Looking for floor cover/mat ideas

[mac davis]

We're hoping that our new house will be finished in a few months and I'm sort of planning my shop..

My 1st priority before moving stuff in is protecting the floor, which will be ceramic tile... not sure yet if they're using 9 or 12" tiles, we pick these out next weekend..

Two goals in mind:

1.. protect the tile from dropped tools, machines being rolled around shop, etc....

2.. some cushion for walking and ability to roll lathes and saws around without bogging them down..

I'll use as many anti-fatiage mats as needed, but only at needed areas since I have the kind that are supposed to link together... they never seem to stay linked, especially when you're rolling tools around..

My wife is thinking indoor-outdoor carpet but i'm not sure how sweepable or vacuumable that would be...

Any suggestions?? Mac

[Mike Marlow]

Hey Mac - the first question that comes to mind is why tile the floor in an area like that? It's not a floor surface that is in any way compatible with its use and just causes you to have to come up with work-arounds right out of the chute. Why not just put down a more appropriate floor and then someday if you change the use of the area you can tear up the existing and lay tile?

[Locutus]

I agree, if you are wanting something that looks nice, you might want to consider a stained concrete floor.

[Teamcasa]

"mac davis"

Mac, are you asking about protecting the shop floor or the house floor during the move-in and setup?

If the shop floor is tile already, (this is your Baja House correct?), just cover it with 2 layers of Polyethylene sheeting and a layer of heavy paper then lay 2"x4" 12" OC sleepers the 3/4" floor rated sheeting plywood. Its a lot, especially in Mexico.

On second thought, it might be less money to to lay the 2 layers of Polyethylene sheeting down and pour a 1-2" concrete floor over the tile. This way your could remove the floor and save the tile work.

Dave

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[George]

Depending on space size and access, might be best to go with roll-up sisal rugs at the places likely to have tools dropped on tile. Assuming terra cotta or ceramic, versus vinyl, yes?

Roll the rugs to whack/wash outside and sweep with compound. They'll cushion legs, too.

[A.M. Wood]

If I were in your shoes I would skip the ceramic tile for a workshop area and look into either a decorative epoxy coating or commercial tiles to cover the (I assume) cement.

Two examples I found from a Google Search. (No affiliation with either)

seems either would provide a nice look, will be durable, and clean up easily.

[A.M. Wood]

If I were in your shoes I would skip the ceramic tile for a workshop area and look into either a decorative epoxy coating or commercial tiles to cover the (I assume) cement.

Two examples I found from a Google Search. (No affiliation with either)

seems either would provide a nice look, will be durable, and clean up easily.

Good luck with whatever you choose and enjoy the new shop!

[RicodJour]

The tile is nothing more than a liabitility in that situation. From another reply I read that it's a house on the Baja peninsula, so I guess it's safe to assume it's a slab on grade. In that situation, staining and sealing the concrete would be the easiest, cheapest, best looking (and most likely to stay that way) way to deal with a shop floor. Anti-fatigue mats are pricey. Adding that on top of the tile floor...well, you're shop would have the most expensive floor in the house! Not that you don't deserve it. ;)

Acid staining can be as simple or as complex as you'd like.

you end up liking the idea and deciding on staining your floor a large scale walnut burl with holly stringing and maybe a nice faux marguetry inlay - post some pictures!

R

[John B]

G'day Mac, I hate the expression "If it was me" but this is my idea. Put a floating floor down. Use yellow tongue chipboard flooring on bearers. The bearers do not need to be heavy as they are supported all over by the original floor. Just 2 x 1 or 3 x 1 on the flat. Glue some felt or rubber strips on the bottom of the bearers and that will ensure your tiles are protected. It will only decrease head room by a couple of inches and the timber will be much more forgiving on legs and tools. Another advantage is it will reduce the amount of anti-fatigue mats, if any that are needed. I don't think it's a cheap solution, in Oz the yellow tongue is about $80.00 for a 12' x 4' 3/4 sheet.

Anyhow just my 2 bob's worth mate.

