Lime washing wooden floors

[crossy67]

We have decided we would like to colour our loft room floors white (or white-ish). 

We were going to replace the hole floor as there are a few badly eaten boards but after close inspection today it turns out that only 5 or 6 are bad enough to need replacing so we're sticking with them.  Problem is they are nasty old pine that has been stained and varnished and turned yellow all on it's own.  In short, they have done what pine floorboards always do, gone yellow and been eaten. 

I really fancy a rustic white look, either egg shell mat or lime wash finish but am reading conflicting things about doing it.  No way do I want gloss, ewwwww, I would need to don red stilettos and a mink coat every time I wanted to enter the room.

Any one with any experiences they would like to share please?

[Théière]

Can't help as I don't own either stilettos or a mink anything [:)]

Polyurethane floor paint is very tough and hard wearing tends to finish with a mid sheen not unlike eggshell (manufacturer depending of course) I use Bradite for bathroom floors when owners wish it.

[NickP]

For a washed out white look, sand the floorboards, paint with white oil paint and before the paint dries wipe over with a cloth soaked in white spirit, allow to dry then coat with either matt or satin polyurethane. When you do the wiping off with white spirit experiment as to how much colour you want left on the wood. Depending on how much traffic uses the room,  will determine how many coats of polyurethane you will require.

[just john]

Or you could just do what was originally done, make up a real limewash, brush over the floor and wipe off excess with an old cloth as you go, this will allow the lime to fill the grain and for the wood to show through, giving you a real finish to enjoy, which them pesky woodworms won't enjoy . . .