# Any flooring experts in the café?



## Globalti (10 Apr 2020)

Can you recommend a covering for a workshop floor? It needs to be washable and it mustn't insulate because there will be under-floor heating. The top layer will be self-levelling screed, is screed robust enough to form the top layer if sealed and painted? Or should something else equally dense be laid over the screed?

At work our lab floors are covered in some kind of chemical-proof resin finish, which is excellent but I bet it's expensive. 

Another possibility is the finish in the laying shed of our neighbour's chicken farm where the concrete was floated smooth then treated with a sealant then a smart pale grey matt paint, which I like very much.

Any thoughts or suggestions?


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## pawl (10 Apr 2020)

Globalti said:


> Can you recommend a covering for a workshop floor? It needs to be washable and it mustn't insulate because there will be under-floor heating. The top layer will be self-levelling screed, is screed robust enough to form the top layer if sealed and painted? Or should something else equally dense be laid over the screed?
> 
> At work our lab floors are covered in some kind of chemical-proof resin finish, which is excellent but I bet it's expensive.
> 
> ...


.


Nope all the cafes are closed.


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## MontyVeda (10 Apr 2020)

paint the screed?


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## Cycleops (10 Apr 2020)

If it's a latex screed it will be dust free so you can just paint on top without need to seal.


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## TissoT (10 Apr 2020)

https://www.floorsaver.co.uk/collec...RIoTm4er2VB60jJQgCzOp4UiIpCNlQDBoCFqsQAvD_BwE


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## PK99 (10 Apr 2020)

Globalti said:


> Can you recommend a covering for a workshop floor? It needs to be washable and it mustn't insulate because there will be under-floor heating. The top layer will be self-levelling screed, is screed robust enough to form the top layer if sealed and painted? Or should something else equally dense be laid over the screed?
> 
> At work our lab floors are covered in some kind of chemical-proof resin finish, which is excellent but I bet it's expensive.
> 
> ...



Sheet linoleum?

£30/m2


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## Cycleops (10 Apr 2020)

PK99 said:


> Sheet linoleum?
> 
> £30/m2


Very green and 100% natural.


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## raleighnut (10 Apr 2020)

PK99 said:


> Sheet linoleum?
> 
> £30/m2


Not really washable unless the edges are really well sealed (the Hessian backing rots)


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## Cycleops (10 Apr 2020)

raleighnut said:


> Not really washable unless the edges are really well sealed (the Hessian backing rots)


A good lino fitter will ensure this is done.


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## ColinJ (10 Apr 2020)

Is that for your retirement workshop in the Highlands?


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## Tail End Charlie (10 Apr 2020)

I recently used a two part resin coating on my garage (which is 4x8m). I used this because I wanted to be sure it was sealed against damp coming in. I got the primer and top coat from Resincoat in West York's and it cost £450. Obviously I then had to paint it down, but it wasn't hard. It gives a great surface, tough, oil petrol resistant and washable. Super choice of colours too.

If you're not concerned about damp then a decent solvent based garage floor paint would be fine I think. Screwfix or Johnston's trade stuff I always find decent.


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## slowmotion (11 Apr 2020)

What is the workshop for, and what's likely to be spilled on it? If you spend a lot of time doing things on concrete floors, your feet and legs get knackered.


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## Salty seadog (11 Apr 2020)

@Mugshot

Isn't this your territory?


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## Tail End Charlie (11 Apr 2020)

slowmotion said:


> What is the workshop for, and what's likely to be spilled on it? If you spend a lot of time doing things on concrete floors, your feet and legs get knackered.


This is true. In addition to the Resincoat I mentioned above, I put down some yoga matting (from Aldi) which locks together over the areas I stand on most, for warmth and comfort.


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## Levo-Lon (11 Apr 2020)

You could probably do it with a paving sealer like Resiblock.


https://www.resiblock.com/product/resiblock-superior-natural-matt/


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## irw (11 Apr 2020)

I seem to recall a post that shows @screenman has a rather nice garage floor!


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## screenman (11 Apr 2020)

irw said:


> I seem to recall a post that shows @screenman has a rather nice garage floor!



Painted at least twice a year with Armisted floor paint.


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## Tenkaykev (11 Apr 2020)

Tail End Charlie said:


> I recently used a two part resin coating on my garage (which is 4x8m). I used this because I wanted to be sure it was sealed against damp coming in. I got the primer and top coat from Resincoat in West York's and it cost £450. Obviously I then had to paint it down, but it wasn't hard. It gives a great surface, tough, oil petrol resistant and washable. Super choice of colours too.
> 
> If you're not concerned about damp then a decent solvent based garage floor paint would be fine I think. Screwfix or Johnston's trade stuff I always find decent.



Just did our outhouse floor with Screwfix Garage floor paint. Very pleased with the result.


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## Globalti (13 Apr 2020)

Yes it's for the house we're building in Scotland. The workshop and pottery studio will have wet under-floor heating so I need a floor that doesn't insulate, is tough, will never need repainting and looks smart. It will need to resist water and the occasional spillage of solvents like paraffin, petrol, whatever and can be brushed and washed.

We haven't given it much thought except that the walls will be lined with fake T&G planking in MDF for a traditional workshop look and better hanging of stuff like shelves than plasterboard. An engineered wood floor would be nice but would soon get damaged.

I'm wondering if the finish can be painted straight onto the screed or something else is needed. How tough is self-levelling screed?


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## ColinJ (13 Apr 2020)

Sounds great!


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## MontyVeda (13 Apr 2020)

Something that will '_never need repainting_' is a bit of a high expectation, unless you don't paint it in the first place.


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## neil_merseyside (13 Apr 2020)

Have a mooch on here:- https://theflooringforum.com/

Loads of stuff about which SLC has a good compression strength (most don't).
Good lads on there and very helpful.


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## raleighnut (13 Apr 2020)

Globalti said:


> Yes it's for the house we're building in Scotland. The workshop and pottery studio will have wet under-floor heating so I need a floor that doesn't insulate, is tough, will never need repainting and looks smart. It will need to resist water and the occasional spillage of solvents like paraffin, petrol, whatever and can be brushed and washed.
> 
> We haven't given it much thought except that the walls will be lined with fake T&G planking in MDF for a traditional workshop look and better hanging of stuff like shelves than plasterboard. An engineered wood floor would be nice but would soon get damaged.
> 
> I'm wondering if the finish can be painted straight onto the screed or something else is needed. How tough is self-levelling screed?


Limestone 'flagstone' can go over heated floors.


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