Best Workshop Mat for aching knees,etc??

[Jerry Olexa]

My workshop is in the basement (concrete floor) and after a day in the shop, my knee and back are usually hurting! After a good night's rest, all is well but as I age and spend even more time in the shop, the pain is more intense and lasts longer:( . Last week, I finally had to take 3-4 days off (stay out of shop)which also hurt:) to let the limbs heal. I'm using athletic shoes with inserts which have helped till now. What's the best cushioning, anti-fatigue mat/set up for this? Do they work? Also, (1) how are they for clean-up and (2) Can tools on mobile bases still be moved?? Thanks guys, gimpy:) :confused:

[Ian Barley]

Jerry

I spend all day every day (7 days a week in summer) on a concrete floor. My recommendations - in order.

1 - Get good shoes. Good quality working shoes witha steel tang and a steel toecap. I actually prefer boots these days and recently invested in an electrically heated pair:D I'm gonna post a gloat about them soon. They are a magic solutio to cold concrete floors.

2 - Get some orthotics. Insoles which are tailored to your posture and gait. I first got these when I was getting back into the shop after breaking my ankle last year but wish I had got them sooner. They make a huge difference.

3 - Get a back support belt and use it. It helps enormously with general posture. I don't wear mine all the time but there are certain tasks and times where I feel my back working too hard and I put the belt on and cinch it up. Makes me stand straight and gets rid of the backache.

4 - Get a rubber mat. I have a workstation mat from an industrial supplier. Supplier will be no good to you but any good industrial supplier (materials handling type catalogue?) should carry them. I have a friend who uses stable matting designed for horses and he gets good results with them as well. I use my mat only for assembly where my feet are pretty planted in one spot. Other than that I use the above measures because they travel around with me wherever I go.

Hope you find a solution that works for you.

[Dan Racette]

I agree with everything ian says. To get you started on a mat, I have been checking bunches of them out. This one listed here:

http://www.floormat.com/ortho-mat.html

this is the kind I bought. This isn't where I bought it, but it is the brand.

dan

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Before my Dad retired, he stood on concrete at a machine that allowed little movement. He complained of sore feet and legs along with back pain. He finally bought a pair of Red Wing work shoes. Most of his pain disappeared in a few days. He found a rubber mat to put on the floor and worked nearly pain free for several years. I have been well satisfied with New Balance cross training shoes in the shop, but I think I will go with the Red Wings next time; I will probably go with the steel toed shoe for an added measure of safety.

[Frank Chaffee]

Jerry,
Having worked a number or years at welding, production drilling and milling, mitre saw station cutting, and tramping all around the plant where walking, standing in one place and turning to change parts was required, I second the recommendation of Red Wing Shoe Co. as a place to look for offerings that may relieve leg and back problems.
Also Jerry, the type of mat that I found stressed knee joints least when turning is the type that has vertical cylindrical nubs that stand up ~3/8ths of an inch above the mat base. Beveled edges are best for avoiding tripping.
Frank

[Jim Becker]

My mats from from a distributor called ULINE (http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_1751.asp?desc=Anti%2DFatigue+Mats). ..I have them in the shop as well as a 3"x12" one in our kitchen. (Brick floor...) Reasonable prices and available in a wide array of sizes. For example, I bought a 4'x6' for under the Stubby (lathe) and cut out for the legs. It extends across the front of the machine as well as out from the tailstock end...pretty much anywhere I would stand when turning and hollowing. If you are going to need a lot, they will sell you a whole 60' roll, too.

