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Compacdave
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 12:03
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I'm finishing the inside of a Derksen shed. I'm interested in what advice people have about flooring. It currently just has 5/8 inch plywoord flooring. I'm thinking about putting a laminate flooring down as we will primarily be using this as a Man Cave space. What are all of the factors I should be considering in this process?
Thanks,
Dave

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 12:12
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Cheapest way to go is roll-out vinyl (or other) flooring. Is that what you mean, or laminated flooring like Pergo? That costs more, not too hard to install, but probably wont hold up as well to muddy boots etc. if that's what it will have to put up with.

ColdFlame
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 12:27
Reply 


+1 on vinyl flooring - I'll be replacing the floors in our home with "wood-look" vinyl plank floors. Damn near bomb proof, look nice, and no glue required. Use a nice underlay to help quiet it down and warm it up a little bit.

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 14:58
Reply 


Cheapest may be floor paint. Everything else is just a matter of how fancy you want, how many $$.

bobrok
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 16:50 - Edited by: bobrok
Reply 


Where is your place?
Just sharing this:
When I bought mine I had to do a lot of repair work in the kitchen and build the bathroom. The floor was the least of my problems so I bought inexpensive vinyl and laid that down.
Because we are in the north I was advised to float the vinyl and not even glue the perimeter because the hot/freeze cycles would not allow the adhesive to maintain itself.
So I floated the vinyl and over the years it has puckered here and there to the point where I now have small moguls to be aware of, even though I thought I had left enough room for expansion.
So I don't know whether I did right or wrong by using no adhesive.

drb777
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 17:10
Reply 


I choose laminate from Home Depot, Traffic Master made in Germany and cost 99 cents/sqft. The only addition was pink underlayment foam. Very easy to install, relatively cheap and a very nice look. During nearly all of 2013, HD had the Saratoga Hickory at the 99 cent price, and they usually have one such type on promotion/sale price. Probably not as "bullet proof" as some other surfaces, but it certainly is possible to replace a damaged piece since it is a floating system. I think laminate is a great choice for a cabin.

Compacdave
Member
# Posted: 5 Nov 2014 22:21
Reply 


Thanks for the advice. I live in Kansas so some significant weather variations, but I'm putting heat/ac in. I like the idea of laminate - price, looks, and relatively hardy.

22hemi13
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2014 05:29
Reply 


No glue vinyl planks from HD. Got on sale. Easy clean easy install. Been in a year now with heavy use
1415269583570960800.jpg
1415269583570960800.jpg


Hart Ridge
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2014 14:25
Reply 


I checked in with Lumber Liquidators and found laminate flooring for .49/square foot. Installed earlier this year and looks/works great.

project_north
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2014 14:54
Reply 


I'd recommend spending just a bit more money (can still be around 2.00 / s.f.) and put in a floating click-lock cork floor. I find laminate is cold and hard underfoot. Cork is warm, soft, quiet, has a significant pattern so hides dirt. I put it in my little place - easy to install for under $400.00. It's been in for 2 years over winter and there's been no shifting.

WheelervilleJerry
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2014 16:02
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I just picked up some Maple laminate from Home Depot for my hunting cabin, 0.68 per sq. ft. Glad to hear it has held up well for 22hemi. I'll check back in a few weeks with a report on the install, we've got a 20' x 16' surface to cover.

22hemi13
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2014 18:59
Reply 


I'm happy with it. When I say heavy use I mean heavy use its like this every time ot rains. Two kids spilling food, work boots. We don't even try to baby it. It is cold. Winter time gets a nice big throw rug
20141105_085947.jpg
20141105_085947.jpg


nik870
Member
# Posted: 6 Nov 2014 20:04
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I found some 3/4" cherrywood at lumber liquidators that was "damaged" for about $1 a sq ft. I can see a few scratches but nothing major. Cheap for a small area 120 sq ft cabin.
image.jpg
image.jpg


toofewweekends
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 01:44
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what do you like for flooring in a place that goes below freezing for days/weeks at a time? And gets snow/rain tracked in?

RiverCabin
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 10:46
Reply 


Quoting: drb777
I choose laminate from Home Depot, Traffic Master made in Germany and cost 99 cents/sqft. The only addition was pink underlayment foam. Very easy to install, relatively cheap and a very nice look


This is what I have done. The cheapest laminate has virtually no wood content and is almost impervious to moisture. It has worked great in my cabin.

creeky
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 11:18
Reply 


nik. that cherry looks awesome. i have a friend who put in cherry. it darkens with age and just keeps getting better looking. she put an area run over hers and now has this neat not aged (where the rug was) aged. nice.

i like cork. I found my last batch at almost 3 bucks a foot but it's warm and soft underfoot. I use it in the washroom as that's where bare feet will most often be.

