# Flooring in the shop



## Hollyfeld (Jan 15, 2013)

I'm starting to eye up a large room in my basement for my shop. As soon as we sell the couch that is down there, I can start moving tools in, but i have a question regarding the flooring.

Currently there is a low pile tough carpet on foam padding on the slab. I want to rip up this carpet before i make this room my shop. Eventually, I would like to tile this floor, but I don't want to do it before I start working down there. Once i remove the carpet, the typical concrete-basement-floor smell is going to be evident. This isn't a big deal, but I'm wondering if i can epoxy paint the floor with the Rustoleum kit and then later down the road, tile over it.

Anyone have any idea?


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

If this place is new to you, I suggest lose the carpet, brush & vac the slab clean, then live with it for a few years so you can find out if you have other moisture or intermittent flooding issues (like I have in my basement shop).


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## Hollyfeld (Jan 15, 2013)

I've been here for 13 years and there has never been a flood or a moisture issue in the basement. I have a dehumidifier for the summer, but nothing out of the ordinary.


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## SteveEl (Sep 7, 2010)

Glad you're basically dry




Hollyfeld said:


> I'm wondering if i can epoxy paint the floor with the Rustoleum kit and then later down the road, tile over it.


Don't know.





Hollyfeld said:


> Once i remove the carpet, the typical concrete-basement-floor smell is going to be evident.


I've known several concrete basement floors. None of them smelled, except the ones where there was a moisture problem. Even then, it wasn't the concrete that was smelling, but the microbes that were living in the moist places.


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## Tommie Hockett (Aug 26, 2012)

I don't see why you couldn't do that. I would take a sander to the paint before you lay the tile for good adhesion. We had something at the truck stop I used to work at that we used for removing the wax on the floors. It was something like a floor buffer, but with a heavy duty scothbrite pad on it and way more powerful. Maybe you could rent one.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*tile floors are too slippery*

Ceramic tile is less so, but too hard on your feet and possibly transmit the cold from the slab just like the slab itself. 
I suggest a painted or epoxy coated floor. I have a painted plywood floor in my wood shop, and a bare concrete floor in the other shop where I weld and spill stuff. 
Even though the paint is also slippery when covered with sawdust, it's manageable. The smoother the surface, the slipperier it will be. Why does this matter in a shop? If you slip while carrying something heavy you may get hurt or damage your workpiece or worse yet a finished piece. Worst of all you may slip and fall on a rotating blade or cutter...table saw, jointer, or bandsaw. Then you will yell.. "Help, I've fallen and can't get up" and need Life Alert. :laughing:
I would consider a layer of plywood or other "disposable" type surface where if you spill or drop anything it could be placed if necessary. What about a pine wide plank board floor? I also had a basement shop with a painted floor, I used just latex and it can be recoated anytime. I couldn't wait to get out of the basement as carrying tools and large sheets of ply was very difficult. If there is any chance you will move the shop from the basement, don't do anything to the floor you may regret later. :blink:


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## Hollyfeld (Jan 15, 2013)

A pine wood floor over a concrete slab? This can be done? I thought about putting plywood over the carpet, but then figured I would have a tough time opening the doors. 

The reason i mention the smell is because I replaced the carpet down there about 8 years ago. I remember the scent of the basement changed when the carpet was up and out. It wasn't a mildew wet smell, it smelled like concrete. 

The basement is a walk out with a 6' wide double doorway. So no carrying plywood or anything down stairs. The doors open up onto a concrete patio underneath a deck. My wife has no problem with me making this room into a shop so i can build stuff for the house. Right now it's a finished room that needs updating so why not update it into a workshop.


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## Tommie Hockett (Aug 26, 2012)

hadn't thought about it but a store around here called biglots sells these rubber flloor tiles for a shop ifI can find them I will post a link


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## Tommie Hockett (Aug 26, 2012)

http://www.rubberflooringinc.com/interlocking-tile/8mm-strong-rubber-tile-designer-series.html 

there you go not exactly the same as at the store but purty much:thumbsup:


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## Hollyfeld (Jan 15, 2013)

Tommie Hockett said:


> http://www.rubberflooringinc.com/interlocking-tile/8mm-strong-rubber-tile-designer-series.html
> 
> there you go not exactly the same as at the store but purty much:thumbsup:


Now there is a great idea! Thanks!:thumbsup:


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## Tommie Hockett (Aug 26, 2012)

Hollyfeld said:


> Now there is a great idea! Thanks!:thumbsup:



No problem bud it is what I'm going to put in my non existent shop lol......one day one day


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## JoeNY (May 8, 2012)

That Race Deck plastic tile flooring would be an excellent choice - www.racedeck.com
It is thin, incredible strong, easy to put down, warm with good traction and not to hard on your feet, and at $4/sq.ft., not too expensive.


