I have constructed a 16′ X 28′ wood workshop with only one small 2’X2′ window and eight fluorescent lights for my only light source. The walls and ceiling are painted white. The floor is constructed of plywood tongue and groove flooring, and I do not intend to apply any type of floor covering that would be damaged by woodworking tools, but I do intend to paint the wood floor. My question is, what would be the best color to paint a wood workshop floor for safety purposes — in other words, what color would sawdust, wood chips and other woodworking debris show easily for cleanup? – Ralph Kimbrel
Rob Johnstone: My coworkers would get a kick out of your question to me, not because the question is a bad one, but because I am color-blind. But for myself, having worked in many wood shops, I find gray to be a color that I can see sawdust build up on very well. Hope that helps.
Chris Marshall: Not to be trite, Ralph, but I would suggest using any other color than beige or tan! That said, I’m not sure it’s even a good suggestion … my last shop floor was unpainted plywood. When there was enough sawdust and wood chips on the floor to require a sweep, it was generally pretty easy to see anyway. I had the same lighting situation as you do, too: fluorescent tubes. Currently, my shop floor is concrete, and I actually think the sawdust is harder to see now than it was before. Go figure!
