Whats your shop Floor [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

Dave Hammelef

08-12-2003, 9:02 PM

Don Henthorn Smithville, TX

08-12-2003, 9:34 PM

Well. my floor was obviously poured by some guy who told his friends he was going to open a keg of beer and then made the mistake of opening the keg BEFORE they poured the floor. Starts out not too bad, not good but not to bad, and then gets progressively worse as it gets to the other end. The last ten feet look like they used a piece pf corrugated steel roofing to smooth it out. Has about the same undulations as the roofing.

Mike Schwing

08-12-2003, 9:48 PM

Seek out Terry Hatfield. He recently finished off his concrete floor and from the pictures it looks wonderful. He did an extensive write up on it.

Me? You don't want to know.

Mike Mastin

08-12-2003, 9:50 PM

Well the shop floors are covered with 2 part epoxy. Some think it is excessive, but it reflects a lot of light, no concrete dust to foul all of the saw dust and it sweeps super easy (when I get around to it).

Ken Garlock

08-12-2003, 9:51 PM

Hi Dave. My shop floor is also concrete, and I had my painter put two coats of Sherwin Williams Tile Clad 2-part epoxy on it. First they power washed it, and then acid washed and rinsed it. The let it dry for a couple days, and then put down the epoxy paint on two successive days. Of course all this happened as we were building our new home and the shop. I just bought a can of the Tile Clad to paint the dust collection "ditch" down the middle of the shop. S/W are proud of that stuff, like $80 proud :eek: The painter said that was the only brand he would use. Beware, that stuff does stink and the smell lasts for several days. You need to stay off the finished floor for about a week to let it cure.

Forgot to mention, for the $80 you get 2 1 gal. cans which are mixed 1:1 thus giving you two gallons of paint. That way it doesn't sound quite so bad. :)

Jim Becker

08-12-2003, 9:53 PM

My shop floor is unfortunately hard concrete...if I had a choice in the matter, it would be wood. But retrofitting would raise it too high for some existing doorways, etc., so I just keep some anti-fatique mats handy for long sessions at a particular workstation.

Richard McComas

08-12-2003, 9:54 PM

I am about done with my new shop and before I move the equipment in I am trying to decide if I should put anything on the concrete floor. So whats your shop floor and what are the pro's and Con's?

Thanks
Dave
My shop floor is just bare concrete. The biggest pro for me is zero maintenance period. It sweeps fine and it’s not slick. The only con is aesthetics, doesn’t look fancy but it works just fine as a shop floor.

Mike Evertsen

08-13-2003, 12:31 AM

wanted wood but ended up with Concrete,,,,,I have carpet mats down but they are to clean and not much cushion

Guy Kowalski

08-13-2003, 12:42 AM

Dave,

I have unfinished concrete but I can't handle the dust anymore. I plan of using some epoxy paint on it as soon as it dries up around here. Living on Long Island has been like living in the tropics this summer.

Terry Hatfield

08-13-2003, 12:47 AM

Dave,

Do the epoxy now while the shop is empty!!!!!!!

I used the Rustoleum Epoxy Shield. I got it at Lowes. Worked great. The shop is so much brighter now it's really unbelieveable. Prep is the key to making the epoxy last so take time to do it right. I used muratic acid first and then the citrus cleaner that comes in the kits. $54 per kit. Each kit covers 250 sq. ft. Money well spent.

I also have several horse stall mats and they are wonderful. The mats truly made a huge difference in how my feet and back feel at the end of the day. I bought them at my local farm and home supply. Around $40 for a 4' X 6' mat.

Terry

Terry Hatfield

08-13-2003, 12:50 AM

Dave,

Here are the 2 threads of my floor project.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=2227

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?threadid=2215

Terry

Bob Powers

08-13-2003, 10:11 AM

I am about done with my new shop and before I move the equipment in I am trying to decide if I should put anything on the concrete floor. So whats your shop floor and what are the pro's and Con's?

Thanks
Dave
Dave,

I built my shop three years ago. I had the mason contractor make the floor as smooth as possible, then etched it with muriatic acid, applied two coats of latex concrete sealer, and two coats of industrial liquid wax. These operations are all done with a mop. After three years, maintenance has been sweeping, a minimal amount of vacuuming, and one more coat of wax. The floor looks just the way it did on day one.

Regards,

Bob

Ken Salisbury

08-13-2003, 10:23 AM

The question was:
"What is your shop floor" ?
It is that portion of the shop I stand on when working in there.
 <IMG src="http://www.klsal.com/smiley2.gif">

Tom Pritchard

08-13-2003, 10:29 AM

My shopfloor is concrete. I used UGL concrete etch on the floor first, and then used 2 coats of UGL concrete paint (gray) over it. The floor is easy to clean and easy to move things on. The paint also seals the concrete and eliminates a source of dust that can end up on your projects when finishing. The negative thing that I have found is that if I drop a heavy, sharp object, the paint does chip. Thanks for asking!

