Looking to brainstorm ideas on a cheap way to cover timber floor boards with something reasonably cheap.
I have about 72 square meters to cover. I don't think polishing these floors would be a solution as it seems some sort of blue paint has been put on a foot and half perimeter around the wall edges of the timber. And couple of areas have had a different pine timber put down to replace what was probably rotten boards. And two passage way walls removed by previous people to open the living and kitchen areas up, so can see the studs on the floor level where the old walls were cut off.
Just think rather then polish it will be better covered up. But maybe it might even just ad character polished!? I thought probably the sander will not take the old paint off as seems some sort of preservative as well in places rather then paint soaked into the wood.
Plus are in Victoria which has lots of colder months and mats look and feel a lot warmer.
It's 2br lounge and the kitchen. I was thinking going with something like painting around the edges and putting a large mat down in the center of each room. I just need it to be neat and presentable of an upgrade for renting to someone.
Has anyone just simply painted floorboards with brown or perhaps some sort of pattern stencil of a wood knot effect. I'm thinking this could be a two foot perimeter of this pattern effect and or plain paint and then the larger mat rug placed center of each room.
The walls and ceiling are all going an 'Old Ivory' (light bony color) throughout.
Hi Jaffa,
Our boards were painted – they had numerous layers on them plus carpet and lino! We ended up sanding them – there was a red layer thats extremely hard to sand off- though came off eventually with some heavy duty sand paper, sweat and tears. There was a bit of a blue layer that did stay in some of the grooves of timber- character- as are the two pieces that have been knawed by termites at some time over the last 100 years- we filled them with epoxy after being quoted $14 lm to get the same timber milled.We love our floors- word of warning though- we can do most things but would never sand them ourselves again- It was hard yakka and with soft floors easy to muck up. They are also easy to dent and sometimes its a never ending battle with the kids.
In answer to your question though I have seen some really nice places in my recent inspections with painted floorboards- mostly in off whites. very nice and easier I imagine. I would never use carpet in Cairns though for a rental in melbourne I would think it would be the cheapest way to go especially in the bedrooms. There are some very good and hardy vinyl/ lino fake timber flooring options out there now for living areas. Or for a more upmarket rental the bamboo floating flooring is classy with an environmental twist. It can generally be put straight over the top of most flooring and comes sealed already.
good luck.Hi Troodyg,
Thanks for the post and the insightful comments.Certainly going for a low cost Lino for the kitchen area that meets the lounge room, used it in the last unit in the bathroom at $5.99 a meter. I thought even possibly put some hardy vinyl/ lino fake timber flooring as you say but just around the edges of the room and the cheaper 'fill' underlay boards or something then the mat over the top.
White paint? I thought it would need to be darker so as not to show dirt wear and tear etc, i guess not. Possibly could just paint all the bedroom floors and just do the lounge room floating floor or something.
Decisions, decisions. Just need something low cost and effective enough to be perceived as reasonable… not a high standard of finish for this rental property.
Actually i would do it all floating floor because that would bring the place up well but it is so damn expensive. I can't justify it unless i can get some secondhand bulk lot deal somewhere.
Hi,
There is some flooring on graysonline. I don't know if the prices are competitive or anything. There is also a renovators auction in Cheltenham listed, might be worth a look. Maybe you can pass the off white painted look as shabby chic or something
D
DWolfe | www.homestagers.com.au
http://www.homestagers.com.au
Email MeWow 5.99 a metre- I need to move to melbourne to do renos!(presuming that is where you are) We dont see prices like that in cairns. The white painted floorboards I saw were definately shabby chic as D Wolfe says. they did have rugs down too- though Im presuming a tenant would pay for these. They didnt look like that they had been freshly painted though didnt look dirty or worn. I guess it may depend on the quality of paint you used.
No it was a shop with bits and peaces of all sorts of things in Country town.
Guess what. I ordered 76 meters of Laminated Flooring @ $10.50 a square meter. Troodyg if it wasn't for you planting the idea in this thread i might not have done it. Thanks. I thought it was $50 a meter till this or something.
$1100.00 fully paid for and delivering all the way from Melbourne out to my country cottage! I'm looking forward to seeing it in the next few days! There was pine and a darkish red colour in this price so i went for the red and purchased from ebay. Including underlay and a cleaners pack thrown in.
My first IP had beautiful Jarrah floorboards but they were covered in black stuff under the layers of lino and carpet. After some experimenting I discovered that the stuff only extended 18 inches from the skirting and was soluble with metholated spirits it then washed off with water. I did spend a few days on my hands and knees but at least never had to sand them!
It was common in the past to paint or wax only the edges and lay a rug over the rest, so lifting the edge of the carpet may not reveal the true condition of the majority of the floor, a trip into the crawlspace under the house is recommended for wooden floors to see the timber in its untreated condition (maybe can even be lifted and turned?). Where they are covered in layers of grime and glue and paint I do reckon it's worth doing a major sand because in the long run the timber floors will be an asset.
CazzieP wrote:My first IP had beautiful Jarrah floorboards but they were covered in black stuff under the layers of lino and carpet. After some experimenting I discovered that the stuff only extended 18 inches from the skirting and was soluble with metholated spirits it then washed off with water. I did spend a few days on my hands and knees but at least never had to sand them!It was common in the past to paint or wax only the edges and lay a rug over the rest, so lifting the edge of the carpet may not reveal the true condition of the majority of the floor, a trip into the crawlspace under the house is recommended for wooden floors to see the timber in its untreated condition (maybe can even be lifted and turned?). Where they are covered in layers of grime and glue and paint I do reckon it's worth doing a major sand because in the long run the timber floors will be an asset.
this "paint" is what is called black japan .it is more or less a black powder mixed with metholated spirits .the idea was that in the old days all floors had a centre rug and this feature was added to give the rug definition ,the japan would only penertrate slightly into the floor surface and sanding will cut through to the unstained level below
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