July 8, 2020

More Progress on the Pantry

In my last pantry blog post we were just starting to put up the paneling. Now the paneling is up and so is the trim.


A comment on the paneling. I showed it to you last time. It was the least expensive we could find and I have to say it's cheaply made. Very flimsy and needs a stiff backing to support it. It could not be installed with only wall studs for support. And if a nail needs to be pulled out, it tears the front surface like cardboard. We got it at Lowes. Not recommended.


Also a comment about the paint. For as long as we've been here, I've gone with Valspar brand (another Lowe's product). The quality has become increasingly poor, and even their good quality takes three or four coats to get good coverage. It remains tacky for weeks after being applied. They say it's washable but it really isn't. This time I bought paint at Walmart. It's their Color Place brand and I got the middle grade. Much less expensive and two coats with no primer have done a very good job of covering the trim. Barely any odor and dries quickly.


Two coats. You can see why we're pleased with this paint.

So the walls and trimwork are done.

You can see before photos of the pantry in this old blog post.

All in all, I like that the room is lighter and brighter than it used to be, even though the pantry shelving will cover most of it. Still to do is to put back the curtain rods and some thermal curtains. I also plan to give the ceiling a fresh coat of paint to cover the stain from when the old pantry roof leaked (photos of that here).

Of course, now the old linoleum looks specially worn and tacky, but replacing that is not on the to-do list at this time. Still, I'm tempted to do something with it before we put the shelves back. Does anyone have experience with painting floors?

The next blog post on the pantry will be much more interesting, I promise. Dan has begun experimenting with ways to cool the room without AC. Neither of us has any clue as to how successful it will be, but we're curious to find out.

30 comments:

tpals said...

How annoying to expect a level of quality and not get it. The room looks very nice though. I'd be happy with that.

Barbara said...

I love your blog. Thank you guiding us and teaching us. I learn so much. Regarding your pantry floor, I read about this a long time ago and thought it very clever. A young couple built their own house but before they would be allowed to occupy, all the floors had to be finished. They were out of money, so she glued down wallpaper (in a super artistic Empire style pattern pieced together with borders, etc.) and polyurethaned it. Much to her surprise, it held up for years, even with little kids and big dogs in the house. Don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you. I’ve also seen paper grocery sacks glued on walls made to look like leather with a bit of sponge painting.

Leigh said...

Tpals, well, thanks! I'm happy with the way the room looks too, and most of the flaws will be covered with shelves. It is annoying to think one is paying for one thing, but getting something inferior. Prices go up and quality goes down. That's the way of things these days.

Barbara, thank you for your kind words about my blog. I just share what I learn and hope it's useful to others.

Very interesting ideas about finishing floors. I'll have to spend some serious think time on that!

daisy g said...

Looking good. We bought Valspar as well when we first painted this house because we wanted No VOC paint. Thanks for the heads-up about the diminished quality. It's so exciting to see things coming together.

Another inexpensive floor treatment can be found here: https://anoregoncottage.com/paper-floor-video-diy-alternative-to-wood-floors/. The couple that completed the project was still very happy with it years later.

Enjoy the process!

Leigh said...

Daisy, thank you for the link! It looks really good. Dan suggested painting and polying the pantry floor, but I reminded him how poorly the poly coating on our hardwood floors has worn. It just now dawned on me that we used Valspar polyurethane! I see different brands being recommended in that article. Maybe there an inexpensive hope for a new floor after all.

Boud said...

I second the idea about the paper floor. Years ago I wanted to pull out the nasty builder's carpeting in my condo and replace it with brown paper torn and polyurethaned to resemble stone flags. Alas it wouldn't have satisfied code in my second floor home so I didn't. But you don't have that restraint. It's cheap, interesting and durable. A pantry won't get heavy traffic and patching would be easy if there's wear.

Leigh said...

Another vote for paper and poly, thanks Boud! The main place that will get traffic in the pantry will be right inside the door. I could always toss down a pretty throw rug for added protection if I wanted.

Unknown said...

Pinterest has a wonderful selection of painted floors and the tutorials. My daughter did her laundry room 6 years ago and it still looks wonderful. With 4 kids she really uses it!

Kathy said...

