painting a floor

[staci_h]

I saw others who mentioned having painted a subfloor. I have been cautioned against this by my father and stepfather, but I can find no reputable builder that says it isn't okay as long as it is done right. I have old carpet and 5 cats and little money. The subfloors are tongue and groove plywood; any suggestions for painting would be appreciated.

[Yanita]

Hi,

Not sure what the cautions are but many here have painted the floors.

Make sure to clean well, float over any seams/joints, prime real well and then paint with a quality paint. I think I would use an exterior grade, but the choice is yours.

I saw a decorating site not long ago that stained them in a checked pattern, looked real good.

Yanita

[flcruising]

I love the look of painted floors.

Here's a good read:

http://www.askthebuilder.com/431_Painti ... Well.shtml

[Yanita]

Hi,

Thanks Aaron, that is a good read!

Yanita

[mobtek]

Hi Staci -

I just recently painted my guest bathroom floor and (IMO) it came out GREAT. I am very happy with it. So much that I am in the middle of painting my entire Kitchen, including the floor.

Other people use water based paints and then Poly-coat the floor. I just used tinted Oil-based Outdoor Deck paint. It seems to be a solid finish - if it gets messed up I can easily touch it up. The bathroom has been in use for a short while now and looks like it will take a beating before needing any touch-up.

When you prep, I would suggest only trying to smooth out the nail holes and deep gouges. You will never get it perfectly smooth. Secondly, I recommend NOT using a floor floating compound. I had much better results using BONDO. Mix it in small portions and float it out around the hole so you have room to sand it in.

I was just getting ready to post my progress on the Kitchen when I saw this. I am always on a small budget, and I don;t feel like I'm going to let that limit me anymore. I can have a nice floor and all it will cost me (practically) is my time and effort and about $30-50.

My entire kitchen project will cost me under $100 - most of that will be spent on drawer pulls and hinges. Please feel free to look in my gallery at the pics and contact me PM if you need any help.

GO FOR IT!

[staci_h]

Thank you all so much for your input. I think I will take this project in smaller chunks and start with a small room until I build up my confidence, but now I am optimistic.