge the other day from a company called FLOR they make carpet squares that are stuck to adhesive dots at the corners, if they get messed up they are just washed in the machine or replaced, sounds good so far. They have indoor and outdoor or garage strength stuff also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Report post Posted February 11, 2008 Rawhide, I use horse stall mats, kinda keeps the cold from the floors, my stool/chair rolls on it and I can clean with a broom/mop. Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barra Report post Posted February 11, 2008 Concrete at the moment. I do tho have marine carpet by my main bench. It saves standing on cold concrete, saves dropped tools, is extremely hard wearing and sweeps easily. I am eyeing off these hard rubber clip together mats we have over here now it is rainy season. I guess they are the modern version of duckboards. I do like hardwood floors tho Barra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve mason Report post Posted February 12, 2008 My shop has a concrete floor, not good to stand on and hard on tools if they are dropped. I use rubber horse trailer mats, I have used these for years now. they are great to stand on all day, much better for your feet that concrete, and if you accidentally drop a knife or edger you will not hurt the tool. steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin King Report post Posted February 12, 2008 Just a question to pose to all of you.What type of flooring do you have in your shops?... (Dirty) What you prefer to have if you don't have it yet?... (Clean) Thanks, Marlon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elton Joorisity Report post Posted February 12, 2008 My current shop( half the basement) has a concrete floor. I have interlocking mats in front of the bench and the cutting table. My new shop will have a wood floor with the same mats. There's just gonna be more of them cause I'll have the room!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Report post Posted February 12, 2008 Hardwood flooring with a rubber mat and very well padded shoes. The only time I'm not standing is when I am stitching. Before I got the rubber mat I had actually worn water stains off the floor from when we had a fire and the floor got good and soaked. When I worked on a concrete floor with the same pad and type shoe, I could not stand for long at the end of the day in line at the store or at a restaurant. I'd sort of like to try the pallet type things they use behind bars but I know I would spend all day looking for stuff I dropped and I spend enough time doing that anyway. Kevin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcurrier Report post Posted February 12, 2008 ... I'd sort of like to try the pallet type things they use behind bars ... I had to read that twice before I realized you didn't mean prison! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whinewine Report post Posted February 12, 2008 (edited) Pergo laminate. It's great stuff. (I believe it's got a 25 or 30 year guarantee). What was there before was stick-on tile (which only stick if you don't want them to). They came with the house & were in really bad shape, so I ripped them up & put the Pergo down. It's a floating floor, easy to install** & the padding comes attached to each piece so you don't need to buy extra padding like most floating systems. ** Easy to install is a relative term, as with ALL floating floor systems, no matter WHAT the brand-- you watch the installation downloads & it looks like the pieces just 'snap!' into place- well, not quite- ya gotta whack these pieces so they lock. But other than this minor bit of 'hype', installation is very easy. It took me just a few days, & the longest part was trying to pull up the broken tiles that didn't want to come up, even with the heat gun. Edited February 12, 2008 by whinewine Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waddy Report post Posted February 12, 2008 Add another vote for the horse stall mats. Murdocks frequently has good sales on them. Buy the biggest ones, and cut them to fit, they cut very easily with a utility knife. Like a lot of you, I have a concrete garage floor, which kills my feet, and what it does to a good head knife when dropped chills my soul (why do they ALWAYS have to land on one of the points?). For some reason, after I put the mats down, I very seldom even drop my tools. They just seem to know it won't do them any good to try and destroy themselves on the rubber mat! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcurrier Report post Posted February 12, 2008 Stall mats are great stuff. Pretty cheap, too. I used a handful for years, variously, as temporary walkways at new houses, garage mats, truck bed liner for really heavy stuff, kennel flooring, and for an RV "patio." The last use was at the RV site and they were starting to show some age & wear, so left them with the RV when I sold it. Best thing I ever learned about handling them was to use the biggest pair of channel-lock pliers I could find. You can grab 'em and drag them anywhere easily. The problem with them is that they mark. If I were to use them for a shop, I'd track footprints all over the house unless I took my boots off every time I came in. They never really lose that rubber smell either. Not sure I'd want that in a shop, either. Outdoors, no problem. Bill Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dink Report post Posted February 14, 2008 My existing floor is 3/4 plywood, It worss well with the rubber stress matts from a barwhere I stand. The problem with it is rough spots that snag thread and things making it hard to sweep. I would like to install the clip togather wood laminate flooring Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardb Report post Posted February 15, 2008 Shop? What is this word you speak? I'm stuffed in the corner of the TV room while a glorious basement goes unused because it is full of JUNK (her junk or it would be clean and useable...). If I ever get it back, (hahahaha) I will epoxy/urethane coat it. I dig that stuff. Tough, smooth, looks good, cleans up well. If I had my 'druthers, I would love to have hardwood flooring in a shop. Of course, I'd also want natural lighting, temperature and humidity control, large worksurfaces, beer fridge; you know... the essentials. Brent Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary Report post Posted February 15, 2008 Rubber stable matting. Easier on the feet than the concrete that was there and a hell of a lot easier on knives and awls when I get clumsy. It also has a protective layer of thread, leather scraps, paper, coffee stains, cardboard offcuts, horsehair, rags, etc. Gary Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barra Report post Posted February 16, 2008 Rubber stable matting.Easier on the feet than the concrete that was there and a hell of a lot easier on knives and awls when I get clumsy. It also has a protective layer of thread, leather scraps, paper, coffee stains, cardboard offcuts, horsehair, rags, etc. Gary It also has a protective layer of thread, leather scraps, paper, coffee stains, cardboard offcuts, horsehair, rags, etc.Now that is funny. I too have been know to utilise this added safety measure. Barra Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gary Report post Posted February 16, 2008 This should be linked to the leather flooring and wall covering thread. Most of us must already have leather flooring (in a way) and it's free! Gary Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JustWakinUp Report post Posted February 16, 2008 I'm partial to spotted concrete. The spots are hand crafted using a variety of Fiebings products, folgers, guinness, and a wide variety of bourbons. It's rather cheap to craft and the staining lasts a lifetime. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rawhide Report post Posted February 16, 2008 you guys are funny. Thanks for all the great ideas. Marlon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
