# Primer for Painting OSB Subfloor?



## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Porch and Floor enamel is your best bet here. I'm surprised that you can't use the BM porch and floor on bare wood. I use SW's p & f enamel on bare wood regularly without any problems. Since this is a temporary situation, I'd say the BM P&F is fine, especially since most of the floor will be covered with an area rug.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

BM's alkyd says this 
​ Recommended for interior or exterior use on floors, porches, decks, and stairs. For new or previously painted wood, metal and cured concrete floors. ​


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## 123pugsy (Oct 6, 2012)

Have you considered clear poly since it's only temporary?


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## beechers (Jan 28, 2013)

I have seen people put clear finishes on OSB and plywood subfloors on the Internet. It does look nice, but I don't want to go to the effort to make the floor look that pretty first. It has splotches of drywall mud and all the seams that I patched and sanded.


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## abrowning (Jun 2, 2008)

chrisn said:


> BM's alkyd says this
> ​ Recommended for interior or exterior use on floors, porches, decks, and stairs. For new or previously painted wood, metal and cured concrete floors. ​




New wood means bare wood.


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## beechers (Jan 28, 2013)

I went to my local (independent) lumber yard that sells Pittsburgh paint and the man there recommended its PPG Floor and Porch (also highly recommended on the painter forum). He did not think it needed a primer. So I have now painted the edges with that over the Zinsser 123. It went on very nicely. I will let you know how the floor goes. Thanks for the help!


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

beechers said:


> I went to my local (independent) lumber yard that sells Pittsburgh paint and the man there recommended its PPG Floor and Porch (also highly recommended on the painter forum). He did not think it needed a primer. So I have now painted the edges with that over the Zinsser 123. It went on very nicely. I will let you know how the floor goes. Thanks for the help!


He did not THINK ,or said it did not?


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## beechers (Jan 28, 2013)

He said it did not need primer, particularly because it is being used in a low traffic area (guest room and mostly under an area rug).


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## ZZZZZ (Oct 1, 2014)

Obviously OSB is not intended for direct foot traffic

Even if you do a great job of prepping, priming and painting, OSB will not hold up all that well. It will scuff and chip in no time.
.
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## beechers (Jan 28, 2013)

This is an interim solution until we can afford to get hardwood put in. So I am not too worried about its being really long lasting.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

beechers said:


> This is an interim solution until we can afford to get hardwood put in. So I am not too worried about its being really long lasting.


In that case, I would just buy a gallon or two of mis-tinted paint at Home Depot or Lowe's............doesn't really matter what kind, i.e., wall paint, trim paint, floor paint, as long as it's some kind of paint to get you through. I know I used some Sears Easy Living paint on my crumbling concrete basement floor and it has lasted longer than the porch and floor enamel on other parts of my basement floor. Like you said, it will mostly be covered with an area rug and won't get much foot traffic. No need to overthink this.........


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