Black paint on wooden floorboards - worth a varnish also?

Discussion in 'Painters' Talk' started by TGull, Feb 1, 2018.

  1. TGull

    TGull Member

    Afternoon all,

    Rather than going down the painful route of sanding + varnishing one small room, I used black paint instead. The original floor was like this, so I thought it would be nice to bring it back to 'how it was'.

    It looks really great, but even the slightest foot marks show. Dust also looks very obvious, so it's quite an endless task to keep it looking good. I know in the olden days they put a carpet in the middle and only left hard wearing areas bare.

    I was wondering if a layer of varnish over the top might be a good idea? Would this also strengthen it I'm guessing also!?

    Or will this show the dust / dirt even more due to it being ever so slightly more shiny?

    Thanks,

    Theo
     
  2. What type of paint did you use? Was it a proper floor paint? If so, it should be as durable as any.

    If it wasn't, then I'd be tempted to recoat using 'proper' stuff.

    Will varnish make it more durable? Yes, if it's floor varnish like 'Diamond Hard'. Generally, the glossier the paint/varnish, the more durable it will be.

    I think that a coat of varnish might spoil the looks, tho'; it'll at least be a risk. Varnish can make surfaces look a bit 'plasticky'.

    Yes, the floor will show up dust and hairs like a dust and hair shower (that's shower not shower). I know 'cos I've recently painted my upstairs floor in Dulux 'ebony' wood stain - designed for internal and external timber, but not really for floors. It's great, tho'. I managed to stop myself from using masonry paint this time. Yes, the visibly accumulated dust is shocking. (Hint - if you leave it long enough, you can actually roll up the dust/hairs as a sheet :oops: )

    Anyhoo, if the 'foot marks' are actual 'scuffs', then you need a more durable paint - so proper floor paint it should be, I guess. But if you just mean it shows up the 'dirt' marks from footfall, then you just need to buy a selection of slippers in various sizes.
     
    TGull likes this.
  3. TGull

    TGull Member


    Hmm seems like there is no easy solution.

    I can't remember the name of the paint I previously used, but I'm sure it would have been a paint specifically for the floor.

    I do love the look of it, but just requires quite a bit of maintenance.

    What other options do I have? So far I can think of:
    1. Sand + varnish.
    2. Sand + stain.
    3. Paint.
    4. Paint + varnish (clear).

    Ideally I want to keep costs down.

    I suppose I could paint it first, then sand at a later date when I have more time.
     
  4. TGull

    TGull Member

    To add to this, I have seen you can buy second hand big floor belt sanders on ebay for ~£300-600 which is tempting to get. Just all the hassle of prep etc.
     
  5. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    Just hire (but not HSS) a proper floor sander for a weekend your knees will thank you.

    The problem you have with putting varnish on a floor is keeping it scrupulously clean any dust, fluff or hair will be attracted to the varnish like a drunk to a kebab.
     
    KIAB likes this.
  6. TGull

    TGull Member

    Sorry what I meant was one of those 'hire tech' ones which are full size e.g. you don't have to go on hands and knees.

    An example here - https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...C0.H0.XHiretech+.TRS0&_nkw=Hiretech+&_sacat=0
     
  7. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    if you are doing "one small room" then a 1 day hire should be around £25 plus any paper you use. Buying pre-owned could set you back at least £200.

    Like a lot of things time does improve these, more modern sanders have better integrated filters and generate a less noise.

    obviously the choice is yours as the difference between hiring and owning always boils down to how much use you will get out of a purchase
     
    TGull likes this.
  8. Hi TG.

    If you ultimately want your floor black or as near as, then you'll have to get used to seeing dust and hairs and all sorts building up on a daily basis.

    I, too, love the look of my 'ebony' bedroom floor, but - man - the dust!

    I bought a wide floor mop/pad thinking I could swish that around in a couple of minutes, but I've only used it once - it takes longer to clean the bludy pad that to hoover the whole floor. So it's back to hoovering for me...

    However, it shouldn't 'mark', at least not if it's proper floor paint.

    Don't really know what to suggest. A coat of Diamond Hard' will make it more durable, but it'll still highlight the dust and dirt as it's still black.

