What's the best type of flooring to put under a layout? I've seen pictures of others' layouts, with a wide variety of floor. If you check out my thread (in N-scale), on my new train shed, right now I have a bare plywood floor in there. I'm wondering what to put down: laminate, vinyl stick on tile, foam backed vinyl (like what goes into kids playhouses); foam padding (the soft grey, 1 inch thick interlocking stuff), indoor/outdoor carpeting. For cleaning, laminate and/or the vinyl tile seems to be the best; the foam padding is the "cushiest" for the accidental fumble fingers; the foam-backed vinyl an interesting compromise. Just wondering what others have/would put down when given an option.
Hi, I used a light colored vinyl stick on tile. As you pointed out it is easy to clean and the combination of no or very little texture and being almost white makes parts are fairly easy to find when they fall. An added benefit of the tile floor is the noise that is made when the part falls, assuming that the part has some mass, helps locate it also. The peel and stick tiles are easy to install and your building can be tiled in an evening. My wife and I tiled my 10 X 12 building in a couple hours. Gary
I did the same as Gary for all the same reasons, though my tile was laid directly onto a concrete slab. I still have no complaints after two years of layout building and operation. BTW, my tile cost about $0.45 a square foot at Lowe's in 2007.
Rick, you'll find a lot of choices in flooring. A lot will depend on what end result you are looking for. My layout is in a spare bedroom and carpeted. I like it, but parts can be hard to find in it. Since it's a bedroom and wall-to-wall carpet, I won't be changing it. If I had a bare floor to deal with, I would be looking at carpet tiles, interlocking foam or padded vinyl. The carpet tiles I've seen are about 24" square, have an integral foam cushion and just lay down on the subfloor. Any piece that gets damaged in some way is easy to replace or clean. You mentioned the interlocking foam pieces, so I guess you already know about them. The padded vinyl is something I ran across last year while renovating one of my apartments. It's sheet vinyl, but it has a layer of foam cushioning under it. It is strictly lay down only - NO GLUE! I used it in a kitchen and it looks great a year later! Cost wise, I think the vinyl is cheapest, followed by the interlocking foam. Carpet tiles are the most expensive of the three but carpeting really gives a "finished" look to a room. In terms of comfort, I think the carpeting is easiest on the feet and back. The interlocking foam should be almost as gentle. The vinyl, although cushioned, is still harder than the carpet or foam. The vinyl is easiest to clean and makes finding small dropped parts easier to find, too. You mentioned several other choices of flooring. Laminate flooring can be a great option, too. It goes down easily, wears well, is not too hard on the feet and parts are easy to find on it. Cost can be a concern. I would stay away from vinyl stick-on tiles. Just my preference because I've never had the best of luck with the stuff. I would also avoid indoor/outdoor carpeting. In my experience, it has a coarse finish to it that would make finding small parts nearly impossible, it isn't as cushiony as carpet or foam and it doesn't wear well. Well, there's my experiences. Lots of considerations for you. Good luck in your choice! Darrell, quiet...for now
You might also want to think about how you'll run your trains. If your the lazy type like me, and want a tall office rolling chair to scoot around in, carpet and cushion flooring might not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you are content with just standing, the carpet and cushion will be easiest on the body.
I've carpet on stone floor, which is isolated from the concrete. You stand better. And you sit better. Wolfgang
hi, i'm new but... with my layout in my shed (which unfortunatly shares space with my sportbike and lawn tools), i get VERY tired of standing on a concrete floor. i have a bathmat that no longer matches our bathroom decor in there and it helps some, and i even have dr. scholls in my boots i'd highly suggest a chair or the cushy vinyl or carpet but the way i've enjoyed looking at your train shed... looks like a lot of nice hours will be spent in there!
Hi Guzman, Welcome to the TrainBoard, we're happy to have you aboard. You might consider an inexpensive kitchen or bar stool with casters, assuming the height of your table or benchwork will allow it. Then you'd only have to stand to reach across the layout......just a thought.
Welcome, Guzman. I've chosen to go with the self-stick vinyl tiles, and will be installing them this week. Spent the last week "finishing" the interior. Put insulation up, and walls. Painted everything yesterday. Will post new photos later, and update my main thread.
CeramicTile At my wife's insistence I just finished laying 13x13 porcelain tiles in the train room. She said that it would be much easier to keep swept, moped and cleaned up with tile. Jeeze, I hadn't planned on cleaning!!! Going to have to make sure I don't have any derails that hit the floor. It will make finding that coupler spring that went sproing a little easier.
Hard tile may make the spring, and other "sproingy" stuff, bounce further and totally out of sight.......:tb-hissyfit: Consider laying pieces of carpet in the walkway and under the edges of the benchwork. This would give a dropped locomotive a fighting chance at survival, also stop "sproingies" from bouncing as far......just a thought. :tb-biggrin:
True, but I have a two year old granddaughter that can find a gnats eye in shag carpet. For a Tootsie Pop she'll look for hours. She usually finds things in mere seconds.