My suggestion was going to be some inexpensive (or homemade) rag rugs. I can't remember if your shelving is portable or not, but if you're using shelving units, use the front 2 legs to anchor the rugs before you load the shelves.
I like the paper floor idea though! The down side is polyurethane does give off gas, so I'd buy a brand that is ecofriendly (I hear they're pricey but well worth it). Just my two cents.
What about a leftover(?) piece of the paneling nailed down after the shelving is put back in?
Good luck with whatever you decide! Thanks for sharing your progress!

Mama Pea said...

So much appreciate the info on the increasingly poor quality of Valspar brand paint. I have a painting job ahead of me and I was going to go with Valspar as that's what our one local store that handles paint has recommended. Ooof, Plan B coming up.

When first moving in here after remodeling, for the floors we put down plywood, stained it a walnut color and put poly (two to three coats depending on the traffic area)over that and it lasted 20 years. But maybe the poly was of a better quality then, too.

Just do your pantry floor before moving everything in there. You won't regret that!

Goatldi said...

Must be painting season as well as gardening season. I too am in the beginning of painting both bathrooms and the small amounts of dry wall in the bedrooms and kitchen. Most of my walls are log but it seems each room has a bit of dry wall that the seller of course wisely choose white.

Glad to have the info on the Lowe’s paint quality. I may go to Walmart and see if I can get the shade of red I am needing for my front and back porch doors.

I learned when I had to replace some trim in the Ash Creek house to sell that the box stores offer a rather pathetic options.

Call me crazy but I think the original linoleum may be a neat retro addition to the room if there was any chance of it being revived. Or if you are just done looking at and want a fresh start is also a possibility 😊

Looking forward to the end results.

Leigh said...

Unknown, that's a good recommendation!

Kathy, throw rugs are my go-to for high traffic areas. I also like that they add both insulation and color.

My shelving is the cheap vinyl 5-shelf modules. Dan has offered to make me some nice ones, but his time is at such a premium that I hesitate to agree when the ones I have will do. I do like that they aren't solid shelves, so I can store jars upside-down without lids to keep the dust and odor out.

Mama Pea, I'd definitely have to go with a good quality polyurethane.

Sales associates must be told to push certain brands. Unless they can tell me about their experiences with the different brands, I figure they don't really know any more than I do. ;)

Goatldi, I love log cabins, but I'd like some drywall here and there too, to be able to add some color. Walmart should be able to mix any color you want. If not one brand, then another. :)

Nancy In Boise said...

Looks great! Some people rip out the vinyl, get down to wood below and use deck paint to paint. A couple coats can last a while.

Retired Knitter said...

Well, you may not be happy with the quality of the paneling but the pictures look great! It is going to be covered by shelves, it probably won't get much wear and tear, and no sense sinking a lot of money into that is essentially used as storage. But it is disappointing - Lowes has a good name and it doesn't appear to be taking good care of that reputation.

Mike Yukon said...

The room looks good!
I think the best paint you could use is epoxy like they use on garage floors. My neighbor did his garage 3 years ago and it still looks great even with cars rolling over it daily.

Renee Nefe said...

It is looking great! Glad you found a better paint. :D

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Looks great Leigh! Good to know about the Lowe's paint - there is a bit of repainting going on here as well, so it will be avoided.

Leigh said...

Nancy, that's an idea, although I probably wouldn't do that if it was just a subfloor. I think ours is MDF, which probably wouldn't look to good.

RT, thanks! You're right, it won't get much wear and tear. I agree it's disappointing about Lowes; it's really gone downhill over recent years. We've switched to Home Depot, ever though it isn't as convenient to get to.

Mike, thanks for the idea! I'll have to look into it and do some comparisons.

Renee, me too!

TB, I'd definitely try a different brand.

The Wykeham Observer said...

This sounds like a non-suggestion, but my philosophy is if the floor is not torn or nicked up too bad, let sleeping dogs lie. You have kept it clean and presentable. It is a workroom, so that is the most important. Just simple rag rugs, as a previous post said, would be best for high traffic and absorbing odd spills, and they can be washed. It looks like a really nice job. Phil/MN

Sam I Am...... said...

It looks great! Pretty fancy pantry. You've both been working hard..per usual and it shows. I got a 2nd coat on a door! LOL! I'm slow.

