Reloading Flooring

[SSGJohnV]

Hello all,

I recently bought my first home and have managed to secure one of the spare bedrooms for my reloading/man cave room. I plan on putting my reloading bench in here but there's one concern I have. It's carpeted.

My question is what would be a good choice for a smooth sweepable surface of about 4x8+ feet that I could put down over the carpet? Ideally I would replace it with laminate, but we plan on renting out the house in a few years so keeping the carpet would be nice/cheaper.

Thanks! -John

[Youngeyes]

You can put down a flat plastic or rubber runner such as they have in hall ways....http://www.allmats.com/site/439205/page/506338...No matter what you do, you're still going to lose primers in the carpet. Those things can fly an incredible distance. Watch the vacuuming in the area. Excellent way to blow a primer. Good way to scare a new renter though.

[peterthefish]

A 4x8 sheet of birch ply. You can pop in a few screws to secure it to the subfloor, when you remove them the holes in the carpet will seal as long as you get the ply pretty snug.

[Sarge]

A 4x8 sheet of birch ply. You can pop in a few screws to secure it to the subfloor, when you remove them the holes in the carpet will seal as long as you get the ply pretty snug.

That's what I would do. Probably a cheaper grade of plywood though. 3/4" BC sanded would work fine.

[rdinga]

I have carpet in my reloading room and the primers dig in like ticks on a coon hound. If I could do it all over again, I would go with an inexpensive laminate wood floor.

and yes +1 on setting off a primer with the vacuum cleaner. I jumped about a foot in the air and hollered. After the shock passed I was accused of having an AD in the house by the wife. Funny now looking back..

[frag316]

Yeah, this. The ease with which a laminate floor can be installed really makes this the best option.

[Vlad]

Laminate floor is what I have in my reloading room. I suppose a 4x8 would work, but you probably would end up with different color aging for the carpet after a few years.

[NoSteel]

I'd place laminate over the top, yes discoloration could be a problem as it would be even if you had table, couch, etc. over on the carpet. How large is the room overall??

[SSGJohnV]

The room is roughly 10x12 or 12x12.

I'm tempted by the ease of going the plywood route with some sanding and sealer thrown in for practicality.

What about using those clear hard plastic floor mats you see for computer desks? Would you that discolor the carpet as well?

[peterthefish]

Discoloration is caused by blocking UV, not sure if the plastic mat would cause it.

You could float laminate over carpet. Get some cheapo .69/sqft stuff at grossmans. It would feel squishy to walk on but another way and better odds of keeping primers from rolling off the hard surface.

[RDA]

What about using those clear hard plastic floor mats you see for computer desks? Would you that discolor the carpet as well?

That is what I would do, just use one of those clear style plastic mats intended to go over carpeting.

[Bob DuBois]

Same man cave here. I used a large carpet mat think I bought it at Sams.

[mellow13]

This is a different application. It it would work well for yours. To get a stable platform for my elliptical trainer on high pile carpet, I had Home Depot cut a 3/4 inch section of some cheap ply. I overlaid it with one of those thin rubber mats made to go under treadmills and ellipticals, cut to length with just a little overhang to hide the board. After two years, there's no discoloration to the carpet. Despite the thick carpet, the elliptical doesn't move when used. I like the idea of the poster above of anchoring down with some long countersunk screws.

Here's a link to something similar.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005SUIX4W/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?qid=1416944919&sr=8-8π=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

[b1gcountry]

The plywood suggestion would be my go to idea. Another option is to get a canvas painters drop cloth that will cover the whole floor, and lay it flat. I've done this a number of times, and it sweeps up well. The canvas stays in place very well of you are careful to lay it flat.

[hondakilla98]

I'm not sure what it's called, but it's thin plastic sheeting with a mild adhesive on the back. It's used in new homes to protect the carpet during final cleaning. You could buy a roll of that. Do the whole room, and then put your plywood on to of the plastic under the bench. That would keep the primers that get away out of your carpet, and give you a hard surface directly under your bench for easy cleanup.

[peterthefish]

I'm not sure what it's called, but it's thin plastic sheeting with a mild adhesive on the back. It's used in new homes to protect the carpet during final cleaning. You could buy a roll of that. Do the whole room, and then put your plywood on to of the plastic under the bench. That would keep the primers that get away out of your carpet, and give you a hard surface directly under your bench for easy cleanup.

Best idea yet.

[b1gcountry]

That will not last very long in high wear areas.