New Shed Flooring

[Uncle Joe]

Not sure if this is in the right catagory but it is a finish of sorts. I am finally getting my new shed erected over the Easter period and wondering what (if any) type of covering to put on the concrete floor. I was planing to paint it but what is the best, a nonslip type of paint or normal concrete paint.Would the nonslip stuff make it harder to sweep or would it be an inconveniance I would have to live with for safety sake BTW the shed is 6M x 4M.
Thanks for any help

[Ozkaban]

to be honest I wouldn't finish it at all, unless there's a reason too. Concrete is non slip enough for me.

The only finish on my floor is sawdust

Cheers,
Dave

[chambezio]

If your shed floor is finished to a fine steel trowel, thats the way I'd leave it. If its nice and smooth it will be easy to sweep and keep clean. Once you start painting you will have to keep it up as it wears. Saw dust is not the same as spilt oil as you have in a mechanics shop. The paint in that situation would stop the oil from being absorbed into the porous concrete.

So to sum up ...save your money and leave it a "natural" finish...no paint

[Uncle Joe]

Thanks Guys.
That is why I like this forum. Straight to the point and no BS

[Pat]

Were as I went for T&G Particleboard flooring laying on two layers of concrete plastic and a layer of aircell insulation. I sometimes drop tools on the floor, especially freshly sharpened turning chisels . No major damage is done. I sealed the flooring with a poly sealant. I does get a tad slippery with dust and shavings around the lathe, but strips of non-slip tape remove the hazard.

It depends on the enduse of the shed and your budget. I budgeted for lining the walls in 19mm Melamine and flooring. I did all the installation myself. Damn hard work as the Melamine weighs in around 30Kg per sheet and roughly the same for the flooring.

[I_wanna_Shed]

My cement floor is a pain in the you-know-what. There's a continual fine layer of cement dust on top of it. Whenever I sweep the floor I just stir up clouds of fine cement dust.

I've been thinking about some form of paint finish, but have also been thinking about a timber floor.

Would the Particle board flooring be strong enough to hold the occassional vehicle on it? I guess maybe if I lay it directly onto the cement. Or would the particle board need to be raised on joists?

Floor are is 7mx6m. I know it would be a pain to move everything out while I fix up the floor, but gee it would be worth it.

Nathan.

[justinmcf]

if i was going to lay particle board/chipboard onto a concrete slab, i would first roll on epoxy over the whole slab.
sikaflex and boschstik are 2 good brands to look at.

and it is a job you can do yourself. just leave it for 7 days to cure.
this will prevent moisture rising through the slab.
it is common practice when timber floors are installed over concrete slabs.

i would then use sikaflex or boschtik contact adhesive and glue the chipboard flooring directly to the slab.
the odd 50mm screw here and there would be a good idea too, just to follow the contours of the slab.

i would not use joists because the first time you drive the ute in, she will go straight through the flooring.
if the chipboard is glued directly to the slab, you should have no worries with it holding a ute.

i think the chipboard floor is a great idea.
it would certainly save the chisels and planes that take the odd nose dive.
regards, justin.

[RufflyRustic]

I have three types of flooring in my shed.

The base layer is concrete, sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't.
The next layer is a whole heap of rubber matting around the workbench.
The last is a multi-coloured layer of sawdust and shavings.

I didn't bother with any paint on the concrete as it's a woodworking shed.

cheers
Wendy

[Bob38S]

I have left my concrete floor bare. Over the years I have bought 5 packs of what is called "Camping floor" - 600mm square by 10mm thick rubber mats which have a jigsaw puzzle edge which interlocks the mats together. These are on the floor in front of the saw, bench, drill press etc. Available from most camping stores, K-Mart, Super Cheap etc - approx $17 - $24 for a pack of 4 or 6. Cheaper than painting or cladding the floor. There are 2 types available - some have a series of holes while others are solid.

Easy to clean, if necessary toss them out and hose them off, your legs/feet/back will thank you every night if you spend lots of time on your feet in the shed - should you drop something - no problem.

I also use some of the mats on the bench under jobs to prevent any wood chips from dinging the timber when constructing.

Regards,
Bob

[Ozkaban]

I have left my concrete floor bare. Over the years I have bought 5 packs of what is called "Camping floor" - 600mm square by 10mm thick rubber mats which have a jigsaw puzzle edge which interlocks the mats together. These are on the floor in front of the saw, bench, drill press etc. Available from most camping stores, K-Mart, Super Cheap etc - approx $17 - $24 for a pack of 4 or 6. Cheaper than painting or cladding the floor. Tere are 2 types available - some have a series of holes while others are solid.

Easy to clean, if necessary toss them out and hose them off, you legs/feet/back will thank you every night if you spend lots of time on your feet in the shed - should you drop something - no problem.

I also use some of the mats on the bench under jobs to prevent any wood chips from dinging the timber when constructing.

Regards,
Bob

I'd forgotten about those things Great idea. I have a couple of packs wasting away under the deck that we never seem to use even when we do go camping!

Cheers,
Dave

[Bob38S]

I'd forgotten about those things Great idea. I have a couple of packs wasting away under the deck that we never seem to use even when we do go camping!

Cheers,
Dave

LOL - go for it.

As I said
"your legs/feet/back will thank you every night if you spend lots of time on your feet in the shed."

[beer is good]

Before I moved anything into my 4 x 5 metre shed I painted the floor with a water based paint which I think was White Knight. I used 8 litres for 2 coats!! When the floor was laid the guys swept it with a stiff broom to make it non-slip. I don't think I would bother with that again but I would certainly paint it to keep the fine cement dust down. Also, painting helps a bit with reflecting light. Then I scrounged a bit of carpet which I put down in front of the bench to soften the floor a little, and it helps when you drop something as it doesn't bounce off into the corner behind the bench which you can't get into!

[HazzaB]

Hey There,

I'll chuck in my two bobs worth, I have a bare cement floor and as stated above every time (at least three) that I've swept the floor the cement dust is there, so I asked my Flooring mate, he suggested that I go to the Salvage and hardware shop and buy some cheap PVA glue and mix it 50:50 with water and give the whole floor a couple of coats, it seals the cement and keeps the dust at bay. You can get water based sealers that cost Lotsa $, it's cheaper to use cheap glue and water.

I will be getting some of those jigsaw type mats, Thanks for the Tip.

HazzaB

[Kev Y.]

Hi there Uncle Joe, this time last year I had a new shed/workshop put up, I used a neufinish (I think that was the spelling) clear one pack on the floor.

The concreter suggested that I get a coat over the floor before 48 hours, otherwise it would require etching.

The directions suggested that you apply a 50/50 coat first, followed by a 100% coat. I opted to apply 3 50/50 coats, and have found that it is much less slippery than a floor I coated following the instructions.

It certianly helps keep the dust down to that which I produce.