I'm am still having a very hard time wrapping my head around how a wood floor installed directly on a concrete slab is really going to be any more forgiving to my body than plain concrete. I have read every thread I could find on this subject and the responses seem to break down into 2 groups--those who love their wood floor laid over concrete, and those who are of the opinion that there is no real advantage to it (other than protecting a dropped chisel blade).
So this question is aimed at those who have actually gone from working on plain concrete, to working on one of the variations of rigid foam, with or without sleepers, topped with plywood, AdvanTech, OSB, hardwood, whatever:
Did it really make a difference in how your body feels after a day in the shop?
I'm thinking a wood floor is very desirable, but in order for it to really be kinder to my body than concrete, it needs to have some give, as in a conventional flooring system built of floor joists and sub flooring topped with hardwood, vinyl, whatever. I know putting a floor like that in my barn will require a crawl space, with all the challenges of ventilating and keeping vermin out. Even so, I have to wonder if that type of flooring system might be cheaper and more effective than floating floor over concrete slab.
Maybe the whole floating foam/wood floor over concrete only makes sense if you already have a slab in place, but doesn't make sense if you are starting out with no slab?
Thanks for any advice--and my apologies if I am beginning to sound like a broken record. The way I see it, I have one chance to build my dream shop right--I really don't want to have to live with any expensive mistakes. Thanks for your understanding!
Karl