Floor and wall coverings

[Chewbacka]

6 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I guess if you want to save £10.00 on paint, no one can help you

 

Harsh but I suppose a fair comment.

[ditchcrawler]

Well all our internal pain is B&Q and other DIY establishments. You wouldn't buy marine paints to paint inside your house. Also what is emulsion paint today, most are water based paints so are the emulsions even though they don't call it that.

 

[Johny London]

21 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Harsh but I suppose a fair comment.

No not so fair - 10l of emulsion is £20. whereas 2.5l of satinwood is £35, so a difference of  £120. (or a factor of 6x). Not just the cost either - I wonder if satinwood would be difficult to get a good roller finish.

[Chewbacka]

Dulux Satinwood (Toolstation is £29 for 2.5l) has a coverage of about 17m2 per litre, so you probably only want one or possibly 2 cans, so less than £60, though I agree it is more than emulsion.

[Johny London]

Well, I was factoring in enough for when I do the ceilings later on. Should have mentioned - that's if it goes ok on the walls. There is still a good feeling of grain for the paint to cling to and the existing varnish is not very shiny, I don't think I would gain much by sanding it. I guess I'm going to have to try something out and report back - but it's holding up the final tightening of all the radiators connections - as I want to do it with them off rather than have to disconnect everything later and drain down... but I'm cold!

[WotEver]

At the very least wash the panels down with sugar soap. 

[Chewbacka]

Just an idea if you need speed, but when you wash it with sugar soap (as above) use a stainless pan scourer to give a bit of a key, but don't press hard or you may get deep scratches.  Don't use brillo pads unless you want rusty stains.  If you don't wash it, use emulsion, that way when it peels off it will be cheaper than the good stuff peeling off.

[WotEver]

48 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

If you don't wash it, use emulsion, that way when it peels off it will be cheaper than the good stuff peeling off.

And when it peels off it will take much of the muck with it, leaving a cleaner surface for the next go

[nbfiresprite]

On 07/02/2018 at 10:42, Johny London said:

I seem to be moving away from the carpet idea having had a look around in the shops - and am thinking to paint up the the gunwales in white. Currently it is wood with a couple of light coats of satin varnish, so it is already sealed. I was thinking silk emulsion, but a friend tells me it will all just flake off and that I should use satinwood paint. The latter is much more expensive and I'm concerned it won't roller well.

Any tips re the paint?

I used Dulux 'Made by Me' gloss paint to paint the cabin. The paint being designed to paint furniture, as it is solvent based, it has proved to be both tough and durable. Used a cream colour as white paint does go yellow after awhile.

 

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by nbfiresprite

[LadyG]

On 07/02/2018 at 16:39, Johny London said:

No not so fair - 10l of emulsion is £20. whereas 2.5l of satinwood is £35, so a difference of  £120. (or a factor of 6x). Not just the cost either - I wonder if satinwood would be difficult to get a good roller finish.

My point is not to base decisions on the price of  a ha'pence worth of tar for example, but to get the best product for the job.

The inside of a house is pretty solid, but even there you get different coating for certain jobs. I personally would probably use a marine paint like epiphanes multiforte, as you know it is ok for any surface, inside or out, so you can keep some for another job, cupboards etc.

If cost is the primary concern that is a different matter, and it also depends on the time available to do the job: a roller and two coats of anything is going to be faster, but if you a want it to look smarter, with contrasting trim[mouldings] etc. then a lot of work is involved

I like plain light panels with oak trim for example, but this is going to need considerable more work and for best results the trim may have to come off, with the danger of breakage. I would not use satinwood from B&Q for panelling, and I would not ask B&Q helpline for advice [don't  ask me why I say this]

If you decide on a light [white] stain to retain the natural look of the wood grain, assuming it is attractive graining, then you need to lightly sand [maybe 120 grit], wash/degrease, wash,  then experiment with a stain / paint mix [assuming acryllic] , so really that's going to give a totally different finish to an emulsion, and it should last a good number of years but will cost a lot more.

A tip? "Ronseal ONE COAT PAINT" is NOT one coat, and the cupboard paint is not for amateurs ................. or most cupboards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited February 10, 2018 by LadyG

[LadyG]

On 19/01/2018 at 20:09, Johny London said:

I wonder then, were I to go for laminate, if the thin plastic underlay would cause problems? Or perhaps without it the laminate might go damp and start expanding.

