Shop Floor

[Brian Dormer]

I'm nearing the end of a year-long total shop renovation. My shop floor is concrete (I'm tucked away in the basement). I have some 2 foot square foam "shop floor" tiles (the tiles have jigsaw puzzle edges so they fit together). I think they were "on-sale" about 10 bucks for a pack of 4 at Pep-Boys - I had a weak moment and snapped up enough to do most of my shop.

Before the renovation - I found them a little problematic, as they can be tough to keep clean - even with a good shop vac the sawdust tends to stick to them. And despite them fitting together - they do tend to walk around a bit, requiring repositioning every now and then. The most damning thing is that you can't move any shop tools around on rollers without moving the foam tiles out of the way.

I really like the feel of standing on the foam (beats standing on cold hard concrete).

Concrete seems to have most of the advantages - but I worry about what my back and knees will be like in 20-30 years. So I'm asking for some "expert" advice. Should I keep the tiles or chuck-em?

[Randy Acton]

Not sure exactly the tiles you are talking about, but anything softer than the concrete will help. Big question with the tiles would be clean up after a spirited day of making dust.

I have the fortune of using my dad's shop. It is an out building with a concrete floor. We started by using 5/4 wolmanized and anchoring it to the concrete. On top of that is 3/4 oak flooring. We do have rubber mats at the workbench. I have spent countless hours/days in the shop and have never felt my legs or feet tiring due to the floor.

[John Vigants]

Like most guys, I tend to buy shoes and wear them until they look disgraceful . . . Recently, however, my daughter broke a bone in her foot and ended up in 'sports rehab' with some very competent medical professionals who pointed out the error in my ways.

Seems like those who know about backs and knees, etc. recommend buying new shoes (trainers) every 3-4 months since the weight applied crushes the shock absorbing material in the sole.

So maybe your solution is to dump the hard to clean mats for a nice epoxy finish and then buy new shock absorbing shoes on a regular schedule to save the knees and back . . .

Just a thought.

[Brian Dormer]

FYI - The mats that I'm talking about look (and feel) like these - except mine are plain battleship gray.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

The floor in my basement shop is concrete too. It's hard on the feet and back. But I need a smooth floor to move my machines around because my shop is somewhat small and shared with the home heating system. So, cushioned mats are out.

Last year I developed planter faciitis or 'planter foot'. This condition comes from wearing poor shoes or walking barefoot on hard surfaces. A decent pair of sneakers (any brand as long as they are relatively new) with gel sole inserts are fantastic. It remedied my planters foot problem.

However, I'm finding myself using cushioned sandals in my shop because they are easy to slip on and off when I leave. I just hope I don't drop something on my toes!

-Jeff

[Anthony Anderson]

Do the research and buy yourself a quality pair of shoes just to wear in the shop. You will not believe the difference it will make. You can spend more than $100 on a pair, but don't need to. A pair of cross training or walking shoes in the $40-$50 range will do fine. Just an idea, check out a walking magazine and see what they recommend, then check out the customer reviews. Good Luck, Bill

[Jerry Olexa]

i'm an older guy (over 40 ) with a bad back and knee. I installed gray interlocking tiles like yours basically AND they have helped immensely. Keep them IMHO. They work effectively for me...

[Chip Olson]

Friend of mine who is just putting a shop together got those bright-colored letter tiles for her flooring. (No, she has no kids, and doesn't want any either.)

[glenn bradley]

I keep sections of the 2x2 foam pads at the TS, RT and bench. This keeps me on something soft while working in these areas and keeps the rest of the floor clear for rolling things (like an assembly table or work table) around while working. I'm not on foam all the time but I still enjoy the benefit.

[Ted Miller]

I have a wore out back and I weigh near 300, so I need some serious cushion. I work on concrete all day so the last thing I am going to stand on is concrete in my shop. Like work and at my shop I stand on rollout mats, they do not move but when I need to move a machine I can just slide it out of the way. Three large sections cover my shop floor. I buy it by the foot, 9/16 thick by 3' wide:

[Jim Becker]

I use anti-fatique mats similar to what Ted illustrates (I buy from ULine in sizes appropriate for the job) in addition to good shoes. Any workstation area in my shop that I typically use more than momentarily has anti-fatique mats in place.

[Glen Blanchard]

Don't some folks advocate wood flooring to ease the knee/back issue? I'll be retiring in a few years and will have a new house built with much larger shop at that time. Watching threads such as this help me plan.

[Jerry Olexa]

Don't some folks advocate wood flooring to ease the knee/back issue? I'll be retiring in a few years and will have a new house built with much larger shop at that time. Watching threads such as this help me plan.

Glen: A wood floor is ideal because its more comfortable and "gives". But most basements and garages are cement with a height constraint so the pads are an efficient, practical solution...

[john dennis]

I have a two-horse trailer that is now a camper. So I took the two stall matts that were there to help keep the horses feet safe from injuries. These mats are a very heavy rubber and I put them on either side of my bench. They work great. And as for footware, I always wear my rancher boots with the flat heel. The sole of these boots are about three-quarters of an inch thick and they comfortably last for about three years of daily use. I have a bunion on my left foot that is basically painless until I get an attack of the gout. When that happens, I'm glued to the couch until the medicines kiick in. Wouldn't wear any other boot. They're Justins BTW.

[jim gossage]

Before the renovation - I found them a little problematic, as they can be tough to keep clean - even with a good shop vac the sawdust tends to stick to them. And despite them fitting together - they do tend to walk around a bit, requiring repositioning every now and then. The most damning thing is that you can't move any shop tools around on rollers without moving the foam tiles out of the way.

brian,
i have a small shop also and have all my tools on wheels. i bought some workout mats from sears, 3 ft x 4-6 ft, about 1/4" thick. its plenty of cushion for the body, they are smooth so you can sweep them off easily, and the edges are tapered a bit, so you can even roll machines over them