Train room prep...need ideas

Hi all,
I'm renovating a spare bedroom so that I can finally get my layout going. Right now the room has carpeting on the floor which is coming out, I'm trying to figure out what to replace the carpet with that won't be a pain when building the layout and that won't cost a fortune. The room is 10 X 11 and pretty much square. A friend suggested I use plywood (cabinet grade) and then seal it with a garage floor sealer expoxy. Does anybody know if the stuff gives of odors like casting resin? I'd hate to gas myself out. I've thought about tile squares but they still seem expensive, maybe I could find some remenaces. Anyway I'm looking for ideas.

2slim

 

Not sure you'd want to do that inside a house.

At least install an edging around the plywood to contain the mess as you flow it out of the can. Don't know what would happen if that epoxy gets between your walls and drips down into the basement.

ICK!

Tile squares sounds cheap and safe.

You could also get carpet tiles and use a combination of hard tiles under the layout and carpet where you walk. That would be easier on your legs and back and provide a solid footing for the layout.

Just an idea.

 

2slim, you didn't say, but I assume you have a concrete slab floor under the carpet. If so, I recommend putting down adhesive-backed vinyl tile squares. I used a medium grade, almost white, smooth surface tile. The cost shown for the first item on Lowe's website under vinyl tile squares is $30.48 for a box of 45, or $0.67/square, though there are many other choices. The cost to tile your room would be less than $75 if you lay it yourself, which is quick and easy.

I like the vinyl because it's easy to keep clean, very easy to locate tiny pieces that have been dropped, and comfortable to stand on for long periods....a real plus when building a layout. I had a carpet floor a while back and the only way I found tiny pieces was to hear them rattle up the hose when vacuuming, so they were lost forever. :tb-hissyfit:

 

I think there is a lot of personal preferences involved. I was looking for a floor that was very easy to clean, lost parts are easy to find (no carpet for me...), professional looking and dirt or debris from building the layout would not to be too obvious (which rules out a white floor).

I settled on ceramic tiles, light grey with a slight variation in color: Yes, they can be a pain to put down, but once done it is a very robust floor, extremely easy to clean!

Downside: It can be hard on the feet if we operate for more than 4 hours (which has happened) and is definitively hard on any engine or car that takes the dive (which also has happened...)

Cheers
Dirk

 

I didn't want carpet either, so I went with a "wanna be" hard wood floor from Ikea.
IKEA | Flooring | Laminated floors | TUNDRA | Floor, click-lock function
It has some "give" in it, since I put down the foam moister barrier under it. It's really easy to clean, pretty easy to find small parts on, and will end up complimenting my layout facia.

http://www.owensvalleysub.com/Aprilpics/layoutroomready.jpg

-Mike

 

You didn't say what's under the carpet that you're taking out. I assume you really don't like either that carpet, or maybe any carpet. You also didn't mention what kind of layout you'll have, and how your benchwork will be constructed. A third consideration might be if this room will be a dedicated train room for a long time, or if you might have to "reconfigure" your home to provide a baby room or something.

I have carpet in my train room, which is also the family room. I didn't have much choice in the matter, but I actually like it a lot. It's comfortable to walk and stand on, and it's warm under shoeless feet. My layout is a free-standing table on wheels, 5x12 feet, and this works OK on the carpet as well. But, my layout room is NOT my workroom. That's downstairs.

I've put down self-stick vinyl tile in a couple of rooms. It needs a clean plywood base, or treated concrete. We have one room with a particle-board sub-floor, and I had to install 1/4 inch plywood before I could lay the tile. They said the tile adhesive wouldn't stick to the particle board. Likewise, the unfinished concrete in the basement needed to be coated with a sealer. After taking these precautions, though, the tile stays on very well.

You might also consider a piece of linoleum. This is cheap, quick and easy, and provides a nice surface without annoying tile joints.

 

I picked up some inexpensive laminate (imitation hardwood) floor at Lumber Liquidators. It's been down a year, and it's doing fairly well. It does have one good dent from a power screwdriver strike.


Laminate flooring installed in my train room.

I like it because it is easy to clean, looks good, and it was cheap (maybe $100 for material & around $150 for a guy I found on craigslist to install it).

 

My personal preference for my individual setting was carpet for a couple reasons.
1. My trainroom is in the basement and the slab floor is COLD. Using a thicker carpet pad gave me some insulating value.
2. The thicker pad gives me the ability to stand for longer periods of time. Less fatigue.
3. Expensive things that feel a need to bungy jump off the edge of the layout are usually fixable with minimal effort.

Downsides are:
1. I had to readjust my table legs slightly as they did settle into the carpet after the first month.
2. Permanemt color modification when one drops any paint on the floor. @#$%$#$!

I used a short loop berber carpet so if I drop small parts (ie. headlight lenses, trip pins, etc.) they are still findable.

Brian

 

I used rubber matting from Softtiles on my basement floor. Great on the feet and legs. Everyone that walks on it remarks about it and it is super easy to keep clean.

http://www.softtiles.com/

At the time I bought mine it was running $1.10 sq ft.

Larry
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/ppuser/8745/cat/500

 

Larry,

the rubber floor looks like a neat idea. How do you keep it clean? Just vacuum it?
How resilient is it to paint spills? Can you stand layout legs on them or will they shrink with the load?

And I assume you did pick a different design than THIS:



Cheers
Dirk

 

I'm with Brian (Artic Train), carpet was the way for me. I had to adopt strict paint rules to keep the Mrs happy, and I've only lost maybe a bolster pin or two. Otherwise, I like the sound dampening and it feels comfy.

 

Thanks for all the input

Lots of good ideas, thanks. I've decided to go with vynal flooring tile squares, found some at Home Depot with a light wood grain pattern for .35 each so about $40 to $45 for my needs. At that price I might be able to have someone install them, (and save my old bones the trouble) Again guys thanks for the input.

Cheers
2slim

 

I'm probbaly gonna be installing a short pile "school type" carpet down the walkways once the layout is done. Some padding under it would help the joints too-or back in my case.

 

Carpeting in the layout room here. Painting, glueing and so on are done at the workbench which has a cement floor.

 

I went with the solid gray. This gives an idea of how it looks


Clean up is a snap. Wet rag or mop or such. I spilled a tub of plaster last month, easy wipe up clean up. I also had the dehumidifier go wacko last summer and it put out a few gallons on the floor. No problem, pull up the tiles, wipe them off and put them back down.
Very easy on the feet but anything you put on them like table legs will dig into it. I cut my tiles around the legs (the layout was already in place).

Larry

 

I've a carpet, not the plastic type, a woolen carpet. This one forgives the solder iron. :angel: You see only minor spots.

I like carpet. I sit often on the floor. :angel:

Wolfgang

 

I have to take down the Photobucket shot of my rubber floor. Here is a replacement photo from RailImages


Larry

 

This is actually a good idea. I have been completing my "workshop" and after that's done, work begins on my new room for the "Albemarle Divsion". I have chosen this same floor for my workshop and probably the trainroom because of its durability and several grades have a finish that impervious to acetone and laquer thinner. (Important for the workshop especially). In the trainroom aisles, I will probably put down gel mats similar to what is used along the floors in front of work areas in commercial kitchens. This will give me durability on the floor, plus comfort to the feet in the aisles.