Workshop Floor Question/Advice

[Ben_55]

Hello,

I have just got the keys to my first house and garage :ho2 . Currently the floor in the garage is concrete > DPM > tiles. For warmth/tool safety i am looking to install a Chipboard floor. I managed to get a load of 30mm tongue and groove locally for a bargain price.

My question is this. Is it worth building a raised floor and insulating underneath or will i be ok simply laying a DPM then placing the 30mm chipboard directly on top of the tiles and securing to the floor?

Any advice appreciated.

Ben

 

[NickN]

If there's already a DPM under the tiles then a second one shouldn't be needed, so that saves a few quid. If it's a warm enough room and the chipboard is mostly for preventing tool breakage and for a more comfortable working environment, just stick it down on top - leave a small gap all round the outside edges.
But if you could do with the insulation improving, what I had done in my last house garage conversion was put down a floating floor of 100mm layer of expanded polystyrene (structural) underneath chipboard - as long as the boards are glued together ideally, with a 5mm or so gap all around the edges (which can be covered by skirting).
All depends on how much head height you have too, also what machines you might want to put in - weight can be an issue on a floating floor.

 

[MikeG.]

Congratulations on your first home, and workshop! It's a great thrill, which I remember well.

Your motivations are supposedly "warmth and tool safety". You won't get any great warmth benefit unless you put some insulation down under the chipboard, so I think you've answered your own question. Frankly, if it was just for your tools you could simply install a rubber mat around your bench. If you are going to go to the trouble of putting chipboard down over the whole thing then it seems daft not to include some insulation in the work.

 

[Ben_55]

Thanks for the advice. Do i need batons or can i place the 30mm chipboard directly onto the polystyrene insulation (i could only afford the 25mm stuff #-o )

Ben

 

[MikeG.]

You want 22mm t&g chipboard, glued all round, and sitting directly on top of your insulation without battens. Trap it down around the edges with a skirting board of some description, and make sure you leave a little gap (5-10mm) between the flooring and the walls.