MyAway build - Updates for space usage & organization

[GreatPumpkin]

Sharon that is awesome! It looks like a stained concrete floor, I love the look. You may have just given me a solution to cover the inside of my hatch boo-boo!

[S. Heisley]

Parnold wrote:

Will there be enough polyurethane on it so that it will be smooth, or will it have a slightly textured feel to it!

Paul,

As I thought about your question, I decided that I need to explain a little more in case you or someone else needs this information.

The reason for wadding up each piece of paper is to give it random small breaks in its surface so that more polyurethane will be absorbed at those places, thus, changing the shading there. The color also changes on the torn edges. The more you wad the paper up and even which side you put up can change the shade and ‘print’ of the piece you are working with. When you polyurethane the piece down and smooth it out, the wrinkles disappear but not the newly added color shadings. As the pieces are placed and begin to dry, air bubbles develop under the surface. Even though you smooth these bubbles out to remove the air pockets, in some places, the paper will have stretched. This is what leaves a sort of raised wrinkle here and there and gives it that nice texture. The color changes and raised wrinkles are what give it that leather or sandstone look.

I have just finished putting on the 5th coat of polyurethane and I can tell you that, yes, it will still have a slightly textured feel to it, but not from the original wadding of the paper. The wadding wrinkles are gone.



Great Pumpkin wrote:

You may have just given me a solution to cover the inside of my hatch boo-boo!

Cool, Great Pumpkin! Have at it.

One more tip: Get and wear some disposable gloves and change them about every half hour. This is because you use your hands to smooth out the wrinkles and release air bubbles. You hands work the best to do this. However, after about half an hour, some of the polyurethane starts to dry and flake off onto your work. If you have disposable gloves on, that's easy to fix. You just replace your gloves with a new pair. Also, when you take off the old gloves, save them. The inside of the glove is still good and can be used to contain a wet sponge brush or paint brush so you can use it for your next application. You just stick it inside the palm area and twist the wrist area around the handle until you're ready to use it again.

[mezmo]

Hi Sharon,

What an original and inspired solution!

All it takes is Effort ! Eh?

Norm/mezmo

[S. Heisley]

mezmo wrote:

All it takes is Effort ! Eh?

Basically that and a little time.

Thanks, Mezmo.

[eaglesdare]

i just read all 25 pages. your build is awesome. kuddos to you on your first build, and i so love your floor! hubby just had to tear up our laundry area floor, (started caving in), so once he is finished with the new construction part, i know how i will finish the top for the look.

we are also going to be building a new table for our large family. i can't wait to use this method on that also.

[aggie79]

Incredible floor finish Sharon! It really brings home the love of nature and camping.

[S. Heisley]

Thanks, Tom.

Eaglesdare:

If you are putting this type of paper floor over wooden boards, please be aware that every seam will show. My cabin is plywood but it has one seam that shows. If you go back to the picture of the floor, you will see a part of that seam in the pictures. It is about 8 inches out from the benches, near that big brown leaf. That one bit of seam doesn't bother me as even vinyl flooring seams show; but, if you are laying boards side by side and don't put something over all those board joinings, this type of floor might look a bit strange.

That said, this paper floor is "on trial" in my trailer. If it holds up well, I plan to put something similar down on my den floor in a few years. For that, I plan to use several colors of stained paper and make a mosaic pattern from them. You can use Minwax Wood Finish to stain the paper as it is compatible with Minwax's polyurethane.

[High Desert]

Sharon, I hope one day I get the chance to see this work of art you're creating. Your detail work is awesome, really enjoy your updates!

[eaglesdare]

thanks for the info.

he is using one solid piece of wood. like a big square. so this should work.
we do this kind of stuff for everything. never hire the pros. and if it works great, if not, not too much lost. but fun doing it and makes things more personal to us.

[S. Heisley]

Thanks, High Dessert.
I want to start using this thing and getting around to more gatherings but I know I won't be happy unless it is mostly done and at least sort of the way I envisioned it.

The thing that I really have to watch is not working too fast or working when I'm tired. That's when the brain switches off and I do stupid things that mess up what I've already done.

[S. Heisley]

eaglesdare wrote:

he is using one solid piece of wood. like a big square. so this should work.
we do this kind of stuff for everything. never hire the pros. and if it works great, if not, not too much lost. but fun doing it and makes things more personal to us.

Perfect!

[steve smoot]

Sharon, you are amazing. Where did you get that idea

[2bits]

Hi Sharon, that is the coolest thing that I have seen all week!!! followed closely by Scott's Coleman lantern custom printed fabric. I love the attitude of not only do it yourself, but CREATE it yourself! the floor just looks fabulous~!

[S. Heisley]

Thanks for that, Thomas.

Steve Smoot wrote:

Where did you get that idea?

A local decorator's shop owner was creating a paper floor in his new addition when I was there, shopping. That was about 7 years ago. I'm guessing that thousands of people have walked on it since then and the floor still looks good. Additionally, I had a friend who used polyurethane on her kitchen vinyl floor once a year instead of constantly waxing it. I remembered these experiences and looked up 'paper bag floor' on the Internet. I have done decoupage in the past; and, really, the trailer floor is just a giant decoupage. The leaf idea was something I dreamed up on my own.

[2bits]

I like how you threw the leaves up and let them land as they would and just touched up. That was the coolest part.

Ironically, Fall arrived here yesterday and my car was covered in leaves. I thought they looked cool on the white hood and took a pic of it and then I saw your post! Cool! Too bad I deleted the pic!