Now to try to reconstruct the process, which, by the way, also works on table tops or other wood items!
What kind of floor did you lay this on? It was on plain plywood.
Did you have to prep the floor? All the prep work I did was to sweep thoroughly and then vaccum to make sure I had a clean surface.
Did you use the part of the bag that had the writing on it up side down, I'm wongering if the writing would show/bleed through. Yes. I did use some of the bags with printing....and nothing bled through. I, too, was a little leery about that happening but it didn't.
Did you use the bottom of the bags? Only opened out all the way..did not want the wrinkle from a seam.
How big did you rip the pieces? For the floor in the studio they were a variety of sizes, ranging from "dinner plate" or a little larger down to more saucer sized (but not round, of course) with some small pieces to use for filler when I couldn't overlap just so. I tried to use the edges that were totally straight for the pieces that went up against the wall.
Do you put some kind of glue under the bags? No, just a layer of polyurethane...when I did get a tear, I used glue to smooth it back down. Don't soak the floor with the varathane(polyurethane), just a single painted coat will stick the paper down. Then, you coat on top as well. I did several top coats for durability.
Can you vac, sweep, mop it? Yep....clean it like any floor! (Only don't use any floor cleaning products with bleach since it will discolor the finish!)
How long to you have to let it set up before you can move your things back in the room? That depends on the weather and the manufacturers' directions. Damp weather takes longer for the floor to dry thoroughly. In my case, I waited a day after putting on the last coat....because I could.
Fill me in on everything, I seriously want to do this?
I wonder if theres a weight limit on it? We have one of those HUGE wall beds thats about 7' tall X 12' wide, its solid oak & weighs 1000's of pounds. Gosh my floor & bed would match perfectly HA HA.
It does wear if something is repeatedly dragged over it...especially if there is a seam in the wood under it...but repair is simple...just paint on the varathane and put a new torn and crumpled piece of paper on top. Varathane that and wait for it to dry. I have a wheeled office chair that I continuously roll back and forth on it and it hasn't hurt it at all. The one spot I did get worn out was on a seam where the flooring was slightly raised on one side of the seam.
You can purchase brown mailing paper instead of using paper bags if you wish, but it's a little thinner and probably won't take the wear as much. Dragging anything sharp across can tear the paper even with several coats, so I'm careful to slip a rug face down under items I am moving that are sharp edged or heavy.
I've spilled paint...or spattered some on it, and all I do is take a small knife and scrape the spill off.....if I've left it too long for just washing it off. I can use the back of a sponge (the scrubber part) on it to get tough parts. Once in a while I get some at the edge of a seam and it's tougher to remove unless I'm fast. I usually use newspaper or other paper (like that from packing) to protect the floor but once in a while I'm in a hurry and neglect that...hence having to get down and scrape.
The floor's been down for almost three years now and still looks pretty darned good (except for the messes piles around on it right now). I do damp mop and wax it...using a wood floor wax and it still looks pretty great!
Note that paper bags from different sources will often come out different shades...but it adds to the charm of it all. Some will stay a fairly light beige and others will turn a beautiful dark brown....I think it looks neat that way.
Sorry for the delay in replying....things are always chaotic around here and somehow I missed this post....
MARTi, CL (Crazy Lady) of Crafts and Co-CL of Crafter's Community ! CL for Eco-Friendly Living !Come and visit me!!
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