Even though painted hardwood is all the rage these days, I've been thinking on it for quite some time. Three years to be exact -- about how long I've been bouncing around on our first floor hardwood, which had been refinished so many times it was basically like having a thin trampoline for floors. Jokes aside, it was actually becoming dangerous; splinters were coming up everywhere and the little nails driven in over the years to stop the floor from creaking began rising up and maiming us.
What to do with 700 sq feet of prime real estate? One thing I couldn't do is pay to install something I didn't quite want (I believe it's called 'compromise'.) What I want, of course, we can't afford -- reclaimed herringbone Parisian oak -- and even if we could, investing in an isolated project such as first floor hardwood is silly when we may be moving walls in the near future (wishful thinking).
The before
So: it had to be cheap, and it had to look good... paint it white! Isn't that the answer to everything? Oh, and we LOVE IT, by the way. It was a little hard to sustain the first scratch, but it's not that different from getting a new car...
The Details
TOTAL COST: $900 (approx.)
- $700 for the unemployed friend of my husband's who did the painting, while we were away on vacation.
- $150 for the paint
- $50 for the screwes
TOTAL TIME: one week (not necessary, he took his time in our absence)
LABOURERS: 2 (my husband started the drilling part)
SUPPLIES: Benjamin Moore High Gloss Floor and Porch paint, oil-based; 1 zillion screws (approx 1500), hand drill
PROCESS: two problems needed to be addressed: the flexing/creaking and the splintering/flaking. To anchor the floor we -- my husband -- devised a screw-down system entailing rows of predrilled holes and countersunk Robertson screws, which the friend finished, and to seal it from flaking/splintering, the cracks were all filled with a flexible caulking, and the whole thing painted with two coats of oil-based floor paint.
The New Deal: We LOVE it, but...
- It's slippery -- kids in socks or bare feet please
- Felt on all furniture legs, because it will scratch. But you will get over it.
- Cleaning, while easier because of the sealed surface, takes place a lot more often than I would like
- Worth it? YES!
Gallery
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What do you guys think? p.s can you spot my lamp DIY and Halloween craft in the dining room?
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