I answered the basement's call this weekend.
Since I took out the carpet a while back, the room was darker, colder, and a less enjoyable place to be. I decided to fix that, and was able to install a new floor WITHOUT having to remove the existing benchwork, which is admittedly used more for storing junk than its intended purpose, but that will change now that the room is in better shape.
Here is how it looked on Thursday. Even the cat felt it was time to do something.
Hard to enjoy a good fire with a cold slab floor. Catfish made sure it didn't need more fuel.
Here is the new entry way with the flooring finished.
The benchwork is still there, and yes there is lots of stuff to put away on top of it. I will likely be ripping it out to build a different layout. This one was just not inspiring me anymore. I think the new look will make me want to visit the basement more than the dungeon conditions did. It was easy to put down the new floor even under the legs thanks to a Layout Jack - a 2x4 with 1x2 squares nailed to the sides at each end. Plenty of room to slide a plank through under the elevated leg.
A close up of the legs on the new floor.
Aisle shot of area near the exterior wall. Note the braces on the wall to hold this shelf portion of the benchwork. This method will be used where possible on the new benchwork.
Now to finish the new track plan and get cracking on recycling L girders.
The new flooring makes the room much more finished, helps reflect more light - though I will still probably add some track lighting in a couple spots to help with the overall level of room lighting. I plan to use LED strips for lighting the layout, but that will be a new adventure, as no previous layout had more than a shop light over the top of it.
Pretty happy with the productive weekend. Hope yours was equally beneficial. Now if my back would just shut up.