Jim in NB
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 11:45
Reply 


MTN Don has a good idea with paint - you can pattern it if you want to get fancy - my shack just has plain 3/4 plywood - really good with three goldens coming in wet all the time!

skootamattaschmidty
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 12:00
Reply 


I too have used maple hardwood flooring. Dirt, snow etc gets tracked in and the cabin remains unheated for long periods in cold Ontario winters. It also gets very humid in the summers when it's if closed up for periods of time. The flooring has stood up extremely well and has been in over ten years now. No signs of warping, cupping etc. any marks, dents etc that have been caused by use just gives it extra character.

TheWildMan
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 13:40
Reply 


I used self adhesive linolium, comes in 12 inch by 12 inch tiles, peel off the back like a sticker and slap it in place, very fast to install, fairly good at keeping the floor dry/protected, easy to use, and fairly cheap

Snuffy
Member
# Posted: 7 Nov 2014 14:14
Reply 


Here's another option. http://www.picklee.com/2012/12/12/farmhouse-wide-plank-floor-made-from-plywood-diy/

smallworks
Member
# Posted: 14 Nov 2014 18:08
Reply 


Great thread~ I was about to ask about flooring! Thanks, Compacdave. Keep it coming.

Snuffy
Member
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 09:14
Reply 


I want wood flooring and insulation over a concrete slab to make it warmer. I assume a vapor barrier is needed. Should it go down first? Or should I put it over the foam insulation sheets and stringers (wood nailing strips), then the sheets of plywood on top?

creeky
Member
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 10:38
Reply 


snuffy your insulation sheets, xps I figure, should act as a vapour barrier if you seal 'em up right. but putting another barrier is okay i would think.

put the plywood right on top of the insulation. no stringers required. spreads the weight better too.

WheelervilleJerry
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2014 16:09
Reply 


Last weekend I installed about 300 sq ft of laminate flooring. From an appearance standpoint, its a game changer (at least compared to the plywood flooring that was there before). The laminate strikes me as very durable as well. Could't beat the price either, so overall I'm extremely happy with the outcome (Thanks 22Hemi13 for the recommendation).

A couple aspects of the project I'll pass along as well, My floor turns out to be a bit wavy, so some of the laminate seams are not as tight as I would have liked. The floor is slippery as well and takes a bit of getting used to. Total job took a full day to install.

Here are a couple before & after pic's;
Before
Before
After
After
After
After


ColdFlame
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2014 17:50
Reply 


Looks great WheelervilleJerry! Did you use an underlay, or just lay straight on top of your plywood?

22hemi13
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2014 19:07
Reply 


Looks killer

22hemi13
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2014 19:11
Reply 


I kinda did something like that with my counter
IMG_1805.JPG
IMG_1805.JPG


Steve_S
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2014 19:21 - Edited by: Steve_S
Reply 


One of the nicest & most cost effective floors I have seen in a "homestead" was old Barn Planks. They took planks off an old barn squared the edges and laid the floor down on top of the Plywood. To finish it, they used a floor buffer with a medium stripping pad and some light clean sand. Sanded it down and touched it up with a hand held sander... It showed the grain & age very well, was not 100% smooth or "perfect" but had an amazing character. The topped it with a low-gloss urethane varnish (I believe they said Minwax Product).

It looked terrific, was cheap as sin and only took some manual labour to finish it. It is what I plan on doing for my place as it really was something unique and looked great. There is always a barn falling down somewhere where enough planks can be recovered. As long as it is only Weathered and not rotten or ever in contact with water the woods harden up pretty nicely.

PS: I did a search and found this commercial site selling what I talked about... Look at the photo's and you'll see what I am talking about. Olde Wood Limited flooring

WheelervilleJerry
Member
# Posted: 21 Nov 2014 06:25
Reply 


Coldflame, I used a foam pad under the floor. I went with t the least expensive from Home Depot as the floor itself is insulated. Here is a picture.
20141117_203254.jpg
20141117_203254.jpg
20141117_155916.jpg
20141117_155916.jpg


WheelervilleJerry
Member
# Posted: 21 Nov 2014 06:29
Reply 


22Hemi13, very nice counter. I still have plumbing to do to tie in that stove/sink/fridge combo unit.

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