Floor Coverings - Ahh Yeah!

**heftysmokes** · 04-06-2012, 11:46 AM

As long as your coin is well-affixed to the subfloor, you could splash a couple coats of poly on it and be good to go. I'd hate to try to clean the filth in all the cracks between the pennies, but you could do it on the cheap.

Just sayin'

**CoventryCat86** · 04-06-2012, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by heftysmokes

As long as your coin is well-affixed to the subfloor, you could splash a couple coats of poly on it and be good to go. I'd hate to try to clean the filth in all the cracks between the pennies, but you could do it on the cheap.

Just sayin'

No, you're NOT going to "be good to go" by "splash(ing) a couple of coats of poly on it" and end up with a result that is acceptable for anything other than a tree fort. This would be totally unacceptable to what the author of this thread is looking to do which is for ideas for a KITCHEN FLOOR (talk about the highest traffic area in any house other than a tree fort) in an old house that he's renovating for his use and probably trying to add value to his home for future resale as opposed to the tree fort which kids will lose interest in next year.

If you want to "do it on the cheap" you could put down carpeting too like George suggested or hell, just leave 3/4" CDX sub floor!

Both of those alternatives are better than just gluing down pennies and splashing a couple of coat of MinWax on it.

**heftysmokes** · 04-06-2012, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

No, you're NOT going to "be good to go" by "splash(ing) a couple of coats of poly on it" and end up with a result that is acceptable for anything other than a tree fort. This would be totally unacceptable to what the author of this thread is looking to do which is for ideas for a KITCHEN FLOOR (talk about the highest traffic area in any house other than a tree fort) in an old house.

If you want to "do it on the cheap" you could put down carpeting too like George suggested or hell, just leave 3/4" CDX sub floor!

Both of those alternatives are better than just gluing down pennies and splashing a couple of coat of MinWax on it.

In your opinion. I, myself, enjoy exceptionally filthy kitchen floors. Where else are the mice and kids going to get their nourishment?

In all seriousness, and not trying to stir up shit, but what difference in wear, look (aside from the obvious), and functionality would there be in properly polyuerethaning a hardwood floor versus a penny floor be? Doesn't the poly do the same job regardless of what kind of surface it is covering? I'm not asking this to argue, I'm asking because I have zero experience with hardwood floors or poly and genuinely don't know)

**CoventryCat86** · 04-06-2012, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by heftysmokes

In your opinion. I, myself, enjoy exceptionally filthy kitchen floors. Where else are the mice and kids going to get their nourishment?

In all seriousness, and not trying to stir up shit, but what difference in wear, look (aside from the obvious), and functionality would there be in properly polyuerethaning a hardwood floor versus a penny floor be? Doesn't the poly do the same job regardless of what kind of surface it is covering? I'm not asking this to argue, I'm asking because I have zero experience with hardwood floors or poly and genuinely don't know)

Because the poly you would use to finish or refinish a new or existing hardwood floor wouldn't work in this application. You need something that winds up with some sort of thickness to it like the epoxy type products used for bar tops where it fills in the spaces between the pennies. That's exactly what was used in the examples that the mock guy gave from that website he gave a link to. The only way you're not going to end up with it cracking is if you put your pennies over concrete first as any kind of wood sub floor would move around too much causing the epoxy to crack and break up. So no Will you do have to account for a more costly sub floor contrary to what you may be thinking.

**heftysmokes** · 04-06-2012, 12:21 PM

Ok.
I did exactly that for the vanity in the kid's bathroom; used a two part epoxy to cover the pennies and create a smooth surface.

I still contend you could use a poly over the pennies, you'd just have to deal with shit getting in the grooves, sorta like grout lines on the FUCKING BASTARD OF A TILE FLOOR IN MY KITCHEN!!!

Whew, that kind of snuck up on me there.

**CoventryCat86** · 04-06-2012, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by heftysmokes

Ok.
I did exactly that for the vanity in the kid's bathroom; used a two part epoxy to cover the pennies and create a smooth surface.

I still contend you could use a poly over the pennies, you'd just have to deal with shit getting in the grooves, sorta like grout lines on the FUCKING BASTARD OF A TILE FLOOR IN MY KITCHEN!!!

Whew, that kind of snuck up on me there.

The product you use for vanity tops and bar tops is most likely inadequate for use as a floor finish. You could try using regular polyurethane over pennies and not have the smooth surface like your vanity top but how long do you think it will take for the pennies to start to become unglued in a kitchen? I'd say no more than a week. We never did discuss the cost of what kind of epoxy you'd need to use in this case but that ain't cheap either.

**badwhale** · 04-06-2012, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by CoventryCat86

Because the poly you would use to finish or refinish a new or existing hardwood floor wouldn't work in this application. You need something that winds up with some sort of thickness to it like the epoxy type products used for bar tops where it fills in the spaces between the pennies. That's exactly what was used in the examples that the mock guy gave from that website he gave a link to. The only way you're not going to end up with it cracking is if you put your pennies over concrete first as any kind of wood sub floor would move around too much causing the epoxy to crack and break up. So no Will you do have to account for a more costly sub floor contrary to what you may be thinking.

By the way, if you leave 1/4" gap between the pennies, you would need 12x12=144/((.75+.25)/2)^2*pi = 183 pennies. Placement could be acomplished a cement board, using a roll on epoxy with a jig something like the game connect 4. Once placed, you could use poly grout between the pennies to fill up the surface. Next, apply the bar top epoxy you're talking about, and since I'm talking out my ass, you would be near the same price as say a cherry or hickory hardwood floor.

The labor is what is going to kill you on this floor, not the materials.

I think bmock posted up that blog as kind of a "hey this is cool, check this out" rather than a serious alternative for a kitchen floor. Kinda like cork and carpet were also mentioned. Who the hell has carpet in their kitchen?

I'm waiting to hear what fightingfish is actually thinking about using.

**CoventryCat86** · 04-06-2012, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by badwhale

By the way, if you leave 1/4" gap between the pennies, you would need 12x12=144/((.75+.25)/2)^2*pi = 183 pennies. Placement could be acomplished a cement board, using a roll on epoxy with a jig something like the game connect 4. Once placed, you could use poly grout between the pennies to fill up the surface. Next, apply the bar top epoxy you're talking about, and since I'm talking out my ass, you would be near the same price as say a cherry or hickory hardwood floor.

The labor is what is going to kill you on this floor, not the materials.

I think bmock posted up that blog as kind of a "hey this is cool, check this out" rather than a serious alternative for a kitchen floor. Kinda like cork and carpet were also mentioned. Who the hell has carpet in their kitchen?

I'm waiting to hear what fightingfish is actually thinking about using.

What is "cement board"?

I think fightingfish forgot about this thread long ago and the mock guy has been resurrecting old threads just for the sport of it, not really with the intent of adding any meaningful content of any value.