# Workshop flooring ideas?



## Rob Cheetham (7 Nov 2021)

So I have built my own workshop (mikes way). Im starting to think what floor options I should use?

The frame is sitting on a single course of blue engineering bricks that sit on a concrete base. I was going to put dpm down first (even though there is dpm under the concrete base) then put 50mm celotex installation board. This is where im stuck on what best options to put downon top of the installation. I know mikes way says chipboard or ply but I was just wondering if there were any better options that wont break the bank either lol?

Any ideas would be great. TIA


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## Fitzroy (7 Nov 2021)

Rob Cheetham said:


> So I have built my own workshop (mikes way). Im starting to think what floor options I should use?
> 
> The frame is sitting on a single course of blue engineering bricks that sit on a concrete base. I was going to put dpm down first (even though there is dpm under the concrete base) then put 50mm celotex installation board. This is where im stuck on what best options to put downon top of the installation. I know mikes way says chipboard or ply but I was just wondering if there were any better options that wont break the bank either lol?
> 
> Any ideas would be great. TIA


Don’t buy a job lot of flooring samples and fit them. Looks great but pia to make work and lots of ridges to catch wheels!

More useful advice. I used the place with an OSB floor for a while and this was also not great as again there were edges and it kept delaminating strips of wood. 

A board with a T&G edge I think is essential to get a flush fit.


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## Sporky McGuffin (7 Nov 2021)

Mine is concrete slab, latex, Plasflor. It's not noticeably hard or cold underfoot, and a lot better than bare concrete.


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## Jameshow (7 Nov 2021)

Rob Cheetham said:


> So I have built my own workshop (mikes way). Im starting to think what floor options I should use?
> 
> The frame is sitting on a single course of blue engineering bricks that sit on a concrete base. I was going to put dpm down first (even though there is dpm under the concrete base) then put 50mm celotex installation board. This is where im stuck on what best options to put downon top of the installation. I know mikes way says chipboard or ply but I was just wondering if there were any better options that wont break the bank either lol?
> 
> Any ideas would be great. TIA


Chipboard and floor paint would be cheapest I expect. 

I'd go for 22mm boards though. 

Ok if your don't have heavy tools. 

If you do you might need some 2x2 timber under where your lathe PT saw go. 

Cheers James


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## gcusick (7 Nov 2021)

Waterproof 22mm coated flooring chipboard (eg Egger Protect), laid as a floating floor over the celotex, with the t&g glued. Then your choice of floor covering. Works for me.


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## Ollie78 (7 Nov 2021)

I have Leyland gray floor paint from screwfix on chipboard floorboards. It needs 2 coats and just throw the roller out after. Takes a while to cure. 
I have 3mm rubber flooring in front of machines and as door mats etc. Bought a 1m by 10m roll from ebay. Works great and cheap.

Ollie


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## DBT85 (7 Nov 2021)

Just did 22mm chipboard onto of my insulation. Didn't bother applying any finish or paint. It's sawdust coloured half the time anyway.


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## Sheptonphil (7 Nov 2021)

gcusick said:


> Waterproof 22mm coated flooring chipboard (eg Egger Protect), laid as a floating floor over the celotex, with the t&g glued. Then your choice of floor covering. Works for me.


Works for me as well. I have several bits of heavy kit including a 330kg Jet lathe and there is no deflection or vibration. Definitely 22mm and D4 glue to all the joints laid over a polythene vapour barrier on top or under the celotex.

If you’re having a bench in the middle of the room, lay an electric supply to the middle of the room under the floorboards to where the bench will be, floor socket and then sockets on the bench. No cables going from bench to side wall Which will always be a pain when using the bench.


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## Fitzroy (7 Nov 2021)

Sheptonphil said:


> Works for me as well. I have several bits of heavy kit including a 330kg Jet lathe and there is no deflection or vibration. Definitely 22mm and D4 glue to all the joints laid over a polythene vapour barrier on top or under the celotex.
> 
> If you’re having a bench in the middle of the room, lay an electric supply to the middle of the room under the floorboards to where the bench will be, floor socket and then sockets on the bench. No cables going from bench to side wall Which will always be a pain when using the bench.


Vapour barrier on top (warm side) of the insulation else it’ll do nothing except trap any condensation.


