Types of Shop Wood Floors

Not long ago Rob K. had a thread on wood shop floors, but I never understood what kinds of wood floors people were referring to. When you say wood floor, are you talking about

A) a plywood floor maybe over sleepers, that would be like a subfloor in another context? Plywood would be how thick? What quality ply?

B) planks over plywood? If so, how are they fastened to the plywood?

C) the good tongue and groove stuff like you would put inside a house?

D) S4S or rough?

E) finished? unfinished?

F) any of the above?

I ask because the oak floors inside my house (that the previous owners put in) is, of course, finished, and I find it very slippery. It's my first time with wood floors.

Thanks all,
 
Not long ago Rob K. had a thread on wood shop floors, but I never understood what kinds of wood floors people were referring to. When you say wood floor, are you talking about

A) a plywood floor maybe over sleepers, that would be like a subfloor in another context? Plywood would be how thick? What quality ply?

B) planks over plywood? If so, how are they fastened to the plywood?

C) the good tongue and groove stuff like you would put inside a house?

D) S4S or rough?

E) finished? unfinished?

F) any of the above?

I ask because the oak floors inside my house (that the previous owners put in) is, of course, finished, and I find it very slippery. It's my first time with wood floors.

Thanks all,

i dont have a wood floor but wished i did.. the term ,,,the good stuff like goes inside a house can be refered to the 3/4"osb or plywood as well. i have seen it finished and unfinshed i also have seen a oak floor that was finished with BLO and it was slick but not real bad..
 
Hi Cynthia

Will send you a pdf of the way its done.

But here is an old picture of my shop floor and what it looked like. Now well its full of dirt black stains all sorts.

It is 3/4 fir ply butt jointed and screwed down to 2x8 pressure treated lumber 16 inches apart .

Got some give but not much but is a pleasure to stand on.:) Best thing i ever did.
 

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Rob, your floor looks great.

My floor starts with a slab of concrete, then treated 2x4 sleepers powder nailed and glued to the concrete. 1.5" rigid foam between them. Vapor barrier 6 mil or so. Then 1" thick, 10-12" wide pine that I planed and dried after getting from the sawmill. No T&G anywhere. The pine is face nailed to the 2bys. Finished with BLO 5 coats, then poly 3 coats. It is all beat up, but is great to work on. And my tools thank me every time I drop one on it.
 
Rob, your floor looks great.

My floor starts with a slab of concrete, then treated 2x4 sleepers powder nailed and glued to the concrete. 1.5" rigid foam between them. Vapor barrier 6 mil or so. Then 1" thick, 10-12" wide pine that I planed and dried after getting from the sawmill. No T&G anywhere. The pine is face nailed to the 2bys. Finished with BLO 5 coats, then poly 3 coats. It is all beat up, but is great to work on. And my tools thank me every time I drop one on it.

Any problems with the nails coming up? I bet that looks pretty nice, though, even if it is, as you say, beat up..
 
Any problems with the nails coming up? I bet that looks pretty nice, though, even if it is, as you say, beat up..

I used some old cut nails I found in the back of a local farm supply store. Not one has pulled up in 5+ years of use. I predrilled the holes. The treated SYP sleepers have probably shrunk since installation, providing a tight grip on those nails.
 
I don't know what the floors in my shop are made from... they look almost like OSB, but are treated specially for flooring. When they were first installed any liquids spilled on them beaded up and could be just swept out... in the 5 years since the shop was built, they've gotten lots of use, lots of dust, lots of spillage, etc... but are still in pretty good shape. My shop is raised off the ground, about 2 feet at one end, back to less than a foot at the other end where the ground underneath sloped... the guys putting in the shop did a great job and the floors are perfectly level even after 5 1/2 years in all directions.
 
PLY or Hardwood

PLY or Hardwood?

I can get 3/4" oak for $1 a board foot (typical hardwood flooring).
It's #3, but thats okay for my shop.

Should I do that or go with the Ply as many of you have?

Any recommended finish?
 
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