Paint bathroom floorboards?

[JoceAndChris]

They're in a really sorry state - unfortunately I used a floor sander on them when we moved in! It would be a lot of work to get them to look OK as they are, they're 20s/30s pine boards with several large polyfiller repairs. They lead to a very small section of floorboards in the hall as well, so you see them when you come in the front door. Tiles just wouldn't look right next to the old stone floor of the hallway area.

Would I regret painting them with a colour?

 

[Penners]

At the risk of sounding fatuous, that would depend on whether you like painted bathroom floors.

I recently offered my grandson a taste of my chinese meal, and he asked, "Will I like it, grandad?".

I replied, "that depends on whether you like it, George."

Rather a similar situation, perhaps? :wink:

 

[chuckey]

I would think that you will be disappointed with the result, nail heads and gaps spring to mind, let alone any change of texture (your Polyfilla patch). If you like the "bare" floorboard look, I would stain the Polyfilla and varnish. For a cheapo try out, try the remains in your tea pot.
In my house we have a bathroom door that was painted pink. I sanded it down to bare wood and then made the mistake of mixing up acrylic paint (nicked from my children's Paddington bear plaster casting set) and touching up the Polyfilled cracks and other small pink dinks. It looked wonderful!!! - it was now all the same colour!!. I then varnished the door and the "real" wood went about 14 shades darker, leaving my repairs nice and light but still wood coloured.
Frank

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh dear chuckey!

Penners- I do like painted surfaces, my concern is breathability and whether I'll go from a damp free bathroom to a mouldy one if I do this.

 

[Moo]

Joce - I understand your liking for painted floors, but have you seen what they look like after a while? From what I've seen in other people's houses, you'd be forever repainting it.

(I'm putting this suggestion in very tiny type, because I'm sure I'll be howled down by the purists. But - have you thought of getting a sheet (vinyl) flooring that would a reasonably convincing imitation of the real stone the other side of the doorway?)

 

[JoceAndChris]

Hmmm, it seems there's no easy answer.

Any kind of painted/ varnished/ osmo polyxed surface needs redoing after a few years I guess?

I imagine painting it in linseed oil paint would be very difficult as it's our only bathroom so I suppose we'd have to shower in the gym for several days? Wax would be a nightmare in a bathroom. Vinyl isn't a favourite, though I suspect lino or vinyl was always there. I lifted the previous owner's to create the nice gales between the floorboards that keep my bathroom so dry. (the floor is suspended above earth in the traditional way) It was a bit damp when we moved in with the vinyl, now it's fine, except that it looks so rough.

My mother-in-law is coming to house-sit soonish, I have to do something!

 

[Schoolmarm]

Joce, in that case buy a nice cheap piece of vinyl just for while she is there.

 

[Juju]

I painted my bathroom floorboards in my old house using F&b floor paint - I was quite happy with the result. You need a big bath mat though if you're worried about water splashing through the gaps. I expect I'll do the same in this house too as I can never resolve what flooring to use as I like to know I can get at pipework, etc easily.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

You are so right about wanting breathability in the bathroom Joce. We have just removed a piece of the dreaded easi panel off the walls in our bathroom and immediately the air has cleared. I've now got my beady eye on the vinyl flooring-- easy to clean but slippery and stops air flow.
I know everyone is going to howl with horror, but in previous houses I have fitted the floorboards with a piece of ryalux velvet and kept a pure white pedestal mat in the obvious places. Never any problems. :? ( no, the boys would not dare to miss, I'd know who the culprit was in a trice).

 

[JoceAndChris]

:shock:

You have clearly instilled pristine habits in the household Joss, I'm impressed!

Thanks so much for all the ideas. Different solutions work in different houses - if you saw this one, sitting in its island of mud for 6 months of the year (no road or drive to park in, just mud), you'd understand why I can't have carpet anywhere, especially with the house being upside down and all the bedrooms and bathroom on the ground floor. I try and get people to take muddy wellies off - but...the remaining carpets left over from the previous owner are full of the muddy prints of children's boots.

