Basement Shop - Recommended Floor

[Al]

I'd like to solicit some opinions on floor alternatives for a basement shop (new construction.) I was planning on slopping on the grey stuff, but assumed that something friendlier to my feet would be very expensive. Is there such thing as a poor man's wood floor, for example?

Thanks in advance, Al

[Victor Radin]

Good shoes, rubber mats where you need them, and as long as it's new construction- radiant heat in the floor will make your toes happier than cheap pergo laminate.

My only real complaint about wood floors in basements is that there's always the chance of water or other leakage to ruin a newly layed floor, requiring either expensive and time consuming replacement or living with the musty moldy aroma of rotting particleboard and glue. BTDT- twice.

/vic

[Michael Press]

I made a cheap raised wood floor for my wife's sewing room (in an unheated sunroom with ceramic tile on concrete slab). The floor had a very comfortable spring to it.

I laid 1x4 or 2x3 sleepers (I forget which) on face on 2' centers (and

8' centers going the other way) and filled in the gaps with that pink rigid styrofoam stuff (comes in like 2' by 8' sections). Then I laid exterior 3/4" ply on top, nailing into the sleepers (this was temporary so we didn't secure the sleepers to the floor). A 10x15 room cost about $100.

Michael

[Doug Miller]

The trouble with a raised wood floor in a basement wood shop is that it cuts into overhead space that is already likely to be somewhat short. IMO, foam mats to stand on are a better idea. Rockler and Woodcraft both sell them. I have some of each, and I like Woodcraft's better -- they're a bit softer. Comfortable footwear is important too.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

For a copy of my TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter, send email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com

[Al]

Thanks for the responses thus far!

For what it's worth, I ran across this stuff that I wasn't aware of:

't priced it yet, but looks interesting insofar as it's designed specifically to go over concrete slab and to provide for rudimentary draining, etc.

- Al

[B a r r y]

I use large horse mats laid on the concrete.

Check farm supply stores for the mats.

Barry

[RB]

I'm considering wood block flooring for my shop and office like what is shown here.

understand that a 174 sq ft coverage pallet runs $550 from someone. I'm still looking to find out who. This isn't much more than the material cost for 1-1/2" thick 4x4 SYP blocks though.

RB

Al wrote:

[RB]

Looks good. Apparently Lowes carries it.

RB

Al wrote:

[Victor Radin]

I didn't think they still made or used this. One of my previous jobs was as a machine builder in a plant with a wood block floor- very little or no machine vibration, easy on the feet and legs, looked good in the office areas too. Side benefit of not dulling or chipping tools when they dropped off the bench either.

Thanks for the link- this is a keeper for when I do the basement/shop remodel after tax refund time.

/vic btw- check out the sample pics of the wood patterns- might make nice desktop wallpaper. ;)