A friend of mine runs an auto repair shop - one of his buildings is a turn of the century repair shop, with period woodwork and oak floors. The floors are plenty worn and stained dark with years of wear and oil, but the place is kept squeaky clean and IMO there is nothing nicer than a wooden shop floor. My garage and shop space has poured concrete floors, and I hate them. The typical thing to do is to epoxy coat them. I really don't like the look of epoxy painted floors, the cost, the limitations or anything. Sidebar: it's amazing - you can spill a gallon of paint on a dirty floor, and that paint will be there forever. You clean-scrape-etch-etc.-etc. to apply an enamel or epoxy coating, and guaranteed it will lift and peel. Maybe if you have an aircraft hangar, epoxy makes sense. Tile is not much better in my book. I really prefer wood. I use plywood scraps laid down on top of the concrete, to provide a smoother, dust-free and warmer-looking surface. The pictures show an example. I have wondered about properly covering the entire area with wood. I could use exterior grade sheathing, or even OSB. Cut it into 4' x 4' sheets, and affix with a few dollops of PL400 and maybe some nail anchors. An alternative would be to cover the floor with roofing paper, and then just use the nail anchors to secure the sheets down - one in the center, four in the corners. (For those who don't know, nail anchors look like pop rivets on steroids. Drill a hole, drop them in and hammer the locking nail down.) My floors have zero water problems, so there is no worry there, but I guess the floor would last longer with the tar paper in between. I am not worried about any increased risk of fire. There is already plenty to burn in the garage, and there is really no increased danger than just storing the same amount of plywood in the garage. Think about it. Plywood could be left raw - it develops a nice patina. Or, coat it with a nice clear coating to preserve the golden color a bit longer. OSB takes clear coating really well. The clear seals the strands, it keeps a nice golden color, and the different angles gives good light reflection. A few years ago, I took a piece of OSB and gave it a couple of coats of a cheap water-based clear. I have driven on and abused that piece of OSB, and it still looks like new. So, my question is, what do you think? Is it worth the time and trouble, or should I just continue to throw down scraps? I have asked this question on the Garage forum, but every reply was to epoxy coat the floor. Not gonna happen. What do you all think?
I guess if you only parked a car on it, or light mechanical work it would be ok, but if you did serious fab work it would seem to me that the wood would get pretty tore up. Plywood does not have the wear resistance like an old oak or heart pine floor would, plywood is real soft and would scar and dent with the use of jacks and such, not to mention what might happen if you are welding over a spot that has soaked up some oil or tranny fluid. Just my thoughts.
Yes, this is for storage and light work only. For heavy work, I would keep a bay with the raw concrete. An alternative would be to lay sheet steel down on top for heavy work or welding, or a scrap piece of plywood down on top of the wood if something messy needed to be done. An oak floor would be awesome, but the cost is out of the question. Also, height is at a premium; with plywood I only lose a half inch or so. Anything more substantial would lose me too much in clearance to the ceiling.
Plans for my garage include the wooden floor install this spring. Two or three layers of heavy mil plastic,then 6"x6" beams interconnected with 5/4 planking will hold my truck.Mebbe extra planks set across the flooring to drive onto? If I want to lift the truck I can drive or roll it outside.The same for welding or torching. I already set up the studio side of my garage with tongue and groove 3/4" plywood on beams set on plastic sheathing.When that was set in we put insulation between the beams and the frost can't penetrate it.It's nice in the wintertime with a small space heater. Like anything else you have to be vigilant and use caution with certain aspects around it.I'd bet the insurance company would flip if they knew? The sawmill that I got the lumber from has wooden decking everywhere and it's as smooth as glass.Kinda neat?
Probably irrelevant and certainly costly but did you ever see what a typical auto factory floor consisted of? It was 3" x 4" x 2" creosote impregnated pine blocks laid over concrete-the 2" dimension was the height and what you saw was the endgrain in the 3" x 4". It was stout, tough, yet still had enough resiliency that dropped tools (like precision stuff) was't hurt. It deadened sound; some said it was easier on the legs; and it was easy to maintain/repair. Once it was laid, they squeegeed hot tar over it to fill in the cracks. A side bnefit was that if they wanted to reroute piping (like electrical. air. water) they would chop a narrow trench in it with hatchets, lay the pipe, and backfill with cold asphalt. You could drive forktrucks over it all day and never hurt it.
Welding and cutting might be an issue? not to mention pulling out that 4" long splinter out of your shoulder
I like old wooden floors too, but I would not want it for my main work area. Oil soaked wood = fire hazard. You would have to drag your welder outside. Jack stands dig into it and could be unstable as well... though I've thrown plywood & jack stands on the ground and crawled under cars. There's just a warmth to wood floors however that makes things more comfortable. Perhaps the you could keep the concrete where you do your main car work, and build a step/platform wood floor where your work bench and general tinkering gets done. Less floor space for the wood also means you could probably step up and get real oak flooring.
Last summer I was sharpening mower blades on a vise I have mounted on an old stump outside my shop, I came back later and the stump was smoldering, seems a spark had dropped into a punky area of the stump. Hate to think of a spark smoldering on an oil stained wood floor when you weren't there.
That sounds great. I would love to be able to use a plank or block wall but unfortunately I have a low ceiling height and can't afford to lose any headroom. You are correct that you need to be careful. But, we're supposed to be careful even on concrete, right?
I have seen various types of block floors over the years. You are correct in that the end grain is up, and that they last forever. One I recently saw had blocks set in tar. These types of floors are pretty indestructible. I wish I had enough overhead clearance to do this - unfortunately, I can't spare to lose the 3 inches or so.