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## Cabinetman (7 Nov 2021)

I used 18mm t&g osb 1.2 x 2.4 over joists at 16” centres, then 2or3 coats of water based poly floor varnish 8 years ago with heavy cast iron equipment pushed around on it, still looks good and I quite like the look of it varnished. Hasn’t shed any bits- maybe due to the varnish or the quality to start with? Ian


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## Hornbeam (7 Nov 2021)

Ollie78 said:


> I have Leyland gray floor paint from screwfix on chipboard floorboards. It needs 2 coats and just throw the roller out after. Takes a while to cure.
> I have 3mm rubber flooring in front of machines and as door mats etc. Bought a 1m by 10m roll from ebay. Works great and cheap.
> 
> Ollie


Hi Ollie I am looking to do the same and was looking at the 3 or 4mm thick material laid onto a concrete floor. Does yours stay down on its own or have you bonded it down. I dont want the edges curling up.
Ian


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## Ollie78 (7 Nov 2021)

@Hornbeam 

Hi Ian

It stays nice and flat once its down, takes a week to sort of settle after its been rolled up but I dont have any edges curling up or anything, its surprisingly heavy.
I have the fine ribbed version but I actually put it upside down so the flat side is up which makes it easier to vacuum.

Ollie


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## peterw3035 (7 Nov 2021)

Just got my 1st coat of Screwfix Leyland floor paint on mine, 22mm chipboard, glued joints, on 50mm celotex on beam & block floor, all seems quite firm. My plan for any future heavy lathe or similar will just sit it on top or I'll cut out the chipboard & insulation and cast a concrete plinth.


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## Droogs (7 Nov 2021)

Old gym mats and bamboo 25mm engineered clicksnap boards. My little hovel used to be a works shower room so floor has a bit of a dip in the middle and the mats are dense enough to insulate and cope with the dip. They came from a Tai Chi place that closed down free on TrashNothing


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## HamsterJam (8 Nov 2021)

I laid dpm over concrete (there is dpm in the base as well), then 50mm insulation board between 2x2 then fixed chipboard flooring into the 2x2 with screws. Works well except the green finish is beginning to wear where most of the footfall is and there a couple of dings where something heavy has been dropped. Can’t decide whether to leave it, cover it or paint it.


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## Ollie78 (8 Nov 2021)

HamsterJam said:


> I laid dpm over concrete (there is dpm in the base as well), then 50mm insulation board between 2x2 then fixed chipboard flooring into the 2x2 with screws. Works well except the green finish is beginning to wear where most of the footfall is and there a couple of dings where something heavy has been dropped. Can’t decide whether to leave it, cover it or paint it.
> View attachment 121409



Definitely paint it. 
I had unpainted chipboard floorboards upstairs in my workshop and when I had to replace some of the boards with new ones due to other work I could really see the difference. 
The new green ones are so smooth compared to the old ones, the green fades and they start to get a rough and dusty surface over time I think they have expanded up to 1.5mm in places as well.
These boards are intended as a subfloor under carpet or some other final surface.

Ollie


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## 2sheds (8 Nov 2021)

Rob Cheetham said:


> So I have built my own workshop (mikes way). Im starting to think what floor options I should use?
> 
> The frame is sitting on a single course of blue engineering bricks that sit on a concrete base. I was going to put dpm down first (even though there is dpm under the concrete base) then put 50mm celotex installation board. This is where im stuck on what best options to put downon top of the installation. I know mikes way says chipboard or ply but I was just wondering if there were any better options that wont break the bank either lol?
> 
> Any ideas would be great. TIA


I just finished my shed - 3m x 4m bought from KD Sheds on Facebook - quick delivery, cheap price and pretty good quality. Will start fitting it out soon. I used Quick Jacks from Shedbasekits, dead easy, no concrete, no digging, and I can move it. I topped the timber plank floor with plywood then put rubber on top, same as another poster, 3mm thick roll of rubber deadens the sound, more comfortable than wood or board, and really easy to clean. Metal roof to go on top of the supplied felted roof next - then electrics.


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## Rob Cheetham (11 Nov 2021)

Thanks everyone for your help. I like all the ideas tbh. I think I might get the 22mm chipboard boards laid over the 50mm celotex with vapour barrier on top. Then I may get the 3mm rubber flooring people mentioned to go on top of that. Are there any good reasons to use 2x2 battens on top of the celtoex to pin the chipboard too or would just lying it straight on top of the celotex with gluing the joints be sufficiant?