[Scott Vigder]

I had a pair of custom hunting boots made for me by Russell Moccasin in Wisconsin. These boots are like walking on pillows, even after a whole day of being on my feet. I had the wife measure my feet, ankles, legs (the website has an order form and fitting measurement instructions that even a dummy like me could understand). The pair I bought are designed for hunting in the mountains at 10,000 feet but I use them as workboots in the shop and around the property. They are flat out the best-fitting pair of shoes/boots I have ever worn, and they wear like iron. Here's their web address link. I have the Grand Slam Sheep Hunter model found under Boots: Mountain Hunting Boots.

http://www.russellmoccasin.com/main.html

I have susequently ordered a pair of boat shoes and a less-rambo boot for casual wear from them, all with the same excellent fit and craftsmanship.

[Jerry Todd]

Check out a local Farm & Feed Supply. The rubber matts they use in horse stalls work fine for my workshop. They are made from recycled tires.
Jerry

[Joe Mioux]

Like a few others have said, Hunting boots work really well. I used to wear Danner's all day long, They have a orthotic insole that really supports the arches.

However, with that said, I am currently wearing Rockports and love them.

The soles wear well, they are comfortable, and very supportive.

Other than shoes, go with a softer mat. There are plenty of mats on the market and they have various degrees of softness.

Joe

[joseph j shields]

I have had real good luck with the iner-locking mats you can buy at Sam's Club.

For about $15 you get 9 3ft x 3ft inter-locking pads.

They are nice and thick. I keep a few of them on the side and use them on my bench when I have to put a piece of furniture on it and don't want it dinged or scratched.

They are cheap & good!

-jj

[lou sansone]

Check out a local Farm & Feed Supply. The rubber matts they use in horse stalls work fine for my workshop. They are made from recycled tires.
Jerry

I also like the horse mats.
lou

[Ted Jay]

Jerry,
Having worked a number or years at welding, production drilling and milling, mitre saw station cutting, and tramping all around the plant where walking, standing in one place and turning to change parts was required, I second the recommendation of Red Wing Shoe Co. as a place to look for offerings that may relieve leg and back problems.
Also Jerry, the type of mat that I found stressed knee joints least when turning is the type that has vertical cylindrical nubs that stand up ~3/8ths of an inch above the mat base. Beveled edges are best for avoiding tripping.
Frank

You mean these type of mats?
http://www.antifatiguekitchenmats.com/
The only problems is cleaning all the saw dust out of the nubs, of course that's what shop vacs are for.
I wouldn't do a whole shop as they can be a little pricey too.

[Chris Damm]

I covered my whole shop with the 2'x2' squares from Sam's Club. They are around $17 for 8 interlocking squares with the edge pieces. Makes a very convertible and durable surface. Saves on chipped tools too. Clean up is a little more difficult, but a broom and shopvac work well.

[Dan Racette]

I use technical hiking boots. Vasque, Asolo, Merrill. All have been good. I also wear thick merino wool socks.

[tod evans]

jerry, i`ll jump on the good boots theme....02 tod

[John Miliunas]

I have yet to get a "real good" pair of shoes or boots. But, for the time being, the 2x2 squares from Sam's club cover the majority of my shop floor and help immensely! Not expensive, easily moved, easy to cut around machines and help insulate from the cold concrete, as well. :) :cool:

[Larry Norton]

Another vote for good boots. I work at Tractor Supply and on the day we opened, I bought a pair of Timberline boots. After about 2 hours, I forgot I even had them on. I could never spend more than 2 hours in my shop, now I work at the store for 8 hours with just a few minute break in the morning and afternoon.

I have anti fatigue mats in my shop and that helps, too. As far as getting the sawdust out of them, I never clean my shop so I haven't noticed it.

[Jerry Olexa]

THANKS, guys. Lots of good tips!! Sounds like I need new work boots and I should look @ the industrial mats as well as Horse mats and Sam's and the Borg. Many options and good advice. I'll get out there and look now that my knees are improving a bit. I'll let you know. Thanks much!!

[Jerry Olexa]

Forgot to add: with the mats in place, can you clean up AND can you move mobile base tools over them ??(maybe I'm dreaming. :) Could be too much to ask of floor mats ?) Either way, thanks for your recos.

