Replies

1. 
   Dave45 | Aug 27, 2008 04:09pm | #1

   Richard -

   This would be a good question for the FHB crowd, but you may want to talk to a structural engineer as well. You're dealing with some floor loading issues that go beyond typical house flooring systems.

   You have tools, benches, materials storage, etc that may require additional support to accomodate higher dead loads. There may also be some vibration issues adding to the live loading.

2. 
   Mackwood | Aug 27, 2008 07:04pm | #2

   I think it depends on your budget and how "nice" a floor you're going for.  If it were me, I'd lay another layer of 3/4" T&G OSB and paint it white! 

   Regards,

   Mack

   "Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"

1. 
   dougmeyer | Aug 27, 2008 07:39pm | #3

   Another options is (if it is in the budget) to go to a place like lumber liquidators and get there cheep oak flooring I think they often have it for about 99cents a foot. This is the cheep ugly stuff but heck it is a shop. For strength I would put the flooring in 90 degrees to the floor joists.

   Doug Meyer 

3. 
   dennisd | Aug 28, 2008 02:19pm | #4

   Richard, I built my shop in 1995.  I used two layers of 3/4 plywood.  Staggered the joints, then painted with light gray floor paint.  I have been very pleased.  No squeaks or other problems.  Some of my equipment is heavy such as unisaw, 750lb lathe, etc.

   Guess you could go more high-end with hardwood flooring but my experience is the floor takes a lot of abuse in the shop.

   Good luck and enjoy your shop!

   Dennis

1. 
   dougmeyer | Aug 28, 2008 02:59pm | #5

   I have been thinking about this also. I am planing (when Time and money allow) to put a floor in my shop (it is now concrete). I was thinking of putting in 2x sleepers with insulation between and plywood on top. My concern with the plywood is that the surface of plywood is not that strong any scraping with trash it pretty fast. This is one of the reasons I was thinking of going with the cheapest oak flooring I can find (about a buck a foot) The oak may get scratched and dinged but it is solid oak and will not tare up like plywood. But those that have lived with plywood may have a better idea about this. It is just something that has me wondering.

   Doug M

1. 
   zolton | Aug 30, 2008 03:05am | #6

   Doug,

   Plywood is surprisingly tough stuff on a floor. I've seen it in people's houses (mostly carpenters who never got around to finishing their own dwellings!) and it held up for years under daily traffic and use. As long as you don't dig into it, the top surface wears well.

   A couple of coats of paint will make it last longer, as the paint becomes the wear layer. And even a latex enamel floor paint will last a long time.

   I made the mistake of putting down OSB in the extention on my shop, and regretted it ever since. Whenever I run a shop vac over the floor I pick up strands of the wood fibers. They clog up the hose and I need to stop and fish them out before I can continue. No finish on the floor, and that might be part of the problem. Another problem is that I was in such a rush to move things into the shop after I got it done that I never painted - and might never at this point..

   ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon

1. 
   dougmeyer | Aug 31, 2008 03:43am | #7

   Yeah but in a shop would you not have a more likely chance to dig into the upper layer and thus start to kind of delaminate it?

   Doug M

1. 
   roqqytop | Aug 31, 2008 07:10am | #8

   1 Issue you need to identify if HOW much weight will the floor be carrying. The flooring wont be a problem but the joists very easily could be - especially if you plan on storing any volume of lumber.

2. 
   zolton | Aug 31, 2008 03:35pm | #9

   Doug,

   So far delamination of subfloor plywood is not something I've seen in the instances where it's been used as a finished floor.

   If that's a concern, you could put the plywood down, paint it, and see how it holds up. If it wears faster than you'd like, you could always install another flooring material over it. You do need a subfloor anyway..

   ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon

4. 
   dkellernc | Aug 31, 2008 05:48pm | #10

   If you're the do-it-yourself type, you can often find rock-bottom bargains in "utility" wood on Craig's list.  Around here, that's often red oak or southern yellow pine, both would make excellent shop floor material.  A lot of times, the Craig's lister just wants it out of the way and the cost less than 50 cents a board foot.