I am building a new home & am taken aback by all of the never ending dust. Does it make sense to paint the subfloors prior to installing the flooring, in order to seal the dust. We have swept & vacuumed repeatedly, yet the constant drywall & grout dust persists.
3 Answers
I have always painted my own subfloors. My reasoning is that what ever finished floor material I use will be more easily removed if the subfloor is painted. The carpet underlayment/pad doesn't stick as firmly, Press and stick vinyl tiles adhere better. My biggest reason is spills are less likely to penetrate into the plywood and cause odor or mold issues later.
Putting in engineered flooring in our 39-year-old colonial home in MI with a basement. 1) Plan to Kilz/paint the 3/4" plywood sub-floor to try to reduce any moisture that may migrate up from the higher humidity in the basement. 2) Also think the paint will provide a slicker surface for the expansion and contraction of the flooring and the cushion under the flooring as humidity changes a lot in Michigan throughout the year. Peace, MI licensed builder.
One reason to not paint them would be to reduce the level VOC's in your home.
