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I’m building a new studio and I’m undecided on what type of flooring to choose. Although I will have a separate concrete floored area for most cold working tasks, some will be done in the main layup/design portion of the studio. The entire building will have a poured concrete subfloor, which I’m considering having polished and possibly epoxy-stained, but I’m not sure this is the best idea for the finished floor.

I always work standing and so comfort is a consideration, but in previous studios I used mats for cushioning hard surface areas that got the most use. Cleanability, dust control and my seemingly perpetual clumsiness are all top considerations for me. I know...clumsiness, glass and hard surfaces can be a challenging combination!

If you were choosing the best, overall flooring for a glass studio, what would it be?

Thank you for your input!

Sharol

Concrete, honed but not polished (look up the grades of finishing concrete, I went for the last one before polish), and don't bother staining it.
On top of that, perforated interlocking rubber 3'x3' floor mats. Home Depot's got them. You'll be able to re-configure them, take them outside to hose down once a year, the glass chips will fall through and look interesting, easy on your feet, inexpensive, you can cut them with a razor knife to fit. If they don't interlock the way you like, use cable ties to hold them together. Just put them outside for a week or two to offgas before you bring them in.

PM me if you want more info on new studio set up.

17 years ago I had commercial grade floor tile (like used in Walmart etc) installed over the concrete base. It has stood up well, is easy to wet mop, and you can move stuff around without damage to floor. I initially used rubber mats in areas where I stand but I found they were a trip hazard.. I will admit to some leg discomfort if standing for a stretch of 3 or 4 hours (but I'm almost 80) Younger bodies may be more able!

Thanks Don and Marty.

Marty, I checked out the different concrete finishes and a honed surface sounds like a good option. Pretty nice looking too. This new studio is about 2/3 the size of my previous one and so space management is a bit of a challenge. Although I think I have the layout where the kilns make the most sense, they will be on heavy duty casters for if/when I need to rearrange things. I feel comfortable that concrete could handle this well and would be easiest to keep clean too.

I sure wish I’d planned for a bit more space and maybe a separate quiet alcove for drawing stuff up. I’m a little worried about the acoustics with the concrete and high ceilings. I’m sure it will all work out. I’ll just be happy when I can get back to cookin’ some glass!

Thanks again!