I know there has been a lot of discussion about shop floors here on knots, but here’s a new twist:
I am drawing up plans to finish my basement and divide it into a small workshop and a teen center (I’d rather have them hanging around my basement than at the mall). When we moved into the house several years ago, we had indoor/outdoor carpeting installed over the concrete floor, and I’m wondering whether I should put something over it in the workshop. On the one hand, it’s pretty forgiving to stand on and will treat dropped hand tools fairly gently, but on the other hand, it may be harder to keep tidy.
Should I cover it or not? If so, should I just lay plywood over it?
I’m a hobbyist and not a pro, so the workshop will mostly get weekend use.
Norman
Replies
I think it depends upon what tools you have to clean up with (shop vac, DC, etc...) and what activities you have to clean up after. If you're making lots of chips & dust, I don't think I'd want carpet underneath. Keeping that clean would be a royal pita. If you're doing smaller assembly, painting, 'craft' style activities, then I wouldn't think you're going to see a problem with keeping the area clean.
I'm a weekend warrior as well, and I hate spending any more time on clean-up than necessary. I get precious little time in the shop as it is, so I want to spend it on the fun stuff instead.
In my case, I have to encapsulate some vinyl-asbestos-tile in my shop area first. (Schluter Ditra is your friend here.) Afterwards, I'm going to lay down some 3/4" ply and see how that holds up for a while. I figure I can always add better flooring later on as needed.
Glen
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