Listening to the newest episode of Shop Talk Live got me thinking about flooring in a shop I’m currently building. I’m going to pass on the carpet.
I’m curious why everyone suggests sleepers and plywood floors. I understand the insulation and leveling factor. Why not laminate or engineered wood with backing?
I think laying down a laminate or engineered flooring with a backing may solve some of the comfort, dropped tools and ascetic issues.
Would you put laminate flooring in a garage shop with concrete floors?
Replies
I’d pass on laminate flooring in a garage shop. Consider plywood or cheaper OSB instead.
Could be done assuming no moisture issues. Could also do that luxury vinyl floor planking. 10 years ago, I had an expoxy and polyurethane floor with the sprinkles done. Been very happy with it and it has held up well.
I did the epoxy bit on a concrete floor in my garage shop. It really helps appearance and makes cleanup easier. I got the idea from a FWW article.
Wood floors generally are recommended because they have some give, and are easier on knees and backs than concrete. I think applying laminate to concrete is not going to give you that advantage.
I wouldn't personally do laminate. For me it would be nothing but a make-pretty, and I wouldn't care. It's a good sized investment without a return. If the space was empty I might do an epoxy floor, but that would be my biggest investment in flooring. If the money was right.
Lots of guys talk about having a floor that's kind on dropped tools. Do you all drop tools very often? I never have, and just fail to see how it's a factor.
Make-pretty does seem pointless - although these days there's a lot of image over substance so some folk worry unduly about not-pretty surroundings.
I used to have a shed of wood which had a suspended floor that also had high-tech insulation between the boards I stood on and the boards fastened to the bottom of the floor-joists, all stood on rails raising the lot off a concrete base. It was good to work on all day with no additional floor covering. Plenty of spring but still able to support very heavy machines.
In the present hoose my workshop is a single car garage with a concrete floor. I've covered that floor with a half inch thick layer of rubberised gym flooring. This keeps any rising damp at bay (although there's not a lot) but also has a small degree of squish, whilst being very tough. It works well in providing comfort whilst standing but not as well as the old suspended planked floor of the previous shed.
I have dropped the odd chisel, plane blade and other small tools that would get damaged if their edge hit a concrete floor. The rubber floor is very forgiving there too. Small things get dropped more easily than large things, especially if you have a touch of neurasthenia in the finger tips from a long ago chemo treatment. :-)
Just lately I've been doing a lot of spoon, cup and bowl carving. I sit for a lot of that, knifing away, on a greenwood-made ladderback chair with a woven elm-bark seat. The bendy/spring of this chair and all its parts is very comfortable indeed. If only conventional cabinetmaking could be done sitting down, eh?
Lataxe
In the end, we'll all end up whittling on the porch.
That’s funny John. I’ve been taking a wood carving class one night a week at a local school. Once I get past carving the classic things for 18th cent furniture, I am going to learn to carve folksy looking figurines such as Doug Linker does on YouTube. In other words whittling. Mostly so I can do it a BBQs and other family events where hanging out for the day (on a porch) is really the main goal.
Newport secretary, spoons, figurines. It's all wood. It's all good.
If it's laid on concrete I believe the recommendation is first putting down a semi-permeable membrane. Then there's the water resistance and hardness levels to think about.
Consider using DriCore. I have had it in my shop (dedicated 24x30 building) for 12 years. Wood surface is easy on dropped tools. It is easy on the knees. Has held up under heavy tools (700lb lathe). Good insulation on a concrete floor. Simple to install
My shop is 1200 sq/ft of concrete. However, the only place I stand for extended periods is at my workbench and it has 3/4 ply around it about 2 feet out. Much nicer to stand on especially in the winter months.
Is this a stand alone shop or a garage/shop?
stand alone...brick...3 overhead doors
Sorry TexasBurt, I can't get used to this forum format. I was trying to reply to the OP. I guess I have to hit reply on the OP at the top to reply but if I do that my question will go to the second position and future posters won't be able to see the reply. I still don't know how to use this forum. lol
So I have an concrete floor with an epoxy coating. When I was younger I wondered why everyone complained about concrete. As a senior I now know.
I covered my concrete with 1/2 gym pads from Dicks. I love them. The biggest bonus is when I accidentally drop a chisel, marking knife, etc. Usually there is no damage and I go right back to work!
I recently moved into a new house and have an 880 sq ft 3 1/2 car garage for my shop. I bought epoxy floor kits from Home Depot and applied the material myself in two days. It was very easy and the entire floor with additional clear coat and non slip sand was all under $600. I moved all my machines to one side, did one side at a time and the floor came out great. I did need to buy additional bags of blue and grey chips than came in the kits. Bottom line, easy to do and it insulated the floor. The only issue I have is when I drop a screw it is not easy to find due to blending in with the chips.
I have that same problem. What I find helps is that I get on my hands and knees and using a flashlight close and parallel to the floor. It helps form a shadow with the screw making it a bit easier to see. At least that's what I think it is easier to see.
Could be a geographical concern. In SoCal I have been on concrete for 20 years without issue. I do use mats at locations where I stand a lot; bench, tablesaw, assembly table. Good footwear solves a lot of issues for a lot less than a full blown floating floor ;-)
Great suggestions and thoughts!
There is of course a paucity of studied evidence as to whether wood floors (and especially those described in STL) actually help with impact.
I found one decent study which attached accelerometers to the legs of people walking on a concrete or a wooden mezzanine. There was a 5% reduction in tibial acceleration on the wooden floor. This is within the margins of experimental error and was only just statistically significant.
In the context of a woodshop -
1. Any wooden floor added to a concrete floor would effectively be braced by the concrete, reducing any cushioning to close to zero. A mezanine is generally quite a light structure with no underlying bracing, similar to a domestic floor.
2. A sprung floor would definitely help if ballet was your thing (there are studies on this too!) but is if questionable value when dealing with 300Kg machines.
3. The pace and distance of movement are very different in a workshop (in mine, picking my way round all sorts of stuff) so you don't get pounding.
4. There is no practicable difference between standing still on a wood or a concrete floor. Unless either are terribly badly installed it is impossible to tell the difference.
Overall, the 'feel' of a wood floor is mostly in your head - it's subjective and has no impact on your ability to stand or work on it save that which you allow it to have.
As for impact on tools, I have never broken one by dropping it. A couple of lucky falls I guess, and one chipped chisel edge in the last 30 years or so of woodworking.
Were I planning a new workshop, I would absolutely go with epoxy covered concrete for the floor. No rodents. Easy to sweep, Not going to get damaged by anything. Easy to clean up spills. Flat, level, no weight limits.
As for comfort - good shoes with proper support and padding are way more important than the floor on which you stand.
Good post.
I'd lean towards laminate or engineered floors too, especially for their comfort and looks. They can handle dropped tools and offer a bit of insulation. Just make sure they're durable enough for your shop activities. Laminate in a garage shop? Why not, as long as it's up for the challenge!
It's possible, provided there aren't any moisture problems. Another option might be luxury vinyl plank flooring. I went with an epoxy and polyurethane floor sprinkled with flakes about 10 years ago and have been really pleased with how well it's held up.