New Workshop...

[Orcamesh]

Hi

I have finally after 2 years of moving into our new house, and going through appeal with the planning people, managed to nearly build the new workshop. There is still no roof, doors or windows, but hopefully by December all will be well (in theory anyway!).

So I have to think about flooring. It is built with a standard concrete floor, slightly sloping out of the garage double doors. In this main area I will obviously be putting all the woodworking machinery (bandsaw, lathe, table saw, planer/thicknesser, etc). My thoughts are to use cheapo laminate flooring as the workshop will be heated and not intended (until I sell it) for cars! Advantages are obviously with some degree of insulation from cold concrete floor, plus smooth surface for wheeling machinery around, and should I ever drop my Lie Nielsens they hopefully won't get majorly damaged! Oh yeah, and cost! I have thought about suitability of such a floor with any possible liquid spills, but then most flooring types would have this issue, surely?

On the walls, currently they are breeze block in the main, and there is no intention to plaster or even board up on my part (I have thought about it but see no real reason to do so). I guess a lick of whitish paint is good enough to keep the place bright and clean looking?

What can anyone recommend when faced with this "clean slate"?

What would you do with the floor and/or walls?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

cheers
Hawkmoth

 

[OPJ]

Whatever you decide to do, I hope it all goes well! There are many, many others of us who'd jump at the chance to build their own workshop from scratch, whatever the costs!

Personally, I'd be inclined to add some stud partitioning - not only for insulation value but also for the fact it's a heck of a lot easier hanging some shelves or a cabinet on a timber stud than it is to try and locate it on to a masonry wall - or so I've found! :wink:

When the time comes to decide on how best to layout all the kit in your shop, I'd advise you take a look at this link, kindly pointed out to me by Byron Black yesterday. It's given me some ideas for my single-car garage-cum-shop.

Smart Shop

 

[Philly]

Hi HM
Good to see you around again!
There have been complaints with laminate flooring being to slippery when covered in sawdust - a lot of members use flooring chipboard or ply.
Best regards
Philly

 

[Calpol]

Definately don't use cheapo laminate flooring!!! I've got that in my workshop (bedroom :lol and if any dust gets on it it's super slick! Specially the cheap stuff that doesn't have any texture, smooth plastic isn't good

 

[TonyW]

Hi HM
....There have been complaints with laminate flooring being to slippery when covered in sawdust ...Philly

I agree, just completed laminate flooring for my daughter I can confirm that even a small amount of sawdust can make it like a skating rink - I was skidding around all over the place. Not a good idea with sharp objects around and I would say a definite no for the workshop :shock:

Cheers
Tony
EDIT: Even the textured stuff

 

[OPJ]

I've got that in my workshop (bedroom :lol

Wow, your bedroom doubles up as a workshop?! :shock:

My bedroom's only a wood store/acclimatiser.

:wink:

 

[Adam]

On the walls, currently they are breeze block in the main, and there is no intention to plaster or even board up on my part (I have thought about it but see no real reason to do so). I guess a lick of whitish paint is good enough to keep the place bright and clean looking?

What can anyone recommend when faced with this "clean slate"?

What would you do with the floor and/or walls?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

cheers
Hawkmoth

Cor.. hello, long time no hear. Only difficulty I can see is its hard work painting breeze blocks.

Floor I'd use chipboard or plywood or similar. Or even go and find some fairly new reclaimed (so they don't have "antique value") floorboards.

Adam

 

[frank]

hi hm use 8x4 chip board for the floors and a nice fluffy roller to paint the breeze blocks it will be a dodle. frank

 

[9fingers]

You say you have a 'standard floor'. If this does not have a damp proof membrane then first job is to coat it with Synthaprufe or similar bitumen emulsion product.
You might want to consider this on any outside walls too before lining those with insulation and plywood. This is well worth the effort for the subsequent ease of fixing anything to the walls anywhere you want it.
Lay firring strips on the floor to level it and then put down 3/4 ply with insulations between the strips.
Seal the floor with a matt sealer. I find this helps make sweeping up easier and it is non skid when wet or covered in sawdust. I used the screwfix water based stuff.
Painting the walls and ceiling with brilliant white emulsion is well worth the effort to make best use of the lighting.

HTH

Bob

 

[Orcamesh]

Thanks guys for your fast responses! Nice to speak to some of you again too! I have basically been offline due to the woodwork being offline, it has been quite sometime now. I have been doing bits and pieces but nothing substantial. I hope with the new shop it will remotivate me!

