Floor situation

[TCT]

I am going to assume that I am in the minority here when I say we do NOT have all concrete floors. We have maybe 1/6 concrete floors, the addition we put on a few years ago has concrete floors and that is where our large press sits. Aside from that there is probably 4 or 5 layers of other flooring in the shop with the top layer being tiles from probably the 70's or maybe early 80's. I just finished putting down new nice looking laminate hardwood flooring in what is now the office, entrance/showroom, flat stock printing and direct to garment if we ever get that working again. That leaves the main production area with these god awful dark tiles. That really look bad.

So I was wondering what other people are using for floor coverings? Or any suggestions. I thought paint the floor, but not sure how the tiles would hold the paint. Also, then what color do you paint the floor? White would be nice to make things brighter, but is it really realistic in a print shop? What do you guys have? I am drawing a blank on what I've seen in other shops!

Any input would be great! Thanks

[jsheridan]

what's the sub-floor made of?


If I had the choice of floor to work on, a nice thick hardwood as it's good on the lower back and legs over concrete.

[TCT]

what's the sub-floor made of?

Everything. I am about 93% sure the tiles are asbestos. The main original floor is hardwood from the 40's. I had thought about tearing it up, refinishing it and having nice original hardwood floors, but this ain't "Flip This House". The time and dust along with moving everything is not appealing. That and there are many random holes in the floor that have been used for god knows what....

[Binkspot]

You could do a poured floor that you would just float over the existing or a heavy duty floor from someone like Lonseal.

[Underbase37]

Garage floor paint. But all our floors are concrete.

I've always thought that wood laminate would be cool & maybe clean up easy.

Murphy37

[TCT]

Without sounding like I'm bragging to hard, I have to say, I love how the laminate hardwood floor we put in and the retrofit LED T8 bulbs looks together! I'll have to snap a few pics and post.

Guess my concern with laminate floors in and around the presses was how they would hold up to inks and cleaners.

[jsheridan]

Everything. I am about 93% sure the tiles are asbestos. The main original floor is hardwood from the 40's. I had thought about tearing it up

Leave it just the way it is! Asbestos removal is no joke and requires a special permit and team to do the work.

[alan802]

My first job out of college was managing the asbestos removal crews that hired the consulting firm I worked for.  If you're serious about removing it I can help you with some advice on the best way to go about it.  Regs differ from state to state and commercial is typically different from residential and residential here in Texas could remove asbestos containing materials with zero permits and didn't have to follow any guidelines or regulations.  It may have changed in the last few years, I don't dabble in it at all any longer but I still know how to get rid of it without putting yourself at risk.  You being in a commercial building you'll have to have a crew come in (or it could possibly disappear somehow..wink wink) then likely have to hire a third-party consulting firm to supervise the abatement crew and take working air samples during the removal process...it's a ridiculous process meant to make as many people as much money as possible all in the name of keeping people safe.  Most asbestos materials can be removed without putting any fibers airborne and then be in danger, and flooring is typically one of the easiest to remove without getting a single fiber airborne.  I was an air quality guy as well and could take air samples and "read" the air quality before, during and after removal and all that is really simple and I know guys have been hired by home owners just to make sure they're safe. 

[mimosatexas]

Former coworker just did a remodel on his home last year.  Asbestos removal (glue in the floor) caused a week delay, made it so they had to leave their house, and cost a ton.  Just FYI.  I don't know if it was mandated by some city/state authority or his contractor, just the headache it caused him.

[TCT]

I am pretty sure that I have ingested my fair share of asbestos over the years. I have some older rental properties that I rehabbed like a mother-father in my early 20's... I was just ignorant to it all then.

I'm thinking what will look the nicest is just continuing the laminate wood flooring that I started up in the front. Just still a little concerned about what inks and whatnot will do to them/how easy to clean.

What color floors do people have in their shop? I'm interested! I asked a sales guy that calls on us what he sees in other shops, he told me about one that just got new carpet in the printing area!!!!

[3Deep]

Rhino coat your shop floors holds all kinds of crap auto shops use it on there floors and you know they get messy.

[mk162]

yeah, ours is raw concrete...the office is laminate and tile.

is there a reason you need to coat it?  I would just leave it personally.  Screen printing chems will only eat most finishes off the floor anyway.

[TCT]

is there a reason you need to coat it?

Aside from the fact it looks horrible, no not really.