# laminate flooring in the shop



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

I ran across some free bamoo lamanate flooring snd was thnkng of installng it in the shop. I currently have a VCT floor but i paid a local guy to install it and he did a bad job. Any thoughts about lamanate in the shop? Also please forgive the poor spelling i am on vcstion andam using my tablet.


----------



## DLCW (Feb 18, 2011)

I have laminate flooring in my shop where I have work benches and assembly tables. No rolling carts or machinery are allowed in this area. It is MUCH nicer on the feet then concrete all day long.


----------



## jackthelab (Jan 10, 2011)

I suppose it would be fine but like the previous post it would need some care to continue to look nice. It scratches easily. Because of that we took the laminate we had in our house and replaced - hard to keep clean and it definitely showed wear. But, free is always nice.


----------



## Jeff28078 (Aug 27, 2009)

My biggest concern would be slipping when sawdust gets on that shiny surface. But it sure would look a lot nicer than my concrete garage floor.


----------



## lashing (Sep 4, 2010)

I am putting laminate down in my basement shop now. I do not expect it to last (looks wise) so I bought cheap stuff. In an old shop I lined the floor with 1/4 mdf and it lasted. Same thing really but laminate has a nice layer on top. The previous owner had new carpet installed and I tried to wear that out first. Carpet is comfy but what a pain in a workshop.


----------



## bernwood (Aug 19, 2010)

My shop is located under my barn. It used to be dirt with half of my space as crawl space. I dug it out to a full 24 X 24 space, with fieldstone walls. Problem is that being in NH, ledge is just under the dirt surface and moister is abundant on top of that ledge. Also, I have arthritis and cement was not an option. I had to have a wood floor.

My choice was unfinished 3/4 plywood and I kept it unfinished because of the moister in the air and under the floor. The unfinished ply has allowed my floor to breath and the shop is relatively moister free as long as I keep a fan on during the high humidity periods here in NE.

My chisels led me to this solution. While most of my tools were building rust, my chisels were always rust free. I had made a chisel box and the wood was and is unfinished on the inside of the box. It occurred to me that the bare wood was absorbing the air moister.

I have no scientific or technical proof, just satisfaction with my workshop floor. I've managed to have a few oil stained places, but with all the sawdust I produce, when I do have a spill, i absorb most of it with saw dust.


----------



## lashing (Sep 4, 2010)

I finished install in my shop. Yup - its slippery all right. Just about took a whirls a few times from the laminate dust on the floor around the saw ….. Irony.

I couldnt empty the room so I did it in thirds and moved the stuff around. What a pain but I am glad the carpet is gone.

Cheap laminate cost $300 for the whole space. If I did it again though I'd get the thicker stuff.


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

I gave up on it. I decided that I would rather have vynle instead. After much thought I came to he conclusion that it would get beet to hell and be dangerous with wet or covered with sawdust.


----------



## dougcolorado (Aug 7, 2020)

i've had laminate flooring in my basement shop for 3 years. Severe buckling that happens every summer is going to make me remove it this year. With heavy tools and workbenches it can't expand and contract. Right now the 'bubble's are 3" high between tools. I'm in Colorado, so there's virtually no humidity and the shop is air conditioned, but it still pops up in July/August. I'll go back to concrete with strategically placed mats. i'm going to try a section of the shop with rolled PVC - see what happens.

And yes, slippery with sawdust is an understatement!


----------



## 23tony (Dec 8, 2017)

Aside from being slippery with sawdust (yikes!) wouldn't laminate be tough to clean in the spaces between the boards?

I'm curious: has anyone tried puzzle-mats? I have them in our gym, wondering how they would work in a shop environment. Seems they wouldn't get too slippery and wouldn't be too bad to keep clean. Probably get torn up though.


----------



## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

I have some concern about the VCT, vinyl, floor and how it will hold up in a shop. As mentioned in comments above, how will it stand up to moving rolling carts or machines? Depending on the finish it too could be slippery.


----------



## BlasterStumps (Mar 13, 2017)

FWIW, I put this vinyl plank flooring in this spring. Did not build my cabinets on top of it. I cut the planks so there was approx 3/8" gap at the cabinet base (and all around the floor edges). So far I like it a lot. Didn't think I would but I do. The bench in the middle will come out soon.

It is not slippery, not sure why but it does have a fairly rough textured top surface.
It has not raised up anywhere that I am aware of despite some high temperatures at times.
It is easy on the feet and legs.
Water will just sit on top of it.
It probably adds to the floor insulation some.
No gaps between pieces so nothing can get in there. 
Sound doesn't seem to be worse.
Drop any tool and it will be fine. (ask me how I know)
Easy to sweep and vacuum.


----------



## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

I'd have concerns about slipping on sawdust, but in my experience the smooth surface stuff is the hazard, not the rough textured variety, especially the vinyl that has a greater degree of compliance. It certainly is less expensive if buying new.


----------



## Axis39 (Jul 3, 2019)

> Aside from being slippery with sawdust (yikes!) wouldn t laminate be tough to clean in the spaces between the boards?
> 
> I m curious: has anyone tried puzzle-mats? I have them in our gym, wondering how they would work in a shop environment. Seems they wouldn t get too slippery and wouldn t be too bad to keep clean. Probably get torn up though.
> 
> - 23tony


I work in a garage shop. I had knee replacement last year, and the other knee has been bad for more than 35 years… And, there's the bad back with deterioration in the lower spine. So, the concrete kills me.

I grabbed some of the puzzle edge foam mat from Harbor Freight. I've installed it around my work bench and at my table saw, the high traffic areas. I don't move my tools around a lot, so that's not an issue for me. I will say, it's been a real pleasure! I can stand and work on it all day. It's been installed for almost a year, and I am in there at least 8 hours a day, 5+ days a week. It cleans up relatively easily, protects the ends of chisels and sharp stuff I drop, and was pretty cheap.

I will say, I will kick over the edges every now and then (my replaced knee is a bit lazy when it comes to picking up my foot). But, they're incredibly easy to just flip back into place and push back down. That little fault won't stop me from buying some more to cover a few other places.

It may not be the perfect solution, I'd prefer some of the sheet rubber like they have in the big pro gyms. But, I can't afford it, so HF pop together wins! Although, with all of the local gyms that have gone out of business, I might be able to find some used… Hmmmmmm…


----------



## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

John, I've installed some of the 6'x 4' horse stall mats from the local Tractor Supply store and think they are perfect. They are made from ground up tires and are either 1/2" thick or 3/4" (which is what I have). They stay put and don't move being they are very heavy, perfect for in front of the TS and my sanders where I spent many hours. When they are on sale, the price is quite good, typically 20% - 30% off.


----------

