Prepping Floorboads For Paint, Help Please!

[nameobsessed]

Hi okay so I’m new to DIY and my partner only really has experience with painting and decorating, but we’ve decided to take up the carpet in the bedroom and start prepping the floors and woodwork for dark brown paint. We’re thinking of using something low VOC for the floors, door, and woodwork, but made for outdoor use, as that’s what the previous owners used on all the wood downstairs and it’s holding up really well. The boards aren’t nice enough to sand and stain as the house is really old.

We’ve bought a Bosch orbital sander because we couldn’t afford to hire one of the big floor sanders, and at the moment we’re taking turns, one of us is using the sander in one corner and the other is sanding by hand in another. Honestly, I think sanding by hand is going quicker. The boards are old and a bit uneven, and the sander (which is large and rectangular) is only really hitting the raised bits. It’s also going through sanding pads really quickly. There’s a layer of old white paint and varnish underneath that’s basically impossible to fully sand off with the sander. Will that matter if we’re just painting over it, as long as it feels smooth? It’s a pretty big room so it feels like we’re making absolutely no progress right now.

Does anyone have any tips for using an orbital sander on floorboards, dealing with splintery areas that keep peeling up, or any recommendations for affordable floor paint, wood filler, or a decent floor paint sealer?

I really don’t know what I’m doing so thanks for any advice 😊

I've both sanded and washed floors before painting or varnishing. It really depends on the state of the floorboards. If you're painting it, it doesn't need to be sanded any more than necessary for paint to adhere. Obviously rough bits need sanding so they're OK underfoot.

Thanks for replying! Yeah I started thinking we needed to get all the paint off but that would take weeks at this rate. I’ll just start focusing on the worst areas and getting it all smooth.

I agree with pp. If you are just repainting then you only need to rough it up slightly to key the surface so the new paint can stick and to take off any obvious bobbles in the original paint.

Thank you! I’m doing that over the good areas now rather than trying to get the old paint and varnish off completely but what about areas like this where the wood is peeling?

I would just remove the splintery bits and sand the edges so they aren't sharp

The splintery boards need a good planing . You cannot just paint over them! Also trying to prepare an entire floor with a hand sander is a waste of time and effort. And yours isn't even an orbital one which would be a bit quicker . You need to rent a proper floor sander which you can do quite cheaply. It would be well worth it and you will get much better results. Use the handsander for all the edges and corners. No you don't have to remove all the paint but you do need a flat and smooth surface for it to be satisfactory. Look at some youtube videos for more info. Good luck.

I’d remove or glue down splintery bits, wood filler and sand.