[Jim Becker]

Forgot to add: with the mats in place, can you clean up AND can you move mobile base tools over them ??(maybe I'm dreaming. :) Could be too much to ask of floor mats ?) Either way, thanks for your recos.

Cleaning, yes...to a certain extent, although a "good" cleaning requires moving the mats. Rolling over? Not too well over mine...easier to move them.

[John Miliunas]

Forgot to add: with the mats in place, can you clean up AND can you move mobile base tools over them ??(maybe I'm dreaming. :) Could be too much to ask of floor mats ?) Either way, thanks for your recos.

Jerry, on the Sam's Club mats, it's a bit more difficult to move heavy equipment over them. They are a dense, albeit rather light foam. A bit too "squishy" to move heavystuff, as they tend to "roll" themselves when heavily compressed. OTOH, they are very light, so moving them is quite easy. :) I found that cleaning them is easiest with a shop vac and the floor sweep with the wheels on it. (Very familiar with this one, as I did a complete shop cleaning this weekend! :rolleyes: :D ) :) :cool:

[Bob Swenson]

Jerry
Check out these “Asics” at www.onlineshoes.com (http://www.onlineshoes.com/) , They work.
I told my doctor how much my feet hurt and he said “What do you expect, your walking around on 80 year old feet. Your pads are gone, your walking on bone!”.:( Then I found these Asics with gel built into the sole, now my feet feel like they’re 19. Boots might be fine but you can’t wear them to a

dance.:rolleyes:
Bob
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[Frank Chaffee]

You mean these type of mats?
http://www.antifatiguekitchenmats.com/
The only problems is cleaning all the saw dust out of the nubs, of course that's what shop vacs are for.
I wouldn't do a whole shop as they can be a little pricey too.
Yes, and thank you for the link Ted,
That is exactly the design of mat I recall as offering the most cushioning for standing, and also yielding most to rotation on the ball of one’s foot, thereby reducing stress on knees.

To clean that type of mat, I turn it over and knock the welding bee bees, drill swarf, saw chips or whatnot out of it and sweep or vacuum the debris off the concrete floor.

Who was the wise man who first observed that it is not necessary to cushion the entire road, but only our feet?

Frank

[Jim Hinze]

Jerry,

Along with the other suggestions of good shoes and the anti-fatigue mats, you should really consider some exercises to strengthen your "core". Your core is your abdominals and your spinal erectors (lower back). They are what keeps your body stable and are what's tiring you out and causing some of the pain ... (unrelated to the knees). By strengthing them and building up a bit of muscular endurance, you'll find your in far less pain at the end of the day.

If your interested and willing I can PM you some information that would be helpfull.

[Dan Forman]

Jerry---What type of inserts are you using? Are they custom made for your feet? Probably the best bet for you would be to get custom made orthotics, which cobined with a good sturdy but soft shoe, should take care of the problem. If you get a referral from your doc, insurance should pay for it.

Dan

[Jerry Olexa]

Jerry---What type of inserts are you using? Are they custom made for your feet? Probably the best bet for you would be to get custom made orthotics, which cobined with a good sturdy but soft shoe, should take care of the problem. If you get a referral from your doc, insurance should pay for it.

Dan
Dan, last summer I saw a Podiatrist who examined my feet, walk etc. He said my gait was normal as far as pronation, etc but I had a high arch. He said I didn't need to invest $600 in orthotics but wrote a prescription for the local shoe store ( for $30 I believe) adjustable orthotic inserts. I followed adj instructions and they have helped a bit. Lately because I've been in the shop almost every day 4-6 hours, the pain has returned. When the knee heals, plan to start my old SLR's and other exercises. Hopefully, that'll also help plus mats and better shoes.. Thanks

[Ted Jay]

Yes, and thank you for the link Ted,
That is exactly the design of mat I recall as offering the most cushioning for standing, and also yielding most to rotation on the ball of one’s foot, thereby reducing stress on knees.

