What's a good sim floor finish/covering?

[NedHamilton]

Right now my full sized 737 sim floor is 1/2-inch MDF--very solid and flat.

I want a more durable floor finish/covering and am torn between several coats of epoxy, vinyl tile, or metal sheets.

I can get sheet or tile vinyl in a medium or dark gray. Or I can get 24x48-inch, 22 gauge steel sheets and glue them down. I feel epoxy paint is too messy and not as durable as tile or metal.

Has anyone had any experience with the sim floor covering?

[NedHamilton]

Now I'm leaning toward sheet metal. A 24x24 sheet of 16 gauge is $20 and looks like a good choice.

Has anyone used metal sheets?

[Goldmember]

I used a simple sheet of vinyl. If you study real cockpit photo's, you see a large variety of colours but it always seems to be linoleum*. I would personally not use metal simply because that's not used in real aircraft or professional sims. The only sheet metal is on the slide pads of the rudders.

*don't know if this is the English word for it

[NedHamilton]

Yes, linoleum is the English word for the product. Linoleum would certainly be easier than metal.

Are real aircraft cockpit floors really finished with linoleum? I'd think carpet or metal would be classier. I always associate linoleum with 1950's low-rent apartments.

[Sean Nixon]

Almost (if not every) picture I have of the 737NG has a painted aluminium floor. I'll be replicating this with sheet steel or aluminium when the time comes (complete with fake rivets ;) )

Just a heads-up. A friend has used rubber matting. He is having a few problems with static electricity and we think it's even cooked a couple of his PC's memory sticks. I'm sure it has something to do with the rubber mat insulating us and his PC's from an effective earth. He has 8 PC's in there, and PC's are known to generate a high earth leakage current during normal use. Just a thought worth considering.

Sean

[NedHamilton]

The PMDG virtual cockpit floor looks like it's painted metal with spots where the paint has worn off.

Good point about the static electricity.

[HansJansen]

I'm using linoleum with a metal look ("traanplaat" in Dutch; don't know the English word for it). Looks great IMO, and no problems with static so far...

[NedHamilton]

That does look nice.

Is the pattern "raised" or just part of the color? Did you glue it down with mastic like you would a floor linoleum?

[Goldmember]

Almost (if not every) picture I have of the 737NG has a painted aluminium floor. I'll be replicating this with sheet steel or aluminium when the time comes (complete with fake rivets ;) )
Sean

I didn't know that. Still, I find shiny steel or checker plate not realistic. It looks the business but next thing you know is you finish your glare wing with leather :-) IMHO if you want to keep close to the real thing, use painted aluminium or vinyl. Anyhow, just a matter of taste.

[HansJansen]

That does look nice.

Is the pattern "raised" or just part of the color? Did you glue it down with mastic like you would a floor linoleum?

The pattern is slightly raised; no colour difference.

I did not glue it down: The vertical support members of the MIP hold it in place. I put an aluminium L-profile along the edges; I did glue that down of course.

Here is another picture; you can find more in my personal gallery: Hans's Cockpit - Mycockpit Members Gallery (http://www.mycockpit.org/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=550). (I'll have to put some more photos in there - there HAS been some progress since!)

Cheers!

[JWS]

I'm using linoleum with a metal look ("traanplaat" in Dutch; don't know the English word for it). Looks great IMO, and no problems with static so far...

Hans,

where did you buy this linoleum "tearplate"? BTW, I think you can buy this in aluminum at the GAMMA. Any particular reason why you went for the linoleum version instead?

Regards,
JWS

[Goldmember]

Price is the issue. I believe the real aluminium checker plate is about € 50 per sqare meter and vinyl 15-30 euro. Many carpet discounters in NL have it, like Leenbakker, Carpetland and the likes. But I would consider the static electricity problem. I haven't had any problems yet but I haven't used my sim much since my vinyl floor.

[JWS]

Hi Arjen,

Thanks for the vectors to LB & CL. Static electricity problem probably non existent when you don't put your pc's on the covered floorboard but somewhere else ("outside" the cockpit).

Regards,

JWS

[NedHamilton]

Linoleum doesn't generate static electricity.

[HansJansen]

Hans,

where did you buy this linoleum "tearplate"? BTW, I think you can buy this in aluminum at the GAMMA. Any particular reason why you went for the linoleum version instead?

Regards,
JWS
I never even considered metal... but as Arjen said, price is certainly an issue! I bought my linoleum as a left-over from our home decorator. And never had a problem with static electricity.

Regards,