What Types of Flooring Work for a Small Workshop?

Reader Contribution by Staff

What’s the best kind of finish to apply to the three-quarter-inch-thick wood floor of the 12-foot-by-12-foot woodworking shop I’m planning?

Clyde Catlin
Alliance, Nebraska

There are a couple of ways to go, including simply leaving the wood bare. I’ve worked in buildings with unfinished wooden floors, and they perform quite well. That said, there are two reasons a finish makes sense: It helps the wood resist staining, and it makes it easier to remove the inevitable hardened glue blobs that build up on the floor of any wood shop. Oil-based urethane works well as a basic sealer. Exterior grade latex paint lasts even longer under gritty foot traffic.

May I make a suggestion? Twelve-by-twelve is small for a wood shop. By the time you get a few tools, a workbench and some wood storage in there, there won’t be much room to move.

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