To clean that type of mat, I turn it over and knock the welding bee bees, drill swarf, saw chips or whatnot out of it and sweep or vacuum the debris off the concrete floor.

Who was the wise man who first observed that it is not necessary to cushion the entire road, but only our feet?

Frank

When I used to work in a kitchen we had these HoneyComb type mats. They were very.. very comfortable on the feet. The only down side... they weighed a ton, but they lasted. They would be better in a shop than a kitchen though, no greasy mess to clean, just sawdust.
These are the mats,http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7506376953&category=40116 actually I think these are better for the feet, but they are 7/8" thick.

[Joe Mioux]

Jerry, Those horse mats are really heavy. They have grooves (little dadoes) in them that make them hard to clean.

Those mats are 4'x8' I have four of them in my businesses garage.

If you weigh on the North side of 1,000 lbs I suppose they would be comfortable on your hooves, however you have feet.

Joe

[Gary Herrmann]

I bought several honey comb mats when they were on sale at Costco. But ultimately, if I'm in the shop for hours and hours - and that rarely happens, my knees hurt.

I've had 3 knee surgeries. My ortho cutter told me I had the knees of a 75 yr old - when I was 35. Gave up hoops when I was 40 because I didn't want to go thru a total knee, which he said was the next option.

"Its not the years, its the mileage. You can't play basketball, tennis, volleyball, run etc for 30 years and not expect damage." I hate it when docs paraphrase movies.

The long and short of it is, is that if you have enough damage, you'll have some pain. Good mats and shoes will help, but they can't make up for a bad foundation. Take breaks. Stretch every day. Exercise. And live with a bit of pain at times. Beats the heck out of sitting on the couch.

[Jerry Olexa]

"Its not the years, its the mileage. You can't play basketball, tennis, volleyball, run etc for 30 years and not expect damage."

Gary, above were my earlier life. I played Basketball, tennis, etc forever with no stops. Good advice, though not pleasant. We have to learn with the penalties of misspent youth:) But I do love WWing and love to be in the shop. Just trying to smooth the corners.:D

[Howie French]

I also use horse mats - $45 dollars 4' by 6' 3/4" thick (you can get 1/2") , 100 lbs each
sides beveled if desired. No grooves on top. These will last more then a few lifetimes :)

Howie

[Tom Horton]

Jerry,

The sam's club mats are easiest to use, I think, because they can be re-configured for whatever area you need. I bought a pack of them last year, and have now covered my whole shop floor with them. Granted, I have mostly stationary tools, so I don't need to be moving much around. However, I have found that if I need to move them, like when I need to bring the car in the shop to work on it, then the mats are removed, stacked to the side in a cube (2x2x2), and replaced when needed. It cost me a whopping $80 to cover the whole shop (24x24), with 4 packages of the mats. Now I don't have any more extra problems with my back, legs, feet, ankles, etc. Just problems with my head, where I scratch it so much when I find that my "perfect" square is 4'x4'1/16".....:p , and when I use it to bang nails.:D

Tom

[Mac McAtee]

Go to the feed - farm supply as suggested above. I use Tractor Supply. Horse stall mats are 4' X 6' and 3/4" thick. Local tractor supply has them right now for $34.95 each. I cut mine lengthways with a utility knife, two pieces 2' X 6'.

Made from chopped up car tires. Heavy so they don't slide around on floor. Good stuff!

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks guys...I learned a lot from your posts. Plan to try the various options when my knee is better. Its Getting better but still hanging around. I did sneak in 4 hours of lite shop time today (glueing,trimming, etc). Plan to look @ Asics, different mats (LOML said SAms was out of mats today), new inserts and if all else fails, more ADVIL.. Sincere thanks. You are a good group of caring and sharing WWers!!

[Steve Ash]

Jerry go back in a week a look again. I got mine at Sams about a year ago, then a few months later I wanted some more but they were out :( Waited a few weeks and they had a bunch again. I'm well pleased with mine and they have held up well.