Lee Schierer

08-13-2003, 12:38 PM

I guess I'm going to be the odd man out here. My shop floor is unpainted plywood! Double layer of 3/4 ply. Doesn't dull a tool if I drop one! Easy on the feet too! Sort of hard to see most of the time due to the sawdust!

Marvin Keys

08-13-2003, 12:55 PM

Ummm, my shop floor is grass (mixture of rye and some others), a few dandelion weeds, some crabgrass, clovers and dirt. Don't know if this helps. ;)

D.McDonnel "Mac"

08-13-2003, 1:38 PM

Probably not applicable to your situation but I have hardwood over 3/4 plywood subfloor on top of 2x8 joist sitting on 2x4 treated sleepers laying flat on a concrete slab that has a vapor barrier and rigid foam insulation panels under it. I have utility pipe chases (DC,electrical & shop air) integrated into the floor with removable floor panels (sections of plywood and hardwood reinforced with angle iron on the bottom).

Only thing I'd change at this point is to make the chases deeper by using 4x4 sleepers and I'd make the removable panels shorter. I made some of them 8' long (most are 4' and still too long) thinking I'd rarely remove them and I'd have fewer joints showing. The panels are heavy and awkward to remove with the machines in place and the DC installed. I'd make them 2' long and still can If I'm willing to have the wider joint cracks.

craig carlson

08-13-2003, 1:52 PM

Hi,

I used the cheapest white roll linoleum I could find. I unrolled it onto my concrete floor and glued only the seam and big door entrance. It was instant gratification it's been ten years now and has held up 5 years longer than I thought it would. I did have to put down anti-slip tape on my work stations and make it a point to clean up saw dust, it can get a little slippery.

Craig Carlson
Sebastopol, Ca

Lee Schierer

08-13-2003, 5:10 PM

I'd make them 2' long and still can If I'm willing to have the wider joint cracks.

Why not saw them shorter and glue on a spacer on the last on to take up the difference. Staining to match shouldn't be too hard and you might be able to hide the glued on piece under something.

Bob Sheppard

08-13-2003, 7:56 PM

I'm not exactly sure what my shop floor is. Its been so long since I've seen it :)

David LaRue

08-13-2003, 11:21 PM

I have a concrete floor, with tan concrete stain (as a opposed to paint) It works very well, and will not crack or peel. It will stain however, but cleaners like Gummout will not remove the concrete stain, but will clean it. In addition, I have interlocking rubber mats. Very comfy! :D In my garage I have the same epoxy paint as Terry.

Dave

David Rose

08-14-2003, 6:41 PM

Ken, is yours on the bottom? :rolleyes:

David

The question was:
"What is your shop floor" ?
It is that portion of the shop I stand on when working in there.
 <IMG src="http://www.klsal.com/smiley2.gif">

Bob Oswin

08-14-2003, 8:00 PM

I am about done with my new shop and before I move the equipment in I am trying to decide if I should put anything on the concrete floor. So whats your shop floor and what are the pro's and Con's?

Thanks
Dave
Mine is currently wood.
When I build the final resting place at home it will be wood as well.
The space between the 2 x 4"s (or what ever ) can be a real treasure and the floor is easy to stand on.
Its real easy to anchor equipment and great for running cable and pipe.

I'm currenly using the mezzanine of one of the bays in my building, so I know the difference vs the downstairs concete and the upstairs wood.
By the way, it's also a lot quieter.

p.s. Concrete looks nicer till you start tossing those rubber mats around under all your tools. :p
bob

Jim Young

08-15-2003, 9:28 PM

Dave, If you stick with the concrete I would make sure the final color of the shop is white or some other light color. My last shop I did something similar to what Terry just did. The floor was great for seeing and cleaning. My current shop is half carpet (from the previous owner) and half dark grew concrete, I don't like this set up near as much. A wood floor would be nice but the head room reduction in the basement and the cost make it impractical. Good Luck

Terry Hatfield

08-15-2003, 9:31 PM

scott spencer

08-16-2003, 10:04 AM

Dave - My shopfloor is made from a combination of smooth concrete and pitted concrete. The smooth areas are easier on the feet and good for leveling power tools. The pitted spots come in handy for catching small screws and nuts that I drop.

Bill MacLachlan

08-16-2003, 6:52 PM

My shop floor is concrete and I was going to paint it. But decided to try the 2' x 2' x 1" thick interlocking rubber padding. Purchased it at HD. I have put this around my work benches and have some grated stuff around my lathe. This has actually worked pretty well. It is a pain to sweep sometimes, but vacuums well.
Just have to see how long it lasts. It is comfortable to stand on.
Bill