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## JohnK007 (Nov 14, 2009)

I'll weigh in with my two cents. If it were me, I'd pull up the carpet and just run my shop on the bare concrete until such time that I wanted to tile. From everything I have researched on epoxy it is not a simple matter of rolling it on like paint. Proper preparation of the surface is vital to guarantee adhesion. This can involve treating the concrete with an acid wash, bead blasting, or even surface grinding. None of which is a fun job in a basement environment. Without proper prep the epoxy will likely peel and lift and you'll be unhappy. If tile is your ultimate goal, and I think your decision is the correct one, why go through this added expense and trouble? Snap together tiles like Racedeck are a good alternative to epoxy in a garage environment but the cost of this stuff adds up pretty quick. But more importantly from a Woodworker's perspective, do you really want a floor with a textured finish, such as the coin or diamond finish, which will make sweeping up a pain in the butt? You will be pretty much committed to always vacuuming the floor. In a garage where you're doing mechanic work and dealing with possible wet floors, the non-slip textured finish is important but so much in a wood shop.
If it were me I would just deal with the bare concrete and maybe use anti-fatigue mats around machines where I stand around a lot (like a lathe) then, when I'm ready and can afford it, lay down a nice PVC tile floor which can be swept *or* vacuumed easily. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) tile is a comparatively inexpensive flooring by the way. Just my humble opinion.


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## kinghong1970 (Jul 28, 2011)

Howdy, i've decided to go down the epoxy route...

that rubber tile is great... i'll probably use it around my bench and certain tools to keep me comfy... but can't imagine laying down that stuff over the entire basement.
great suggestion btw.

you can find my thread here with the progress... i should have epoxy laid out tomorrow... 

i am going to also go full broadcast flakes and also use Sharkgrip additive to additional anti slip. epoxy has been known to be quite slippery when wet.

if you want to do more research on epoxy, you may want to skim over at garage journal forum and see their flooring threads.
you need to make sure that there is no moisture as it can cause blistering and peeling on the epoxy.

it is a time consuming job... especially the prepping.

regards,

Al


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I would suggest VCT tile like you see in grocery stores.
You can have different patterns and colors and it will stand up to most anything you can throw at it.

Go to your flooring center and check out a residential VCT tile.
It's not lick'em and stick'em 
Don't use ceramic. Woodnthings I'd correct about the issues.


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## Hollyfeld (Jan 15, 2013)

I've decided to go with bare concrete for the floor. It's the least expensive and easiest option from start to finish. I'm not going to rip it up and make that room into a shop until i finish a bathroom downstairs and the hallway upstairs. Have to complete some areas before I start destroying another.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Bare slab is easy and cheap but a pain if you use many hand tools - particularly chisels. Dropping a chisel on concrete just straight up sucks.

Tractor Supply sells rubber stall mats that are pretty cheap. I have wooden floors in my shop but I'm considering getting mats just to reduce fatigue. A few of those around your bench might be a good idea for both comfort and to protect tools you may drop...


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## Hollyfeld (Jan 15, 2013)

firemedic said:


> Bare slab is easy and cheap but a pain if you use many hand tools - particularly chisels. Dropping a chisel on concrete just straight up sucks.
> 
> Tractor Supply sells rubber stall mats that are pretty cheap. I have wooden floors in my shop but I'm considering getting mats just to reduce fatigue. A few of those around your bench might be a good idea for both comfort and to protect tools you may drop...


Very good point about dropping tools on the concrete floor. I like this idea about having some mats around the bench to reduce fatigue and make it comfy.


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

My floor is simple bare tg plywood flooring on a 2X4 web. It's been like that for 12 years and shows no sign of ware. My shop is literally a man cave I dug out by hand from under my barn. My wall mounted propane space heater keeps the shop on the dry side in the winter, but I have moisture problems in the summer. The bare wood floor actually helps in that it absorbs moisture from the air. I've even been known to spread sawdust and shavings around during the extra NH humid days.


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