Instead of outsourcing the floor painting task to an external vendor, how about making it a DIY Project? Does it sounds challenging? Relax … Gharpedia shares the step-by-step process on how to paint wood floor and facilitate matters for you.
Painting a wood floor is a popular and inexpensive option. A wood floor often needs only a light sanding to prepare it and many paint companies have added special wood floor paint to their product ranges. If you use conventional paint, add a couple of coats of strong polyurethane varnish to keep the colour fresh, or for a more lived-in style, just let the wear and tear show through.
Before beginning the painting of wood floor, first follow the below steps to prepare the floor.
Preparing The Floor for a DIY Floor Paint Design Project
If you need to dispose of carpets or old vinyl, first do peep underneath to assess the condition of the floorboards. If the flooring has been stuck to the boards with carpet tape you will need to use a sander to remove the sticky tape. If the floor would benefit from a good sanding then it would be best to hire a machine for a day. The sanding machine hire does not cost the moon; but the cost of the special sandpaper can add up, so do make it clear at the rental shop that you are sanding for painting rather than to expose the true beauty of the natural wood.
Albeit, using a sanding machine does not require great effort but it creates a lot of noise and dust and you have to first remove everything from its path. Once the floor has been sanded it can be wiped over with sugar soap and left to dry before painting.
The most important thing to remember when painting a floor is to begin in the far corner and end in the doorway! A standard paint roller and tray do the job very well unless you are painting the boards in different colours, in which case it is advisable to use a small foam roller or a paintbrush. To paint floor, it is best to apply the wood floor paint in thin coats with adequate drying time between the coats.
You can apply different floor paint ideas in your home. Patterned floors can either be stencilled or marked out in chalk and filled in with a paintbrush. One of the most timeless painted floor ideas is a simple chequerboard. As per Fionna B, Editor of “The House Book, if you like geometry and are drawn to squares and rectangles, a painted checkerboard floor should be your first choice. It can be painted directly onto floorboards or onto sheets of hardboard tacked over the boards if you prefer a smoother ‘marble’ finish.
There are several ways of painting a chequerboard, which can be done diagonally or horizontally. Masking tape can be used to outline the squares. It makes painting easier, but do remember to mask and paint only a few squares at a time because it can cause confusion and ruin the pattern over a large area. The simplest method is to mark out the floor on pencil or chalk by drawing round a square template. The stark contrast of black and white can be very unforgiving of any wobbly edges, so choose grey, coffee brown or sage green and off-white instead for a softer but very stylish flooring effect.
Speaking of chequerboard floor, we have a detailed article on how to paint it yourself:
Special Wood Floor Paint
You can now buy paint made specifically for wood floors, which means an end to the days of putting up with nasty patterns when you move into a new place, just because the flooring is in too good a condition to justify replacing it. All you need is a pot of paint and a roller to transform a bad floor with a tasteful matt dusky blue, sandy yellow or barn red. Now that’s progress!
There are also specialist paints for concrete floors that give a more finished, homely look. Concrete is a cold indoor flooring material suitable only for warm climates or conservatories.
Project – Painting A Floor
Once you have decided to paint a floor, everything will have to be removed from the floor area. Examine the floorboards closely, checking for any protruding nails, which should be banged in using a hammer with a nail punch. Splintered boards must be sanded and; any holes filled with good quality wood filler. Sand the floor lightly and then sweep up all the dust and wash the boards with a sugar soap solution to get rid of any grease. A proper floor paint will give the best finish and last the longest; otherwise, apply two coats of floor quality varnish after the paint.
Things Required for a DIY Floor Painting Project
- A Primer for bare wood or undercoat
- One colour of floor paint (or use emulsion paint with heavy-duty polyurethane varnish)
- Masking tape
- Clear heavy-duty matt or gloss varnish
- A large roller and tray for the primer and varnish (if using)
- 5 cm household paintbrush
The Step-by-Step Process For a Floor Painting Project
Painting a floor in a single colour could not be simpler. It does not take long and trust us the effect will be one of instant freshness. Just follow the below steps to get amazing painted wood floors:
1. Mask off the skirting boards to floor level
2. Begin with the brush, painting the primer into the edges of the floor, right into the corners and up to the masking tape. Apply the primer to the rest of the boards
3. When the primer has dried, apply the floor paint. It should not be applied too thickly and two thin coats will always give a better finish than one thick one
4. When the paint has dried, remove the masking tape that was used to protect the skirting
Conclusion
Now wasn’t that simple? This was just a simple project for demonstration. You can paint any pattern you desire. If you want painted wood floors with complex patterns, you can always hire professionals. Give your flooring a unique look by painting them with wood floor paint by following these tips. Maintaining this floor is also an important task, so before you leave make sure to check out our article on floor maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
01. How to get Paint off Wood Floors?
To get off paint from wood floors first use a paint scraper or putty knife, and gently scrape away as much of the paint as possible. If there’s still paint on the floor, then apply paint thinner to remove the remaining paint. Once the paint is removed, sand the floor using medium-grit sandpaper, and fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. Clean the floor with vacuum or damp cloth.
02. How to Remove Paint Stains from Floor?
To remove paint stain from floor, take a cotton ball and dip it in rubbing alcohol. Then gently dap the cotton ball against the stain to remove it.
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.