Hardwood for Shop Flooring

[DougButterfield]

I'm in the planning stages for a basement shop...maybe 12'x20'...and would love to use hardwood for the flooring. Naturally, the only thing holding me back is the distaste of spending much $$ on the wood for the floor.

So....any thoughts on where a northeast Ohio guy should be looking to find a good, inexpensive, source for his hardwood floor. To be honest, I don't care if I have to mill the boards or not...I just don't care to spend top dollar (or even middle dollar) on this project, since I plan on using the shop...meaning lots of things will be spilled and/or dropped on the floor over its lifetime.

Has anyone taken on a shop floor & found a way to do it rather inexpensively?

[Neil Bosdet]

I've found the best deals at places like Home Depot or similar building centers that carry hardwood flooring. I have seen them get "special buys" or clearances many times that would do well for your purposes. Since you don't have a certain species or look in mind, this will work in you favour. If I was in your shoes, I'd look there.

[Tom Jones III]

Lumber Liquidators has clearance sales as well. I've seen them advertise "utility grade" flooring for $0.89 sq ft

[rodney mitchell]

Lumber liquidators for sure. Their utility grade oak flooring would be great for that. It is just what I am thinking about doing.

Rodney

[Lloyd McKinlay]

Is your basement below grade? Most 3/4" solid hardwood should not be installed below grade due to problems with moisture and warping.

Is it a cement floor. If so you will need stringers and plywood or a urethane glue. The last time I used Bostich Best is cost about $50 for a gallon which covered about 40 sq ft.

[Brent Anderson]

I have a 3/4" T&G hardwood floor in my basement shop. A co-employee's next door neighbor installs flooring and had a stack full of extra hardwood that he was looking to sell.

I laid down 15# tar paper on the concrete and set the floor on top of that. It is free floating, and is held together by only the tongue and grooves, no glue or nails. It works excellent, easy on the feet, and looks great. I haven't dropped any of my tools on it yet to determine if is beneficial in that department.

I have not had any problem with the floor moving, buckling, or coming apart in the 3+ years it has been installed.

[Charles McKinley]

Are there any Amish mills near you that make flooring?

It would be a good idea to search them out as a source of lumber anyway. Like everthing else the more business you do with them the better the deals become.

[Gary Lange]

Just a thought since you don't mind milling what about using pallet lumber from used pallets and running them thru a planer to smooth them out then nailing them on the floor.

[Rob Russell]

Just a thought since you don't mind milling what about using pallet lumber from used pallets and running them thru a planer to smooth them out then nailing them on the floor.

Oh man - I've BTDT. Years ago I thought I'd use pallets as a source of cheap lumber and tore pallets apart for awhile. For the time you put into collecting the pallets (means a truck or trailer), tearing the pallets apart, digging the metal out (not always easy) and milling the flooring - you'd be waaaaaaaaaay better off buying the $.89/sq ft utility grade flooring that's mentioned above. Another factor is that pallet lumber is very dirty and will quickly dull your jointer and planer knives.

Typical domestic pallets are a good source for kindling.

The exception I'd make to this if you can get far east pallets like those used for motorcycles. Some of those have some rather interesting exotic hardwoods in them.

[David Cramer]

Lumber Liquidators for sure, is absolutely right! Very hard to beat their prices. The utility grade stuff would work for certain. I just got a new catalog last week. Lots of choices.

Dave

[John Lucas]

Why hardwood? The tools can be leveled on the concrete. Then place rubber mats for your footsies. This will leave more money and time for woodworking.

[Brian Thomas]

Since you're in a major city I would guess there's a Habitat for Humanity reuse center somewhere in your vicinity. The one here in Raleigh always has gobs of used hardwood flooring. I haven't checked the price, but if it's like most stuff they sell it'll be pretty cheap.

[Tom Majewski]

I worked in a shop where the shop itself had a concrete floor, and the office had poly finished hardwood. With all the sawdust on the wood floor, it got pretty slippery for those who didn't expect it.

[Tom Hamilton]

Doug, I used 3/4" T&G Plywood underlayment for my garage shop floor following the plans in FWW.

6 mil plastic against the concrete, taped, PT 2x4 stringers, and then the ply on top. I screwed the ply to the stringers and never looked back.

A little stain in your choice of colors, some poly and you are done. Easy on feet, legs, and dropped sharp pointy things.

Best regards, Tom

[Bert Johansen]

I second John Lucas' suggestion. I have a concrete floor with 2' x 2' rubber mats throughout my shop and they are wonderful. Easy on the knees and you can drop a chisel on them and they are unscathed by the process. (I know-I've done that more than once!) But the best part is the price. I got them at Sam's Club in packs of 8 for (I think) about $15 a pack. That's 32 square feet, or about $0.50 per square foot. Here's what they look like.

[Pat Zabinski]

Are there any Amish mills near you that make flooring?

Not sure what's available in Ohio, but I visited an Amish shop this weekend in southeast MN. For ready-to-install hardwood flooring, cost ranged from $2.10 to $2.40 per square foot for oak, hickory, ash, ... and the quality
was quite reasonable.

A bit down the road, another guy takes rough-cut lumber and mills it into flooring at $0.60 per square foot. Adding $0.25 per board-foot for the saw mill and $0.25 per board-foot for kiln drying, that's about $1.10 per
square-foot.

In contrast to wood flooring, I have linoleum floors in my shop. It looks great (when new), softens the blow when I drop stuff, wears fairly well, is inexpensive, and can be readily be replaced every few years when it starts to wear out. ?

[DougButterfield]

Thanks guys...
The basement is below grade, but I'm thinking sleepers with insulation between, 3/4 ply & then the hardwood, of possibly the double sheets of solid 3/4" insulation with 3/4 ply on top of that (I believe they showed that in Fine Homebuilding Mag a while back. Why hardwood? Because I like the looks of it...probably gonna do barn siding on the walls too, instead of drywall painted white. Why?...same reason...I like the looks of it. Gives me the "warm & fuzzies" of being in a shop. I'll deal with the lighting issue that will result as I need to.

It looks like I'll check out the bargain bins at Lumber Liquidators as my 1st option. Thanks again!

[Rob Bodenschatz]

I'm with you, Doug. Every time the wall question comes up I read "WHITE WALLS YOU NEED WHITE WALLS!!!!!!". I hate white walls. I plan on doing the same as you with my shop. Reason? Cause I like it. That is, of course, unless it becomes cost prohibitive. Then, drywall & paint, here I come!:D

[Pete Brown]

Just keep in mind that for houses, code typically requires that there is drywall behind the wood paneling. It has to do with providing a fire block.

studs+insulation->drywall->wood paneling

Pete

[Kevin Scott]

I too recommend Lumber Liquidators. There is one here in Cleveland off of I480 near the Jennings Freeway.