Limiting Brush Strokes while Painting a Floor?

July 23, 2005 1:31 PM

I recently removed the carpet in my guest room in the hopes of salvaging the 1924 long leaf pine hardwood floors....... (painting question)

I have slavaged every other harwood floor with good success, but after removing the carpet in this room, the floor is too heavily stained with dog and cat urine (from the previous owner) . I have decided to paint the floor in this room white, and have the primer down and the first coat. What is the best technique for limiting the appearance of brush strokes? (I am using a Latex based floor paint)

posted by Benway to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Is it too far gone to sand down and laquer over again? Seems a shame to just paint over a floor like that.

Use a paint roller instead of a brush, the color lays more evenly. There is also special floor paint that is a bit more durable than the stuff that goes on walls. I painted a floor in my home and after 2 years there was a noticeable wear pattern in the paint. At a coffee shop I worked at, the paint only stood up to 6 months of foot traffic.
posted by idiotfactory at 1:52 PM on July 23, 2005

Foam brushes minimize brush strokes.
posted by peep at 2:19 PM on July 23, 2005

Home Despot sells a paint conditioner designed for this purpose. It's cheap, and you just stir it into your paint. Sorry I don't know what it's called, but it's right by the counter at the paint area. My wife uses it a lot in her work as a decorative painter, but I dare not wake her to ask the name.
posted by dontrockwobble at 2:25 PM on July 23, 2005

A foam brush will probably get caught in cracks and leave little "foamies" on a surface that rough (in painting terms). I would try rolling if you insist on painting, but like idiotfactory, I would hate to see wood re-concealed. Have you talked to a floor finisher? They should be able to sand and refinish to remove most stains and scrapes.

(Apologies if you have already pursued this option to its logical conclusion)

I was going to suggest spraying if you really want a brushless finish, but for a floor your first priority is getting down a good thick coat of paint. a roller does that way better than either a sprayer or brush.
posted by misterbrandt at 2:47 PM on July 23, 2005