Laminated flooring for a benchtop?

[djazz]

I am planning to make a workbench from a dinged solid core door I picked up on the cheap. Read some threads about putting hardwood flooring on a bench top and really liked the idea. But then there were those who said the hardwood would expand/contract at different rate than the door and cause cracks and other maladies.

How about laminated flooring? I know, it's not real wood, but some of it looks really nice and would make an attractive bench top. What I am looking for is opinions on durability. Seems to me that a slip of a chisel, or an errant blow from a hammer and it would be ruined.

Many say put on a hardboard top, and replace it when it gets ugly. Couldn't the same thing be said of laminated flooring? Next question would be how to attach it to the door to make it easily removable?

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

DJ

[George]

Tough to beat 1/4" tempered hardboard for a bench top. Cheap, available in one piece, and a bit of easily removed hot glue center and some countersunk screws on the edge will keep it. Consider the location of those screws carefully, though dollars to donuts at least one will be in the way someday.

[Nobull4u]

I'm currently using a hardwood flooring (utility grade oak) on a bench top. It was built on top of a torsion box made with planned 2x4s and

1/2" OSB skins. The top and bottom were made the same way but with more glue than nails on the bottom side. Of courrse, the best quality boards were used on the top. It was only completed around this June. It looks great, is sturdy and hard to tell its not a solid laminate. So far the AC in the summer and humidity of early autum has not had a effect on the bench top... The boiled linseed oil, thats for another thread ...

I would not recommend the laminated flooring as the outer surface has esentialy a thin layer of paper which will wear quickly on the bench.

1/4" tempered hardboard would be much better. I'm considering it for a removeable cover when finishing.

Joe