Which Floor Paint?

[michael]

Hi all
I would like to paint the floorboards in a corridor and adjoining bathroom. The boards are currently a mix of new and ‘oldish’ pine and not that attractive. I’ m thinking of going for a black satin finish but not sure on which type of paint to use. Ideally it should be easy to apply, durable and yet not too modern and plastic looking. Doing a bit of web research it seems that the types of floor paint consist of either Epoxy resin, Oil or latex and I believe some of the more recent products are acrylic based. Not sure what the F&B floor paint consists of but it has mixed reviews over its ease of application and durability. Wicks floor paint seems to have good reviews but I believe this is an acrylic paint and I’m wondering if this will look a bit plastic in my period home? Any advice would be welcomed.

 

[MdB]

Big fan of Osmo Polyx here. I've only used the clear but I believe they do colours. Expensive but the coverage is fantastic (better than what they say) so it isn't too bad.

 

[AMc]

I used Osmo colour foundation in dark oak to stain a mixture of old and newer pine boards to match up, then Osmo polyx on top.
It looks lovely and wears well. The colour foundation goes an incredibly long way, even more than polyx which seems to come from a magic can, it goes so far.

 

[michael]

Thanks Mdb

I think the Ozmo Polyx oils (interior use) are only available in tints rather than dense deep colours and whilst I’ve used Polyx clear in the past, I’ve never used the tinted varieties. I’m thinking that the mish mash inconsistency of my new/old pine floor boards would probably still show through this product? I am ultimately looking for a consistently coloured dark preferably black floor. The Ozmo colour chart for the Polyx tints certainly doesn’t look too convincing to me.
http://www.osmouk.com/previewpage.cfm?bookid=book001&chapter=5&page=108

The OzmoWood Wax finish for interior floors might solve my problem if I apply two coats to get the opaque finish rather than the one coat transparent finish. Does anybody have experience with this product? I should imagine it’s quite an expensive solution having to purchase enough wood wax for the two coats in addition to a clear Polyx oil finish coat.
http://www.osmouk.com/previewpage.cfm?bookid=book001&chapter=5&page=111

I notice also that they do a ‘natural oil wood stain’ which referring to their colour chart appears to give a denser colour but unfortunately this seems to be for exterior use only on cladding and fences and is probably not suitable for interior floors?
http://www.osmouk.com/previewpage.cfm?bookid=book001&chapter=5&page=113


Which should I go for? Ozmo wood wax finish with a final coat of clear Polyx oil or a Wicks or F&B floor paint which is probably a cheaper/easier solution with better obliterating qualities?

Just read your posting AMc. Many thanks. Where can I find the details of the Ozmo Colour Foundation that you refer to?

 

[michael]

Just found details on the Ozmo colour foundation AMc. Thank you.
I don’t think this will be dark enough for me. I already have a few areas of original timber wall paneling and some door frames to deal with which are in their original dark rosewood colour. I would like to preserve these features and so I don’t think I can add further to the brown wood effect with dark oak. Light floor paints such as whites and greys also wouldn’t work in this situation so I’ve opted to go for a neutral black or ebony and perhaps add a few rugs for brightness.

It does seem strange if not inconvenient that Ozmo are unable to maintain a consistant colour chart throughout their products. e.g. the black which is available in the wood wax finish would probably have suited my situation if it were available in the Ozmo colour foundation.

That said, why would one use ozmo wood wax instead of ozmo colour foundation and vice versa if both have to be finished off with a Polyx oil top coat?

 

[michael]

Getting really confused now.
I’ve done a bit more research on the web and it would seem that “Osmo Colour Foundation” is now called “Osmo Polyx-Oil Tints” (back to that word tints again that conjures up the image of a transparent coating. I’m sure I mentioned this product originally and feared that it wouldn’t disguise my dodgy floorboards ) It now apparently has a wider range of colours (tints) including graphite and black.

In addition there now seems to be an Ozmo wood wax colour stain but unlike the Ozmo wood wax finish that I mentioned in the previous post there is no mention here of colour ranges or the ability to achieve an opaque finish.
http://www.sourcewoodfloors.co.uk/shop/osmo-wood-wax-colour-stain-125ml.html

HELP I’M LOOSING THE PLOT
This Ozmo stuff is far too confusing for me. At this rate I’ll be straight down to Wicks in the morning for a simple tin of black acrylic floor paint

 

[JoceAndChris]

That Osmo range is bewildering I agree. I used FnB floor paint a year ago in the bathroom and it's wearing very well as well as it being a quick and easy paint to use. Stupidly, I chose " London Stone" which is a vague cat sick beige, I wish I'd chosen Umbrello black which I've used on skirtings ( in oil eggshell) and which is a good, soft, period black. However it's a temporary solution until we can do the Roman mosaic or whatever it is his Lordship wants so it doesn't matter that I don't much like the colour.

I like it when you go to shops and see the floor paint all chipped and distressed - I think it gives character, so actually I wouldn't worry too much if the painted finish got very worn.

I also don't think it matters all that much if the new, treated pine boards never really match the old - by the time you put rugs and furnishings in it doesn't really stand out all that much. If they're wildly different though, it isn't nice.

The floor shouldn't be the focal point anyway, that should be the furnishings, fittings or curtainry. Good luck on what you choose!

 

[michael]

Thanks Joce &Chris
I’ll take another look at the F&B floor paints. What does the paint cost these days?

 

[JoceAndChris]

£21 for 750ml. How many square metres is your area? 3 coats work best. There isn't a satin finish; trendy paint is matt these days.

 

[tobydog]

Although it's the only make we have used so far, I would second the F&B floor paint. Apart from some marking caused by the sofa casters, it appears pretty tough. It's water based, doesn't smell, goes on well and comes in the same range of colours as the rest of their paints. We used String.

 

[tobydog]

I should have added that the F&B paint we used did have a sheen to it but I'm not sure I'd call it satin. Thankfully we got away (so far) with two coats.

 

[michael]

The F&B floor paints appear to be a water based acrylic / polyurethane mixture which I think I read somewhere has a 40% sheen. The cost for 2.5 liters is about 53Quid and I believe this will cover about 30m2 (I’m guessing 1 coat only). I need to cover 25m2 and I understand it may require 3 coats so cost could be around £160 not including any primers I may need.
The blacks available with F&B appear to be Blue black, Off black and Pitch black.


http://paint-paper.co.uk/Paint/Farrow-Ball/Farrow-Ball-Floor-Paint-2-5-litre/prod_439.html

http://www.farrow-ball.com/colours/paint/fcp-category/list

The link below shows reviews for the Wicks floor paint, which is also a water based acrylic paint. May be this would be a good alternative. What do you think?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/interior-floor-paint-black/invt/214304/?tapopen=cm

 

[MdB]

2.5L of osmo polyx (£55) did three coats on approx 40m^2 here. Sounds a bargain in comparison.

 

[tobydog]

I case it helps, we didn't use any primer with the F&B paint although the boards were bare.

 

[Moo]

If you want a very slight sheen, and to increase the durability of the surface, why not give it a couple of thin coats of diamond hard* varnish?





* does what it says...

 

[AMc]

I've used acrylic and diamond hard finishes before, both were fine but would as I understand it they need resanding before reapplication if they wore badly. You can't patch repair.

I decided to use Osmo in this house as you only need to clean and reapply over the top, no need to sand back.

The dark oak I used is quite deep but the wood grain is still visible, more of a rosewood colour than the pitch black you see on some old beams. It has worked in rooms with mixed boards but the difference is still visible.

Osmo looks expensive but the coverage is remarkable, but if you can't get the right colour it's academic I suppose.