Need help with flooring


aknotsdeath

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So turns out walking on concrete all day is not a good idea for my back. So for the next few days I will be in bed reading up on anti fatigue mats and such. I wanted to get some feedback from the community as well if possible. I live in a very wet state. Western WA near the capital. I have a load of back issues. (Trying to keep this the to long didn't read version) My shop is a regular 2 car garage with slab concrete and 1 big step into the house. The concrete is cracked and moisture bleeds through. I will be patching that up and I want to put padding over it. Looks I don't care about. The absorption is the most important. The better it is the longer I can be out there. I stand all day. I can't sit. Either lay down or stand. Second is cost. Yeah I know big surprise. Thoughts?

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Yes the car will very randomly be parked inside. And only big tool I have so far is the Rigid r4512? Tablesaw. Laying in bed and can't move so can't check.

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I have used mats from Rockler/ Woodcraft for years and just switched to the rubber tiles Marc recommended on one of his off cuts videos. The tiles weren't that expensive the shipping was fairly hefty though. Anyway these things are awesome I ended up buying more and covering more of my shop. Not sure why but I just do not get anywhere near as much back fatigue even after a full day in the shop. Definitely a thumbs up from me.

http://www.rubberflooringinc.com/interlocking-tile/8mm-strong-rubber-tile.html

FYI the Guild gets you a 28% discount

 

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I have used mats from Rockler/ Woodcraft for years and just switched to the rubber tiles Marc recommended on one of his off cuts videos. The tiles weren't that expensive the shipping was fairly hefty though. Anyway these things are awesome I ended up buying more and covering more of my shop. Not sure why but I just do not get anywhere near as much back fatigue even after a full day in the shop. Definitely a thumbs up from me.

http://www.rubberflooringinc.com/interlocking-tile/8mm-strong-rubber-tile.html

FYI the Guild gets you a 28% discount

 

He mentioned he got them because he was in a warm climate. I certainly am not. Would that matter? Wouldn't moisture get trapped underneath?

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I am in MN and my shop is heated and air conditioned so I would nt have that issue but since they are made from recycled tires you wouldn't hurt the tiles mold may be an issue though I would check with RF.com or maybe other folks on here will have thoughts on that one.

If I dreamed it would be of heated and A/C in the garage. And mold was one issue yes. The other was just general moisture content they might hold underneath.

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The ones Pkinneb linked to above look to be the same material as horse stall mats - except horse stall mats do not have the jigsaw puzzle connectors.  Horse stall mats are 4x6 and HEAVY.  If you decide to to go with this kind of solution you might do a price comparison by checking with a local feed store. It has been 10+ years since I bought any and do not have current pricing. After 10 years of a 1000 pound horse standing/walking on the ones in his stall they show now signs of wear. 

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I'd try one horse mat before you get a bunch; a relation of some sort tried using them, but found them a little too hard to be useful for his back.

I'm wondering if there is different levels of hardness like others? And yes I will definitely make sure to try thank you :)

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The ones Pkinneb linked to above look to be the same material as horse stall mats - except horse stall mats do not have the jigsaw puzzle connectors.  Horse stall mats are 4x6 and HEAVY.  If you decide to to go with this kind of solution you might do a price comparison by checking with a local feed store. It has been 10+ years since I bought any and do not have current pricing. After 10 years of a 1000 pound horse standing/walking on the ones in his stall they show now signs of wear. 

That is actually an amazing ideal thank you very much. I will let you know what I find out. Not sure when I will be able to leave next but I will make some calls.

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I have used a horse stall mat with a much softer mat on top of it. The horse stall mat will probably allow a car on top. Moisture shouldn't hurt the stall mat, they get occasional fluids and then hosed down on a regular basis. Mold beneath is a whole different subject.

I spend sometimes 6-7 hours working at my bench each day. Cushioned inserts in my shoes, the soft mat plus the horse stall mat is a good combination. At the end of the day my neck and shoulder are usually stiff but my feet and back are fine.  I just got a new soft mat at Costco 24" x 60" for 30-40 $ it's pretty nice.

The horse stall mats are 4' x 6' x 3/4" thick I think. Very heavy and the rubber smell lingered for weeks. Tractor supply had them for a pretty reasonable price. Definitely a good non slip surface but not very cushioned by itself.

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I have used a horse stall mat with a much softer mat on top of it. The horse stall mat will probably allow a car on top. Moisture shouldn't hurt the stall mat, they get occasional fluids and then hosed down on a regular basis. Mold beneath is a whole different subject.

I spend sometimes 6-7 hours working at my bench each day. Cushioned inserts in my shoes, the soft mat plus the horse stall mat is a good combination. At the end of the day my neck and shoulder are usually stiff but my feet and back are fine.  I just got a new soft mat at Costco 24" x 60" for 30-40 $ it's pretty nice.

