Shop flooring recommendations

[John T.]

Hi all, I'm planning a conversion of an existing open air structure into a finished shop space. One open decision I have to make is the flooring. I'll be using this space as a workshop, but could be using it for an office or gym in the future, so something that fits with those uses would be a benefit.

I was going to default to an epoxy flooring of some sort, either poured or painted. I have a vague recollection of thicker poured epoxy flooring options, but I don't know much about them or their advantages over thinner painted epoxy coatings. Maybe they are nice because they'll fill in any expansion joints. If I go with epoxy it'd be a solid white or gray with a satin or matte finish.

Anything else I should consider, such as cork, engineered hardwood, others? One advantage of a flooring that is laid down like that is the drywall, trim, door thresholds will all be raised to allow it. If I just do simple painted epoxy flooring then presumably it would be difficult to go back and add flooring z-height later.

 

[Packard]

I would not choose cork for a shop floor.  While, in thicker floors, cork is easy on the feet, it bruises and cuts too easily to be a shop floor.

You don’t indicate a budget, so I will go ahead and suggest the toughest and hardest wearing of floors:  End grain wood.  Kaswell is pretty much the acknowledged leader in that field.

The first factory I worked in was a turn of the last century building in Brooklyn.  The floors had to be over 100 years old and were end grain wood.  I have no idea of which species.  Some are very attractive.  You finish them with wood flooring finishes.

The Kaswell site has a huge gallery of both residential and commercial installation.

After that, bamboo is very hard wearing too.

I have strategically placed horse stall mats—pretty much the ultimate in anti fatigue flooring, but very low on the attractiveness scale.

I don’t remember which vendor I used.  These mats are thicker and tougher that the lookalike mats from Home Depot or Lowes.
https://www.google.com/search?q=horse stall mats&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m
https://www.kaswell.com/end-grain

 

[John T.]

Oh yeah, budget is not set but probably $5-10 per square foot. The overall space is a little under 200 square feet.

I'll look into the end grain but I'd expect it to be well above $10.

 

[squall_line]

In my head, converting a shop to a gym in the future sounds like much less of a flooring conundrum than converting a shop to an office.  In that vein, I have a hard time coming up with a flooring suggestion that would be appropriate for an office as well as a functioning shop, although I suppose it depends on what is being done in the shop.

Some flooring surfaces are also not suitable on slopes; if you're converting something that was open air, I assume it has at least somewhat of a slope for drainage purposes (and possibly damage from weather exposure) and you may end up limited in your flooring choices if you don't put down a self-leveler first.

How big of a space?

 

[peter halle]

I'll Agee with [member=75217]squall_line[/member] in the fact that knowing more about the starting point of your project would be important in giving advice.

But, even without knowing that at this point I will offer my opinion on epoxy floors - if you go epoxy have your eyes open that sawdust and shavings make for a slippery floor.

Peter

 

[dicktill]

I have used 4x6' horse stall mats on my entire ~1000 sq. ft. shop, similar to these from Tractor Supply:https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4-ft-x-6-ft-x-3-4-in-thick-rubber-stall-mat. They are heavy and difficult to move (tip: buy a couple of these to move them:https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ezgrip-mat-mover), but oh they are so much more comfortable to stand on than concrete. Another great feature is that when you drop things, they bounce a bit, so much less damage; I dropped a glass jar once and it didn't break. Unlike the 2' square interlocking mats from Home Depot (which are really comfortable), these are hard enough that you can put your power tools (drill press, band saw, table saw, etc. right on them and even roll them around if they are on casters. They are pretty easy to clean and while they are non-interlocking and you'll have gaps, it is pretty easy to vacuum the debris in the gaps. And since there is no installation other than dragging them into place and sometimes cutting one, if you decide later to go another route, you just pull them back up.

 

[John T.]

I'll Agee with [member=75217]squall_line[/member] in the fact that knowing more about the starting point of your project would be important in giving advice.

But, even without knowing that at this point I will offer my opinion on epoxy floors - if you go epoxy have your eyes open that sawdust and shavings make for a slippery floor.

Peter

What hard flooring materials wouldn't be slipper besides wood/engineered wood? I wonder how much of a difference it being matte/satin texture would make.

