Update - After research and consideration, I am going to punt and just buy the cheapest laminate available and do the same thing I did previously. It always worked and it was less than $1 per sq ft.

Original - I am going to build dance floor for my daughter's 16th birthday.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...690081405#1690081405

My plan is (or maybe was) to paint it and coat it with a high gloss polyurethane. The paint will be a black and white checkerboard pattern. Depending on who I have talked to at Home Depot or Lowes, I am getting various answers on whether or not this will work.

Surface - Sanded 1/2 plywood. 6 total sheets, 192 sq ft.

Primer - Kilz? Other? White? Other?

Paint - Matte, Satin, Semi or Gloss?

Polyurethane - Gloss? And will it stick to the paint above?

I did buy a couple samples of flooring paint. It is supposed to be strong enough to hold up to traffic without a coating. I am going to paint a test piece tomorrow.

How can I create a good looking floor that will have some durability and not look like crap after a 4-5 hour party?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: holdem,

This may be a resource for you:
www.robbinsfloor.com
They make gym floors for a lot of big name athletic
teams. They may have some scraps left over to help you build a durable floor. Made right here in the Yoop.

FWIW, I polyurethaned over an oil-based painted floor and it worked fine for many many years. Gloss poly. Then it got carpeted.

That's a lot of effort to put into a floor that's not going to hold up. Have you considered laminate or vinyl in a checkerboard pattern?

^^^12” self adhesive vinyl tiles in black and white. Around a buck a piece.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AC...STT1M10120/309657133


https://www.homedepot.com/p/AC...FTVSO10220/303036872

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
That's a lot of effort to put into a floor that's not going to hold up. Have you considered laminate or vinyl in a checkerboard pattern?

Why will it not hold up? The polyurethane? Something else?

I have not seen laminate in that type of pattern.

If vinyl tiles, what do I stick them to, what is the base? Will the vinyl be slick enough to dance on?

I’d probably just stick them to the plywood, if it’s smooth. Which it would need to be if you’re going to paint it.

Yes, they’re slick enough to dance on. I think they’ll be more durable than paint, and a lot less trouble to do.

Keep in mind glossy surfaces will be slippery when wet

Holden it's just been my experience (selling paint and flooring) that paint doesn't hold up well on wood floors. Also oil based white paint yellows pretty fast indoors. Then there's the work involved in drawing the grid and painting the pattern. One thing to be aware of is solid white and black is difficult to maintain on a floor because it shows *everything*, even the dried water residue from mopping.

We sold both black and white laminate and vinyl flooring, some solid color but most with at least a bit of subtle pattern, marbleized etc. My wife taught tap dancing and for their practice floor we put down commercial grade, wood grain laminate tiles. After a few months she asked me to look at it, as it had already started wearing out because the finish was getting hazy. As it turned out the laminate wasn't wearing at all it was the steel taps on their shoes that were wearing off leaving the gray residue behind.