# Workshop floor covering - recommendations wanted



## KentInOttawa (Jun 25, 2013)

The slab for my new shop is slated to be built this week. Once the shop is dried in, the contractor will be installing a plywood subfloor using this technique. After that, I will have a raw plywood subfloor.

I wanted something softer than the concrete slab so that it's more comfortable to stand on and so that I don't damage any tools that do get dropped. But now it has occurred to me that I need a more durable surface when I move (drag?) tools and tables around. As an example, my main workbench is weighted down with a lot of hardwood, bringing its weight up to about half a ton, and my smaller metal workbench has a half dozen boxes of ceramic tiles helping to keep it stable.










What would you recommend? I've considered linoleum (first choice so far) as well as vinyl and rubber (not a big fan).


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Buy a good pair of shoes. If you want softer to walk on it is not as durable. If you want durable, it is not soft. I like my concrete floor, with pads where needed. I like being able to roll my machines around easily. I would keep some pieces of hardboard around to roll tools around without damaging the plywood. I have a piece for when I want to move our oak tv stand on our hardwood floor. It is thin, durable, and easy to store.


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## squazo (Nov 23, 2013)

I second getting some shoes and station mats. Think of all the tools you could by with the money saved.


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## KentInOttawa (Jun 25, 2013)

Thanks, but there WILL be a subfloor installed. I'm looking for something that will install over top of the plywood that will prevent wear and tear on the plywood but also won't tear easily or leave divets when something heavy is set on it.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

We understand that. Put down a second layer of plywood or osb with screws so it is replaceable. Cut the sheets to 4'x4' to make replacement easier.


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## KentInOttawa (Jun 25, 2013)

ibewjon - I had also considered your hardboard suggestion, only a permanent 1/8" layer over everything, but the slipperiness concerns me.

I need a permanently installed solution; I have a lot of cognitive handicaps as a result of being run down by a Suburban, so any extra steps (like locating and retrieving a stored piece of hardboard) would make any temporary solutions untenable.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

You gotta watch those suburbans!! Yes, the finished side would be dangerous for walking. Check the back of the hardboard. Some is textured. Or paint it, and sprinkle ground walnut shell blasting grit ( available at harbor freight and paint stores) into the paint for traction. It comes in several grits and would harm dropped tools less than sand.


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## EllenWoodHead (Feb 9, 2020)

I'm with you, Kent, I like a shop floor that is all one level, without trip hazards, and softer than concrete. I think linoleum is a good option. It is many times more durable than vinyl, and it is made of good natural materials so it does not outgas nasty fumes. It will dent and scratch, but the colors are solid all the way through, so any damage won't be obvious. A shop floor is going to get banged up regardless of what it's made of.

Shoes make a difference, but not as much as the right floor. I wear Superfeet insoles in stout hiking boots. Superfeet are a bit expensive, but they really work.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I've used CVT 12" x 12" on both ply and concrete. Think Grocery store tile. Glues down easily, and not expensive.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

OOPS!


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

VCT tile like in stores is made from resin and limestone, the same limestone as concrete. So it is not any softer or better on the feet. Armstrong tile was made with limestone from Quincy Illinois, due to it being very white. I worked on electrical jobs at the factory for several years, and saw the process.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

I used "Swisstrax" tiles directly on the concrete in my shop/garage. Snap together floating floor. Quick to install but not real cheap. Tough as nails. Love it. https://www.swisstrax.com/


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## EricFai (Sep 30, 2018)

VCT is one option. Snap lock is a good choice for a floating floor, prices can vary as well as the material, hardboard or vinyl, and thickness with padding or without padding. Some of the vinyl planks can be glued down. Either are fairly durable. But they will take abuse in the shop and that will show over time. Another option is to paint with an expoxy coating, ensure the prep is done correctly and it should last a while. Bad prep it could peal and chip.

You mentioned plywood, if the floor is not down yet conciser using 3/4" Advantech, T&G, very durable. Then either paint or place a covering on it directly. I would stay away from any sheet vinyl if you get a tear in, that tear will get larger. More so if you are moving heavy stuff across it.

There is my 2 cents.


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

How durable is that plastic layer? Will your heavy equipment and or stacks of materials end up crushing it over time? Doesn't seem like much of a vapor barrier with all of the screw holes placed in it. If it was me I would use either the snap together flooring or rolled flooring for garages and shops. What ever you choose take care of it. You don't have to drag a heavy workbench loaded with wood across the floor. You can unload it, you can put casters on it, or both. Same with the metal workbench. Unload the ceramic tiles before you move it.


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## Sark (May 31, 2017)

I have VCT (Vinyl Composition Tile) in my shop. Also known as commercial vinyl tile. It's a glue down product, and incredibly tough and cheap. 1/8" thick. You see it all the time in large warehouses and buildings, but not as often in homes.

Pros: Cheap, tough and readily available. Softer than concrete. Less likely to damage tools dropped on it. Available in white with grey specks and other colors. Color goes clear through, so you can sand it. 
Cons: Slippery. If I had to do it over again, I would scuff sand the tile to make it non-slip. After so many years of use, the floor is no longer slippery, so it's no longer an issue.


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

for those who have plenty of time or money, paving with end grain wooden blocks provide a durable surface.
Old technical workshop of a defunct airline was paved that way. This limit damage to dropped (expensive) pieces while resisting to Clarck traffic. I think wooden blocks were glued with tar.

