[Greenbuilding] floor refinishing on the cheap
Michael O'Brien
obrien at hevanet.com
Thu Feb 21 17:23:07 CST 2013
Hi, Gennaro--
Thanks for your follow-up on the splattered-paint concept, you articulated what I was thinking but couldn't find words for.
While I enjoy painters like Pollock and even the Fauves, I think splashed paint on a canvas is much different than a floor, for one thing, most of us have been acculturated to accept abstract art. While a "hot" painted floor may work with the rest of the interior, such bright colors might grab a visitor's visual attention, turning it away from other design elements.
I've seen a couple of low-cost plywood/OSB floors here in Portland that were finished with coatings that had a small amount of color added to create an overall tint. That looks good, as the wood grain shows through the surface finish.
BTW the plywood was not 1/2", as described in that article, but 5/8", with regularly spaced fasteners all the way through it, not blind-nailed into one ply. It's holding up well, but it's in an office space, not a lot of traffic.
Best,
Mike
Mike O'Brien Photography
mikeoregon.zenfolio.com
On Feb 21, 2013, at 2:56 PM, Gennaro Brooks-Church - Eco Brooklyn wrote:
> My hesitation with the Jackson Pollock look is that you are adding more materials to hide something, two things I like to avoid. I like to use as little materials as possible. And I like to keep things as close to the raw materials as possible.
>
> Old wood is usually very high quality because it was usually older trees and because of the mere fact that it has lasted this long.
>
> Putting paint (a mix of many different chemicals) onto wood (one raw ingredient) goes against some pretty basic green building practices.
>
> Also, I think calling the paint technique "Jackson Pollock" is glamorizing it a little too much. It should be called the "Jim Mc Gallan technique" or the "Antonio Vasquez technique" or whoever the laborer who will be assigned to apply it. Anyone can splatter paint on the floor but that doesn't mean it will look more than splattered paint - a very gimmicky look that could easily go out of style.
>
> Or it could look great. It is just not my style. And this is about style since pretty much all solutions will satisfy the short time span needs of a commercial space. So I guess I would work out the technical elements and submit options to the client.
>
> Gennaro Brooks-Church
> Director, Eco Brooklyn Inc.
> Cell: 1 347 244 3016 USA
> www.EcoBrooklyn.com
> 22 2nd St; Brooklyn, NY 11231
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 5:38 PM, Amy Bauman <abauman at greengoat.org> wrote:
> FWIW - we see a LOT of floors discarded, so I've seen many "formats". From
> a programming standpoint, I think it would be AWESOME for your students to
> embrace and value the _existing_ material and work with it.
>
> I really like Gennaro's idea of just repairing the existing. It makes for a
> good story and minimizes cost. Quite seriously, if the original material is
> quality, then the refinished floor will continue to wear well. Unless the
> space is a highly refined interior that won't work well with a 'character'
> floor, then just go for it.
>
> I think a close second is the Jackson Pollock idea of paint, plus splatter.
> I've seen this done beautifully, and I think that is a GREAT idea. It
> sounds horrible, but it's not, and I've got closeup photos of a floor we
> reclaimed that had the splatter treatment. We sold that floor for $1/s.f..
>
> Best of luck, and I'd love you to write back to the list with whatever
> approach you choose
>
>
> Amy Bauman
> Director
> greenGoat
> 501(c)3, WBE helping building owners spare waste
> PO Box 441911 / Somerville, MA 02144
> abauman at greengoat.org
> 617-504-2095
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:20:28 -0500
> From: Clarke Olsen <colsen at fairpoint.net>
> To: Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: [Greenbuilding] Old flooring
> Message-ID: <8DA97C3C-EC57-44CC-98D4-1FD3B4610D22 at fairpoint.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I have a floor like that in a building that used to be my shop: a former
> insane asylum with a 126 year old yellow pine floor. It was brought up to an
> acceptable level of industrial distress by caulking the gaps (caulk comes in
> many colors) and sanding with an abrasive pad or wire screen, leaving enough
> of the different layers to be charming, then given a coat of varnish. Water
> based polys don't impart that amber hue that is so homey on most wood, but
> less appealing over paint.
