How to Paint your Floorboards White. Part 1
There have been a few questions on the blog of late regarding Painting your timber floors white and what is the best way to go about it.
I approached the professionals and thought I would share with you some of their tips on how to achieve 2 different looks with a white finish.
This 2 part series will cover Liming and Painting. Today we will discuss Liming.
Lets get straight into it and start with what you need and a “how to” for
Liming your floors.
Liming is a process that gives a milky white stain to timber so that its grain and features are still visible. The stain can be applied to varying depths from mild to intense. The top coat is mandatory and will provide protection against foot traffic, general wear and tear
and will add a gloss or satin sheen.
What you will need.
Sanding Machine
Vacuum
Masking Tape
Lambswool applicator
Rags and Water Bucket for cleaning the floor in preparation.
Feast and Watson Liming Solution
Paint stirrer
Roller Tray, Short nap Roller and Extension Handle
and Intergrain Ultrafloor in Satin or Gloss to finish
Let me just mention that a prepared and well done process will mean longevity in the finish.
So following the process below will mean a professional finish that lasts and doesn’t just look good on the first day.
For new or bare timber sand to an even smooth surface. Vacuum and wipe away dust.
If you have a porous timber like pine apply one coat of Fungishield after sanding to ensure the top coats will absorb evenly.
For oily timbers such as brushbox, tallow wood or cypress pine apply one coat of Feast Watson Proofseal after sanding to prevent the timber oils from leaching and discolouring the coating.
If you have old previously coated wood floors, sand the surface back to bare timber, vacuum and wipe to remove dust
Now to the fun part.
Your floor must be dry and free from dirt, dust, grease, wax, polish and oil……that’s only fair.
The liming solution is a Mr Miagi style wipe on/wipe off stain that develops
colour intensity with time. If you wipe it off after 1-5 minutes it will be
a soft white if you leave it 10-20 minutes you will get a stringer white.
Maybe to start trial this on a off cut of your timber or in a inconspicuous area to get your best colour depth before the main floor area.
Apply the stain to the floor with a lambswool applicator as per the label instructions. Wipe off after your pre-determined time. Allow 8 hours before applying your top coat. This part is a must.
Apply your top coat of Intergrain UltraFloor using a short nap roller. This will ensure your floor varnish never yellows and gives you a professional finish.
Would you Lime your Floorboards or do you want to wait and see if painting them is more your style.
Oh I love this post, thank you !! I am eagerly awaiting part two of this story as I am currently contemplating going from ebony floors to white ! Needless to say hubby is not so happy with my ideas but I think it must be done !!!