Any Suggestions for a Shop Floor Surface

[Mark Lawrence]

I have a 2 car attached garage shop. I'm experimenting with using dricore around the bench area along with a 2x5 antifatigue mat. Where the machinery is, I'll probably leave the concrete so that its easier to move things around. If it works out, I'll probably add a transition pieces around the edge of the dricore to prevent tripping.

[Ed Rosen]

I looked at and almost bought dricore - then found Ovrx Barricade. OvrX tiles are 2' x '2 tongue and groove tiles like Dricore but are made from 5/8 inch OSB and 1/2 inch high density polystyrene (think insulating panels) - it is supposed to have a total R rating of 3.2 and noise absorption properties. Not cheap - but very easy to install - you can finish with polyurethane or put almost anything on top - I laid bamboo flooring on top - on sale from lumber liquidators - it is easy on the feet and have had no problems with heavy cast iron equipment.

[Jack Coats]

I have been looking at floors. The floor I really want is endgrain wood block. I remember having that in the shop in college. It was good on the feet and dropped tools.

In that shop, well it was old when I used it almost 40 years ago. It was oak 4x4's heartwood, in 6" long pieces, placed on end, on a sand bed. The sand was over a concrete slab. At least that is how I was told it was made. The shop was about 75' x 150' with lots of large machines (a lathe that could turn 40" dia and 40' long... pretty much a monster, others were smaller). And there were 3 more shop buildings used for various lab and shop tasks.

Anyway the floor wore well, and they could replace a single block if they had to, it was tight, solid, but dropping a machine tool didn't normally break it.

It is more $$ than I can deal with, but I can dream and remember.

Anyway, do others have suggestions? A floor that is easy on the feet, resilient, can move equipment over, etc. is my shopping list for floors...