Leigh said...

Phil, that's probably what I'll end up doing, lol. After all, the goal wasn't a remodel, the goal was to make the room more energy efficient. The paneling, trim, and paint are just part of finishing the job. :)

Sam, hey, a second coat is progress! I've got so much else going on that progress on the pantry seems slow!

Ed said...

I don't think I have ever seen a painted floor five years down the road that didn't look terrible. I think the only way one could keep it looking nice is many top coats of a high quality polyurethane meant for wood floors and wearing socks or going bear foot. Any grit pinched between rubber soles and the floor scratches and once you get through the color, it really stands out.

Honestly, I think the cheapest solution would be to just buy a new roll of vinyl and stick it down. They have much more modern patterns these days and the stuff is still cheap and lasts pretty well. Another option is to just source overruns of laminate wood flooring planks. Not sure what is underneath the vinyl now but if there is a moisture vapor problem, I wouldn't go with the latter route.

I gave up on big box store paints many years ago for the reasons you stated. Instead I only buy Sherwin Williams paint. If I was a more thorough painter and didn't try to stretch the paint out a bit by ringing every drop out of the brush, I could get by with one coat every time. It cleans extremely well and is very durable and no VOC's. The one drawback is its price but if you hit one of their few 40% off sales during a year, you can get it within range of some of the paints sold at big box stores. I always keep a list of painting projects coming up that year and quantities needed and then just buy whenever the sale happens.

Leigh said...

Ed, I've only heard good things about Sherwin Williams paint. Great idea about stocking up on their sales. I didn't consider their paint because they don't have a store near us. However! I recently found out that Lowes is now carrying the Sherwin Williams brand! I'm guessing it will outsell their Valspar.

Your description of painted floors has been my concern. So right now I'm leaning toward doing nothing other than toss a few throw rugs down. It's not like we entertain in that room. ;)

Lady Locust said...

Looking great! Only experience painting floors is on concrete. there is a special paint just for floors. Looking forward to seeing the grand finale.

Debby Riddle said...

The best method I have found for dealing with linoleum is a buffer. I believe Electrolux makes one, or you may be able to use a car buffer if you couldn't find one to rent. It uses Scotch Brite pads to clean with a little detergent solution ( not important as the buffing is what cleans). The clean dry floor is buffed again with lambswool pads. It seriously makes it look brand new. It's a nice sunny color if it is without rips and holes it might tie you over to next time.

Leigh said...

Lady Locust, I have seen paint for concrete. We used (Lowes) floor paint on the front porch but it hasn't worn well at all. On the other hand, it's decking, so it's been treated and probably doesn't adhere paint well.

Debby, thanks! I may try that first. Not sure I have the time for some of the other great suggestions, but it would be nice to spiff it up a bit. There are some tears in the linoleum near the wall, but they will be covered with shelving anyway.

Amanda said...

I've only used Sherwin Williams for years. It has about the highest ration of pigment to carrier going - which is why is it so expensive - but is also why it is so good. The cheaper the paint, the higher the ratio of carrier to pigment. 5, 6 years ago, I took up the carpet on our back porch and painted it with porch paint. Much easier to keep clean and it's held up well, even to power washings. No idea how well it would work on linoleum, though.

Leigh said...

Amanda, thank you for the very helpful explanation on the differences in paint.

I have to agree about porches and carpet. Carpet is nice in some areas, but not porches, kitchens, and bathrooms. My opinion!

Rain said...

Hi Leigh, whitening up that room makes it look much nicer! And good idea about the thermal curtains too. We have those in our bedroom and it helps when the sun is on that side of the house. Our house here simply has plywood floors. The people painted them with oil-based paint. It's more durable but I don't think you can even buy that stuff anymore. I wonder if you used a latex paint and then used a water-seal type of dealie over it. I'm so jealous of the size of your future pantry!!! :)

Wendy S said...

I think someone mentioned this already, but how about a paper bag floor? I remember reading about it on An Oregon Cottage https://anoregoncottage.com/paper-floor-video-diy-alternative-to-wood-floors/ and apparently someone has done it over linoleum, if you don't want to pull that up. http://handswork.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-paper-bag-floor-over-asbestos-linoleum.html