Floor protection

df0101

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Finally I am getting an air conditioned room for crafts, gun maintenance, reloading or porn...the room has brand new oak floors. I'm thinking laying down those interlocking rubber mats on top of the hardwood for protection. What do you all recommend? Ideally it'll be easy to install and uninstall, easy to clean and not breaking the bank.
 
I put down sheet vinyl in my hobby room because it's cheap, easy enough to remove replace, and has some give to it in case I drop Fra-jee-lay things. But I'm not protecting hardwood there. I think an area rug might do you well, unless youre worried about solvent spills or potentially dangerous stuff building up (i.e. do you reload?) <<<EDIT: just reread your post. Yes, you do. :)

I've used the interlocking mats over concrete, and they are good, but you have to pull them up to clean thoroughly. In that location, I also used 3' wide, 1/2" thick vinyl/foam runner from Lowe's. It was about $3-$4 a linear foot, and I put it in front of benches & tools, and put a piece of commercial carpet over the wider spaces.

Word of warning: commercial carpet doesn't have selvedged (sp?) edges, so loose threads like to attack the vacuum cleaner! Also, the backing isn't of the highest quality and may leave sticky residue if left down for years on end.
 
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those rubber mats won't be too easy to clean. I like vinyl plank personally, and it's cheap and easy to lay down and waterproof......but it's more of a semi to permanent solution. Easiest protection would be a remnant of carpet.
Not sure if you have an Ollie's store nearby but they have great prices on flooring.
 
Yeah I agree with @Ikarus1

The new vinyl locking floor planks are incredibly easy to install, very water, and pee, and poop (have it installed in my mudroom where our dogs sleep) resistant and cheaper than both vinyl sheet or the rubber mats.

I put the puzzle rubber mats down one time and thought they'd be what you're expecting but they were incredibly hard to clean.
 
Use this and tape the joints with duck tape. Cheap and pretty tough
These are 4x8 sheets. They make 2 different thicknesses

https://m.lowes.com/pd/47-75-in-x-7...XcX0IKSuOzaReT-_1O9vzEH8sRyRBdXAaAkr4EALw_wcB

That link comes up a 404 not found on my phone and PC.

But I thought about it, and if you REALLY want some sort of rubber that's fairly easy to clean and portable, then get horse stall mats from Tractor Supply or a similar supply store. Now.....they're not inexpensive, and they're heavy but that's
what they put down in crossfit gyms and they hold up to whatever abuse those guys and girls can dish out. People also use them for backstops for archery at close ranges.
 
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