Laminate flooring for workbench top?

[RinOak]

Hi...I have a very large workbench — 16' x 42" — and was curious if laminate flooring would be durable enough? I'd have a good 1.5" of plywood under it, but I simply have no experience with laminate flooring and didn't know how it would hold up.

I don't do any welding and no chemicals, mostly using a miter saw on here...so wood will get dragged across the top. I just didn't know if (for example) I set something on top to hammer from time to time, if the pressure would crack or dent the laminate...seems to be an incredibly thin surface on top.

I know there are many other options for the top, but laminate flooring would be a bit easier in my case, so just wanted to ask specifically about it.

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[dcg9381]

I think this is a decent idea, especially as a "lower friction" surface if you're sliding lots of wood over it.
The stuff is pretty darn durable. It'd probably "dent" if you hit it with a hammer, but so would the sub-surface. General hammering on a distributed load, I'd expect that to be fine.

I assume you're not heating anything on the surface.

Bet you can find some steals on "left over" from residential installs.. I know I ended up with a box or two.

 

[DGersic]

I’d think the joints would be annoying. 4x8 sheets of Masonite is what I’d use.

 

[fattogatto]

Works great. And cheap.

 

[karoc]

Myself I like and have a Masonite work table. But I have also made countertops out flooring gluing all joints so that nothing get underneath. You talking about tough finish, that is using good flooring

 

[RinOak]

Thanks for the thoughts so far. I'm aware of Masonite and other options, but there are some specific reasons that laminate flooring would be better for me...so that's why I wanted to ask about it specifically.

It sounds like it would be fine with wood getting moved around on it...maybe the issue is if I'm ever hammering something on top, if that pressure might crack the laminate. Maybe impossible to predict ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[dcg9381]

.maybe the issue is if I'm ever hammering something on top, if that pressure might crack the laminate. Maybe impossible to predict ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's pretty flexible stuff. Many flooring stores have "samples" you can take home. Get a few and pound on them.

 

[nateo]

It's pretty flexible stuff. Many flooring stores have "samples" you can take home. Get a few and pound on them.

And watch out for the backing, some have a thin foam layer on the back that will make them a bit too flexible for benchtop pounding. Nice on the feet, no good on the work bench.

 

[bdbecker]

Before I stumbled on a deal on some 3/16" steel for my bench top, I was going to install 'utility grade' oak flooring. These are basically off-cuts and rejects from when higher grade floors are milled, so the lengths of each piece are shorter than normal flooring, and they contain knots and other defects. But for a work bench top, I wasn't too worried.

Lumber Liquidators always had it for $1 or less per square foot. They are currently sold out, but I see a couple of online retailers have it listed on their website. It also goes by the term '#3 grade' if you want to look for it.

Now that I think about it, I might have to revisit this idea for my home office remodel. I'm not really excited about the price of the 12' long slab of butcher block I was planning on using for my desk/workbench area. Hmm...

 

[Stuart in MN]

Laminate may or may not be resistant to solvents, gasoline, etc.

 

[Rst277]

I've used laminate flooring for a few benchtops. It works great and it's usually free. It is quite resistant to dents and hammering.

 

[CraigStu]

grab some of the small samples they let you have and hit them w/ a hammer. I think you will be surprised how well they do. Also it's easy to keep a chunk of 2x8 around to sit on the top if you need to really bang on something. I'd also buy some extra because if you ever do damage a piece it is pretty easy to take it apart to replace one piece.
Edit to ad; We have LVT in our foyer, kitchen/dining, and 3 bathrooms. We moved in in April of 19 so next month will be 6 years. It all still looks like it did new.

 

[kngelv]

Masonite all day and every day.

James

 

[Fuelie]

I have a laminate work bench top and like it. The only thing is if you use a heat gun be careful. My last one I put a small bubble in it letting my grandson play around.
I slit it with a razor blade and put some glue under it. After I rolled it out no one could tell.
For the price its cheap and durable.
Tom

 

[lolaetype]

Buy a box of close out stock from where ever and when it get's to grungy looking for your tastes just replace it.

Another idea. When we redid the flooring in out last house with laminate the pallet it came on had a pallet sized laminated piece of flooring between the pallet and the boxes of laminate flooring. If this is typical you might drop by a Home Depot or Lowes and see if they have any of those pieces laying around. I'd bet they usually go straight to the dumpster.

 

[RinOak]

Thanks for everyone's help. Got sidetracked by another project, but one quick follow-up:

I got some Pergo samples, and when installed as floors, the planks just click together and float. But for a workbench...would I be better off glueing or nailing them down? That would admittedly make it more difficult to replace a board if one ever got damaged, but for a 16' x 42" workbench, I didn't know what might be best.

 

[RegeSullivan]

Works pretty good for a work surface. Probably need 3 boxes for 16x3.5. Most are around 20sqft per carton give or take a few sqft.

 

[CoogarXR]

Laminate may or may not be resistant to solvents, gasoline, etc.

It's not even resistant to water.

 

[DGersic]

Thanks for everyone's help. Got sidetracked by another project, but one quick follow-up:

I got some Pergo samples, and when installed as floors, the planks just click together and float. But for a workbench...would I be better off glueing or nailing them down? That would admittedly make it more difficult to replace a board if one ever got damaged, but for a 16' x 42" workbench, I didn't know what might be best.

That’s how all of the laminate floating floor products work. Easy answer is to run some screws through the first and last boards, then down the sides as well if needed (probably not needed).

 

[RinOak]

Thanks @DGersic. Since I was originally thinking to glue the boards down, I assumed I'd be peeling off the thin padding/underlayment on the bottom of the laminate. But if it's floating...I'm wondering if I should in fact keep the underlayment? My fear is if it's only floating and basically wood on wood, the boards would be loose and slapping together any time something is put on top. At only 42" deep, the boards won't really have the full weight of an entire room locked together to keep them down.

 

[DGersic]

Buy a variety that doesn’t include the foam underlayment.

Once locked together, they can’t really move. You just need to restrain the first and last. I’d use something semi-decorative, like the “HeadLOK” screws, predrill through the laminate so it doesn’t split.

 

[mike93lx]

Thanks @DGersic. Since I was originally thinking to glue the boards down, I assumed I'd be peeling off the thin padding/underlayment on the bottom of the laminate. But if it's floating...I'm wondering if I should in fact keep the underlayment? My fear is if it's only floating and basically wood on wood, the boards would be loose and slapping together any time something is put on top. At only 42" deep, the boards won't really have the full weight of an entire room locked together to keep them down.

Seems like a lot of work for no real tangible benefit.

 

[BurtEggley]

the thicker masonite hardboard works great. I think it is 3/16." https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Hardb...cqYP0P3VyZZOhmdNzywaAnaiEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Dave G in Gansevoort]

Have you considered mdf? Just a thought…

 

[sjvicker]

I’ve made a few with cheap laminate glued to 3/4 ply. They scratch and chip but hold up amazingly well. It’s a perfect budget option