Back to the walls and floors, some very good advice there, so cheers for that. As I was specifying the build, I asked for cavity walls to be built. You might as well while you are there because it doesnt add too much additional cost. I wanted to stay warm and dry and also not annoy the neighbours with the noise! So I am looking to avoid adding extra items to the walls so I can maintain the remaining space. Hence -> paint.

The floor looks to be chipboard or ply then. The current floor has a DPC and a concrete layer, so no need to go down that route. I should be able to just lay battens with insulation in between with ply/chipbrd over the top.

Thanks again for the advice, and if anybody else has anything to add please go ahead!

cheers
HM

 

[Calpol]

Wow, your bedroom doubles up as a workshop?! :shock:

Yep, filling up as we speak, waiting for the guy to lay the floor. He said he'd be round 'tomorrow night' about a month ago! But he's a pal so can't really go anywhere else, he's maybe just busy

PS love the Massey there Adam :lol:

Anyhoo that's off topic :arrow:

 

[Woodmagnet]

This is what this forum is all about, helping and giving advice.
:wink:

 

[Big John]

I've a painted concrete floor and I have surrounded my machines and bench with those rubber protective flooring squares. You wouldn't believe how many pieces of wood have been saved from dents by doing this - to say nothing about tools !!!

 

[carpenteire]

A very simple and quick way to lay a timber floor would be to fix 2x1" battens to your conc. floor at 400mm c/cs using Gripfil" or similar construction/ panel adhesive. Then overlay this with flooring grade chipboard or WBP if your budget stretches to that, screwed down with drywall screws (the coarse thread variety designed for use in timber studs). I've done a workshop floor using shuttering grade ply and it worked out very well in addition to being a very economical floor. Varnish the lot on completion with a water based matt varnish or sealer and you'll have a great floor that is kind to tools, warm underfoot and resilient to walk or stand on.

 

[PaulO]

I recently laid a new floor in my workshop, over an existing rough concrete floor. I laid a floating floor,25mm polystyrene insulation, with 22mm moisture resistant T&G chipboard flooring over, glued at the joints. No battens.

I then painted it with a two pack satin epoxy. Which is very durable and not at all slippery but easy to keep clean.

The floor is warm, comfortable, easy to keep clean and a good surface for rolling the machines around on.

You'll find that moisture resistant T&G chipboard is much cheaper than non MR, as I believe building regs require it for new build. Cost about £7 per 600x2400 sheet + about £7 per sheet of 2400x1200 flooring polystyrene insulation.

 

[OllyK]

This is what I did with my brick walls and I have to say it's made a big difference, nice and toasty!

 

[Orcamesh]

Cheers all for your suggestions. I think there is a main solution of firring strips/battens with insulation in between plus 3/4 ply on top, finished off with sealer/varnish. I think this is what I will do.

The walls only need to be painted, as I said they are cavity wall plus insulation. I may attach a horizontal rail or cleat along the upper part of the wall to which I can hang cupboards, and move them whenever needed or as needs arise? I want to avoid adding further thickness to the wall, as I have already got the cavity taking up valuable land! However, I guess the idea of adding studs plus plasterboard filled with insulation is a great idea for single brick walls. Your photo, Ollyk, is a great inspiration to those with single brick wall workshops!

cheers
HM

 

[Digit]

Strange! We are woodworkers aren't we? Doesn't anybody out there have a timber workshop?

 

[Orcamesh]

Have you never read "The Three Little Pigs" story?!! :wink:

 

[Digit]

Yup! Strange you should say that though, I live in windy area and I live in timber bungalow, ex-WW2 POW accommodation actually, and a Sky satellite fitter refused to attach the dish to the house in case the wind blew the house over! I kid you not!
He also 'didn't do lofts', I installed it myself!
My latest workshop, my son and wife have scrounged the previous ones off me, is a heavy frame resting on concrete block 'spots' with feather edged boarding on 3 by 2 framing with chipboard floor and roof.
The basic structure was completed by me and the wife in a week! The interior is lined with plaster board and I'm about to start on the electrics.
The whole job has taken about 3 months and cost just over £400 at 5mtrs by 2mtrs.
The task would have taken about a fortnight but I was admitted to hospital for surgery for prostate cancer and the 6in incision means no lifting and the op means that you tire rather rapidly.
About another week and I'll be making sawdust again!