> Clarke Olsen
> clarkeolsendesign.com
> 373 route 203
> Spencertown, NY 12165
> USA
> 518-392-4640
> colsen at taconic.net
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 20, 2013, at 2:58 PM, Benjamin Pratt wrote:
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:51:04 -0500
> From: Jason Holstine <jason at amicusgreen.com>
> To: Greenbuilding Listserv <Greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Cheap flooring
> Message-ID: <CD4AA168.2A354%jason at amicusgreen.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> A grey, whitewash, or ebony stain with a natural/low sheen finish will (a)
> completely go with the theme of the reclaimed and rustic look, (b) be
> trendy, ( c) repairable, (d) healthy chemistry. Look at the OSMO line
> (www.osmona.com).
>
>
> On 2/20/13 2:58 PM, "Benjamin Pratt" <benjamin.g.pratt at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:56:29 -0800 (PST)
> From: Beatrice Dohrn <beatricedohrn at yahoo.com>
> To: Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Cheap flooring
> Message-ID:
> <1361397389.23462.YahooMailNeo at web124706.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I would agree with the responders who suggest re-finishing the floor. I add
> that if you get a few drill bits and hole saws that correspond so that you
> drill the hole in the floor with one and manufacture a "plug" that fits well
> in that hole the other, ?you can patch the holes quite nicely by making them
> into standard "dots" that you fill with either a similar or contrasting
> wood.... Gets sanded down and goes with the look.?
> ?
> Beatrice Dohrn
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Gennaro Brooks-Church - Eco Brooklyn <info at ecobrooklyn.com>
> To: Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 11:10 AM
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Cheap flooring
>
>
> If that picture is an indication of your existing floor then I would say you
> have a great floor. Patch the large holes with wood the small holes with saw
> dust/wood filler/stain, sand it all down, patch medium holes with old tin
> like they did in the old times, oil it with four layers of tung oil and
> citrus solvent (lay it on thick and remove ALL excess 20 min later, repeat
> 24hrs later). The results are priceless.
>
>
> Gennaro Brooks-Church
> Director, Eco Brooklyn Inc.
> Cell: 1 347 244 3016 USA
> www.EcoBrooklyn.com
> 22 2nd St; Brooklyn, NY 11231
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:56:30 -0500
> From: marian dombroski <mdombros at gmail.com>
> To: Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Cheap flooring
> Message-ID:
> <CANCZ747h1yBZSJkN+c-6YDye2N4iUd0axitpPPV1p8FsH7=6yQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> do everything you can to save the oak and maple floors. You can use black
> rubber reducers to take care of the transition. it would probably look
> cool. Putting sheet goods over the floor with unresolved levels will just
> exacerbate the problem.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:07:11 -0800
> From: "John Salmen" <terrain at shaw.ca>
> To: "'Green Building'" <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Cheap flooring
> Message-ID: <002a01ce0fb6$a1cbde00$e5639a00$@ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Paint splatter floor (Jackson Pollock is due for renewal) that way you can
> use simple floor patch and leveller and make it disappear
>
>
> The splatter covered floor of painter Jackson pollock's studio at the
> Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in East Hampton,New York7/21/2010.
> (Michael P. Farrell / Times Union ) Photo: MICHAEL P. FARRELL
>
>
>
> From: Greenbuilding [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org]
> On Behalf Of Benjamin Pratt
> Sent: February-20-13 11:58 AM
> To: Green Building
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Cheap flooring
>
>
>
> I appreciate all the wisdom.
>
> Trying to get a trendy look for cheap, but based on your advice, I am wil
> probably tell them the best option is to refinish the floors. Any
> recommendations for a durable finish that has a trendier look? Maybe a grey
> stain?
>
> Students are not going to be doing the remodeling, just the design.
>
>
> Ben
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 1:47 PM, Clarke Olsen <colsen at fairpoint.net> wrote:
>
> Using plywood for flooring is a bad idea. The only way to make it worse, is
> to cut it into strips.
>
> If you are determined to use sheet goods for flooring,
>
> put down 5' x 10' sheets of OSB and paint it a beautiful color.
>
> Clarke Olsen
> clarkeolsendesign.com
> 373 route 203
> Spencertown, NY 12165
> USA
> 518-392-4640
> colsen at taconic.net
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:46:30 -0500
> From: Clarke Olsen <colsen at fairpoint.net>
> To: Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Pollock underfoot
> Message-ID: <06F731EC-0FA9-4C83-B70A-3C2B04645E28 at fairpoint.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Don't dismiss this approach: it can be seamlessly repaired and adjusted.
> With this treatment, you have carte blanch to accent areas, shape your
> spaces, and make the floor more then a place to park chairs.
> Clarke Olsen
> clarkeolsendesign.com
> 373 route 203
> Spencertown, NY 12165
> USA
> 518-392-4640
> colsen at taconic.net
>
>
>
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