Wooden floor in workshop?

[BearTricks]

Hi,

So the workshop refurb is coming along okay. I have decided to go all out and do some work on the crumbling stonework before painting, as well as make the roof a bit more presentable.

About 70% of the pretty small usable floorspace is something like flat, but there are a couple of areas where the concrete is lumpy. One of these areas is right under where my lathe stand would ideally be, so instead the lathe is at a jaunty angle which really annoys me.

Since I'm painting the walls and generally making the place look professional so I look forward to being in it I thought I might as well fix the floor too. That way I can roll my bandsaw around without having to worry that it's about to topple over. I'll need to fill in some grooves and divots and perhaps grind some of the raised areas down although my experience with concrete is very limited.

Then I wouldn't mind putting some wooden flooring on top. I'm thinking maybe even pallet wood because it's free and there's a place down the road that throws out a few pallets a day. I'd only need a handful to cover my floor. Is this a good idea? What would I need to do to make this work?

I'd like for the floor to be raised as little as possible. I already need to make a small ramp to roll my machines out in to the courtyard outside when I need more space, and the higher the floor inside, the steeper the ramp. The heaviest thing I currently have is a tabletop bandsaw on its homemade stand, however I'm looking at a drill press in the near future. I also have a Record CL3 lathe, but that is stationary.

What's the best way to go about doing this?

 

[blackrodd]

First question is, is you're existing floor good enough to work on, as in thick enough to be stable as a base.
If you do have a good floor, drill/plug 2"x1"treated roofing battens at 400mm centres, say, for you're new pallet wood floor and then stop at the raised area, and just concrete that bit to suit the rest.
Seems the easiest and best answer to me.
You can hire a concrete floor grinder but it's a filthy dusty job, if you can't get a water damping jobbie.
HTH Regards Rodders

PS, Forgot to say, if you do new concrete on top of old, don't forget to prime the area with a cement and unibond slurry mixed with not too much water to a double cream consistency, prime as you go, don't let it dry out!

 

[paulrockliffe]

I'm doing similar in the near future, though I have a section of suspended floor to do too as I've knocked two rooms into one that have different floor heights.

I'm planning to dot and dab chipboard over the floor, using a membrane to keep moisture away from the wood and mortar for the dabs. Add as many dabs as you'll need to support the chipboard and you can always screw the boards to the existing floor if they can move. You just need to establish the level of the first board, get it level and at the right height, then work your way across the floor levelling each board as you go.

It may be easier, depending on the floor, to add two battens to get the boards level, then the concrete dabs are jsut used to support the boards.

 

[Penny]

Or you could do an Epoxy Resin coating. Self levelling, can be made non slip, easy to clean and quicker to lay (and more stable) than a wooden floor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MepY8VkWsI

 

[blackrodd]

I'm doing similar in the near future, though I have a section of suspended floor to do too as I've knocked two rooms into one that have different floor heights.

I'm planning to dot and dab chipboard over the floor, using a membrane to keep moisture away from the wood and mortar for the dabs. Add as many dabs as you'll need to support the chipboard and you can always screw the boards to the existing floor if they can move. You just need to establish the level of the first board, get it level and at the right height, then work your way across the floor levelling each board as you go.

It may be easier, depending on the floor, to add two battens to get the boards level, then the concrete dabs are jsut used to support the boards.

If you wan't to "dot and dab" the floor that's up to you, personally, I wouldn't recommend doing so as the "dabs"
will be very likely to break up with foot traffic in time, being small and will dry out too quick.
Won't stick much when things are dropped on the chipboard flooring above either.
It's not the same as fixing slabs on a path or patio.
Regards Rodders

 

[shuggy]

I've not long finished applying epoxy resin to my concrete floor, finished with acrylic flakes to give it a nice texture. Also helps to hide any imperfections and makes it non slip.

It's a big job though, not so much in applying the epoxy but the preparation involved in getting the concrete ready. Lots of sweeping and vacuuming, degreasing to remove any oil stains, paint stains etc. also involves painstaking scraping by hand or with a sander.

You then need to acid etch the concrete to create a key for the epoxy to stick to (or you can hire a grinder, but that was way too expensive for me). A wet vac is essential for this stage in order to help remove excess water as you need to hose the acid down several times once it's bubbled and fizzed for a while.

Fill in any cracks / holes etc. I used epoxy based mortar. Final sweep and vac, and you're ready to apply the paint.

It's well worth the effort as it looks great and is very easy maintenance going forward.

Edited: to fix poor spelling!

 

[mouppe]

If you work with hand tools, after you drop a chisel or hand plane the first time you will wish you had a wooden floor.

 

[paulrockliffe]

I'm doing similar in the near future, though I have a section of suspended floor to do too as I've knocked two rooms into one that have different floor heights.

I'm planning to dot and dab chipboard over the floor, using a membrane to keep moisture away from the wood and mortar for the dabs. Add as many dabs as you'll need to support the chipboard and you can always screw the boards to the existing floor if they can move. You just need to establish the level of the first board, get it level and at the right height, then work your way across the floor levelling each board as you go.

It may be easier, depending on the floor, to add two battens to get the boards level, then the concrete dabs are jsut used to support the boards.

If you wan't to "dot and dab" the floor that's up to you, personally, I wouldn't recommend doing so as the "dabs"
will be very likely to break up with foot traffic in time, being small and will dry out too quick.
Won't stick much when things are dropped on the chipboard flooring above either.
It's not the same as fixing slabs on a path or patio.
Regards Rodders

I take your point, but the dabs will end up somewhere arond 12" to 15" diameter and I'd guess about half an inch thick. With plenty of them I can't see them breaking up in a hurry and they're not going to be able to move around as they'll have a great key to the existing concrete. It's a cheap way of getting a useable floor that's going to last for more than long enough.

 

[shuggy]

If you work with hand tools, after you drop a chisel or hand plane the first time you will wish you had a wooden floor.

You can use relief mats placed strategically for both comfort and protection of hand tools (hammer)

 

[MrYorke]

Wouldn't a wooden floor become very very slippery with sawdust on it?!

 

[BearTricks]

I'm tempted to go for the roofing batons method so far. Might have to put an order in for delivery.

 

[n0legs]

Wouldn't a wooden floor become very very slippery with sawdust on it?!

I did the splits like a Russian gymnast once, when laying a wooden floor that was covered in sawdust.
It was a plums on the floor moment for sure #-o :lol:

 

[deema]

I have a concrete floor at the moment, and when I have two minutes 2" battons and insulation are going down and then standard moisture resistant flooring panels are going down. Standing on concrete is a pain in the back and feet, the spring in the floor will be a significant improvement on comfort and the wooden floor saves the tools when you drop them. Saw dust is slippery on any surface when you get enough on the floor, a low cost investment in a brush saves most misfortune

 

[mouppe]

If you work with hand tools, after you drop a chisel or hand plane the first time you will wish you had a wooden floor.

You can use relief mats placed strategically for both comfort and protection of hand tools (hammer)

I have a couple of those around my sharpening station and they work well, but it would be very expensive to cover the whole workshop with them, and sod's law, the plane would always drop on the one place there isn't a mat! I put sheets of 1/8" plywood around most of my workshop.

I've never had a problem with slipping on the plywood but I'm pretty careful when working.

 

[BearTricks]

Quick question: Do I need to go for the 2" battens, or could I go for 19mm treated lengths in order to avoid raising the height too much?

 

[paulrockliffe]

If they're suported along their full length, which it sounds like they are, then the depth doesn't matter at all.