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painting a chipboard floor

wayward bob

i ate all your bees
what's the cheapest way to do this? specialist floor paints cost an arm and a leg, and they're basically grey. i'd like a colour - might something designed for garden use work?
 
Make sure the chipboard is swept and clean then seal the flooring with a PVA and water mix of 20/80% ,undercoat with 2 coats if needed and then gloss.
Just make sure any gaps and joins are filled before using the PVA.
 
Might depend a bit on how much foot traffic the flooring is going to get ... but don't skimp on the paint on walked over areas.
Also: make sure you leave enough time for the coats, especially the final one, to dry properly.
 
Floor paint is not THAT expensive and can be mixed to any colour you like. Don't just stick to the obvious options - see if there are any bases you can buy for cheaper which can then have pigment added for colour (iirc they used to be available in "white" "mid" and "dark" bases, with any colour you like then added.)

I second the advice about 2 thin coats being better than one thick one - and remember it takes ALMOST FOREVER to dry completely so you'll have to have the whole area free of any human or animal feet for at least 36 hrs. Varnish isn't necessary unless you want a super-glossy effect. The upside of floor paint is of course that you can paint over again if you get any unbudgeable stains / burn marks on it.
 
I would probably use a roller, not a brush, for a better finish on chipboard - and it is easier on the knees and back ! and I second the varnish suggestion (there is a variety especially for the purpose ... if I can find the info ...)

here we are ... (I could remember the name, but not who made it !)
Perfect Finish Diamond Hard Floor Varnish | Ronseal

pick the clear satin finish ...
 
Varnish isn't necessary unless you want a super-glossy effect. The upside of floor paint is of course that you can paint over again if you get any unbudgeable stains / burn marks on it.

Not if you use floor paint, no. But if you use bog standard paint.

The problem with mixing paint colours is, if you're a rubbish bodger like me, you run out then get the mix wrong the next time.
 
while i'm here, i have a set of wood-effect black chipboard shelves rescued from the street. what's my best bet for painting them white?
 
i was comparing to the coverage of the emulsion i've been using on the walls - 2.5l wasn't enough to do a single coat on 3 walls...
How many sheets of chipboard are you using? i presume they are 8ft by 4ft sheets?
 
wayward bob - go back one page from the link ^^^ and have a look at the "floor paints" - there is also a coverage calculator.

for those shelves, just prep ( by lightly sanding ) then paint ... any gloss colour you want.
 
right, i'll double check coverage. my maths reckons 7 sq meters. when they give coverage is that for a single coat or however many you need?
 
wayward bob: give me an hour and I'll unearth my old floorpaint tin - can then give you a size estimate + brand name. Don't think it was anything like as much as £40 for 2.5l and that tin's painted a large kitchen floor 4 times over, with half a tin to spare.
 
right i may be sorted. £22 delivered for 2.5l
chalk-floor-paint_bigcan.png

in ocean blue :)

colour_chart_1_1.png

it'll be the opposite of my studio at home which has blue walls, white floor :thumbs :
 
could you suggest a source pls? i can't find anywhere to get a nice cheery blue or green for under £40 for 2.5 litres :eek:

which is why i'm considering this: RONSEAL GARDEN PAINT for Wood, Metal, Brick, Stone & Terracotta - Shed & Fence
I've just finished painting a cast aluminium table and chairs with this paint. The finish is good, but it's quite thin and has taken three coats to get it looking right. As I understand it, the main difference about external paints is their ability not to fade, so I'm not sure it's going to be any better than a tin of gloss or satinwood. It is relatively cheap thought and the colours are great.

I painted my wooden stairs with white satinwood and just touched then up every now and then.

ETA Chalk paint looks good.
 
are you any where near these guys: FRP The Paint Place: our paint re-use project

they sell off paint left over from building sites, sometimes as low as £1 a litre.
i had no idea there were places that do this. our nearest is still a drive away, will bear it in mind next time i have a bigger job :)

also while i'm here... how easy is it to turn scaffold planks into a tabletop? i've found somewhere that will cut to size and plane, at a quarter the price of a similar sized solid wood worktop from ikea. will it be worth the time it takes to put together?

eta: Cid ?
 
i had no idea there were places that do this. our nearest is still a drive away, will bear it in mind next time i have a bigger job :)

also while i'm here... how easy is it to turn scaffold planks into a tabletop? i've found somewhere that will cut to size and plane, at a quarter the price of a similar sized solid wood worktop from ikea. will it be worth the time it takes to put together?

eta: Cid ?

floor paints never do what they say on the tin, especially if you've got heavy foot traffic and wet is involved. There's no cheap way of doing it, but (as people have suggested) a coat of good yacht varnish on top will act as a good protector.

Scaffold planks as tabletop is a great idea. Some posh interior design company is using scafolding poles/clamps/planks to make expensive interior furniture.

I've used gravel board as shelving in the kitchen. Rustic & industrial looking and cheap.
 
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floor paints never do what they say on the tin, especially if you've got heavy foot traffic and wet is involved.

there's barely room to swing a cat so foot traffic is likely to be minimal ;) if i have a bit spare for touching up that'll prolly do me.
 
next question... how can i get a finish like this on the planks? :hmm:

Scaffold-Table-2-700x497.jpg
i tell you what, i did this floor at work a few months ago basically it was bleached, almost white pale wood flooring, they wanted me to give it a bit of depth and colour. Can't remember what i used - you can see one of the tins in the picture, it's Liberon but i can't remember what the finish was, i'll dig around at work tomorrow and see if i still have it.

In terms of tarting up scafolding planks, you'd have to sand then down to a fine smooth surface, they're probably stuffed full of chemicals so you're never going to get that natural wood finish whatever you use, but you can't go wrong with danish oil as a primer/base, and i always like walnut wood stain, a rich burnt brown colour with nice contrasts give the grain a bit of umph.

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