Sunday, June 6, 2010

White Floor Recipe




This morning I am blogging from the beach cottages on a beautiful clear winter's day.
Quite a few people have asked me about the best way to do white floors so here is a post on it!
First of all pull up any carpet tacks.
Step 1: Sanding
Get a floor sander in to sand the floors even if they have been carpeted. You can hire a machine and do it yourself, but I find this is more trouble than it's worth. You can graze the boards or sand them unevenly if you're not careful!
Pure White Floors:
If your floorboards are patchy, not in great condition or a colour or wood you don't like, I suggest painting it a solid white. I have had pretty good success just using 2 or 3 coats of white paving paint, without any sealer.
I find this method is fairly hard-wearing and we used it in our beach house "Sirena" just up the road here. When it gets a bit too scruffy on well-worn areas you can just touch it up. We do not use a sealer as this makes touch ups much more labour intensive.
Whitewashed Floors:
This is my preference as it hides the dirt a little better than the pure white look. Our latest recipe has been done in all the Seafarers Cottages so it is still in testing stage, but a friend of mine just tried it at her place with a sealer and is very happy with the results.
The recipe is : one third white paving paint, one third extender, one third water. It's a good idea to try it in one room first to get the strength you want as different timbers will soak up the white more than others.
Paint it on with a big brush or lambswool pad on a pole and have a rag handy to rub in areas that need it.
You may need 2 coats depending on the look you want. Finish with a sealer that wont yellow - ask your paint shop about this.

You can use this same technique for other colours. Paving paint now comes in some pretty greys and blues. I am wanting to try a french grey wash next time. There is a outdoor decking wash in a colour called "Snowgum" I have used on furniture which would look great on an interior floor.

8 comments:

  1. This is a great post Catherine. Do floors need to be sanded first?

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  2. Hi Thea - yes that is a given. Sorry I should have mentioned that upfront. You will need to fill any nail holes with white putty, too.

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  3. Good tips - for when I'm feeling brave!

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  4. Hi Tricia - you don't have to be brave, it's quite easy. The worst part is moving all your furniture out of the room!

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  5. I'd do this, but white floors + children is a recipe that just makes me shudder!

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  6. My biggest dreams have been white floors. It's the last thing on my list to do with my home and then, I'll probably start all over again. Nothing is ever finished. I have an old home with low ceilings on the top floor and a lighter floor will give me more space visually. Thanks for the very helpful suggestions.

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  7. Love your blog! I'm your new follower...come see me!

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  8. Hi Catherine,I just wondered as time has passed, how those white floors are going? I would LOVE to paint my lounge/dining room floors white but am scared of the wear and tear. I would most likely go the solid white option. Did you use water or oil based for your project? Thanks Annette

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