Workshop Flooring Ideas ?....any Wood Laminate Experts Lads ?

[moriwaki]

I have finished building a new Garage....38 ft by 18....mostly for Motorbikes....but occasionally the car inside for maintaiance.....I have my heart set on wood flooring....{ as this is a general meeting area and not just a garage...woodburner fridge etc }....

or engineering laminate floating flooring to be precise.....this is what I think I need.....but to be honest....I havent a clue....never had or fitted a wood laminate floor before.

So anyone any experience on this....would decent quality laminated wood take the weight of a car OK ?...

Thanks again lads.

[steveledzep]

Solid wood flooring is glued to the concrete floor beneath, so would be ok for driving on. Laminate and engineered generally "floats" over an underlay, so would be prone to moving with a sharp jab of the accelerator.

None of the above would be suitable in my opinion as a fluid leak, or even aircon compressor condensation could ruin the floor.

Personally, I'd tile it.

[alanc745]

What is wrong with a good 2 pack epoxy resin floor as it would last for years?

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[IS200D]

How about lino? Have it go four inches up the walls and you'll be able to jet wash it every so often if needed. Done it to the load area of my vito van and its the best lining ever.

[Cotswold Pete]

Any laminate floor is going to a nightmare if any liquid gets in and start to lift off the top real wood veneer.

If it has to be wood, I would go for a solid oak floor, which would be cheaper than engineered board.

We are just going through the process of installing solid oak floor in lounge above a slightly damp cellar, and the one the one thing I would suggest is talking to some builders who specialise in floor insulation, and also the timber companies. You will get a number of views and then it's up to you.

English oak is as tough as you like, but spilling oil onto anything like that will stain (though not likely to damage the oak).

How about polishing the concrete floor and sealing it, always looks nice (if your into that sort of thing) on Grand Designs.

[madasahatter]

AS above smooth it off paint it a nice grey - red - green or what ever, if done right will look good and easy clean.

[moriwaki]

Thanks for opinions lads.......I was also thinking of wood keeping my feet warm.....I will be mostly standing on the floor working on Motorbikes....in winter....

I thought wood would be warm....and also keep the Garage warmer when the burner is on too.....

Clip together plastic tiles was another idea......

[ambermarine]

If you want a comfortable warm floor covering and you have a concrete base the foam rubberised mats that slot together are what I would use .

The area in my garage in front of the work and utility area is covered with 10 tiles slotted together They are approx two feet square and I bought them in the states about 4 years ago .They can now be bought here in the UK (trawl the net).

They are non slip waterproof and tough enough to take a vehicle and very easy on the soles of the feet over long periods.they are removable in section and to that end can be replaced in section if one or more or damaged or worn .

They would be a very good alternative to expensive coverings with no prep work required.

[harrylime]

I'm going through the same thought process myself . My garage is not yet built and I will probably incorporate some insulation in the floor, If I were going down the wood route, I'd consider a decent exterior grade plywood, placed on a damp proof membrane, treated with exterior stain or varnish. Condensation could be an issue, rotting it from underneath, and cupping / warping might be an issue, as with any wood product. I'd avoid laminate, in my experience it doesn't even last well in domestic situations. If warmth is an issue, there are interlocking rubber mats available, you can buy them for horse stables

[harrylime]

It seems someone else has come up with a similar suggestion while I was typing. Do these tend to stay in place? The equestrian ones are heavier and larger than these, which I have seen

[Cotswold Pete]

Thanks for opinions lads.......I was also thinking of wood keeping my feet warm.....I will be mostly standing on the floor working on Motorbikes....in winter....

I thought wood would be warm....and also keep the Garage warmer when the burner is on too.....

Clip together plastic tiles was another idea......

Agree that a wood floor will keep the old toes warmer.

