I'm trying to work out the new building I'm getting for the layout. It will be 16x32 and have an around the walls & center peninsula arrangement. There should be plenty of space for operators.
What are you guys using for flooring in your train rooms? Obviously need something that wears well.
Thanks,
Roger Huber
This thread is back a few pages, but it's a fine example of going from bare dirt to a layout:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/244850.aspx
My trainroom, the second floor of an attached garage, came out too nice and became the "family room" as well for a few years. I'm slowly reclaiming it, or rather turning into more of a man cave.
It's got a nice Berber carpet, which is soft on the feet. I don't have ops sessions, so the foot traffic is almost entirely my own. This carpet, though, has worn well for 10 years or more and isn't even close to needing replacement.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Rodger:
I've got peel and stick tile over concrete. It wears well, is not the most comportable.
Two ideas: first have you thought of those interlocking mats sold for kids play areas?
Second, off the wall, have you thought of, rubberized flooring as used in a horse barn?
I've never used either, just off the wall.
Do your have water and a wash room in this purpose built structure?
Dave
As I age I find my back and legs are starting to rebel against prolonged periods of standing on concrete or tile floors. I have operated in carpeted layout rooms and that is a huge improvement. The carpet was fairly industrial looking and came in big squares as I recall. Spare squares were acquired in case of serious damage (solder etc.) on a square. It might be the squares were installed AFTER the layout was basically completed. You'd need lots of helpers to do that I would have to think.
The problem with those interlocking mats, which my wife uses near her work area of the basement (she is the one with the lathe and drill press and grinders by the way), and which are indeed easy on the feet, is that they tend to become "uninterlocked" and tripping hazards.
There have been some articles over the years in Model Railroad Planning on flooring in layout rooms (also on purpose built layout buildings). MRP has become my most-looked-forward-to Kalmbach publication.
Dave Nelson
Soft floor is good for the back. If the floor is going to be concrete, stall matts are something to consider. They use similar flooring at the ice arena's where I spend a lot of time on my feet at the kids hockey two or three days a week. If I have been on the concrete too long, I conciously look for the rubber and move on to it and can feel instant back relief.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I'm usually the contrarian so here's my thoughts.
I would go with cement floors in the beginning and see how that works for you. You can always buy mats or put down tiles in the walk ways later.
Back aches depend on your physical condition and how long you will be standing at a time without a lot of movement.
Frankly I'm so messy that I'd ruin carpet in no time. If I walk by a paint bucket I'll have some on me.
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
Wood is much better to stand on than concrete, regardless of carpet over it or not. Anthoer option I've seen at Lowes is a rubber tile designed for garage floors. Besides the classic checkerplate look they now have it in imitation slate colors. Have not tried it, but it might be something to look at.
jim
The garage - er, train room - came with a sealed concrete floor. Fortunately, my wife exiled a couple of heavy duty throw rugs from the main house. They now reside where I spend time on my feet, and have proven to be a great comfort.
The next project will provide padded seats for the wooden kitchen chairs I sit on while working on electricals and such...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - as health and local climate allow)
I am with superbe on this one!
Any floor cover that can withstand tools dropping, including a hot soldering gun and solder, paint being spilled, a bag of plaster disintegrating while you lift it and the likes is the best choice.
My layout is in a not so spare room I share with my wife. It´s a combination of office room, laundry storage room, guest room and now train room. My wife and I spend more time in this room than in our living room. The floor is covered with dark hardwood flooring, which looks nice, but each time I make a little mess working on my layout, I do not only have to jump and immediately clean it up, but I also get "the look" from my wife.
Many thanks for all the responses. Lots of good ideas based on your experiences. I had a room in my old Scum City (Houston) garage for the trains. It had a concrete floor, naturally. When we changed out the carpet in the house I took a section (9x17) and installed it in the train room. It was good for sound deadening, warmth and standing comfort. With that said, it sucked for dirt retention and staining. I doubt if I'd do carpet again as the negative points were hard to live with.
The new building will have a wooden floor (plywood) which I need to cover with something. I was leaning toward laminate floor. Linoleum or vinyl are options and I think since the room will have very little layout support to work around as it's designed with just the peninsula touching the floor I think that will make linoleum or vinyl installation much easier too.
I agree that standing on a hard floor for a long time gets tiring which would be the only good point to carpet. Living on a farm on a dirt road though is a strong reason to not do carpet though.
Thanks again for the help. Decision still to follow!
Roger,
Is the room part of your home/house? If so, I would put the laminate wood floor down. Why? It adds value to the house. Then go to harbor freight (no, I don't work for them) and buy those 4 pack of 24"x24" floor pads. Use the 20% coupon and you're goodto go. Those floor pads are GREAT to stand on. My train room is part of the house, has hardwood floors, and the layout goes around the room. Put the floor mats in the aisles so the operators can stand on it in comfort.
Hope this helps.
Neal
nealknows Roger, Is the room part of your home/house? If so, I would put the laminate wood floor down. Why? It adds value to the house. Then go to harbor freight (no, I don't work for them) and buy those 4 pack of 24"x24" floor pads. Use the 20% coupon and you're goodto go. Those floor pads are GREAT to stand on. My train room is part of the house, has hardwood floors, and the layout goes around the room. Put the floor mats in the aisles so the operators can stand on it in comfort. Hope this helps. Neal
Home Depot carries them as well. They are interlocking foam mats. I bought about a $100 worth of them to use at the Amherst Railroad Hobby Show this year. Best $100 I have ever spent (I stand all day behind modules running trains).
The train building is going to be a stand-alone structure.
The rubber mats are an idea to think about. Standing on a hard floor is miserable after a while. I'm getting old and had back surgery a few years ago which makes it even harder. I wasn't aware Harbor Freight had them. Something to really consider!
Thanks for all the help.
A four pack (24" x 24") of these mats are $10 at Harbor Freight. My train room has them, and while they're great on the feet, I had an issue of static electricity in the room. It's a finished room with grounded outlets. Must be something in the material, so I went and bought and anti-static spray. Sprayed the mats, went in an hour later, seems to have done the trick.
Railroad of LION is on third floor of Library Building. It is ashpalt tiles over concrete.
Some tiles habe pulled up, but I have not replaced them. I just trip over the remains. But that is only in one corner so who am I to spend money time or effort over that. If it really bothered me, I could get Br. John to take care of that.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
New SIW will will be in spare bedroom that I share with wife and her Mary Kay inventory Room was hardwood but the landlady AKA mother in-law downstairs complained of too much noise so room is now carpeted. On Monday the bench work is going in so I have to find suitable drop cloth because by Wednesday I want to paint the Homosote.
Joe Staten Island West
Simply cover the carpet with a 4 or 6 mil clear plastic sheet from your local big box. Then build the benchwork over it, cutting holes for the legs, if any. You can easily remove it when the messy wok is done and put down temporary sheets for the odds and ends of future messy work.
Buy caster cups for the benchwork legs, especially if you use screw-in levelers or buttons. If the carpet is some form of cut pile, the caster cups should have "spikes" on the bottom to lift the cup above the cut pile and minimize crushing the cut pile.
Dante