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Baker and Branscom Interview: Parquet Floors, Countertops, Energy Tips and more From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-110

Jay Baker and Scott Branscom Interview: Parquet Floors, Painting Countertops, Energy Tips and more

Janette Smith: Do-it-yourselfers across the country are getting help with the projects on their to do lists, and we're here to provide even more help with some advice from two of DIY's home pros. Jay Baker and Scott Branscom are home-repair and inspection experts who specialize in home remodeling. They've been going over the questions you've sent to DIY, and now they're here with some answers.

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Figure A

Question (from Barbara in Belleair Bluffs, Florida) : I have parquet flooring in my living and dining rooms, and I don't like the color. I'd like to paint it white and maybe use a glaze. What can you suggest?

Jay: A parquet floor -- or any wood floor -- is difficult to paint. And I don't recommend white, because it's so hard to keep clean and live with. If you are going to tackle this project, you'll first need to sand the wood floor very well, and take special care when it comes to applying the coats of paint.

Scott: If you're going to paint your floor white, apply the paint using a 4-inch-wide bristle-brush (figure A). To avoid nicks or chips in the floor-paint, protect it by applying a polyurethane coating over the paint after it has dried fully. To break up the solid look on a parquet floor, you may want to alternate between tiles, using white paint and another color or shade.

Figure B

Question (from Denise in Hollis, Oklahoma) : I want to know if I can paint my laminate kitchen countertops. They are in great shape just don't like the color.

Scott: Yes, you can paint your countertops. It's a three-step process:

1. Begin by cleaning the countertops using TSP heavy-duty cleaner (figure B). After you've cleaned the surface, sand it lightly and remove any sanding dust using a tack-cloth.
   
2. After cleaning and sanding, prime the surface using a non-porous primer.
   
3. Once the primer has dried fully, you can paint the countertops using a durable, glossy enamel-paint.

Figure C