Maybe if your not too bothered, look at putting down scaffold board, nice and thick, not going to be as nice as a hardwood floor, though should take a lot of abuse. the only issue being they are not tongue and grooved, so you may need to route a lip to make sure you do not have gaps that go right down to base. Make sure your log burner has a slate/concrete base, and your wood sits on some robust damp-proof membrane,which may mean any the concrete slab needs a a look at to make sure no punctures through the membrane.

Also if you install a wood floor, you would need to leave a 10mm-15mm gap around edge other wise when the wood moves it could push your garage walls out (seen that happen once, not a pretty sight).

[madasahatter]

Check this out mate looks very good and not to dear.

272019792246

[ambermarine]

Hugh

Yes they do stay in place ,I suppose tearing about at high revs on them will move them about as they do not need to be stuck down under normal use.The horse bedding is more robust but I believe considerably more expensive.

Pete

As an ex scaffolder I would not use scaffold boards as they split and warp if kept in a wam dry environment for long periods.The 8 foot Kwikform board would be the best use of if going down that route but would be fairly expensive.

[harrylime]

I would check prices for both equestrian and automotive use, as there may be more competition in the sale of stable mats. I know that Eva mats are sold to both markets, but don't know whether they are the same products or the comparative price. My daughter's stable mats were not cheap. but have lasted well (I don't know the make), but I like the weight to them, they also seem resistant to all sorts of chemicals, if you know what I mean

[IS200D]

This is the kind of material I meant....http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PVC-Flooring-Roll-Garage-Industrial-Workshop-Shop-Shed-Van-Tiles-Basement-Floor-/171971551339?hash=item280a4da06b:g:1v8AAOSwd4tT9R3K.

There lots of different finishs to be had, as you'll see on eBay, but they are all very durable and easy to clean - and are a far better option than anything involving wood.

[C Mclean]

How about 5/8 plywood glued to the floor and then topped off with heavy duty checker plate patterned plastic that COSTCO are selling.

[lex - eleven]

What about these camping tiles? https://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=L&ai=CZEeWPs8nVvPHI8r6hATL8beADrr6pa4H2o_O4rwB-oa9-JoCCAQQBCCqr-ITKApgu4aAgNAKyAEHqQI61P8SKe-5PqoEJ0_QRaSdnujNOluD3c2zJ6_QGyYDVgsVE2B348E0K7S9l9RvbhrbaoAFl-C8C8AFBaAGJtgGAoAH4qXjHIgHAZAHAqgHpr4b2AcB4BK9jtyt3obplhM&sig=AOD64_0Z4Lu5Jgk_P4T7y7ShsG-oexxR7A&ctype=5&clui=13&q=&ved=0CCQQwg9qFQoTCNiir5CP1MgCFciSDQod4kgIxA&adurl=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-134428-41853-0/2%3Fipn%3Dicep%26icep_id%3D67%26mtid%3D1673%26kwid%3D1%26crlp%3D50600204586_563391%26icep_item_id%3D171071695806%26itemid%3D171071695806%26icep_meta_categ_id%3D11700%26icep_etrs%3DY%26icep_epid%3D-999%26icep_ctlg%3D-999%26icep_cond%3DNew%26targetid%3D75951457146%26rlsatarget%3Dkwd-75951457146%26rpc%3D0.13%26rpc_upld_id%3D56559%26device%3Dm%26icep_msku_flag%3Dn%26icep_cbt%3Dn%26adtype%3Dpla%26loc%3D9041106%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D207297426%26adgroupid%3D13585920426

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[moriwaki]

Had a shock today....looked at getting the concrete floor ground back and polished....its the latest thing apparently....looks great on you tube....

then was going to use the clip together tiles on the areas I would be standing the most....

Garage floor is 38 ft x 18....polishing cost ?.....£5.500 ! !....approx ! ! ....have to think again ....

Thans for all suggestions lads.

[Cotswold Pete]

Now we know why the people on Grand Designs go over budget if that is how much it costs to polish a floor.

Hope you sort something out to keep the toes warm

[madasahatter]

Yes anything to do with building work costs a fortune.