# Forum Home Renovation Flooring  Painting Ply or Chipboard floors

## TimDavis

I stand behind or above sanding machines staring at timber floors, all day long. I grovel around in cupboards and pantries and in corners, all day long, staring at timber floors. I punch millions of nails, I pull thousands of staples, all day long, staring at timber floors. What did I ever do to deserve this! I hate timber bloody floors.
Phew, got that of my chest. Now to my new house. It's NOT having timber floors, not quite.Just going to lay ply or chipboard, paint it, or maybe colour lime it and then a couple of clear coats over the top. Did this years ago on concrete and it came up a treat.
Trouble is I can't remember what type of paint I used, though I do remember clear coating with Beckothane.
This time I want to use a non yellowing clear coat, gulp, possibly water base, but preferably Polycure's Crystapol Non Yellowing Clear. 
Just wondering a) is chipboard cheaper than ply? b) What type of paint is compatible with (shudder) water based poly and what type of paint works under solvent base poly? c) Will I need to sand the wax layer off the chipboard or just paint straight over a surface I'll attempt to cover and keep clean during the building process and d) anybody here ever used Crystapol or similar non yellowing solvent based before?
ps I don't really hate timber, that much, just not prepared to pay an arm and a leg for stuff that once upon a time people covered as soon as they could afford to.

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## Dusty

Sand the chipboard (super fine finish) 
Use any old Acrylic paint (in your preferred colour) 
Mix the paint in a two to one ratio (one paint - two water) 
Apply with a stain pad. (Give it a day or two to dry) 
Should be cool with whatever type of finish you are looking at. The Polycure Crystapol Non Yellowing Clear is probably your best bet.

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## TimDavis

G'day Clint, thanks for speedy response. 
I gather diluting paint is for a wash type look which I may do on a ply floor if that's what I put down. What about solid colour on chipboard ie. 2-3 coats paint, then clear. Will the poly still stick to a relatively thick layer of paint? Also I would assume ply is more expensive than chipboard, but how much more? I've sanded and clear coated ply in the past with reasonable results but it depends on the ply. Sometimes it's got large patches of glue/binder on the surface that look a bit ordinary, also got to be real careful not to cut through the top layer hence covering floor during construction, keeping it clean and then only light sanding in preparation for coating.
Is plywood available in different grades or surface appearance, sometimes it looks just like a decent quality veneer, other times it looks like s@@@?

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## TimDavis

Super fine sand on chipboard. 150-180 grit? (80 grit's fine enough for me normally)

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## Dusty

Yes, 80 grit would be a fine enough finish for the Particle Board. 
If your considering doing a thick two or three coats of paint I would skip trying to finish it with polyurethane of any sort and simply use two pac paint. 
I've used a two pac paint product from Dulux for line marking on sports courts and it's pretty good stuff.

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