RR Room Flooring

[Anonymous]

I am moving and I will have a room for a new layout. My current one is in my garage. This one will be in doors and I was wondering if I should replce the carpet with somethin else? Any of you who have indoor layouts what do you have as the floor?

[camarokid]

[#welcome]
Carpet is a great dust collector. After having said that, when I finally get to putting down something on my cement floor it will be quarter inch plywood on one by two's covered with CARPET!! I'm tired of cement floors at work and in my train room. I'm sure you will get more and very interesting comments on this question.
Archie

[claycts]

This I can speak of. For us OLDER folks the hot ticket is:
2x4 sleepers laid on there side with .5" OSB on top, then PAINT. DO NOT nail the 2x4" tp the concrete but do nail the OSB to the 2x4. If you are in "COLD COUNTRY" place foan between the 2x4's fo insulation. this gives you a floor that FLOATS and will absorb the impact of walking on it. My basement is 1800 sq ft and I this and it works great. The wife even liked the feel under foot.

[tomwatkins]

I've got tight weave commercial carpet in my RR room and I really like it. It's been down about 10 years and it still looks good. It's very easy on my feet and knees, and it vaccuums up very easily.
There are lots of ways to do this, but my vote is for carpet.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[jrbarney]

Metallica,
My vote is for anything other than raw concrete, which in some cases, has a tendency to form dust, if not sealed. If you ultimately do choose carpeting, I suggest you put a sheet of plastic, such as a chair mat from an office supply store, underneath the near edge of your workbench. If you've ever lost a coupler spring, truck spring or other small part . . . .
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[bandit0517]

Sam's Club has kind of a rubbery like tile that fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. The picture shows it being used on shop floors, kids' playrooms, in front of service area desks. It provides a nice cushion and comes eight pieces in a pack for $12-$14 dollars. Each square is 2' x 2'. I did my basement for a play area for my son and decided to put it round the railroad as well. It is very easy to cut if you need to go around the legs of your benchwork

[Anonymous]

Get that carpet out of there! the last thing you need is to drop a part and never find it again in that carpet. Take the carpet out, head to the local Home depot (or whatever) and pick up some industrial rubber floor mats. These are usually cushioned and gray in color. cover the floor with them and you'll never lose a part again. plus being cushioned, they're comfportable to walk on barefoot and will absorb some impact of fallen stock, with minimal damage to said item.

This is an example: http://www.commercialmatsandrubber.com/store.cfm?d=0&c=8963&p=19877&do=detail

[jwar]

This is a matter of personal tastes. However it sounds like this room is in the house. If it is in the house a bare floor or rubber mats to me would be an eyesore. Just my personal openion. If in the basement I would consider the rubber mats,

However my room is in the house and I elected to seal the concreat, install a concreat type carpet pad, and used a tight weave industrial carpet. It accents the adjoining room nicely and those small parts dont get lost, if its a loose nap or shag carpet it will, especially track nails and other small pointy things

I have worked aroung the locking type mats as a machinist, they dont lock that great and I dont like tripping hazards. However the above mats may be somthing I havent used.

Regardless of any type of carpet, the leg weight of the structure will ruin it anyways. This is the main reason I went with an industrial carpet, easy on the feet, knees, and back and also on the pocketbook and looks great, a shop vac would be a good idea clean it often and you will be surprised at whats in the tank.

Just another thought, ask the wife and see what she thinks, theres ways to keep costly items out of the train budget....food for thought.

[cwclark]

I don't like to stand on concrete for too long because it starts to hurt my back, knees, and feet...I use an industrial grade carpet (with foam padding underneath) in the train room..it has a very low profile, thin mat, and if i miss the drop cloth, it's easy to clean up...it also keeps my toes warm in winter time...chuck

[Anonymous]

We use rubber mats from Humane Manufacturing. (www.humanemfg.com). Just put a piece of plastic down and the interlocked mats. They will even custom cut the mats to your spec and they are easy to install. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Now for authenticity, a bed of grimy ballast or oil-soaked sand would do the trick....otherwise I recommend cushioned rubber floor tiles or commercial-grade carpet and padding.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your suggestions

[johncolley]

One more suggestion: If you use carpet and drop a part you can't see, and you will, Use the old pro's trick of an old pantyhose leg in the vacuum pipe. when you have vacuumed up the area, take out the pantyhose and find all the other parts you lost too!

[rvanparys]

My layout room is in our lower level. We used commercial grade carpet for the entire level. It wears like iron and small parts don't get lost.... Having said that, I hand vac with an old nylon over the suction end is a God send...

If you install carpet over concrete make sure that you use a mat that will breath. Felt was recommended over the reconstituted foam by our installer and they did an excellent job.

If you have potential moisture problems then maybe one of the other suggestions would work better. If you tape a piece of plastic to a concrete floor you will soon see if you collect moisture. Most new construction has visqueen under the floors in our area.

I hope this helps...

Roger

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by claycts

This I can speak of. For us OLDER folks the hot ticket is:
2x4 sleepers laid on there side with .5" OSB on top, then PAINT. DO NOT nail the 2x4" tp the concrete but do nail the OSB to the 2x4. If you are in "COLD COUNTRY" place foan between the 2x4's fo insulation. this gives you a floor that FLOATS and will absorb the impact of walking on it. My basement is 1800 sq ft and I this and it works great. The wife even liked the feel under foot.

I thought of doing this for a room I was plannng to build in the basement at the old house, except I was going to use pressure treated lumber. For other than a basement, I kinda like these "new"? 2 by 3's I've noticed lately at the home center lumber area.[8D]

[gmpullman]

Check out "Legato" carpet by Milliken. I used this stuff in several of my rooms and I am gradually puting it in my layout (basement) room. It has a built in vapor barrier and it is 2x2 foot squares with a slightly sticky back...
Spill a little reefer yellow on it and you can peel up the bad piece and replace it. This stuff fits nice and snug and you can't see the seams! I love it! Plus, try to lay roll carpeting under an existing layout! Chain-saw the legs off?
Homer Depot has it for about $2.70/sf but I found it on sale once for $2/sf. Compare that with carpet and pad and it's reasonable...
Thanks, Ed

[Anonymous]

Lots and lots of remnants!!![:I]

[colin_mcleod]

Hi. I've had a carpet floor on my loft layout for over 30 years and would not have anything else. Its my hobby and I like to be comfortable. Yes, it can attract dust. Best place for the dust to be attracted to.- i.e. away from the layout. A couple of minutes with the vauccm cleaner and it cleans up "good as new". It looks good too.