Flooring for a woodworking shop?

[PAToyota]

I'm getting ready to put down flooring in my woodworking shop - and I'm going around in circles. I'd sort of like something "wood themed" as opposed to VCT or such. Although cost is an object, I want something that I'm pleased with for the next couple decades.

I considered cork, but am not sure that it would handle the abuse. Rubber (like the Nora products) would be nice, but not exactly the "wood theme" I'm looking for.

I'm coming back to the idea of regular tongue and groove solid wood flooring. I'm also thinking about laminate flooring - read this thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3384&highlight=wood+flooring - which would be somewhat cheaper, easier to install, and not quite so thick. Again, I'm not sure if it would stand up to the abuse. Solid wood I could always refinish.

Any thoughts?

 

[OctaneMotorsports]

I think race deck offers a wood look tile. Best of both worlds. Let me try and get a link.

 

[OctaneMotorsports]

Hmmm, I took a look and apparently I'm wrong.

I know I saw a rubber snap together tile similar to race deck with different simulated wood finishes available SOMEWHERE. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[OctaneMotorsports]

Here it is:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5620

Damn I feel stupid, hahaha.

 

[PAToyota]

Yeah, I have seen that stuff. The thing is that for woodworkers, it will have to be more like wood than that. I've been pretty impressed with some of the laminates, I'm just not sure how well they will hold up in a workshop. Also, by the time you go up the scale to get something that really looks like wood - you're coming up to the low side of real wood.

 

[Wardrum]

I'd sort of like something "wood themed" as opposed to VCT or such. Although cost is an object, I want something that I'm pleased with for the next couple decades.

I'm coming back to the idea of regular tongue and groove solid wood flooring. Solid wood I could always refinish.

There is a guy near me that has a very nice woodworking shop that has 2 x 8 tongue and groove flooring. The 2 x 8's that he used are normally used in horse stall walls. I think he said it was Southern White Pine (or something like that) and was less expensive than real wood flooring but don't hold me to that. Anyway, he sanded it and stained it kind of a grayish color to look like an old, well used floor....looks great. If I remember correctly, he said he resurfaces it about every 8 years. He is a pretty private type guy but I'll try to get some pics of it if he'll let me in.

 

[PAToyota]

Hmm... A wide plank, rustic floor would be just the thing.

Found this stuff: http://www.pioneermillworks.com/Pages/foundrymaple.htm

Or this: http://www.pioneermillworks.com/Pages/atticcollection.html

No pricing though... You know what they say... If you have to ask...

 

[ersatzs2]

Have you ever seen some of those turn of the century warehouses with end-grain wood floors? Collect scraps of 2x4s/6s, cut them to 4" long and glue/nail them end to end. Labor intensive but you could build it from scraps. The originals were hardwood, like 4x6, but I always thought it would work great even with pine...

 

[BoCRon]

Have you ever seen some of those turn of the century warehouses with end-grain wood floors? Collect scraps of 2x4s/6s, cut them to 4" long and glue/nail them end to end. Labor intensive but you could build it from scraps. The originals were hardwood, like 4x6, but I always thought it would work great even with pine...

It's called a cobblewood or cobbleblock floor. I wanted to put it in my laundry room when we built our house but got talked out of it
Here's a blurb from the Bob Vila site where they put it in a Chicago coach house kitchen.

Cobblewood Flooring
Birger Juell visits the home to supervise instalation of this unique floor. Use 3/8 or 1/2 inch thickness of wood. Type of wood is user preference but it should be as dry as possible. The wood tiles can be just about any size or shape as long as they are not too large or warping will occur. The grout for the cobblewood flooring is composed of sawdust from the wood mixed with a fast-drying oil-based sealer in a ratio of 2 parts sawdust to 1 part sealer add any stain to grout to your liking.Insure you have a standard sub-floor. First glue floor down, use regular tile mastic as an adhesive. rubber based instead of Water based is best. Let set for two days... Then grout, Pour the grout on the floor push it into the cracks using a rubber trowel or your hands. Trowel in the grout. Squeegee off the excess. Steel wool the face of the wood tiles to remove any remaining excess grout that could dry to the top of the bricks. Let it sit over night and then apply another coat of oil-based sealer the next day. Let set for one day. Then do final coat of varnish, stain etc. Maintain like any wood floor. Oil it every 2 years using wood floor oil. Varnish once a year. Buff once a month.

Annette

 

[PAToyota]

I've seen the cobblewood floors - pretty cool! Thought it had to be thicker than 1/2" though. Might have to experiment with that. Not sure standard 2x4s would work so well.

Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming!

 

[Sundowner]

Yeah, I have seen that stuff. The thing is that for woodworkers, it will have to be more like wood than that. I've been pretty impressed with some of the laminates, I'm just not sure how well they will hold up in a workshop. Also, by the time you go up the scale to get something that really looks like wood - you're coming up to the low side of real wood.

check the prices, but for a wood shop, I'm a big fan of 2x10's. if you want a more finished look, then run them through a thickness planer

 

[boiler7904]

I've seen 24" squares of plywood used as a finished flooring in houses before. The one I saw had two species set in a checkerboard pattern with the grain turned 90 degrees from the adjoining pieces and looked really good. I assume the plywood just had a few coats of polyurethane on it.

