Painting floorboards

[vicky whitworth]

hello, about four years ago I painted my bedroom floorboards in F&B floor paint. I didn't get on with the stuff while I was putting it on - I found it very gloopy. But I suppose it's done the job. Now it's looking rather jaded, and it's not mellowed in an 'aged' way but just looks scruffy. I'd like to re-do but I really don't want to 1. sand the floorboards to take off what's there, 2. use floor paint again.

Do you think I could just emulsion over the top? Even as I say this I know the answer as the floor paint has a shiny finish and I guess the emulsion wouldn't adhere to it.

Any suggestions?

By the way the floorboards are 1990s Jewson's special by my reckoning.
Thanks,

 

[JoceAndChris]

I know what you mean Vicky, I feel just the same about my bathroom floorboards and plan to give them another quick coat this year. Did you thin the paint with white spirit as you were using it? I find the FnB paints need significant thinning and application of three thin coats.
I think an oil eggshell would go over the floor paint but would be less robust, leading to a rubbed off look here and there.
The other options are a large rug/ 3 smaller rugs ( either side of the bed and at the foot), with underlay to prevent skidding, or a fitted floor covering of some sort? Rush?
Or sanding the boards right back and starting again, which as you've understandably said does not appeal!

 

[Feltwell]

Do you think I could just emulsion over the top? Even as I say this I know the answer as the floor paint has a shiny finish and I guess the emulsion wouldn't adhere to it.

You could try a small patch first - give the existing paint a quick go with some sandpaper to take some of the gloss off and give the new paint a key to stick to, whatever paint you use. I can't imagine that emulsion would be anywhere near tough enough to use as a floor paint though, I would have thought that it would look very scruffy very quickly. You have the added problem now that if you change colour, when the new paint wears through you will see the old colour and not the wood of the floorboards - so the chances of it looking scruffy rather than mellow & aged will be greater than ever.

I'm no fan of floorpaint - the previous owner of this house used it in one of the bedrooms, which she used as a workroom (she was a milliner). We've taken the lazy option and just carpeted the room - is that not an option for you, if the floorboards are nothing special and you don't want to use floor paint again? Or perhaps overlay with some new wooden flooring?

 

[vicky whitworth]

Thank you for those two pieces of advice. I didn't thin the floor paint - didn't realise I needed to. I thought I got very poor coverage! I might try the floor paint again with thinning. I know what you mean about looking scruffy. Painted boards always look nice in other people's houses but not in mine. But mine have been admired by others so perhaps I just inspect them too closely. For ages we didn't have rugs and then one day I thought it was silly getting out of bed onto cold floors so we now have two posh rugs and an old bit of off-cut carpet. Nice touch!

 

[MdB]

I can't really comment on what to use but certainly don't use emulsion or other types of paint designed to go on walls. They just won't last at all.

 

[Moo]

I've just finished repainting my breakfast room with matt paint (which includes the woodwork).
However, there are two shelves and a windowsill that really had to have something much tougher, but I didn't want to spend money on yet another can of paint so I gave them a coat of the super-hard non-yellowing satin finish varnish left over from the kitchen floor*. It's worked a treat. Perhaps you could do the same on your floor?


*Ten-year-old Jewson's floorboards, in case anyone is sucking in through their teeth with horror.

 

[Toby Newell]

Depends on the colour (did I miss something?) if it's white or very light, you can't really go over with a clear varnish as all of them will yellow slightly.

If it's darker then wash and sand very thoroughly and apply a coat of clear varnish like moo said.

Matt paint will mark easier. You need to thin the paint and apply with a roller, even if you have to even up with a brush if the floor is uneven, this is much quicker and will get you a better result.

The two basic problems are:

1. Adhesion, so floor needs to be clean and free from waxes/polishes/dust and well sanded with (relatively for paintwork) a fine P120 or P150 grit paper.

2. Protection. The top coat if not satin or gloss, should be protected by a clear coat of varnish (water bourne lacquer) matt or extra matt looks best. This is the same technique used by special paint effect artists.

You can use any paint you like, just make sure you leave plenty of time for it to dry so that it can bond, before you apply another coat and leave plenty of time before you apply the clear coat, if you apply one. One or two days should be enough if it's warm.

Remember, it goes preparation, preparation, preparation.

Toby