Covering carpet in hobby room

[MuleyFever]

I have a room I have used just as a workout room with a few pieces of equipment like a rower and treadmill and some weights and stuff. I had a couple mats down that work ok but they move and are soft. My wife has started getting into making stained glass artwork and set up in the room as well. I would like to cover the entire carpeted floor with something but I dont want it to be soft; I want her to be able to use a rolling chair. Curious if any of you are using something that would work. I dont want to order something and find out its really soft.

 

[grfox92]

Equine stall mats from tractor supply. They have thin ones and the thicker ones. The only thing I will say is if you go that route, get a hand truck, roll the mats up and ratchet strap them, because those heavy ass mats are a nightmare to try and move by your self.

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[MuleyFever]

Equine stall mats from tractor supply. They have thin ones and the thicker ones. The only thing I will say is if you go that route, get a hand truck, roll the mats up and ratchet strap them, because those heavy ass mats are a nightmare to try and move by your self.

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Do they have that strong rubber smell though?

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Do they have that strong rubber smell though?

Yes, buy them and leave them outside for a month or so if you can, not stacked

 

[MuleyFever]

Looked at what Cal Ranch has and they have the 12"x12" interlocking stall mat. That may be a good option.

 

[grfox92]

Do they have that strong rubber smell though?

Hmmm. I used them as a floor in my food truck and never smelled it. My wife is about the most smell sensitive person I've ever met and if they had any smell she would have let me know. I routinely mopped them all the time with dish soap and hot water so maybe if there was a smell I pulled the oils out of them and killed it.

Maybe buy 1 or 2 and leave them in a small room with the door closed for a little bit and m given it a smell test. I agree, id hate to make an investment and have a chemical smell to deal with.

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[BigMiss]

Tear out the carpet. The oils from any rubber mats have a good chance of staining the carpet over time, not to mention you're dealing with the cushion of the carpet. Personally, I'd rip the carpet out and use 3/8" rolled rubber or interlocking tiles right over what I assume is a slab.

 

[grfox92]

Yes, buy them and leave them outside for a month or so if you can, not stacked

This tracks because I put the floor in and the truck remained parked for a few months while I finished building it in my spare time, so if there was a smell it has plenty of time to dissipate.

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[MuleyFever]

Tear out the carpet. The oils from any rubber mats have a good chance of staining the carpet over time, not to mention you're dealing with the cushion of the carpet. Personally, I'd rip the carpet out and use 3/8" rolled rubber or interlocking tiles right over what I assume is a slab.

Thought about this too but then I would have to have carpet installed back in when we sell. That may not be soon but who knows. We definitely are not committed to staying here. Guess if the carpet stains I am in the same boat anyway.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Tear carpet out. Lay vinyl plank flooring. About anyone can install

 

[BigMiss]

C

Thought about this too but then I would have to have carpet installed back in when we sell. That may not be soon but who knows. We definitely are not committed to staying here. Guess if the carpet stains I am in the same boat anyway.

Carpet is cheap compared to every other flooring surface. If you want a rolling chair, your options are wood, sheet vinyl, tile, or rubber. No floating floors like LVP or laminate are approved for rolling loads. If it is a standard size bedroom, you can definitely find a guy to stretch in some new cheap carpet for a few hundred bucks. I think you'll be happiest with rubber or vinyl. If you go sheet vinyl, you can install the carpet over the top when you go to sell and it will likely be cheaper than rubber. Rubber can also be difficult to clean, especially if it gets dusty or has spills.

 

[BigMiss]

Tear carpet out. Lay vinyl plank flooring. About anyone can install

Cannot do floating vinyl plank with rolling loads.

 

[MuleyFever]

Cannot do floating vinyl plank with rolling loads.

Didnt realize that. She will have a chair and maybe a rolling cart but they wouldnt move very far.

 

[BigMiss]

Didnt realize that. She will have a chair and maybe a rolling cart but they wouldnt move very far.

Is it over concrete or wood subfloor? I am not aware of a single floating floor that is approved for use with rolling loads. However, if your substrate is flat to within manufacturers tolerances - typically 3/16" in 10' or 1/8" in 6', you may have your floor last a couple of years. It is guaranteed to fail with enough use though. How quickly depends on how much weight is rolled on it and how frequently. If your substrate is not flat enough, don't even think about floating plank floors unless you are going to level it either with a full self-leveling pour, or a combo of skim coating with something like Ardex feather finish and grinding concrete.

 

[Pescetism]

It's a better option than floating LVP/LVT but I'd be cautious about using sheet vinyl (loose layed or glued) with rolling loads. We've had several claims on commercial vinyls meant for hospitals, hotels, schools, etc. due to rolling loads in light/moderate traffic areas. Using a rolling cart occasionally would worry me less than daily roller chair usage.

 

[madtinker]

I was also going to suggest ripping out the carpet and putting in plank, then remembered my own experience leveling the slab, etc., etc. Ripping out carpet may be opening a can of worms. However, you you could do something low cost and durable, then put a cheap vinyl over the floor when you sell.

 

[BigMiss]

It's a better option than floating LVP/LVT but I'd be cautious about using sheet vinyl (loose layed or glued) with rolling loads. We've had several claims on commercial vinyls meant for hospitals, hotels, schools, etc. due to rolling loads in light/moderate traffic areas. Using a rolling cart occasionally would worry me less than daily roller chair usage.

Agreed. Sheet vinyl should be fine if fully glued either with a quality pressure sensitive or a hard set adhesive. Loose laid could pose some issues, but the benefit of loose laying is its easily repairable. I also assumed we're talking about a small area that would likely be a drop without a seam.

 

[Pescetism]

It isn't the attractive option, but if you're considering selling in the relatively near future, could you live with a bare floor until you're closer to moving? No functional issues with machines and rolling loads on subfloor/concrete and you'd just be out the cost of replacing tack strip, pad, and having the carpet reinstalled assuming it isn't damaged in the removal.

I can't think of a suitable product or category of products for installing over carpet without significant problems.

 

[MuleyFever]

I dont remember the measurements but around 120 sqft (10x12 maybe) with a concrete floor.

 

[BigMiss]

@Pescetism Has a great suggestion. If you don't care about being on the concrete, you're out much less money.