Have fun John

[mac davis]

Sort of a short version of a long story, Mike... We're moving to Baja California and had planned on renting the house out for a few years before we actually lived in it, so we decided that we'd make it a 3 bedroom with a really big (18 x 21') 3rd bedroom... rents would be $150 a night as opposed to $110... Now we've decided to move in as son as the house is done... and the room will be completely finished with plastered walls and tile floor to match the rest of the house... Also, we know that we can afford things like floors and air filters now, as part of the sale of our house and all, but don't really know what finances will be like "down the road".. Mac

[mac davis]

The shop, Dave..

wow.. serious work.. *g*

I was thinking something like cushioned mat or vinyl... something like that.. Mac

[mac davis]

right, George... fired ceramic tile...

that's a thought... sort of like area rugs, I guess... they could also be in the spaces between anti-fatiage mats, I guess..

I want to be able to use most of the tools both inside or outside, so rolling is a big thing.. Mac

[mac davis]

Thanks! (looking forward to a shop with heat and AC)

Changing the floor isn't really an option, looking more to cover it..

Mac

[mac davis]

hmm.. sort of along Dave's line of thought... might be worth the work and money...

Not sure how available sheet goods would be in Baja, though... they use very little wood in construction there... rough guess would be about 18 sheets for an

18' x 21' room?

Might be cheaper to just use those peel and stick hardwood flooring strips?? Mac

[Leuf]

I don't quite get how a floor you haven't picked out yet can't be changed. If you don't know if you'll have the money later you can buy the tile now and store it, then you know you'll have a match and I think you'll find the money or time to lay it yourself if the tile is already there. Or stick the money in a bond or something.

I would not like the idea of trying to roll a table saw over a patchwork of area rugs. If you build up a false floor you've got the chance to run any extra electrical and maybe even the DC ducts in the floor, though you'd need access to the ducts so I dunno how that would work.

-Leuf

[Robatoy]

Yes, one that worked beautifully for me at my old shop. Serious conveyor belts are rubberized weave.... often 1/2" thick or more if their duty is like coal in a power station. Gravel pits have that stuff. When they are replaced, the old ones are a real pain to dispose of, yet a simple hosing off will leave one with lots of rubber flooring. The hard part is that the stuff is usually on a roll weighing several tons. Some companies, like they did in my case, let me unroll and cut what I needed in situ. Free stuff.....got to love it.

[mac davis]

wow.. I really like the idea of running electrical under a sub-floor!

As to changing the floor, etc..... Our house looks like it's going to be completed in "record time" for the area: 8 months for a 1,600 sq foot home..lol All flooring, electrical, etc. are sort of carved in stone once the plans are approved and home is started... We don't want to "rock the boat" in any way with the builder because in the last 6 months, cost of construction has gone from $80 a foot to around $120...

I'm still thinking large anti fatigue mats, as that's what I use in my garage now... the problem that I'm having is finding some that are bigger than 4 or 5 feet long..

Mac

[mac davis]

that would be cool... have to see if there is anything like that around the area... I know that there is a cement plant and must be a quarry around, too.. Mac

[Leuf]

Well I can understand if you suddenly wanted hardwood instead of tile at the last minute. But with this all you are doing to his schedule is decreasing the amount of time the tile guy is tying up the jobsite. I can't see a builder being unhappy about that. It's not so much a 'change' as a 'subtraction'.

All I can think of is a plane falling off the bench and taking a chip out of the plane AND a tile at the same time. I'd be too disgusted to go back in the shop for days.

-Leuf

[A.M. Wood]

I see how you wish for everything to match. But honestly, if you have the $$ today there is no reason you cannot put it in a savings account for use later. Plus, if your future finances are questionable, the cash may be much more valuable than a matching tile floor that you've covered with gym mats (and most likely wrecked) so it can be used as a workshop now.

IMO, the smart money move is to purchase what you need rather than buy what you think someone else may want a few years from now. Keep in mind, you're not the only couple who would enjoy having a nice rec room with a durable flooring that is a space for mom & dad workshop or the kids to horse around in, so choosing that design also has much value. Keep in mind, durable flooring products don't have to be ugly.

Good luck. Sounds like you're making one nice living space for your family and I hope whatever you choose works out well for you.