Reloading room floor

[05dodgedaytona]

I am in the process of finishing my basement. I will be setting up a area down there for reloading. I have some quotes for doing a combo of carpet and vinyl. I refuse to pay almost as much for install of vinyl for the vinyl. Now I am just going to carpet the reloading area as well. Any recommendations for what to put down over the carpet to protect from accidentally spilling powder or should I not worry about it? Thanks in advance.

 

[AntiGun]

I suggest vinyl.

Seriously, get a a plastic floor protector used under office chairs. Don't leave it as carpet.

 

[05dodgedaytona]

That what I was thinking. I just refuse to pay almost $1000.00 to install 400 square feet of vinyl.

 

[BUFF7MM]

My reloading room was the spare upstairs bedroom, that being said it is carpeted and I've never ran into any problems from it. One nice thing I've noticed is that if you drop stuff, primers ect. ect., it doesn't bounce/roll and land in unseen places.

 

[teratos]

Take a look at Allure at Home Depot. I have it in my basement. Easy to install yourself, and holding up very well with a bunch of pets and kids.

Put some area rugs on it and call it a day.

 

[Sticky]

I have carpet in both areas of my house where I reload, really no issues. I weigh charges and work with powder in 'the room', but often I setup a press in the living room (like in the winter) and load there, sometimes I set it up in 'the room' and load there. I have had no issues with anything, I rarely spill powder off the bench/table, so most of the time I can just sweep it off the bench into a waste basket. I do try to find any dropped live primers (which is rare), cause I'd hate to think of what they would do as they blast through the vac hose, but so far, never an issue and I've been doing that for years.

eta - a level loop carpet is far easier to find things that fall on, than a shag, or cut loop carpet.

 

[ihriec]

My reloading area is carpeted. I rarely spill powder but do drop primers, bullets, etc from time to time. The carpet does help prevent these items from rolling, bouncing away.

 

[AntiGun]

I have dropped powder and probably will again, so only easy to clean surfaces for me. A single dropped 38 shell full of powder makes a good mess.

I suppose laying a thin area rug over the area will serve the same purpose. You could pick the whole thing up and shake it off outside.

 

[Overboost44]

Vinyl is so easy. Lay it yourself. You may need to pour some leveler down if the floor is not smooth and flat, but that is not a big deal. I just laid 1000 sq feet of wood. The new vinyl products out these days is nothing. That all said, I have carpet under my reloading area.

 

[noylj]

If you feel OK vacuuming spilled powder, go with carpet. I like tile or bare concrete myself.

 

[outrider58]

That what I was thinking. I just refuse to pay almost $1000.00 to install 400 square feet of vinyl.

$2.50 a foot? WTF? The tile it's self (if it's VCT, which I'm sure it is, not vinyl) runs around a buck or so, plus shipping, adhesive, plus labor(including prep). You're getting off easy. Get yourself some nice CHEAP carpet(and replace it every 5 years). Sheesh!


FWIW, I have carpet and have managed NOT to spill powder all over it.

 

[K31]

I'd go with vinyl. Getting spilled powder out of carpet is a PIA and I don't think it's safe to use a regular household vacuum to clean it up.

 

[Doctor_M]

If your reloading area doesn't have to be too pretty, you can do the peal and stick vinyl tiles... super easy. I reload on a concrete floor, easy to clean up, but there is the "bounce" factor.

 

[Traveler]

You want to avoid static for obvious reasons. I would sort out a self made vinyl work area so you can sweep, not vacuum up powder. The powder manufacturers cover this on their sites. Using a regular vacuum cleaner is not recommended. The waste / spilled powder makes great, if not expensive, lawn fertilizer. I just take the dust pan to the back yard and sling it over a wide area.

 

[travistheone]

go epoxy

 

[erwos]

I am skeptical that a vacuum is going to ignite gun powder, especially in the relatively small quantities that we're talking about. I'd probably be slightly more on top of emptying out the bags, though.

That said, I'm in a shed with a wooden floor, so it's a broom and dustpan for me.

 

[BUFF7MM]

I am skeptical that a vacuum is going to ignite gun powder, especially in the relatively small quantities that we're talking about. I'd probably be slightly more on top of emptying out the bags, though.

That said, I'm in a shed with a wooden floor, so it's a broom and dustpan for me.

I agree, it's not like you're running the powder between the brush and the armature in the motor, I've vacuumed up spills several times.

 

[j_h_smith]

Put down the carpet for the convenience of the rest of the room, then install a anti-fatigue rubber mat at your work bench. I'm always going from a sitting position to standing and back again. Easy to clean and if something were to happen, you're just replacing the mat instead of the entire floor.

Good Luck!

 

[Redcobra]

Carpet and a small shop vac. Been cleaning up powder, primers, and lead shot this way for years. I then pour the stuff from the vac through a screen colander to sort out the shot and primers, then powder the flower bed.

 

[Z_Man]

you can buy peel and stick vinyl tiles for under a buck a square foot if you just want to cover the concrete. you will have to buy a moisture barrier primer product to paint onto the floor before you stick them down.

they also make vinyl planks that "click" together like laminate wood flooring. its a floating floor, no adhesive (I suppose it makes it fully water proof as well). I believe that product is available starting about a buck a square foot. you cut them with a utility knife and go to town.