What paint do you use on your stage floor?

What paint are you using


  • Total voters
    71

gafftaper

Senior Team
Senior Team
Fight Leukemia
I was shocked when I couldn't find a thread discussing what paint people are using on their stage floors. So here it is!

My new theater is in need of a paint job and I have no record of what my predecessor used. I'm not very happy with the current paint as I get a pretty strong light reflection off the floor.

What Brand/Product line of paint are you using?
What color are you using? Do you like Black or very dark gray?
Flat? Satin? Egg shell?
What are your thoughts on the cleaning benefits of using a satin or egg shell vs. the lighting benefits of flat.
 
There are several threads but they are all cluttered with crud.

What Brand/Product line of paint are you using? Behr Interior Satin

Often black. Sometimes dark grey for dance recitals if they aren't bringing in a dance floor. We repaint as needed for a production so faux wood, faux stone, using Rosco products.

Satin looks blacker than Flat under most lighting conditions due to the way the reflections bounce.
 
I'm using Glidden interior satin.

Pretty much always pure black

I'd been using flat, but it scuffed up so quickly, I switched to satin and it holds up better and just keeps looking good longer because it's a little more durable.


Via tapatalk
 
When I was painting the stage every month or so, after a production, I always used flat, as its the cheapest!
 
Rosco Tough Prime Black

For a Performing Arts Center floor, (almost) never custom painted. Usually repaint 3-4 times a year.

***Edit: Wasn't paying attention, should have voted satin instead of flat. Move one of those votes.
 
I prefer Tough Prime, just because it seems to cover a bit better and hold up a bit longer. However, at my primary space, we use Valspar pre-mixed flat black from Lowes. It's the only pre-mixed black we can find in our area. We do scenic painting on the deck for most productions (Rosco Off-Broadway) and paint black between shows.
 
Those of you using flat are you primarily doing it because of price or do you feel it helps with preventing light reflections?
 
I think I typically roll flat black, but usually not by my choice. If I could always chose, I would go with Tough Prime Black. If it needs to last, seal it with a coat of polyurethane.

Not sure about Chicago yet, as I haven't checked, but in Atlanta at Lowes I could get Valspar Ultra Gloss Black for $30/gallon and Olympic Icon Flat Black for $20/gallon.

I'll make a note to check whats on the shelf the next time I'm at Menards, Home Despot or Lowes.

2019 update: In Chicago we were using PPG's Break-Through for "backstage black".
 
Last edited:
I'm in the same boat as Gafftaper, our stage floor has not been painted in some time, trying to find the best choice. I would like to sand it down first, but I'm also having trouble locating a floor sander. Rental is an absolute nightmare with how our district runs it, so I'm also looking at spot sanding, mopping a dozen times and calling it good. It's between RTP and one of the Lowe's satin blacks.

-ED
 
We had complaints when we used Rosco Tough Prime because it turns pointe shoes and ballet slippers black. Putting a clearcoat on top made the floor too slick. Hence we use interior latex satin paint. Our Home Depot mixes up a concoction that is a deep base and nothing but lamp black pigment.
 
You can always do that with anybody who mixes paint. base 4 with 12 ounces of straight black. They don't need a formula or anything. We would do that for customers pretty often and that's what I have them do when I buy it. Even what looks like solid black on a paint chip often still has a splash of other stuff in the mix. No reason for it when you can get pure black pigment.


Via tapatalk
 
You can always do that with anybody who mixes paint. base 4 with 12 ounces of straight black. They don't need a formula or anything. We would do that for customers pretty often and that's what I have them do when I buy it. Even what looks like solid black on a paint chip often still has a splash of other stuff in the mix. No reason for it when you can get pure black pigment.


Via tapatalk

What brand are you talking about here? I assume this could be different based upon brand. I don't know as much about the paint industry as I would like to.
 
12 ounces per gallon. I worked for lowes at the time so we did it with valspar and Olympic, now I've done it with the Glidden I use. I suppose it could be different per brand but the guy who taught me this initially said that with a brands deepest base there is always space for something like 14 or 15 ounces and that 12 ounces of tint would always give us pure black.

This was from a guy who was a pro painter for 20 years, then worked in a commercial paint plant and had been mixing paint for about 15 years. If I remember right, Les on the forum still does work for lowes paint, he may be able to back me up


Via tapatalk
 
Last edited:
I like to use Behr Porch & Patio Floor Low-Lustre. Home Depot about $25 a gallon. If the floor is all scraped up OR has been painted a lighter color for something I usually throw down a single coat of black Tough Prime before I overcoat with the Behr.
 
12 ounces per gallon. I worked for lowes at the time so we did it with valspar and Olympic, now I've done it with the Glidden

If I remember right, Len on the forum still does work for lowes paint, he may be able to back me up


Via tapatalk

That was me! I left Lowe's a few years back, but Josh is right - 12oz of Lamp Black colorant per 1 gallon in a deep base (also known as Base 4, Base 5 (Olympic), and clear/neutral base in some others). I don't know why paint companies never agreed on a base system.

The Lamp Black was from what I remember a "blue-based" colorant but that's just a technicality and I'm not sure if there are any alternatives when talking about standard paint. I don't remember if there were any true black paint chips on the wall - most "black" or "graphite" colors do in fact have hints of yellow, blue, and even Titanium White colorant as strange as that sounds, so the best way to get that true black at HD or Lowe's is to just go to the counter and ask for a pure black. If the employee has more than one month of experience, they should know what you're talking about. If not, you may have to explain :).

Just make sure they use a clear/deep base. Any other bases don't have room for the colorant.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
The vote goes to flat, but it seems like more of the discussion was geared towards satin?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back