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks Steve I'll try again

[Matt Meiser]

I have some of the Sams mats and my only complaint is that they slide around more than I would like. They are comfortable though and don't slide enough to be dangerous. My favorite mat is one my dad gave me that is about as thick as the Sams mats but is a heavier, but equally "squishy" rubber. The drawback to mats is that vacuuming them takes more time because the vac wants to pick them up.

Another thing that helps my feet is a stool that I can sit on when I'm doing something stationary at the bench, and a computer in the shop where I can sit and rest for a couple minutes.

[Steve Ash]

my only complaint is that they slide around more than I would like. They are comfortable though and don't slide enough to be dangerous.

The drawback to mats is that vacuuming them takes more time because the vac wants to pick them up.



Matt is the slippery part coming from mat to concrete floor, or mat to feet? I haven't had any problem with slipperyness with mine.

Try using a broom and a dust pan.

[John Callahan]

Have you considered a wood floor? Fair amount of time and $ but in the long run maybe the best solution. Easier on your feet and your mobile bases will roll around fine. Not to sound like a former president :) but I can feel your pain. I've had both hips and knees replaced. Working on the design for a new shop and rest assured it will have wood floors. If your headroom allows it, sleepers and a wood strip flooring of your choice should do the trick.

[Eddie Watkins]

Jerry, I have the mat's from Sam's Club and they have helped a bunch. I have never noticed them being slippery. I usually clean them by blowing them off with an air hose rather than trying to vacuum them. I do have to pick them up occasionally to get the sawdust that gets under them. I also have turned the brightly colored side up so the shop seems a little more colorful but you can turn the black side up if you don't want the color. LOML is a runner (like marathons, etc.). Several years ago she bought 5 pairs of running shoes of different manufacturers in less than a month trying to find the perfect shoe for her. She ended up with New Balance. I have since changed over to New Balance walking shoes and they seem to do fairly well. I currently have three different versions of the 600 series shoes in varying stages of wear and all but the oldest pair still seem to provide good support. Shoes are probably an individual thing that varies from peron to person, though.

Eddie

[Jerry Olexa]

Have you considered a wood floor? Fair amount of time and $ but in the long run maybe the best solution. Easier on your feet and your mobile bases will roll around fine. Not to sound like a former president :) but I can feel your pain. I've had both hips and knees replaced. Working on the design for a new shop and rest assured it will have wood floors. If your headroom allows it, sleepers and a wood strip flooring of your choice should do the trick.

Many great ideas> THANKS to all. John, your idea is a good one. I could throw down some sleepers and top w ply sheet goods. Quickly, there'd be a wood floor with some give. I'll start w the mats, shoes etc and see if improvement. Wood floor is a possibility for future. Thanks

[Ian Barley]

Jerry

One last thought that I shoulda mentioned earlier. Specific to aching feet. Don't neglect sock choice. There is a real difference between cheap socks and good socks. I wear proper hiking socks that cost about 4-5 times as much as regular socks but they make a real difference.

[Dan Connolly]

Jerry,
I have from Sam's (its the only kind they carry here) some 3X3 rubber type "kitchen grease mats" they have a series of 3/4 inch holes throughout and my exp. with these is that as they get older (I mean like 2 years) they seem to get harder----and as someone else mentioned:

THEY GET SLIPPERY---this is really not a good thing. I mean the sawdust between the mat and the floor allows the whole mat to slide while doing normal workshop stuff---I can't stress enough I would never do these type of mats again.

I am thinking a solid mat with no holes might be a better option.

I wish someone had a trial sample type thing for rubber mats--I don't mind paying for them but they gotta be right.