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## peterw3035 (11 Nov 2021)

Having the chipboard floating is a normal building detail, is surprising how firm it feels. I toyed with the idea of battens but I'm expecting the weight of benches & equipment to further improve how firm it feels.


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## DBT85 (11 Nov 2021)

Rob Cheetham said:


> Thanks everyone for your help. I like all the ideas tbh. I think I might get the 22mm chipboard boards laid over the 50mm celotex with vapour barrier on top. Then I may get the 3mm rubber flooring people mentioned to go on top of that. Are there any good reasons to use 2x2 battens on top of the celtoex to pin the chipboard too or would just lying it straight on top of the celotex with gluing the joints be sufficiant?


Just glue the joints. It becomes one large unit and then you have the weight of all your stuff in it so it won't go anywhere. Also easy to get up should you ever need to, or chop into without worrying about fixings.


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## Sideways (11 Nov 2021)

Slightly different setting as I have a single brick garage with concrete floor, but
I tried the cheap soft foam anti fatigue mats that come as 2' square tiles and interlock together. Warm and comfortable but poor durability.
Heavier (4-5mm ?) rubber mats sold at Costco for folk wanting to use their garage as a gym have proved to be very much tougher and still better than concrete to stand on.


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## Rob Cheetham (15 Nov 2021)

Sideways said:


> Slightly different setting as I have a single brick garage with concrete floor, but
> I tried the cheap soft foam anti fatigue mats that come as 2' square tiles and interlock together. Warm and comfortable but poor durability.
> Heavier (4-5mm ?) rubber mats sold at Costco for folk wanting to use their garage as a gym have proved to be very much tougher and still better than concrete to stand on.



I was looking at gym type mats. There were some I found that were really decent ones for garage type lay outs but they were way too expensive lol. What are your thoughts on putting lino down?



peterw3035 said:


> Having the chipboard floating is a normal building detail, is surprising how firm it feels. I toyed with the idea of battens but I'm expecting the weight of benches & equipment to further improve how firm it feels.



Thanks for the reply. Yes I can imagine when all benhces and machinery is on top it will aint going to go anywhere lol. Im stuck really for what to put on top of the chipboard now though. Im edging between rubber sheet flooring or lino. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks


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## Rob Cheetham (15 Nov 2021)

Ollie78 said:


> @Hornbeam
> 
> Hi Ian
> 
> ...



Hi Ollie. Have you got a link to this rubber flooring you boughts. Im thinking about putting it down on top of 22mm waterproof chipboard. You said you had smooth side facing up. Is it not slippy as I assume the ribbed side is there for grip purposes. Just a couple more questions? Did you secure it down any way or just roll it out and let it flatten out? If I was to have the ribbed side up (the one I have seen looks like it isnt the fine ribbed version) would it make it more hard for me to move my machines around on castors you reckon or should it be ok? Thanks again, Rob


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## Ollie78 (15 Nov 2021)

@Rob Cheetham 

Hi, I bought it from eBay they were called rubber4you or something, they proclaim to be the cheapest on ebay and actually we're.
The smooth side is not completely smooth, it has a fine texture like its been moulded on cloth or something.
I haven't secured it down as it is pretty heavy and just stays put. The centre of the roll took a few days to flatten but its dead flat after.
I don't roll my machines over it though but have it placed in front of or around them. If I need to move the machines I will move the mat out the way. 
Because of the weight of machinery it will wrinkle up the rubber in front of the wheels and make it very hard to roll the machine.
Bigger wheels like 100mm are ok but little ones really hate it. Maybe if glued down over the entire floor might be different. 

Ollie


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## Sideways (15 Nov 2021)

Lino is good value and durable, but it doesn't appeal to me.
I prefer that the machines sit straight on the floor and mats used where they will save wear and tear. They are easily lifted if you need to move a machine, to clean up after a spill or if you need to lift part of the floor for inspection / maintenance.
If you needed a cheapish durable surface to board over your whole floor, high pressure laminate flooring for kitchens etc is very dense, incredibly wear resistant and must be available "on sale" somewhere.


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## Molynoox (18 Nov 2021)

I went for 22mm chipboard and Wickes laminate (+5mm foam underlay) over the top - very happy with it and great price.
Might do the rubber mats at some point.


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