The horse stall mats are 4' x 6' x 3/4" thick I think. Very heavy and the rubber smell lingered for weeks. Tractor supply had them for a pretty reasonable price. Definitely a good non slip surface but not very cushioned by itself.

I have one of the Costco mats on the concrete right now that is why I thought of the moisture issue. We just had a bunch of rain and snow. Add two kids to the mix who love to hang out and play in the water and mud. What about a layer or 3 of killex? Painting the concrete would make it look better than what it is now. And maybe silicon caulking around the edges of the mat. Over kill maybe? I also want to keep out as much moisture as possible. I was a Navy sailor for 9 years and I know what excess moisture can do to tools. Hahaha. Ok WA is not that bad. But I like to stack the odds.

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I wouldn't caulk the edges. Trapped moisture from the concrete or cracks could be bad.

Oh gotcha. Well might just be a downside. Oh well. Price point is amazing.

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The ones Pkinneb linked to above look to be the same material as horse stall mats - except horse stall mats do not have the jigsaw puzzle connectors.  Horse stall mats are 4x6 and HEAVY.  If you decide to to go with this kind of solution you might do a price comparison by checking with a local feed store. It has been 10+ years since I bought any and do not have current pricing. After 10 years of a 1000 pound horse standing/walking on the ones in his stall they show now signs of wear. 

About 40ish each way better than anything else thank you :)

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I have used a horse stall mat with a much softer mat on top of it. The horse stall mat will probably allow a car on top. Moisture shouldn't hurt the stall mat, they get occasional fluids and then hosed down on a regular basis. Mold beneath is a whole different subject.

I spend sometimes 6-7 hours working at my bench each day. Cushioned inserts in my shoes, the soft mat plus the horse stall mat is a good combination. At the end of the day my neck and shoulder are usually stiff but my feet and back are fine.  I just got a new soft mat at Costco 24" x 60" for 30-40 $ it's pretty nice.

The horse stall mats are 4' x 6' x 3/4" thick I think. Very heavy and the rubber smell lingered for weeks. Tractor supply had them for a pretty reasonable price. Definitely a good non slip surface but not very cushioned by itself.

Also how do you think let's say a Rigid r4512 would roll on it?

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Weight of that saw is no big deal rolling on a horse stall mat. If you want to do a larger area they make the mats with interlocking edges. 12' x 12' is 6 mats and costs more per mat. I think $399 for the set.

I will only be able to do 1 maybe 2 for now. But I will look into that thank you.

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12 minutes ago, BonPacific said:

Seems likely, but I thought I should ask, do you have orthopedic shoes or inserts? If not that's going to do a lot more than a mat. I find the variety of shoe I wear in the shop matters a lot. I also have the cheap HF foam mats, which are nice to have, but not as good as the rubber mats.

I agree. That was the first thing I changed instead of hard sole slip ons I wear tennis shoes now, between that and the rubber floor tiles I can last about twice as long as before. Went from about 5 hrs to 10ish.

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It sounds like you've got some good ideas to consider; that's great.

I had lower back issues (too much sitting, including kayaking as my physical recreation and considerable traveling in vehicles...)  I resolved it with a number of things including:

- losing weight (are you too heavy, as I was?)

- a stand up desk at work.

- life style changes to promote less sitting in one place, more moving, walking, standing.  (Woodworking helps, for me.)

 

I say I "resolved it", but I still get a reminder now and then when I've been sitting too long in one place (car, airplane...)

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It sounds like you've got some good ideas to consider; that's great.

I had lower back issues (too much sitting, including kayaking as my physical recreation and considerable traveling in vehicles...)  I resolved it with a number of things including:

- losing weight (are you too heavy, as I was?)

- a stand up desk at work.

- life style changes to promote less sitting in one place, more moving, walking, standing.  (Woodworking helps, for me.)

 

I say I "resolved it", but I still get a reminder now and then when I've been sitting too long in one place (car, airplane...)

Well I kinda built bombs for 9 years in the Navy. So I have arthritis, scoliosis, pinched sciatica, and some sort of inflamed disk or something like that (docs can't agree) fibromyalgia and a load of other issues that revolve around pain. I can't sit any more except in cars. The mat I got is amazing. I would love to do the whole garage but that is a little much. I will probably just pick 1 up a month for the next few months to fill out the important spots. And no I am a tiny guy.

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12 minutes ago, aknotsdeath said:

...The mat I got is amazing. I would love to do the whole garage but that is a little much. I will probably just pick 1 up a month for the next few months to fill out the important spots....

 like your plan; if it works, it works.

I'll send a PM with another thought.

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