New Shop Floor

[crokett]

It is time to start thinking about the floor. The existing floor is 3/4 ply sub with 1/2 OSB over that. There are seams where I cut it to section the floor for moving. I plan to fill the seams with self-leveling compound or similar. You all are good at suggesting things I didn't consider so...

Would that be good enough for the shop? Somebody suggested rubber to protect tools/projects from breakage but I want to be able to roll tools around. What I am thinking right now is rubber at the back half where the counters/work area is and for now leave the front as is until I get tools more or less positioned. My other thought was a floating laminate floor at the front half. It is cheap and pretty much indestructible.

[jking]

I think it would be "good enough". One concern with OSB at the top layer is whether there's a change the floor might get wet. As you're no doubt aware, OSB will swell if it gets wet; inadvertent spills could cause an eventual "lumpy" floor. Advantages of finishing the floor with something include: easier cleanup, better lighting (if you finish with light colors), better wear layer (may not be an issue if you don't plan to move tools around). Addressing the cleanup issue could be as simple as putting down a clear finish on the floor to seal the top.

You mentioned a laminate floor. What is your idea of cheap? I installed some of this in a kitchen (approx. 12'x24'), with the underlayment & floor (was $1.49/sf); the total was over $600. Of course, we used the better underlayment. You could do it cheaper with the basic underlayment & catching some cheap flooring on sale.

Have you considered the peel-n-stick floor tiles? There is also sheet vinyl that does not require glue; I don't know how this compares price-wise. Just a couple of other options.

[JR]

This ad regularly appears in Craigslist offering reclaimed lumber. Apparently they are in Montgomery, AL. They have a number of choices for unfinished T&G lumber at less than $2/sf.

In the dim recesses of my mind is the image of the ideal shop, complete with wood plank flooring. No finish is required - maybe that's just my dream world...

JR

[pelligrini]

My little shed has an OSB floor. It is cheap, but it will break down over time especially if any water gets to it. I don't wear shoes most of the time so I really notice it when wood fibers from the floor start sticking up. That is very often. The edge near my doors is breaking down pretty quickly now that I am moving even more tools over it. My floor has been there for well over 10 yrs though, I'm not exactly sure when the previous owner built the shed. For the price, 10 yrs isn't bad for OSB.

I do like working on some floor mats. The ones I have are the gray ones from Big Lots. A 2'x2' tile with interlocking edges or edge trim. I put them just on my walking surfaces and they can be moved very easily. I have a set that gets moved every session to my outside cutting areas.

[thrytis]

Lumber Liquidators has solid utility grade oak for $0.99/sq ft. I have read that there is a bit of waste (like the swatch they show as a sample ) and you would have sanding and finishing to do on it, but an oak shop floor would look sharp.

Is rubber necessary to protect tools? I would think a wood floor of some sort would have plenty of give to protect metal tools falling on it.

[LarryG]

The decision may partly (or even wholly) depend on whether you regard your shop as a strictly utilitarian means to an end, or as your primary, ongoing project. I am somewhere in the middle. For me a shop has to first be about function, but when I sweep up all the sawdust at the end of the day ideally the broom would expose one of those unfinished plank wood floors that JR craves.

BT member "hermit" had his shop featured in the 2009 edition of America's Best Home Workshops. His choice of flooring was interesting: he ripped sheets of plywood to simulate individual "planks" and then put them back together so that the grain was not continuous from board to board. I don't recall whether he put a T&G edge on the "planks" but that could certainly be done. The result was a really nice looking floor that wasn't terribly expensive, and with hardly any of the wood movement concerns you'd have with a solid wood floor. The new shop building I have on the drawing board will initially have an exposed plywood subfloor but in time I may copy hermit's idea for the final surface.

[JSUPreston]

JR, thanks for the link. That place is less than 1/2 mile from my house, and I never knew it was there. The location is a residential area that I never go into.

[tseavoy]

My shop has a 3/4 T&G plywood floor laid over railroad ties, painted with a porch and deck enamel and has held up very well. My opinion is that the OSB should be covered with something. If it is level and smooth vinyl tiles may work well, either the stick on or glued down tiles. Hardwood flooring is not the easiest to lay and make look good. I did it once, renting a flooring nailer, sander, and put on the swedish finish. It was a lot of work.

Tom on Marrowstone

[billwmeyer]

Crocket,
My floor is 1/4" luan plywood over the subfloor. This makes it smooth and is not splintery. It will also work as an underlayment if I ever want to do something better. I put tar paper between the luan and the underlayment to stop any drafts and squeeks. It is not pretty, but it works very well.

Bill

[tropicaffair]

My shop floor is 3/4" sub-flooring - T&G plywood made to be used as sub-flooring. Over this I bought the cheapest 12" x 12" peel and stick tiles from Lowes. I think it was less than $.99 a square foot for te tiles. If any of the tiles get damaged, which they have, I have extra that I just install after removing the damaged tile. It works surprisingly well and any tool drops are slightly cushioned by these vinyl tiles.

[cgallery]

I'd be watching craigslist for a floating engineered wood floor.

And I'd skip rubber altogether, unless you can find something that sweeps to keep it clean. If I was worried about dropping tools, I'd get vinyl which at least has a cleanable surface.

[crokett]

I am already watching craigslist, but that lumber liquidator's floor definitely has possiblities. The rubber floor would be the interlocking mats. We have them in our exercise room and they sweep right up. I will probably at least put those down in front of the benches.

thanks for the replies fellas, lots to think about. Ripping down ply is an interesting idea.