In my head, converting a shop to a gym in the future sounds like much less of a flooring conundrum than converting a shop to an office.  In that vein, I have a hard time coming up with a flooring suggestion that would be appropriate for an office as well as a functioning shop, although I suppose it depends on what is being done in the shop.

Some flooring surfaces are also not suitable on slopes; if you're converting something that was open air, I assume it has at least somewhat of a slope for drainage purposes (and possibly damage from weather exposure) and you may end up limited in your flooring choices if you don't put down a self-leveler first.

How big of a space?

Good point, but I guess for an office I was just thinking aesthetics. A smooth white or gray surface would be OK in my mind. That's also an unlikely situation, just a minor consideration for the selection.

It's got a roof, two walls, so it is relatively flat now, but should be completely flat after they infill with a new concrete pour. The floor now is stone and grout that I thought was on a foundation but apparently not. It's pretty small, about 180 square feet.

 

[Packard]

I found where I got the horse stall mats.  They offer the 4’ x 6’ mats with interlocking edges.  They offer much larger sheets, but those sound like a 4 man installation. Probably better for horse stalls, but for the shop, the 4’ x 6’ is fine.

I would avoid the temptation to wash these mats as any water that gets under the mat will remain for a very long time and will invite mold.

These mats, unlike other flooring choices, are 100% reversible.  That is you can remove these easily with no damage to the substrate.
https://www.greatmats.com/horse-stall-mats.php

Great Mats shipped promptly. I shopped around back then (about 20 years ago) and they were competitive. Their 4 x 6 x 3/4” is $125.00.

 

[Cheese]

What hard wood materials wouldn't be slipper besides wood/engineered wood? I wonder how much of a difference it being matte/satin texture would make.

As far as being more/less slippery, you’ll notice no difference between matte/satin/glossy finishes. To achieve a noticeable difference you have to apply a finish that’s designed specifically for the anti-slip function. Bona Traffic AS is one that I’ve used and would recommend.

 

[John T.]

As far as being more/less slippery, you’ll notice no difference between matte/satin/glossy finishes. To achieve a noticeable difference you have to apply a finish that’s designed specifically for the anti-slip function. Bona Traffic AS is one that I’ve used and would recommend.

I mistyped there, meant what other hard materials other than wood. That's a good fnish to know of if I end up going with wood though.

Do you have that finish on floors in a shop? Is it pretty manageable to keep clean, if you drip wood glue or other materials on it?

I found where I got the horse stall mats.  They offer the 4’ x 6’ mats with interlocking edges.  They offer much larger sheets, but those sound like a 4 man installation. Probably better for horse stalls, but for the shop, the 4’ x 6’ is fine.

I would avoid the temptation to wash these mats as any water that gets under the mat will remain for a very long time and will invite mold.

These mats, unlike other flooring choices, are 100% reversible.  That is you can remove these easily with no damage to the substrate.
https://www.greatmats.com/horse-stall-mats.php

Great Mats shipped promptly. I shopped around back then (about 20 years ago) and they were competitive. Their 4 x 6 x 3/4” is $125.00.

Do you have these on top of raw concrete? If so is it ever an issue of moisture coming up from the concrete, being trapped and getting moldy?

 

[SoonerFan]

I went with the default of epoxy flooring with flakes and a top coat.  Only had it two weeks in this shop but had it before for several years.  It is great!  Durable, super easy to clean and IMO looks great.  I did the floors and stem walls.  Next is nickel gap tongue and groove for the walls and then finally add piping for dust extraction so I don’t have to wheel the Jet dust collector around tool to tool.

Good luck!

 

[Cheese]

I went with the default of epoxy flooring with flakes and a top coat.  Only had it two weeks in this shop but had it before for several years.  It is great!  Durable, super easy to clean and IMO looks great.  I did the floors and stem walls.  Next is nickel gap tongue and groove for the walls and then finally add piping for dust extraction so I don’t have to wheel the Jet dust collector around tool to tool.