Overkill but good to know about.

edit: see
https://www.atdg.com/v2/fr/parquet-massif-593-118-pendant-la-pose-des-paves-bois-debout.htm


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## bbrown (Sep 3, 2008)

I used Southern Yellow pine for my woodworking classes at the Maine Coast Workshop.
Looks good, affordable (relatively speaking) and easy on the feet…...


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Nice flooring. VCT is prewaxed at the factory on the left be. And Caterpillar used oak block flooring in some or all of its plants. The old ways were better sometimes.


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

Stumpy nubs has a video on his YouTube about why he chose to carpet his shop. My next shop will be carpet.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Carpet would sure make a great dust collector!


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## mike02719 (Jan 13, 2008)

You didn't say where you are located. Here in New England, the cold radiates thru the concrete and makes working time short. As I said in a previous post, my floor is 3/4 ply over 2×3's laid on the flat. They are glued to the concrete floor. 1" foam insulation between the 2×3's. Wiring is very easy. The plywood has been painted twice in twenty years. I have the whole gambit of power tools including a full size 600 lb lathe that handles out of balance stock with ease. In twenty years I have had no issues with my floor.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

> Thanks, but there WILL be a subfloor installed. I m looking for something that will install over top of the plywood that will prevent wear and tear on the plywood but also won t tear easily or leave divets when something heavy is set on it.
> 
> - Kent


a concrete slab


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

I just picked up 1k sq ft of carpet tiles on the cheap, gonna install in my new to me shop, having worked in a couple shops i've had on just concrete, its does take its toll on ones legs and back. have multiple fatigue matts, but a pain to move constantly as i move them around shop when i think about it. as for dust, will make me install a better dust system. 
best with a choice, here in Az, cold is not issue, just the hardness of the slab
Rj in az


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## HarveyDunn (Aug 29, 2013)

Sylvain, I love that. I would want it in my house!


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

If I was a hobbyist, it would be carpet.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Looks like he's made up his mind, even though with today's prices ply over concrete adds a huge cost with little return.

Cheapie me uses the locking mats I get from Sams. They are all over my shop and work great been there for many years.


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

The picture in the link I provided was for domestic use, otherwise, for industrial use, the blocks would be between 8 and 10 cm high.


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## KentInOttawa (Jun 25, 2013)

FWIW - the plywood over the dimpled plastic is a done deal.

I have a gazillion cognitive issues as a result of my accident which rules out several possibilities and makes some of the others less desirable. The plywood is easy for me to wrap my brain around, it is easier on my back than the slab that was poured this morning and it will be much friendlier to my tools and workpieces when I drop something. As a bonus, the plywood will temper the cold radiating from the concrete. The shop will be heated enough to keep the temperature above freezing all year.

An additional consideration is that I need to be able to source the solution easily including both acquisition and installation. I will not consider carpet because I have 4+ months with snow here. The wooden blocks would be a wonderful solution if I was able to do the work myself, but that ain't gonna happen either.

I'm just looking for a good, simple surface to toughen up and/or reduce wear on the plywood. I want to put it on and then ignore it for the rest of my life (20 years +/-).

Does epoxy chip too easily? Will porch and floor enamel toughen up the plywood?


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## Elaine_VanIsland (Nov 18, 2020)

> I used "Swisstrax" tiles directly on the concrete in my shop/garage. Snap together floating floor. Quick to install but not real cheap. Tough as nails. Love it. https://www.swisstrax.com/
> 
> - Foghorn


How do you like them? Do they help with fatigue and do they reduce the cold from the concrete? Thanks


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Whoever has carpet can you comment on how it's working out?

I'm seriously thinking about carpeting my hand tool room.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> I used "Swisstrax" tiles directly on the concrete in my shop/garage. Snap together floating floor. Quick to install but not real cheap. Tough as nails. Love it. https://www.swisstrax.com/
> 
> - Foghorn
> 
> ...


Both. I love them. I do have a friend with them though and his shop door when open gets a lot of sun. When this happens, he does get some mild buckling due to expansion as it's a floating floor. Goes right back once the sun goes away or the door is shut. I don't have that issue as there is a deck over my shop door so no direct sun.


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## Elaine_VanIsland (Nov 18, 2020)

> I used "Swisstrax" tiles directly on the concrete in my shop/garage. Snap together floating floor. Quick to install but not real cheap. Tough as nails. Love it. https://www.swisstrax.com/
> 
> - Foghorn
> 
> ...


Thanks, which kind did you get?


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## Jake229 (Jan 14, 2020)

I too, have been struggling with flooring in my new space. For now, I have good shoes which defiantly help. I like the snap together flooring that is plastic, but the price of it doesn't really work for me. Hav thought about using laminate flooring as it is a dedicated woodworking shop, but haven't seen anyone go that route. My local habitat for humanity has carpet tiles really cheap but hesitant about those as well. Maybe something will appear during holiday sales that I won't be able to pass up.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

> I used "Swisstrax" tiles directly on the concrete in my shop/garage. Snap together floating floor. Quick to install but not real cheap. Tough as nails. Love it. https://www.swisstrax.com/
> 
> - Foghorn
> 
> ...


Mine was called Floortrax if I recall correctly. Smooth with no ribs and easy to roll machinery or mop. It looks like this>


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