[Greenbuilding] Work shop floor

[Speireag Alden]

Thank you!

     Some folks have written with nifty ideas, including some  
castable interlocking gecko-shaped pavers which I enjoy picturing:

     http://www.geckostone.com/pavers.html

     I rather like the notion of pavers which would not require edge  
constraints, and could be cut to fit odd shapes.

     It would take a long time to cast enough of them, though, unless  
you bought a lot of molds.  At $5 per bag of concrete, they would  
only cost $1.25 each.  At .66 square feet per, that's a cost of about  
$1.90 per square foot, which competes well with pavers.  The  
temptation to cast multiple colors and mix and match them is pretty  
substantial.

     On the other hand, especially for the living spaces, it's hard  
to beat wood, and here's an application where I could use local  
hardwoods in the heavily forested land around my house.  I'd have to  
plan ahead and get them cut and let them cure.  But considering how  
fast this project is going, that has a lot to be said for it.

     Put radiant heat tubes under the end-grain hardwood, and even  
carpenter ants would have a hard time loving the stuff.

     I'm still not clear on why pavers might have ant problems where  
end-grain wood wouldn't...

     But, one of the sites pointed out that you can take pressure- 
treated wood, cross-cut it, and lay it down.  I would have said not,  
when pressure-treated wood commonly had arsenic in it, but I'm a bit  
more interested in the thought of ACQ wood in that application.  One  
concern which pops to mind for such would be dusting.  Is copper dust  
a health issue?  More homework needed...

     Hm... now I have enough to think about.  Thank you!

-Speireag.



--
A multitude of laws in a country is like a great number of  
physicians, a sign of weakness and malady.
--Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778)