Floor paint will leave gaps between the boards, which ensures some ventilation at least. I think it's maybe the only practical solution for that spot.

If I don't have time before MIL is due I could do as Marm and Moo suggest and just get a new bit of lino. Thanks!

 

[Pford75]

There's lino and there's lino.

We have amtico in one bathroom and are pleased with the end result

 

[robgil]

why do you need the floor to be breathable? is it on a ground floor? even then are you sure it needs to be able to breath? anyhow , i guess you only have a few options , paint them , cover them , try to restore them or replace them. if you cannot restore them to an acceptable level then you have three options left , if you cannot cover them over then you have two. paint them or replace them.

what about your bathroom suite? if you put a new floor over the top of the old one will you have to elevate your toilet pan or sink pedestal?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Pford - that Amtico is lovely! I'll definitely look into that. I need a temporary solution though.

why do you need the floor to be breathable? is it on a ground floor? even then are you sure it needs to be able to breath?

Yes, the bathroom is on the ground floor. When you take up these floorboards you see rubble, joists, and underneath that, earth. Long ago this tiny room may have been for prayer?

I don't really like showering with the window open in the winter. The bathroom has wooden things I care about: a Victorian sash window, 30s pine panelling across one wall. Without ventilation the condensation quickly forms and poses a risk to the internal wood. The tiles, and the cement render on the exterior, mean that no breathing is taking place through the walls - the ventilation through the floor has really helped to keep the bathroom free of mould and rot.

As I say, the previous owner had a vinyl floor so there wasn't such a draft to clear condensation - but also we are the first people to put a shower in which means a lot more daily condensation. (the previous owner admitted to a weekly bath!)

The bathroom suite will be replaced eventually (it's only 25 years old :wink: ) so I'm really looking to do a temporary make over until we have a spare 10 k or whatever it will be.

 

[robgil]

10 k is one hell of a bathroom , perhaps they way forward then would be to paint them and if you get tired of them when you replace the suite put enough of the budget aside to replace the floor as well? i am sure you could lay floor boards ontop of floor boards but you would also have to re-fit the suite as well.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks for your suggestion Rob, that sounds sensible.

10k might sound like a lot but it involves changing the whole hot water system - getting rid of a back boiler system, engaging a structural engineer to see if the loft could take the hot water tank, moving said tank, putting a walk in shower where the airing cupboard currently is. I have no idea when/if we'll be able to do all the major work the cottage needs, it depends a lot on the Leeds property that Chris part owns, which makes planning out works tricky.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Paint the boards Joce, the finish will last as long as you need it to. Dare I mention that F & B do a floor paint? :shock: :shock: You might only need to freshen it up once or twice before you can break open the piggy bank for the new suite etc. Or, even better loose lay an offcut from one of those carpet places.

 

[robgil]

sounds like a lot of work there Joce , if its any consolation this is a pic of my bathroom at present.

i had a flat many moons ago in which i painted the bathroom floor with a dark blue gloss paint , i cant remember if it was floor paint or not, it lasted many years without losing its sheen.

 

[Feltwell]

I can't see how painting your floorboards will harm the breathability of the room that much - if the gaps between the boards are wide enough that the paint will not fill and seal all of them, then you'll still get the drafts!

I'm not a fan of painted floors - all the one's I've seen just wear on the high spots and heavily trafficked areas and look tatty very quickly. Once done it's a pig to undo as well. However, it's all down to personal taste and there's no rights or wrongs as far as that is concerned.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Great bathroom Rob. Where do you wash? :lol: Or, in true period style, you've given that up?

look tatty very quickly

Anything, oh anything will be an improvement on this! Thanks for the warning though, and I'm glad to hear you say you don't think it will massively increase condensation or prevent the floor drying out after showers.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh wow, just noticed what it used to be in my old photos

Does that look like lino?