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susanlynn2012

Paint before hardwood floors are installed or after- paint color?

susanlynn2012
14 years ago

I will cross paint this to the decorating forum also. I need pictures but I can't find my software to download the pictures from my camera since I had to buy a new hard drive.

The painter from 2 years ago never painted behind my home office 42" wide 5-drawer putty cabinets and also painted around books (I did not realize he did this since I helped him move a 4-drawer 42" file cabinet after we emptied the drawers and he told me his helper would be there soon to move the others with him. The time I came back from my client, he told me his helper had left and he was just painting in other areas of the room) and missed some hidden walls and trim. My prior paint color was an off-white whiter than the BM Linen White color now. I have bright white gloss trim and a flat white ceiling.

Would it hurt the wood to paint and air out the room with windows open before installing or should I put off painting for another time? It would be so much easier to paint with the cabinets out of the room.

I would like a paint color a little bit warmer than the Linen White now that I am getting Brazilian Cherry floors. Any suggestions? In my family room and kitchen that flow into this room blocked by file cabinets, I have a beautiful BM Bone white that appears to be a creamy light tan. Would that work or would it be too dark in a room with no overhead lights but now I have four 400 watt day-light fluorescent touchier lamps in the room. Only one side of the room has windows that I only lower the tops and open the bottoms of the double honeycomb blinds. The long combined 2 room home office cherry furniture and putty cabinets. The adjoining family room has a taupe sofa and recliner and glass tables with cherry legs. This family room has a wall of windows with sheer champagne color horizontal blinds that I also keep closed most of the time since enough light comes in.

Comments (12)

  • graywings123
    14 years ago

    Paint when it is easiest for you.

  • redbazel
    14 years ago

    Get it painted! I can't believe your painter did this to you. When things are moved out, that is the time to paint. And warming up your white will look nice with the new flooring.

    Red

  • susanlynn2012
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thank you graywings and redbazel for your input. I just wish I could install the floors first and wait a month before painting but then it would be so difficult to move them again since they must be emptied and I don't want my floors scratched.

    I want a happy color on the wall that is very neutral and will not compete with my new floors and will also be easy to work in that is not so white as the Linen White.

    I will go get a deck of Aura Paint chips and see what is similar to Bone White but maybe nicer? I would like to try a paint that does not outgas for as long as the BM Pearl Finish Paint that I used.

    BM Bone White in my family room is warm and everyone loves the color but I have a lot of light in that room. I wonder if it would look nice in the office. I learned that even trying samples on the wall or sample boards does not tell the whole story until the paint is on the wall and the furniture is back in the room.

    I wish the painter would have painted behind all the cabinets and did a good job since then I would just leave things alone for a year but I think now is the time to paint since the cabinets are heavy and I do not want to scratch my floors by waiting at a later time.

    The only problem is then I will have to allow several days after the paint job to install the wood so the room can be acclimated with less moisture from the latex paint.

  • lazy_gardens
    14 years ago

    Lynn -
    There isn't enough moisture in the paint to affect the wood.

    You can acclimate the wood in a different room, as long as it's not separately air-conditioned or heated or has a shower or humidifier. Moisture content equalizes quickly.

  • susanlynn2012
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thank you lazygardens for letting me know that the moisture content in the paint will equalize quickly and as long as my air conditioner is on and the wood is in the other room that I am also installing it in, I should be fine. I may still wait another day to acclimate the wood to be sure.

    I am thinking of going with BM Natura paint that has No VOCS so maybe I will not have to air out the room so much and I will be storing my engineered wood planks in the family room that will not be repainted.

    I am excited since I know that I am going to be so happy when the room is warmed up with a warmer neutral color on the wall and hardwood floors to give the room color and ease of cleaning.

  • rnest44
    14 years ago

    Try Cloud Nine. I have a house in the woods so I get limited natural light and I find that color to work well in my home. Go to a store with an Affinity (Aura not Natura)display and grab any sample that you MIGHT want to use. I like them b/c they are a tad bigger than the average sample. Take them home, narrow it down, go get little sample jars of the 'winners' and paint 12" by 12" squares right next to each other of the 'winners'. Check throughout the day and see which one is the 'best'. Then get that room painted before the floor goes down and you will be a happy camper.
    SO happy you finally found a floor! I am in the process of taking bids for unfinished cumaru (brazilian teak).

  • susanlynn2012
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    owls4me, I found a few Benjamin Stores near me that have both the Aura and the Natura paints and fan decks as well as paint chips. I will stop by tomorrow and pick samples I like and also see if I can get a fan desk.

    Thanks for the advice. I am also glad I finally found a floor. I just love Cumaru floors and I feel you also made a good choice.

  • Laurie
    14 years ago

    Hi Lynn - I am so happy for you on your wood decision! When do you expect it to arrive? Ours has not shipped,yet, but hopefully soon.

    I am going to paint this week. I discovered BM Revere Pewter (grayish beige/tan) from this forum and I'm going to use it. Its in their Historical Colors Collection. - Laurie

  • susanlynn2012
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Laurie_2008, thank you for sharing my happiness! I am also happy for you also that you ordered your floors. I think my floors do not ship until Monday. I was told 5 to 8 business days.

    BM Revere Pewter looks very pretty. The color clashed with my Putty file cabinets. That is the problem but I can't paint them since I am very chemically sensitive and they are too heavy to bring outside. I wish they were a creamy color instead of that putty color. At least my floors will add some color to my home office room and go nicely with my cherry desk and maybe people will not notice all the putty cabinets. :) I am tempted to go with the BM Bone White I love in my family room. Maybe I will just make it a project to put in lights in the ceiling next year. This year, I have too many expenses already.

    Looking forward to seeing pictures of your finished painted room and then finished room with the new floors. I have been following your flooring decision for awhile like I am sure you have been following mine. I saved the pictures of your beautiful kitchen tiles and I can't wait to do my kitchen floors next year.

  • deborahnj
    14 years ago

    Lynn just a quick tip about uploading your pictures. If you attach your camera to the hard drive, you should be able to view and upload the pictures without the hard drive. You probably have Microsoft picture manager on your computer and that will allow you to view and save your photos.

  • barbie08075
    14 years ago

    When our floors were recently installed, sanded and finished on site, we purposely painted after the due to the dust. We wiped down every surface first then painted.

  • susanlynn2012
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for letting me know barbie08075, that you painted after the floors were in. My dilemma is that the furniture is very heavy & I thought it would be easier to paint before the floors are installed and after I removed the heavy file cabinets and supply cabinets in my home office. I also thought if I got paint on my almost 20 year old carpet, it would not bother me since it is being removed. I am doing a prefinished engineered wood floor.

    But you do have a point that despite the fact I am doing prefinished engineered wood and floating it, I wonder how messy it will get in my room?. I wonder if the floors should be installed first and then painted due to the dust? But it would be so much easier on me to paint first so that when my floors are done, I can wait only one day to move the furniture back into my two room home office and my family room (the third room)

    deborahnj, thanks for letting me know. I must look into this since I want to download pictures from my camera.