Advice re flooring - setting up small shop in rented house

[nonfussy]

Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new here so be gentle

I'm about to move house and may be moving to a rental property without a garage/workshop space

Does anyone have any experience setting up a small (mostly handtool) workshop space in a domestic room and can you advise re flooring? I was thinking of laying vinyl or plywood panels over whatever existing flooring there is.

Any help/ideas would be much appreciated

Thanks,

nonfussy

 

[MikeG.]

Plywood will be tougher than vinyl, and you could just loose-lay it. It could well be your best answer.

 

[chiokli]

I've found tongue & groove chipboard flooring/roofing to be a good economical solution:
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-P5-T+G- ... m/p/164516

Moisture resistant, locks together and easy to sweep up. Comes in manoeuvrable pieces as well.

 

[ED65]

I presume you don't know yet if it'll be a hard floor or have carpet fitted.

But if it's wood/laminate and you're worried about dinging the surface if you fumble a tool then vinyl would offer enough protection for some drops but definitely not all (I speak from experience) so something hard would be the safer bet.

 

[Just4Fun]

I used hardboard (with the shiny side down) just laid loose on top of wooden floorboards.

 

[ED65]

I used hardboard (with the shiny side down) just laid loose on top of wooden floorboards.

Hardboard seems like a good option if you can get it (particularly 1/4", 6mm or however it's sold now) but don't you find the screened side a bit friable?

 

[AndyT]

I've got hardboard in my workshop, where it covers up some dodgy old concrete. I laid it shiny side up (much easier for sweeping) and joined the edges with duct tape. After the first 25 years or so I added a new sheet in front of the bench. It'll see me out!
Cheaper than plywood and easy to cut with a Stanley knife.

 

[Just4Fun]

The biggest problem I have had is clearing sawdust as sweeping doesn't really work. That would be easier with the smooth side up but I was concerned with it being slippy. Like Andy, I taped the joints and I think that is one reason I have not had problems with wear.

 

[tomatwark]

I use hardboard shiny side up in our spray booth and 4 years in it now at the point that it will need changing, because of over spray and spillages.

A good cheap solution.

 

[nonfussy]

Wow - I was AWOL for a few days and I've come back to all this. Thanks everyone - all really helpful.

I presume you don't know yet if it'll be a hard floor or have carpet fitted.

But if it's wood/laminate and you're worried about dinging the surface if you fumble a tool then vinyl would offer enough protection for some drops but definitely not all (I speak from experience) so something hard would be the safer bet.

Yes, that's it. I'm also worried about scratching any laminate floor from moving a workbench around. A hard surface does seem to make more sense.

I've found tongue & groove chipboard flooring/roofing to be a good economical solution:

Moisture resistant, locks together and easy to sweep up. Comes in manoeuvrable pieces as well.

That's a good shout - thanks.

I'm going to see what's available/best price here and also where we're moving to, and then make a decision.