Repainting wood floors on three season porch

No. 29 Design
by No. 29 Design
I in the process of updating my three season porch. Step one is the floor. It is painted wood (at least two layers from what I can see) which I'd like to repaint. I've decided to use a floor and patio paint but have a few questions.
1.How do I need to prepare the floor before painting? It is an indoor porch (no water issues). Do I need to sand the entire thing or just the areas that are peeling. (It is in pretty good shape)
2. From what I understand about floor and patin paint I don't need to prime the floor or apply a polyurethane coating after. Any experience with this?
  3 answers
  • If there is peeling paint the area in which the paint is failing was not properly prepared from the start. You need to do the following. First off check the paint for lead. If the porch is a bit older it may have been painted in the past with lead paint. Test kits can be purchased at all paint stores and big box stores in their paint area. If the paint tests positive be sure to keep kids and critters away while you wear a N-95 paint mask and sand the floor area smooth, Feather out the damaged areas as best you can. Then prime paint the areas that were sanded and feathered out. The idea is to prep any bare wood that may have appeared during the sanding process and to build up the lower sanded areas out so when you put final finish on it looks smooth. You may need a few coats of primer over a few days to get this area built up properly. Once you have completed the priming of the local areas you need to sand everything to remove any gloss on the floor. I would also suggest that you use a good cleaning chemical and de-glosser such as TSP. Floors tend to have leftover cleaning chemicals and sprays on the surface that can end up being sanded into the older finish. Do the cleaning both before you sand and after to remove any dust or loosened debris on the surface. Once dry using a good quality roller and brush that you have washed and dried before using it apply the deck paint as instructed by the manufacture of the paint. It has been said several times on HT the prep is the most important part of the job. Do it well and it does take some time to do it that way, your results not only will come out more professionally but will last much longer as compared to the painting where only a quick scuffing and dusting of the surface occurs.
  • No. 29 Design No. 29 Design on Apr 29, 2013
    Thank you @Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
  • Moxie Moxie on Jan 07, 2014
    You should remove anything on the existing floor finish that is loose. Patch holes or uneven spots from removal with wood filler and paint with porch and floor paint and then seal with Varathane. You can see detailed instructions on how I did my floors (painted plywood subfloor) at www.Mox4me.com. They are great and hold up..your room is going to be fabulous! Please post pics when you are done!