I do quite like the cord carpet under the gunnels idea. Is it considered a bit naff by some then?

Laminate is designed to "float" on a solid surface, which is why it is not screwed to the joists.

I have seen good laminate flooring, I have also seen floors where the laminate "curls" at the edges of each plank, not sure why this is, most likely the sub floor is moving/damp.

There are better underlays which are damp resistant, I would not use cheapo stuff, but I  think a good base is required first; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5mm-or-6mm-Sonic-Gold-Underlay-Wood-Laminate-Flooring-Acoustic-Insulation/332533720415?hash=item4d6c8de55f:g:JZYAAOSwhplaa5TM

ps I have not personally laid a narrowboat floor, , but have westled with stuff from B&Q, the early stuff is now in landfill.

Edited February 10, 2018 by LadyG

[Johny London]

Thanks. At the moment it looks as though I am leaning towards laminate with that thin plastic underlay, as the floors are very flat, so it is just for providing isolation from any damp. Walls, I tried a bit of emulsion both on sanded and non sanded areas. The sanded resisted my scraping at it with my fingernail better than the not sanded - no surprise really. Though both were pretty ok once fully dried the next day. So, food for though. I'm having doubts that I like the white now though, but it will prolly look good when the ceiling is done as well. So, I am currently re considering wallpaper (I have a very nice stripey one in mind) with the 2 or 3mm polysyrene stuff put on first - as it would keep the walls from getting so cold and hence help with avoiding condensation/mildew - mind you the central heating would help with that ! Currently awaiting a 1/2" bsp thread cutter so I can do the fuel, but still need to resolve decorating behind the rads before I finally tighten everything.

I'll keep you all posted of how things work out, whichever route I go.

[Johny London]

Just an update - I did end up painting under the gunwals - a light rub down, two coats of Acrylic primer (with small roller) and three coats of silk emulsion - which has come out quite shiny but you can't really tell from normal viewing angles. It seems very well adhered and looks robust.

The floor - I've become very interested in LVP (luxury vinyl planks). Not the sticky backed ones that tend to creep, and seep out glue for ever. Ones that need the use of a special adhesive. It will be good for my case as I have a lot of removable hatch sections and this way it's just a question of lifting up the bit of floor I want rather than removing a layer of laminate first or sticking the laminate to the floor and it being too heavy. Also I'm thinking to emphasise the different sections by running the wood in different directions to creat a panel effect... you can even get parquet size planks so food for thought

Something like this...

Edited April 18, 2018 by Johny London

[David Mack]

8 minutes ago, Johny London said:

Just an update - I did end up painting under the gunwals - a light rub down, two coats of Acrylic primer (with small roller) and three coats of silk emulsion - which has come out quite shiny but you can't really tell from normal viewing angles. It seems very well adhered and looks robust.

The floor - I've become very interested in LVP (luxury vinyl planks). Not the sticky backed ones that tend to creep, and seep out glue for ever. Ones that need the use of a special adhesive. It will be good for my case as I have a lot of removable hatch sections and this way it's just a question of lifting up the bit of floor I want rather than removing a layer of laminate first or sticking the laminate to the floor and it being too heavy. Also I'm thinking to emphasise the different sections by running the wood in different directions to creat a panel effect... you can even get parquet size planks so food for thought

Something like this...

You've got a wiiiiide boat then?

[Johny London]

No - I knew someone would comment on that. It's just that this style of floor laying would suit me well as I have my floor in three 60cm sections - with the central bits all removable, allowing easy access to inspect or adjust ballast. If I used this stylee - ie laying planks length ways to border the joins - and at the edges (by the skirting) I could then infill in the opposite direction. It would look really smart and I shouldn't need any other edging for the removable sections or the bits the butt up too. Plus the floor is thin, light and sticks down, so doesn't need removing separately before accessing below. Vinyl won't get damp or worry about spills either.

This picture just inspired the idea. If you look at four long strips with the (three lots of) horizontals in between, that would be all along my boat with the central area removable in sections of varying length.

I'm going to order me some samples