I'm thinking of pulling up my old carpet and painting the floorboards,
and was wondering if I could get some advice.
My reason for doing this, is I have a severely Autistic Son, who is
proving difficult to toilet train, and I want a surface easy to
clean, having said that I don't have much money because I had to give
up work to look after my wife and son, I am a full time carer. Also,
my because of my son's behaviour, I don't want to go to the trouble
of pollished floorboards, as they will be quickly scratched up and
damaged anyway, the same with Vinyl which I cant afford anyway.
So, my questions are, what type of paint would I use, and what could I
do about the gaps between the floorboards so that they don't trap all
sorts of dirt etc.
I'm not really worried about the job looking flash, just something
practical, as it is hard to keep this place looking good as you might
appreciate, I'm expecting holes in the walls and doors as my son gets
stronger.
Any replies would be appreciated.

"Pompeyfan" wrote in message
news:766a1$4253ff3e$455da0d2$23907@allthenewsgroup s.com...
I'm thinking of pulling up my old carpet and painting the floorboards,
and was wondering if I could get some advice.
My reason for doing this, is I have a severely Autistic Son, who is
proving difficult to toilet train, and I want a surface easy to
clean, having said that I don't have much money because I had to give
up work to look after my wife and son, I am a full time carer. Also,
my because of my son's behaviour, I don't want to go to the trouble
of pollished floorboards, as they will be quickly scratched up and
damaged anyway, the same with Vinyl which I cant afford anyway.
So, my questions are, what type of paint would I use, and what could I
do about the gaps between the floorboards so that they don't trap all
sorts of dirt etc.
I'm not really worried about the job looking flash, just something
practical, as it is hard to keep this place looking good as you might
appreciate, I'm expecting holes in the walls and doors as my son gets
stronger.
Any replies would be appreciated.


First let me say that I admire your devotion to family and not placing your
son in an institution.

Painted floors are easy to do. Everyone thinks they can paint. Painted
floors are always a problem. Part of the problem is in the preparation and
part of it just normal wear and tear. If you want to proceed along these
lines, strip the floor with an ammonia based product to remove any wax, sand
the surface to dull, buy and apply a high quality primer and floor paint
from one of the major brands. You can try using a high quality latex caulk
to seal the joints.

Another option that you may wish to consider is the application of
commercial grade vinyl floor tile. While it is not the recommended
installation procedure, the commercial (1/8" tile) properly installed over a
relatively sound and tight floor will last 10-15 years even if you do not
use underlayment. The tiles will cost about 60 cents per square foot and
the glue goes a long way. The floor will look as good as you want it to with
regular mopping and waxing. Considering how long paint lasts and how it
looks I would encourage you to go with this option.

Or even some of those peel and stick tiles if you are not comfortable with
the glue down.

You can email me direct by removing the nospam. from my email address.

Colbyt

"Pompeyfan" wrote in message
news:766a1$4253ff3e$455da0d2$23907@allthenewsgroup s.com...
I'm thinking of pulling up my old carpet and painting the floorboards,
(snip)
, I don't want to go to the trouble
of pollished floorboards, as they will be quickly scratched up and
damaged anyway, the same with Vinyl which I cant afford anyway.

Paint will also be quickly scratched and damaged. Suggest that you
reconsider polish. Scratches going down to bare wood are easily colored on
polished floors but the same scratches on painted floors require paint to
repair. IMO maintenance of painted and polished floors is about the same.
The advantage of polish is that after all the damage is done and you decide
to sell or move the floors can be more easily sanded and refinished.
Painted floors can be refinished too but it is far more difficult to remove
every bit of paint that may have seeped into cracks and crannies.
HTH.

Pompeyfan wrote:

I'm thinking of pulling up my old carpet and painting the floorboards,
and was wondering if I could get some advice.
My reason for doing this, is I have a severely Autistic Son, who is
proving difficult to toilet train, and I want a surface easy to
clean, having said that I don't have much money because I had to give
up work to look after my wife and son, I am a full time carer. Also,
my because of my son's behaviour, I don't want to go to the trouble
of pollished floorboards, as they will be quickly scratched up and
damaged anyway, the same with Vinyl which I cant afford anyway.
So, my questions are, what type of paint would I use, and what could I
do about the gaps between the floorboards so that they don't trap all
sorts of dirt etc.
I'm not really worried about the job looking flash, just something
practical, as it is hard to keep this place looking good as you might
appreciate, I'm expecting holes in the walls and doors as my son gets
stronger.
Any replies would be appreciated.

After many years of home ownership and lots of different flooring
materials, my recommendation is ceramic tiles. Cleaning is simple, just
a broom on most days or a mop with water only for more serious problems.
You won't have to worry about anything getting trapped in gaps.

If you don't care too much about how it looks, do it yourself. The one
thing you have to get done right is the solid base over the existing
board floor. Get a contractor to tell you how to create a solid base.

You can also use tiles on the walls to make a durable, attractive room
that will meet your needs. But, remember tiles are a permanent
installation. You can change them the way you paint a wall.