A good friend of mine had an old garage that had a true 2"X6" tongue and groove floor that was so stained from oil and other fluids. For being over 100 years old it was in great shape. He was a fabricator and mechanic by trade and the shop was used every day. I loved his shop so much that when I build mine I will have the same floor because I plan on a 2 story with a third floor for my office. I will cover the whole floor with clear epoxy mixed with clear plastic beads. I think the final product will be exactly what I have been missing. I say go for it!! BloodyKnuckles
Absolutely! But that would be a controllable problem for me. I could leave one bay concrete, or lay down a steel plate when welding, like the type used to temprarily patch streets. Or, weld outside. I really hate concrete dust, and I also hate the look and inevitable bubbling/peeling of an epoxied floor.
i spent alot of time in a big truck shop hanging out waiting while my dads truck was being worked on, it was a two story building and the trucks drove in on the second story, the beams are huge, i dont remember how thick the floor was but it was think, that building is still standing and being used as a car workshop, they did everything in there, no fires, i remember guys saying theres alot of weight in here today, nothing ever happened. ok i guess it did burn down once...lol, heres the shops history, http://www.silversgarage.ns.ca/history.htm
You're right. But the same thing could happen to an oily rag on the floor, or a cardboard box. Fire can happen almost any way. Knowing you had a wood floor might actually make me a little more careful.
The best are wood, but not in the conventional configuration. Used in the WWII airplane hangar era. Cut wood blocks about 4 inches long, stand them ON END and cover the entire floor. Needs to have a footing perimeter to keep it all together. Scrap wood of all cross section sizes could be used, probably none smaller that 2x4s. The hangars I worked in were 4x4s I think. Great drainage.
I am in construction and there are epoxies that will work on your wood that will not burn. They can be spread to what ever thickness you desire and is clear so to keep the look but protect it. The epoxies that are used on concrete are crap! CRAP!! The epoxy I use is extremely durable and permanent but I don't use it on concrete. BloodyKnuckles
Thanks for the encouragement; it sounds like what you have planned is just the look I would love. Why would you add plastic beads to the clear epoxy? Is that an extender? Would you suggest that I rabbet the edges of the plywood to handle gaps and shrinkage? And would you go with plywood or OSB. OSB takes clear epoxy really well, and it is even used in high-end office construction as an avant-garde flooring laterial.
This is interesting. I like the idea of wood floors too. As had been said fires safety is an issue. Just a thought but how about that roof or floor underlayment at Lowe'e aprox. 4 x 8 by 1" tongue and groove. Not purty but maybe it could be with the right oils etc.? Right on top of the concrete?
This'd be me... I'd have every damned splinter in the place etched into my arms, back, and legs each time I worked on the floor.
Yep, end grain up. I could do my entire garage and shop with the cut-offs from one construction job. Damn I wish my ceilings were higher.
I did not know that these types of ep[oxies were available. They would sure keep that nice golden glow forever. OSB takes that really well - it scatters the light in all directions. Plywood does not look as nice, IMO. Of course, planks look the best................. Can you send me the info on those epoxies?
I bought my lumber at .45 board foot two years ago.I've had it stacked on stickers and covered for that time.It'll do for what I need. The monument companies I worked at had wooden floors(in case we dumped a die block onto the floor from a banker).You can roll lotsa weight around on it if braced and planned properly. I just like the idea of wood? Fire is the significant fear.Planning is the key.
I'm not familiar with that material. Ceiling height is an issue, but I guess I could lose a half inch if the job turned out better. Cost is also a factor; I would think that 1/2" OSB would give me the lowest cost per square foot.
The beads are for traction only. You don't have to put alot. Plywood would look better but will cost more than OSB. Look into "Advantech" brand made by Georgia Pacific. It is water resistant more than any other non-marine grade. It is designed for construction when the building is left in the elements for extended periods of time. It also has a 50 year warranty so they are confident in their product. It's the only OSB I use and have been very happy with it. The 3/4" Advantech is tongue and groove. I would glue and screw or tar paper and screws. BloodyKnuckles
I get mine from a company called Stone Bond Construction here in NC. I can get it by the 5 gallon or 55 gallon if you're daring. BloodyKnuckles
Sounds like plywood is the only thing that will work given the height limits. Look at the grooved wainscoting simulated sheets, might give a better strip oak flooring look. If you get a router to cut a lap cut on all four sides and carefully line things up it should look like the real deal.
Advantech is a great quality osb, it does not swell nearly as much on the seams as most osb does. Plywood is crap now, when exposed to too much moisture it delaminates, and even 3/4'' wan'ts to curl after a while.
That would be a problem with a low ceiling. The blocks couldn't be much shorter either, I would think shorter would have more tendency to split.
Blocks with end grain up? Interesting. It would sure be strong. What would you use as a base or underlayment? How do you get them all to the same height? Sand base like a brick walk? Plywood base? You could do it like a cordwood wall, and grout the gaps. It might look like a stone floor.
<TABLE class=tborder id=post3629909 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 0px solid" width=175> Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Santa Cruz Mountains Posts: 804 </TD><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_3629909 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid"><!-- icon and title --> Re: Let's see your man cave / shop lounge <HR style="COLOR: #e5e5e5; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e5e5e5" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Folks seem fond of mine, probably in the same way we all like that little inbred banjo pickin' kid in Deliverance. -jeff <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________ "I just do like I do, like I been a doin'" -Dillard Chandler <!-- / sig --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 1px solid"> </TD><TD class=alt1 style="BORDER-RIGHT: #e5e5e5 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #e5e5e5 0px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #e5e5e5 1px solid" align=right><!-- controls --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> This was in the "man cave" thread. Might be able to get more info from the poster of this.
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