The last time I used prefinished wood flooring for a project, it wasn't protected after installation and got scratched, gouged, and otherwise destroyed just by moving furniture and equipment in. After seeing that, I'd be leary of spending the money on that type of flooring.

 

[OldCarGuy]

If you want to have the sharpest yet extremely durable floor around I would suggest that you consider installing 3/4" thick Bruce (by Armstrong) pre-finished oak flooring. I purchased 1500 square feet from Home Depot for less than $2.75 per foot less another 10% discount because I opened up a new account. They also threw in a 7' fiberglass ladder. When the finish wears off, it'll still look good...

 

[PAToyota]

Boiler and OldCarGuy show the two ends of the spectrum that I've heard on the laminates - either that it doesn't wear worth shiat or that it is more durable than a solid wood floor.

I'm starting to e-mail some of the companies for samples and more information.

 

[Vermaraj]

It's called a cobblewood or cobbleblock floor. I wanted to put it in my laundry room when we built our house but got talked out of it
Here's a blurb from the Bob Vila site where they put it in a Chicago coach house kitchen.

Cobblewood Flooring
Birger Juell visits the home to supervise instalation of this unique floor. Use 3/8 or 1/2 inch thickness of wood. Type of wood is user preference but it should be as dry as possible. The wood tiles can be just about any size or shape as long as they are not too large or warping will occur. The grout for the cobblewood flooring is composed of sawdust from the wood mixed with a fast-drying oil-based sealer in a ratio of 2 parts sawdust to 1 part sealer add any stain to grout to your liking.Insure you have a standard sub-floor. First glue floor down, use regular tile mastic as an adhesive. rubber based instead of Water based is best. Let set for two days... Then grout, Pour the grout on the floor push it into the cracks using a rubber trowel or your hands. Trowel in the grout. Squeegee off the excess. Steel wool the face of the wood tiles to remove any remaining excess grout that could dry to the top of the bricks. Let it sit over night and then apply another coat of oil-based sealer the next day. Let set for one day. Then do final coat of varnish, stain etc. Maintain like any wood floor. Oil it every 2 years using wood floor oil. Varnish once a year. Buff once a month.

Annette

This makes an awesome looking, absolutely bullet proof floor. I once bid on an electrical job at a car factory in Delaware that had this type of floor made out of 6x6 timbers 12" thick. Plant Manager told me it was built directly on packed stone & sand during WWII to get the plant operational in a short period of time . During the war the plant produced tanks and afterwards it was converted to a car plant. All sorts of heavy machinery were bearing directly on the floor. There were pictures of completed tanks with treads driving over it. Floor looked aged and had typical end grain cracks but no major damage or wear patterns after 50 years of service.

Only drawback I could see is that any oil that was dropped on the floor got wicked up by the end grain and saw dust. Not a problem in a plant, but it could be unsightly in a shop.

 

[ersatzs2]

This makes an awesome looking, absolutely bullet proof floor. I once bid on an electrical job at a car factory in Delaware that had this type of floor made out of 6x6 timbers 12" thick. Plant Manager told me it was built directly on packed stone & sand during WWII to get the plant operational in a short period of time .

Yep, that's what I've seen. Less 'finished' than what Annette described (although that looks really nice too) Depending on the size of the space, I think it would be an awesome solution, especially if you had the ability to make it 6-8" thick. how about untreated railroad ties, cut to length, stacked side to side, then finished with a floor finisher to make them even...

 

[PAToyota]

That's the one problem - I really cannot go too thick. If it was on the first floor that wouldn't be a problem, but it is on the second floor. Also, with the structure already finished I'd be reducing ceiling height.

 

[shephd]

I have a small shop that is built on a slab. I put down plastic vapor barrier, sleepers with foam insulation, and plywood on top. Its much better than the slab. I'd take a picture, but you can see any floor right now!

What can you get locally? I wouldn't be afraid of any hardwoods, and you could process it your self. T&G if you like, but if you can get something 6/4 or better, it would most likeley be strong enough with out the T&G. How much machinery are you putting in there?

T

 

[PAToyota]

Got a sample in from these people: http://gerflortaraflex.com/

Sort of interesting - woodgrain but cushioned, not hard like VCT. Still looking at actual hardwood options. Got the brochure from Pioneer Millworks in as well.

 

[boiler7904]

I just saw a commercial for unfinished utility grade oak flooring for 89 cents a square foot at Lumber Liquidators and thought of this thread. Don't know if you have one by you or this is the look you're going for but it's worth taking a look at.

 

[PAToyota]

Thanks for the heads up. There is one south of me in Baltimore and at that price it is worth a look.

The oak isn't quite what I'm looking for, but this utility grade 4" wide maple may do the trick - http://www.lumberliquidators.com/ca...579&categoryId=7&sectionId=1&subCategoryId=76

 

[Willy Victor]

I've seen tons of that cobblewood floor put down in steel mills probably 4x4x4. Virtually indestructable.

Willy

 

[PAToyota]

I'd like cobblewood, but as mentioned before I just don't have the space to do something that thick.