Regular varnish on a painted floor?

[Amber0307]

So I'm painting our awful floorboards with some chalk paint, and want to varnish over the top for a satin finish. Can I use any varnish (like Ronseal satin) over the top or does it absolutely have to be the floor varnish - which costs 4 times as much! The regular varnish has directions which say not to use it on floors. But I'm not sure if that's because it's not as durable as the regular floor stuff or if they're just trying to make money by pushing you towards the dearer, specialist stuff.

It's for an area of the house that doesnt get much traffic and is going to have a runner over the top, so durability isn't an issue.

So my question is basically, can I use Ronseal regular indoor varnish or do I have to shell out for the specialist one for floors?

Thanks!

 

[blup]

I believe the floor based varnishes are formulated to resist wear, the other types are more flexible and therefore more susceptible to knocks and dents

That said - as a diyer - I have used exterior yacht varnish on a floor and it adhered fine when built up in layers.

Oil based should wear better than water based varnish but gives off strong fumes when drying because of the solvents in it.

Blup

 

[Amber0307]

I believe the floor based varnishes are formulated to resist wear, the other types are more flexible and therefore more susceptible to knocks and dents

That said - as a diyer - I have used exterior yacht varnish on a floor and it adhered fine when built up in layers.

Oil based should wear better than water based varnish but gives off string fumes when drying because of the solvents in it.

Blup

Thanks Think I'll give regular satin oil based a go and see how we do!

 

[opps]

Waterbased floor varnishes have what I can best describe as self etching properties, ie they bond to the coat below. Which might in part explain the extra cost.

There is however a risk that the WB varnish will start pulling the chalk paint off as the water reactivates the paint.

I don't honestly know how well OB varnish will work though. If the chalk paint is very soft, the varnish may chip.

I have heard of people applying floor wax but from previous experience waxed floor are very slippery when wet.

Something like Osmo flooring oil may work. It is low odour and very durable but not cheap.

Have a look at the Q&As on the following

https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/blog/how-to-seal-chalk-paint/