BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???

Subject: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 08:50 AM

Well, here's one that ain't never been discussed here in Mudville...

I oughtta know this but I don't... The old hotel that I'm renovating is gonna be shops on the first floor... It has a center hall which is gonna be common area where folks can hang out and walk from shop to shop... It originally have several apartments in it and some were like a couple inches higher or lower than the hall or other rooms so I ripped down "sleeper joists" and have everything on one level (ADA compliant) and it surface is 5/8's inch plywood which I want to paint in a checker board manner to look like large tiles...

Here's the problem... The plywood has knots and imperfections and I need something that is paintable and durable that I can skim over the plywood before prinming and painting the fake tiles... I read the instructions on the 25 pound bag of floor leveler that I've used before putting vynal floors down but it disn't say it was paintable or durable so...

..any ideas as to a product that will fill the holes, bond with wood and be paintable and durable???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Paul Burke
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 09:11 AM

I've found that a Yankee quart of bourbon levels most things...

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 09:14 AM

I'm just using plain wood filler paste but it's shutters NOT a floor. How about Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty? It's a powder that you mix with water to your preferred consistency. Dries a rock hard pale yellow. Is sandable and paintable. Acts 'sort of like' a SUPER hard dry wall mud.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 09:18 AM

Bobert, go to the source: Google the floor-leveler manufacturer, go to their site (if they have one) and ask about paintability.

Or suppose the brand name is "Florlevel", try Googling "Florlevel paintable OR paintability OR painting".

If you bought it from a big merchandiser like Lowe's or the like, they often have very knowledgeable people who could tell you.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: bobad
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 10:03 AM

Bob, I'm curious to know what kind of paint you plan on using. It is my experience that the durability of painted plywood floors is none too high, especially in high traffic areas. Are you considering something along the lines of an epoxy paint? I suppose that covering the painted surface with a few coats of urethane would help too.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 10:14 AM

Yeah, thanks, Unc-DO...

The harmonica player in my band works for Lowes and he doesn't want to go on record of saying that their floor leveler will work...

Guess I'll have to go 'a Googling...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 10:16 AM

No, Bo, I'm going to use oil base enamel... Several coats... This only has to hold up a year or so until I get some tenants and then I'll go back and do a vynal floor but until all the construction is completed this seems to be the most practical...

b~

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: gnu
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 02:23 PM

My first question would be, "What's under the plywood?" The reason I ask is that the stability of the plywood may influence what you are able to use as a filler at any joints. Second question flows from the first... what kinda plywood and is it T&G?

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: gnu
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 02:24 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: gnu
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 02:27 PM

Oops...

Good choice of paint. Up Kent County, most camp wood floors are painted with a Marine Deck type, or a concrete floor type. Several coats work great. But, as you only need it to last a year, I wouldn't go overboard on the pricey stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bee
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 07:07 PM

Times have changed and latex is a better and more durable choice than it used to be. I've painted plywood floors, after knot-filling and sanding (with an industrial sander), put three coats (two when it was my place) of urethane on top and Bobsyeruncle. Lasts years and years, even with fairly heavy traffic, and if the surface starts looking a little scuffy or dull, put another coat of urethane on 'er.

One of the (few) practical crafts I have done a lot of is painted canvas mats, usually about 24 in. by 30in., but I've made a couple as large as six by eight feet. I use ordinary interior flat latex for basecoating, decorate with acrylic (sometimes mixed with household latex), urethane coat it two or three times and there you are. I usually give people a sized to fit piece of rug underlay to go with - makes it softer and prevents slipping. Those things are durable. There's one I made 22 years ago that's been on the floor in front of the owner's sink all that time. He says he's re-coated with urethane twice and it looks perfect.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 07:55 PM

What did you fill the holes with, Bee??? This plywood ain't AC which would have been very costly so it has a few knot holes which are one ply deep in eacjh board... Underneath is the old "asbestos" tiles that was used up until the 60s or 70s and the asbestos guy said that the best thing to do was cover it up... All the plywood is glued and screwed so everything is tight as a mouse's ear... Oh yeah, it's 1/2 inch...

Somebody said that the urethane yellows purdy quickly??? No??? Yes???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bee
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 09:18 PM

Filled the holes in the floor with wood putty, seems to have held up fine. Also, if you sand even reasonably smooth, once you have several layers of paint and a couple-three layers of clearcoat, you're pretty much dealing with a plastic surface that has some flexibility, so humidity/dryness doesn't tend to be a problem. I admit pure laziness and impatience made me quit using oil-based paints, because of drying time and clean-up

Bobert, on the urethane: I find the modern stuff does not yellow anywhere near the older stuff, but pretty much any clear coat will yellow eventually with exposure to light, IME. I like using waterbased clear acrylic for a lot of smaller painted things, like furniture and picture frames, and that seems to stay clear longer, but may be expensive for a big floor project like you are describing.

The only concern I would have is your cleaning people - industrial strength floor cleaners are NOT something I've ever exposed my paint jobs to.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: bobad
Date: 05 Sep 08 - 09:22 PM

Apparently water based urethane is more yellowing resistant than the oil based ones. I personally don't have a problem with the yellowing of varnish or urethane, I feel that it produces a mellow patina characteristic of graceful aging as opposed to the shiny, clear, plastic look of freshly coated surfaces.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bee
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 01:11 AM

Same here, Bobad - I like the yellowing, and will introduce it in clear coat on small items by adding a little ochre or other 'mellow yellow'.

Bobert, are you thinking of huge big squares or more tile sized ones? How big is the floor space? I've always liked the look of checkered tile floors, and have seen a couple really nice painted ones - haven't painted one myself.

I've always wanted to paint a floor in a small room with a natural looking 'grass with wild flowers and bugs and berries' - a fantasy lawn - but no one, including my husband will ever let me do it. :-(

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 04:50 AM

Bobert, There are companies that make a two part(catalyzed), water based paint, that is incredibly durable. It also is thick, and should fill the uneven areas, being as it is self leveling. The product is a bit more expensive, itself, but the labor it will save you, plus being so durable should pay off in the long run.........or ask Obama...he has a good rap for everything...(wink)
Pacific Coatings make such a product. I've used it...It is really amazing!

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: gnu
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 11:13 AM

Bee... great info. Same for GfS.

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 11:34 AM

Lotta good stuff here... I'll reread when this here hurricane blows out 'cause I only get 5 minutes an hour when my pudder can see all the way up thru the clouds and rain to the pudder sattilie in the sky...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Paint, Floor Leveler Question???
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Sep 08 - 12:00 PM

Well, I'll give a longer one a try....

Yeah, Bee, the interior hall is about 100 feet long and 8 feet wide with a 17X12 lobby T-ing off it to the front door... The checks will be 12 inches by 12 inches with the lighter color going dwon first and the dark being painted last...

I'm kinda intrigues with that 2-part stuff that GfS has mentioned, especially if it is thick... It would take too many hours to fill all the hole with a wood putty... There used to be a product called mono-poxy which was 2 part that was used for doing seemless floors in offices, pool houses, etc but I haven't heard about it in years... I used it to paint block house once and it peeled in 2 years but that was outside???

I'll keep at it... I'm a firm believer that it's better to use good material once than heving to redo a job...

Oh, I called up Obama and he said that he ain't a paint kinda guy... Figures...

B~