[Ernest W King]

I'm one of the middle aged group (I just reached 69 this month), and that qualifies me to expound on my experience as I think I've gained some wisdom - it's called learning the hard way. I spent about half my working years, starting at the age of 13, in jobs that required being on my feet for extended periods of time. There was machine shop/welding shop, followed by aircraft engine buildup (3 years Air Force). There were other jobs but the very worst was auto parts sales where I was on my feet for most of ten hours every day.

I finally got through college and got an engineering job where I got to sit on my butt most of the time. During this time, I developed an interest in woodworking. I found it to be a great way to relieve the job related stress. My feet loved the office work, but not the woodworking. Then came other health problems associated with lack of physical exercise. My doctor told me to get out and walk every day. That helped some, but it was too little, too late. I had a heart attack. That was followed by cardiac rehab - mostly walking.

All of which brings me to this. Everybody who has a job which requires him or her to be mostly stationary, sitting or standing, or even slowly moving, needs to literally walk away from it once an hour. By that I mean, get outside and walk briskly for five, ten or fifteen minutes.

Why is this going to help?

It turns out that the legs pump blood when we walk at good pace. The veins in the legs are equipped with check valves that prevent the blood from flowing downward. The muscles of the legs when walking compress the veins and force the blood upward to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. If one is standing for long periods, the blood tends to pool in the lower extremities and does not get recharged with fresh oxygen and other nutrients.:mad:

So, get out and walk! It really helps.:)

[M1ke Moldenhauer]

In addtion to anti-fatigue mats, I wear support socks with clogs. I got the idea when I noticed a lot of ER doctors and nurses who must spend long hours on their feet were wearing clogs. I figured if anyone knew anything about foot comfort, they knew something I didn't know. I did a little research on the web and read some reviews and comments about the relief from foot, leg and back pain that wearing a pair of clogs could provide. I broke down and spent the $125.00 to buy a pair for myself, and the minute I put them on it was instant relief. The brand I purchased is Dansko. I now own 3 pair and swear by them. If you are interested, you can view them at www.dansko.com (http://www.dansko.com). I have 2 pair with a closed back, the Professional model, and 1 pair of open back called Karl.

Mike Moldenhauer

[Jerry Olexa]

In addtion to anti-fatigue mats, I wear support socks with clogs. I got the idea when I noticed a lot of ER doctors and nurses who must spend long hours on their feet were wearing clogs. I figured if anyone knew anything about foot comfort, they knew something I didn't know. I did a little research on the web and read some reviews and comments about the relief from foot, leg and back pain that wearing a pair of clogs could provide. I broke down and spent the $125.00 to buy a pair for myself, and the minute I put them on it was instant relief. The brand I purchased is Dansko. I now own 3 pair and swear by them. If you are interested, you can view them at www.dansko.com (http://www.dansko.com). I have 2 pair with a closed back, the Professional model, and 1 pair of open back called Karl.

Mike Moldenhauer

Thanks Mike: I'll check them out...

[Tyler Howell]

So, get out and walk! It really helps.:)[/quote]

Your absolutely right Enest.
thanks for the reminder;)

[harry strasil]

I have the flattest feet you ever saw, no arch at all and a bad back, low heeled shoes really kill my back and legs so I wear the redwing logger heel hightop lace up steeltoed boots with Dr Scholls work insoles, in the blacksmith shop and have very little trouble.

I cheated tho on the floor mats, my neighbor is a glass paint and carpet business and they had a bunch of damaged mats that are used to open automatic doors, the cost was $0 just had to haul them off, they are in front of the lathes, mill and anvil, really makes a difference.

As I stand in one place a lot my Chiropractor recomended raising one foot then the other while standing, so now I use a short piece of 2x4 to rest one foot on for awhile then the other, makes a world of difference on my legs and back.

For Auctions and were I will be standing a lot, I have a piece of 2x4 12 inches long with a small rope fastened to it and a hook on the other end that I take with me and move around, the rope makes it easy to pick up and you will never forget it. Also makes it easier to handle if its muddy.

my 2¢ worth