    Don't forget that if you do plan to sand and stain it at a future date, the more coats of varnish you add beforehand the more hellish that job with become - varnish doesn't like being belt-sanded and will try and clog the paper. I'd certainly recommend a very coarse paper to start with, and ease off the weight on the sander so's it takes light cuts - that way it should 'sand' the varnish and not 'melt' it...
     
    TGull likes this.
  9. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Fit a black carpet job done.
     
    TGull, KIAB and Deleted member 33931 like this.
  10. Make it a deep shagpile so the dust disappears in to it...
     
    TGull likes this.
  11. drive

    drive Member

    I've got a similar problem. We already painted our wooden floor twice, always proper preparations, undercoat and final coat with F&B floor paint (black) and after couple of months the floor looks like there was a Nothing Hill carneval parade or so. Lots of scratches, some areas are nearly without paint and we are just small family with one kid. Any suggestions how to protect that paint? That paint doesn't peel off.
     
  12. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    If the paint is peeling off it would be due to incorrect preparation prior to painting, what was on the floor before any painting was done.
     
  13. drive

    drive Member

    I wrote that the paint doesn't peel off it's just "wear off". I saw a floor in similar condition like ours, but that was nearly 10 years old :(
     
  14. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Sorry I misread the post, the problem is common place since the 2010 VOC compliant paints came into effect, basically paint like so many other things is not what it was. Industrial paint would be a whole lot tougher rather than the retail suppliers.
     
  15. TGull

    TGull Member

    Thanks everyone for advice, but I think it's just one of those things I'm going to have to deal with. I guess I just need to invest in some good, easy to use cleaning equipment, and just try to keep on top of it. I think a layer of varnish on top can't hurt as paint is only so durable really. I remember my last paint took about a week to dry, so I'm guessing this is going to be quite a long process.

    I might start looking on Houzz or the likes of to get some inspiration about types of paint colour, as maybe there are looks I can go for without it highlighting the dirt so much. That being said, black with a very light grey wall (neutrals) looks really classy.
     
  16. Very dark colours will show up dust, lint, dirt and hairs - end of. :oops: In our bedroom, simply going from a dark wood stain to the ebony made a huge difference in this respect.

    These are some excellent floor varnishes out there, hugely tough. I don't know what finish you are after, but as a rule - and as with paints - the more 'glossy' it is, the more durable.

    (Tho' glossy finishes tend to show any scratches more easily... :oops:)
     
  17. TGull

    TGull Member

    On a side topic. If I were to sand the floor down + varnish / stain it. How would the finish look if it took up each plank and sanded with a small belt sander in comparison to using an 'industrial' across the whole room. Do you think it would be uneven or not too bad. I'm just thinking that I could buy a small belt sander and do one plan at a time, rather than worrying about buying / renting a big sander.
     
  18. Good question. I wonder if it's worth it, though?

    Anyhoo, I think the main difference will be that sanding the whole floor with an 'industrial' floor sanded will get the boards completely flat - all the curves due to natural 'cupping' will be removed. Also, all the adjoining boards will be at the same height.

    If you sand each board individually, then you are extremely unlikely to sand them so much that you get them completely flat, and also you'll have no way of judging this - other than using a steel rule every couple of minutes!

    However, with individual sanding, what I think you might end up with is a more 'natural' look, with the boards showing some randomness between them - more like how you'd expect an old floor to look.

    In either event, if you do think you'll end up sanding them at some point, really hold back on the adding of paint or varnish to them now...
     
  19. TGull

    TGull Member

    Very interesting. I quite like the idea of them looking more natural. I have sanded one room with an 'industrial' one. It does provide a very flat surface. Which is good, but not 100% necessary. In some way I prefer the less uniform look.

    I might start a new thread all together asking what people think about this, as it would be a lot more convenient to be able to do one board at a time.
     
    Deleted member 33931 likes this.
  20. jayhub0

    jayhub0 New Member

    simple , sand down , stain with ebony Sadolins classic, maybe a second if required, wait to dry thoroughly, apply 2 coats of floor varnish (satin finish)
    this will last ages the colour is soaked into the wood so won't wear like paint especially when overcoated with the durable varnish.
     

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