Can I sand and paint these floorboards as they are?

[Stressedmum6761]

Hi 👋 just got the keys to my first council house and trying to decorate as much as possible before moving day.

I'm really tight on money and spending nearly a grand on carpet isn't the best plan. My friends have said about just sanding and painting the floors in the bedrooms (been quoted £280 for someone to do this or £165 by renting) and add huge rugs over the top, then splash a little more on laminate for the living room at a later date.

The floorboards are in pretty good nick and only really have paint on (from me 🙄🙃) and I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but I am absolutely skint and need to save money for the moving van etc.

Has anyone just painted these before and if so what did you use? Thanks!

Yes I'd think so. Make sure you tap down any nails before sanding. They should come up nicely

Yes of course. Been skint many times in a council house myself 🙈If the floorboards are ok you could always paint them yourself without sanding. Just take any long nails out. Paint with cheap paint or what you’ve got. I used garden fence paint once! Put a rug on top & it’s a clean & cheap fix for now ☺️

Amazing! Did you sand these down yourself? Or add any primer or wood filler? Made the mistake of posting this on Reddit earlier and had the worst reaction from the DIY men 🙄 knew I'd find my people on here haha 😂

There's a couple of holes/gaps do you think I should fill these first? ☺️

I did this in our last house.dd bedroom, I sanded myself with a mouse, didn't go to the expense of hiring a big sander. Bought proper floor paint....white, didn't bother with a rug. Oldest DD has a council house,she's been quoted a staggering £700 for someone to sand her sitting room floor which I would guess is 12ft by 12ft. This is in the SE.

I did mine and am only just having to strip it to repaint now, 14 years later. Sugar soap, sand, undercoat and paint (2 or 3 coats).

Yeah I'm thinking I'm just gonna do this. I'm happy now I posted this on reddit earlier and had a 80% horrible reaction (from the men of course)
The £280 was the cheapest one I had someone else said £700 for both too 😖 it's ridiculous the prices people charge to just have someone have a happy home! Did your DD end up just DIYing it?

Oh fantastic! Did you fill in any gaps or just go for it without?

yes I am your people lol of course I know what I should of done but when times are hard you do what you can don’t you? Honestly I just swept, hoovered, took out any big nails then went for it! It lasted a long time when my kids were little, you just have to do what you can don’t you? 🙈🫂
ps never ask diy questions on Reddit 🙄

I’d clean with sugar soap and a brush, wash off, minimal water. Then leave them if you are putting a rug over. No need to paint or oil or seal.

Just doing mine. After cleaning them I’m simply leaving as they are. I may turbs and wax if needed later but don’t plan to unless really necessary.

edit to say photo won’t upload for some reason

Just in case you wanted a cheaper carpet option, this place sells roll ends and normal has something cheap (around ten quid a meter) . You can fit it yourself. https://designer-carpet.co.uk/

The floorboards on the flat didn't need filling, but the gaps on the stairs did. I used silicone stuff in a squeezy gun thing. Not hard to do at all.

And for all the know-it-all men, my painting lasted a lot longer than some done by a so-called professional bloke.

Yep and times are very very hard at the minute 😅 hopefully I can carpet room by room when I'm settled but the quote I got was over £800 for 3 rooms and that was for the cheapest thinnest carpet going!
And oh god trust me it's the first and last time I'm going there for help 😂 I had some fella tell me in my inbox that I shouldn't move if I don't have money to do it up 💀 like do you understand the concept of a council house 🤣

I've just ordered some wood filler from amazon for a fiver as there's a couple of holes in one of the rooms, gonna go to b&m tomorrow for the sugar soap and a yard brush and get to it 🤘
I'm actually quite happy with the stairs it looks like someone has painted, sanded and varnished them already but the council have covered them in bloody magnolia splashes so I'll just give the tops another sand and varnish at some point 😊 and yeah honestly these men just get right in my nerves sometimes...

Mine looked similar when I bought my house and removed the old carpets in all the rooms and staircase.

I did some sanding and painting the floor boards. Added a few rugs to brighten things up too.

I’m so pleased, I’m sure they’ll come up lovely ☺️

im not sure why council workman always do a bodge job either ( re magnolia splashes) I mean it’s literally your job why do you do it so badly?! 🤬

You could also just varnish them .

I’d get on Pinterest - there are loads of fantastic things you can do with painted floors.

minimal sanding and then use floor paint, or for natural colour proper sand and then if you can afford Polyx Oil that will last ten years.

No, DD hasn't done anything yet,apart from removing the badly fitted laminate.

To save you some work you could do what people used to do 50+ years ago and just paint or varnish around the rug or carpet and not do the area being covered up!

Was watching some DIY programme yesterday, apparently if you’re putting water based paint on them wipe down the sanded wood with a damp cloth before painting, white spirits if it’s gloss type paint
good luck and happy new home!

A good sanding, waxy filler then a varnish can add warmth to the wood, pretty cheap for marine varnish, or osmo oil. Go matt or sheen but it's warmer, less scratches and you can mop as protected