# Wood Shop Floor Question



## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

Hey guys,

I am about to install a wood shop floor in my garage. It'll be 2×4s on their sides at about 12" on center with 3/4 ply over the top. Do I need to worry about vibration? I am wondering if I am going to have vibration issues with machines on top of it or bounce-back issues on my workbench.

Any info regarding this topic is appreciated. Also, any other tips or tricks for the wood floor installation would be appreciated.

Thanks,


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Are you planning to do electrical under it? too narrow for dust collection unless you run metal ducts. If your concerned you can make it 16 inch on center? Are you going to glue and screw the sleepers.

The concrete should absorb some of the vibration and maybe styrofoam between the sleepers if budget allows.

I'd like to see what others might say.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Not quite the same, but my shop floor joists are on 12 inch centers with Advantec 3/4 inch OSB as the surface. I plan to put hardwood or laminate over it some day, but as it is I have no vibration issues. Solid as a rock.


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## benchbuilder (Sep 10, 2011)

I had ply over a slab floor and never had any issues. But you have to put down some type of insulation under the ply and then a layer of plastic over that, just as you would a wall in a house.You need to use treater 2×4s on the floor, i used 16" centers with 3/4" tounge and grove ply. Also.make sure your sealed all around the edges to keep out invader as mice and such. Yes, if you do it right its a lot better than the cement floor. I never had any pronlem. As stated above, you can run electrc and air under it to, but seal it well where they come up through the floor. I now have a shop with epoxy on the floor, here when i moved in, but i will change that,not good for a 
shop. Good luck.


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## Goatlocker (Dec 31, 2012)

Dumb question here but why is a cement floor bad other than hard and unforgiving which can be fixed with matts where needed?


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## JoshNZ (Jun 22, 2015)

> Dumb question here but why is a cement floor bad other than hard and unforgiving which can be fixed with matts where needed?
> 
> - Goatlocker


 I was about to ask the same question. My shop is smooth concrete floor. Sure easy to clean and i haven't hit my head on it yet… :S


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

Doc - no electrical or dust collection in it. I am going to ramset the 2×4s to the concrete. Not planning on gluing it - do you think that is necessary?

Benchbuilder - I am getting all my materials for free, so I can't be too picky. No treated wood and I am not going to insulate - I live in Texas, so if anything, I think the cool slab helps with shops temps in the summer. Not too worried about winter. I am going to put a layer of poly sheeting to limit moisture absorbance.

Goat and Josh - I've worked on a concrete floor with mats and I don't like it. Like I said, the materials are free other than about $50. I'm ok with that to experiment with a wood floor. I wouldn't do this for $500, but for cheap I am willing to spend a weekend putting it in to see if I like it.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

In hind sight, which is always 20×20 I would run electrical conduit with flush floor boxes. Wood wants to move. the nails can loosen over time.

Free is good, and unless you move it's going to be around a lifetime?

Insulation in the floor is like insulation in the walls. Reduces noise which makes good neighbors? The wood vibrates more than concrete.

That being said…like my old farmer friend who mentored me when I lived in Arkansas…"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Good luck


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

Thanks for the response Doc.

Maybe I'll grab a few tubes of liquid nail. That'll be cheap. Maybe I'll pull up the floors and insulate when I do the walls and the ceiling. At this point, with no wall and ceiling insulation, the place is going to be a veritable coffee can full of pennies no matter what. Sorry neighbors.

Your insight is helpful.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

As they say in MN "You Betcha!" Maybe you can give me some feedback on my forum post on using Ash that I have for furniture making?


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

You got it.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

If the sleepers are not pressure treated, then I'd put the thickest layer of polyethelene I could get under the sleepers to prevent moisture wicking into them from the concrete. In which case you will have to either accept a floating floor, no connection to the concrete, or do the ramset thing.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I am in west Texas. A High desert. I mad an uneven garage floor so I covered the floor of the stall I used as my shop with plywood over 2/4's. on edge. Made the floor flat. I did not screw the two byes to the concrete but did screw the tongue and grove ply to the two byes. Worked great. I have since sold that house and moved, so I just unscrewed the ply and moved the floor to my new shop. I returned the old garage to garage use and sold the house. I learned long ago that nothing is permanent. I use screws instead of nails for this reason. I place my two byes 16" apart except where I knew my table saw (my heaviest piece of equipment) would be. I spaced the two byes 12" there. No vibration issues and a great floor to work on.


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

Crank - I was thinking about putting the poly under the 2×4s. I think I'll do that.

Jim - Interesting that yours just floats. I am planning on screwing the ply down to the 2×4s, but I think I'm going to have to nail the 2×4s to the floor. I don't have a hammer drill, and it is cheaper to buy a ramset for $25 than buy a hammer drill. Plus hammer drilling 200SF of flooring sleepers into concrete sounds pretty bad…


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

I have to go along with the floating floor situation.

Several things here: you'll need a proper gun to shoot fasteners which will make the cost of a hammer drill meaningless. unless you buy the cheap slide hammer type. (good luck on completing the job.}

If you do ramset it, use pins without washers so you can easily countersink to accept plywood flooring….which may negate its purpose anyway

You could use the cut nails which are made for this situation

If your existing floor is within some reasonable tolerance, there is really no need for attaching the 2×4 s to the concrete at all

screwing the ply to the 2×4s without taking another measures is the way i would go, gravity and weight will take care of the rest.

JB


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## buildingmonkey (Mar 1, 2014)

If you just nail a 2×2 around the edge, and lay your 2×4's flat, and then screw or tack the ply to the 2×2 edging, your floor will not move. Treated lumber does not move when it is in the dark, just moves around in sunlight, so you should be good. Personally, think I would just use 6mil plastic under the 2×4's and use untreated 2×4's. They are straighter, and keeping them dry will keep you from getting any deterioration. And even going 19 plus on center would be good, as your 2×4's are 3 1/2 " wide, so less than 16' between them. Lay some short pieces under your machines between the 2×4's.


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

Thanks for the additional input guys. I suppose a floating floor is a good first step and if I feel it isn't doing the job, I could attach it to the floor afterwards. On reason I wanted to attache to the concrete was to take any warpage out of the plywood since it is used. But, the warpage isn't that bad and gravity might work fine.

Lots to consider


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Screwing it down should help. Warping in plywood is usually due to same reasons for regular wood. A difference in moisture on the exposed sides. You can purchase a water based liquid that is pretty cheap. It seals the pours in concrete decreasing the vapors from being released.

KISS?


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

doubt you 'need' it but one way to take any bounce out of the floor woudl be to lay blue foam between your sleepers.
I have been thinking about it - for my floor - - to have the 2X4s on 15 1/2 centers…. with 12 inch wide sections of blue polystyrene foam between them.

Also was considering Dricore from lowes. 2X2 panels with no 2X4's under them. but they lock togehter tongue and groove

They also will drain/breath underneath and will cost ~1.50/sq foot so 400 bucks for my 1 car garage 14X21 shop


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