I'm building a new garage and am verrrrrrry interested in where you've landed. A post or two would be very appreciated.  [thumbs up]

 

[mwolczko]

I use my garage as a permanent shop (ie no cars inside). When I bought the house the garage floor was in a poor state of finish - lots of peeling paint. I considered a pour-on epoxy coating but found the floor was so out of level it was impractical. So I scrubbed the peeling paint and applied fresh epoxy paint.  But it was uncomfortable to be on my feet for long.  I tried shop mats but eventually settled on these interlocking floor mats, putting them around and not under the cabinets and machines. They’re cheap, easily replaced, and comfortable. A bonus is that dropped items are less likely to break. The only down side is that they sometimes get moldy underneath but cleaning the floor with borax seems to delay that for a long time.

We Sell Mats Forest Floor Farmhouse Collection 3/8 Inch Thick Printed Wood Grain Mats, 24 in x 24 in
https://a.co/d/5mhvgc8

 

[Packard]

I found that the 3/4” thick versions of those mats to be superior in every way (except cost).

They stay flat.
They stay interlocked.
They are kind to my feet and my back.
They insulate from the cold (probably not an issue in California).

Note:  They are substantially firmer than the play mats they sell for interior floors. The initial perception is that they are less comfortable because of the harder surface, but an hour into using them, you will find that they are kinder to your feed and back. 

In bright colors, the half inch thick mats are great for a child’s play room.  For the work shop, the 3/4” horse mats are much better.

Also, I don’t know what kind of rubber they use, but it can be trimmed easily with a sharp utility knife.  Use the snap off blades (the larger ones) and extend the blade long enough to cut through in a single pass.  Or make a scoring cut and bend the tile to make a finishing cut.  A regular utility knife blade is not going to be long enough to cut through in a single pass.

 

[SoonerFan]

I went with the default of epoxy flooring with flakes and a top coat.  Only had it two weeks in this shop but had it before for several years.  It is great!  Durable, super easy to clean and IMO looks great.  I did the floors and stem walls.  Next is nickel gap tongue and groove for the walls and then finally add piping for dust extraction so I don’t have to wheel the Jet dust collector around tool to tool.

I'm building a new garage and am verrrrrrry interested in where you've landed. A post or two would be very appreciated.  [thumbs up]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member], happy to add a post or two on the new floor.  I should be able to take and post a couple pictures tomorrow.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

I'm surprised that no-one has yet mentioned AdvanTech.https://www.huberwood.com/advantech

Fasten the panels around the perimeter of the room, but leave the field floating. 1" thickness is preferred, but 3/4" works if necessary.

-- Leaving the field floating allows the surface to span imperfections in the concrete floor
-- Leaving the field floating allows for a little "give", making for a comfortable surface on which to walk/stand.
-- You can still move heavy machinery around without the need to jockey heavy rubber mats
-- It's a less cold floor than standing on concrete
-- You can screw/fasten to the floor for temporary jigs, work holding, etc....
-- If you decide to eventually install a "finished" floor, you'll already have the subfloor in place
-- If you want additional cushioning/insulation, you can install foam sheets underneath the Advantech

I've worked for many customers with the epoxy floors, and I'm firmly in the "against" camp. The epoxy floors are slippery, cold, and uncomfortable to stand on. If they have the speckles, and you drop  a screw, get ready to crawl around on all fours trying to find it.

 

[nclemmons]

I’ve had epoxy floor in my last shop as well as my current shop.  Total of 23 years of use. 

I did have an abrasive mixed in with the epoxy to reduce any chance of slipping.  It has worked really well.  Easy to clean up. 

But you do want to be mindful of flake colors.  My old shop was black and grey which made it next to impossible to find a dropped bolt or nut on it.  The new shop is tan and black - far easier to see things on it.

 

[DavidCBaker]

Love my floor. Had the some one in my earlier shop. You wouldn't believe how durable it is, even with very heavy equipment.View attachment 1

 

[Joelm]

In my single car garage I started with a layer of R+ dricore  and the put down cork flooring.
There were a lot of people who warned against doing this but after 2 years I'm still enjoying it. Sure there are a few scratches and dings in the floor but it is still very comfortable to work on, especially in the middle of winter.
Once in a while I might go around with a wax furniture stick and fill in some of the scratches.  Makes the floor look new.
If it ever gets damaged beyond repair I might just lay down another floating floor on top of what's already there.

 

[gharel]

I'll mention low pile carpet here cause I haven't seen it yet. Stumpy Nubs has made a video about its virtues on YouTube for the full context!

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