So Jen and I have been tossing around ides for what to use as flooring in the new space. We’ve gone around and around on what specifically to use, but have remained fairly firm on the characteristics we require.

We need it to be:

• Hard enough to roll carts of supplies around on.
• Easy to sweep and clean
• Unique enough to still enjoy after years
• Versatile, this might someday be livable space
• Relatively inexpensive and fast to install

We could go the Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT) route that we already did downstairs. Maybe in a funkier color or pattern.

The only problem with doing the floor like this is that it involves laying down thin plywood and then using levelling compound to make sure that the VCT will lay properly without gaps or cracking in the future. Cheap, but time-consuming

We talked about doing a plate steel floor polished with beeswax. I saw it on some fancy pants home show where they installed it in a kitchen. I thought it looked amazing but I would be concerned about the amount of light it would absorb. We really need every single bit of light we get for the work we’re doing. Unique, but potentially expensive and difficult to work with.

There’s always the option of some type of laminate flooring like Pergo or whatever. It is such a dumb thing to complain about but I absolutely hate the way it sounds when you walk on it. Completely hollow and plastic-y sounding. Cheap, but too cheap.

But what I really wish we could do is use reclaimed flooring from a gymnasium. From a high school or whatever. Leave the markings on and let me lay it out willy-nilly. You could still tell exactly what it is but wouldn’t have to worry about your eye constantly seeking patterns. The problem here is where to get it and for how much. I found a few listings on Craigslist recently and this guy in Portland whose business reclaims floors for just this kind of thing. Unique, but expensive and possibly difficult to acquire.

Any thoughts, opinions, or suggestions?