Hi Guys, My train room was once a regular garage, and I'm quite happy with it, but the only problem can be a big one, the cement floor!! there are times that when I'm walking around working on the layout, I can feel my knees just scareming!!!! it's gets VERY annoying at times, please tell me are there ways to combat this problem ?? I've tried rubber mats, doubled them up to no avail, now I do live in a cold wet climate( Oregon) , could that have any bearing?? is there some material I could use????? thank you for helping in this matter. Trainsrme1
I used this and I don't know why I waited so long to do it!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Versatile-Assorted-Pattern-Commercial-Peel-and-Stick-2-ft-x-2-ft-Carpet-Tile-10-Tiles-Case-NCVT001/203051709
For years I had various scraps of salvaged carpeting. Carpet tile is used in many commercial buildings and it wears like iron. One day I decided to take the plunge and do the whole basement. Even in Ohio it gets pretty humid and this is laid right on the concrete. Going on two-years and it is showing no signs of mildew or wear.
IMG_8469_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
At a dollar per square foot it was very reasonable and with 2 foot squares it was easy to trim and fit.
This is what worked for me. Others may have different options.
Good Luck, Ed
We have used a preforated interlocking floor tile in one of our workshops at work. They have been down for 15 years with light foot traffic and no problems. Here is a similar product
http://www.modutile.com/basement-flooring-drain-tile.html
My entire house sits on a flat cement slab, basically a garage floor, and on top of that I have porcelain tile over 95% of the house, basically more cement.
.
So far I have not had any problems. I just turned 50, hopefully I can keep this together for a bit longer.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I also chose 2x2 random carpet tiles to cover the concrete slab. It was the least expensive floooring option I could find. Almost three years now and I'm extremely happy so far. I got the carpet tiles from a place in Georgia for $0.49/sq ft.
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
I worked several jobs where I was on my feet all day. I found those Dr. Sholls gel inserts for your shoes help a great deal. They're not that expensive either.
Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.
www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com
I used a inespensive vynal floating floor, it instals just like pergo but its vynal so it dose pretty good with resisting moisture that i got from home depot, they also have 2x2 interlocking plwood panels with a plastic base that are desighned for finished basment sub floors but it can get a liitle expensive if your doing a big area
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DRIcore-7-8-in-x-2-ft-x-2-ft-DRIcore-Subfloor-Panel-CDGNUS750024024/202268752
Steve
Not trying to hijack this post, but sort of a companion question. If you use carpet tiles do you have any static electreicity problems. In my concrete basement, if I take off my jacket, then touch a support post, i get zapped. In college the carpet on the hall floors had us all holding our keys to discharge us when we reached for the door handle. Have heard that decoders and static do not work well together.
Thank you,
Richard
My club has foam rubber tiles as flooring and static is a huge problem! The club is here in Louisiana, and since the big flood in 2016 they've had foam floor tiles, and if you're not careful and touch the track after walking around a while you will jump and say some obscenities...
Just putting that out there...
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Ed,
Are these carpet tiles peel and stick, or are just laying on the floor?
Thanks
SouthPennAre these carpet tiles peel and stick, or are just laying on the floor?
Hi, South Penn
They have four, small tabs of sticky tape that hold reasonably well. In areas of high traffic and on the smaller, odd-cut pieces i gave the floor a light spray of 3M 77 aerosol contact cement to give it just enough "tack".
They fit snugly and I never have a problem with them lifting. There's a double-stick tape made for carpeting that you could use if any pieces tended to lift if you didn't want to use the spray.
The stuff I put down in my grandma's house had adhesive on the entire underside of the tile...
She got it from Home Depot...
TrainsRMe1...here are times that when I'm walking around working on the layout, I can feel my knees just scareming!!!! it's gets VERY annoying at times, please tell me are there ways to combat this problem ?? I've tried rubber mats, doubled them up to no avail, now I do live in a cold wet climate( Oregon) , could that have any bearing?? is there some material I could use?????...
I'd suggest a better pair of shoes, and perhaps an additional pair of socks. You might also consider seeing your doctor, as you may have a medical condition. Knee replacements are a pretty-much routine operation nowadays. I spent almost 40 years walking on concrete and steel floors, and my layout room has a bare concrete floor, too...no knee pain, so I doubt very much that you can attribute it to the floor.
I would never put carpet in my layout room, and if I had my way, there would be very little or none in this house. It's a great source of dust, as even just walking on it causes the fibres deteriorate. It's also a great place to collect tracked-in dirt and dust, too.
It's your layout and your knees, too, of course, but I'd consider seeing a doctor before going shopping for broadloom.
Wayne
I have had a lot of pain in my feet, ankles, and knees. I blame this on arthritis and spending my entire working life on concrete. Working on my layout which is in the basement on concrete becomes extremely painful. I finally got some relief with a pair of SAS shoes. It's hard to explain how a pair of properly made, well-fitting shoes can make such a huge difference. The only drawback is they are expensive.
Made in the USA.
SouthPenn I have had a lot of pain in my feet, ankles, and knees. I blame this on arthritis and spending my entire working life on concrete. Working on my layout which is in the basement on concrete becomes extremely painful. I finally got some relief with a pair of SAS shoes. It's hard to explain how a pair of properly made, well-fitting shoes can make such a huge difference. The only drawback is they are expensive. Made in the USA.
This is one place not to skimp. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to clothes, but good shoes are a must.
I also put down antifatigue mats on concrete. Try some different ones if the first don't work well - as I have found some are much better than others. The finished part of my basement has an upgraded pad under the carpet - much better than carpet alone.
Paul
the local Home Depot has these foam squares that have tabs that interlock to the ones around them. They come in a 4 or 6 pack, I don't rember which. I think they are about 2' x 2', black and 1/2 or 3/4 thick. I live around Tacoma and I do not have a static problem. They are on my garage floor in all the aisleways in my walk in railroad plan. My garage is heated, with electric forced air. Of course it is always raining they say so perhaps that is why I do not have a static problem
Dayton and Mad River RR
HD also sells 6' rolls about 40" wide of half-inch black rubberized whateveritis runner material. I have two of them on my cement garage floor in my partitioned train room. They're heavy and don't like to lie flat at the inner roll end, unfortunately, but if you place a board and heavy weights across the end over a weekend you should come away with it pretty flat.
Some anti-static options in floor pads can be found here.
SeeYou190 My entire house sits on a flat cement slab, basically a garage floor, and on top of that I have porcelain tile over 95% of the house, basically more cement. . So far I have not had any problems. I just turned 50, hopefully I can keep this together for a bit longer. . -Kevin .