The question about covering the front of bench work uglies got me to thinking. What is on your floor? I started with old carpet on thick padding over my concrete floor. It wasn't to bad for first 10 or so years but it was starting to loose its cushion ability. I got some floor pads from Harbor freight.
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I put them right over my worn out carpet. I had to put duct tape on the joints to hold it together. I think that might be from it walking on the carpet under it. Any way I love it, in fact I had a very expensive loco hit the floor last week. Very little damage and that was minor. I should say no damage from 48 +- inches.

The floor is covered with natural rubber. It is about the same stuff you find at a lot of airports in black with pimples. Mine is light brown with sprinkled dots. It is extreme robust and nothing really sticks to it. Dripping paint and glue can be pealed off the next day when it has set.

I started with just the train room, using the Rustoleum basement floor epoxy paint. I liked it so well we did the entire basement. It holds up very well, even in the laundry room where the washer goes to the floor drain. We used the tan with the sprinkles. Cuts way down on the dust in the basement and really brightens up the entire basement. Then in the train room I have a 8X10 piece of thick carpet that covers the open area. Makes it warm for my old toes in the winter.

Tom

My floor is 3/4 tongue and grooved OSB, painted for now. After the messy work is finally all finished I think I will use the pads Lester is using. I used them in the office at the railroad and they are really nice to walk on. I didn't use a concrete floor in my building because I spent 30 years on concrete, and that's enough.
Charlie

Carpet with padding underneath.

Regular carpet with foam padding..I never liked shag carpet in the train room for obvious reasons.

Indoor/outdoor style carpeting , no pad .

T

I have vinyl flooring that looks like wood, (I didn't want to spend the money for wood flooring and didn't think carpeting would be good to do modeling on) and I'm also using some of those Harbor Freight mats around the train tables just to make it more comfortable to walk on. The only problem with that is that little bits and pieces get trapped around the mat and the floor.

Where the "layout" is modules that are routinely taken to show, and back, the floor they are on is peel and press tiles on primed and prepared concrete floor. It may be a bit hard on the feet, but it is easier to level out the modules when they "come home".
I haven't gotten to the point of dealing with the "front of bench work uglies", .......yet.

Sectional rubber flooring made from recycled rubber. They work extremely well and are easy on the feet.

Current room is wall-to-wall carpet. That's what it came with and SWMBO won't have it taken out.
The back room is concrete floor; I think it was painted with concrete paint. If I use the workbench there I have some colourful rubber mats from the kiddy department.

Previous layout room was tile stuck to concrete. Area inside the layout had various layers of rugs. Tile was lifting and shattering.
Work bench had a plastic desk mat for the chair. Also various bits of carpet.

My own choice would be a hard floor that parts don't disappear into.

I put down one of those engineered, snap together floors in the basement before I started on the layouts bench work. I got it as a closeout deal from lumber liquidators, I managed to do the entire floor for next to nothing. You can see some of it in this pic...[attachment=15901]

I used a laminate flooring (5 years ago) and it isn't holding up very well. Especially where my rolling desk chair sits. The good thing is that this type of flooring is cheap and easily replacible.

Greg Amer

The floor in my layout room is bare concrete. Smooth and easy to keep clean with an occasional vacuuming. There's too much work yet to be done on the layout to worry about finishing the floor, and I doubt that either will ever get finished.








Wayne

I'm in the process of moving down south and the house I've found has a walkout with a wood floor.

The house is only 3 years old so I'd hate to cover that flooring with anything, but comfort will be an issue long term. Not to mention I'm having the benchwork "professionally" built this time 'round and the floor will experience some wear and tear I'm sure.

Electrical mats might be the way to go, but they sure are ugly.