Painting older solid wood floors can give them new life without the cost and mess of refinishing them. In addition, it can create your flooring a gorgeous design part in their own right, especially with intriguing patterns. It takes a little time and patience to paint wood flooring, but if you understand how to apply nail polish, then you already understand the basics.
Jeannie Balsam Interiors
1. Prep the surface. Start by scuff-sanding the ground with 150-grit sandpaper, advises Christopher Comer of Noble Pro Painting in Chicago. This hand sanding is not to produce the floor absolutely smooth but to demanding it up so the primer will adhere well to the surface.
2. Clean the floor. Vacuum up dust; wipe with clear water if necessary to get it all up and then wash with a wood floor cleaner. The most significant part this step is to let the flooring dry once they are washed — ideally two days and maybe longer. When there’s moisture in the flooring when you paint them, the primer and everything on top of it’s very likely to bubble up.
3. Put on the primer. Time to brush or roll on the primer — but what kind? “We recommend a penetrating, oil-based primer which may really seal up the surface tight, but a good latex primer can work well also,” says Phillip Storey of Redhill Painting in San Francisco. This is an excellent time to consult the local paint shop about the right product to use. You will normally need the color coats to be paint created especially for flooring. If this paint is latex, use a latex primer. If oil, then use an oil primer. Let it dry at least overnight, and if it’s an oil product, give it 24 hours or even a bit more.
4. Sand again. It may seem like overkill, but if you do not sand today, you may see the imperfections on each coat over this one. “We sand the primed regions again, as new wood fibers have a tendency to get bombarded with moisture and swell after falsified,” says Storey. This time use 220-grit sandpaper, which will earn a much nicer dust. Once you’ve finished sanding, vacuum and use a tack cloth to make sure all the dust is off the ground. Don’t use cotton paper or rags for this, since they’ll leave fibers on the ground that may ruin your paint job.
MAC Custom Homes
5. Put on the shade. You can use all 1 color or use painter’s tape to include shapes or patterns to the ground in another color. You may find some inspiration in these photos.
You can use a brush or a roller, but make sure to have the right equipment and that you set on a very thin coating of paint. “Apply it slowly with a 1/4-nap microfiber roller or natural bristle brush,” says Comer. “You won’t receive any bubbles at all with a brush, but it’s very labour intensive.” The roller will probably be quicker, he adds, however you have to roll very slowly to prevent producing bubbles. Regardless of what tools you use, think about where you may start and end up — do not paint yourself into a corner.
6. Let it dry. This is where the nail gloss analogy comes in. The basics of the entire process are like applying nail polish: base coat, color coat, color coat, topcoat. Every coat has to be fine and slim, not gloppy, and each coat must dry completely before the next one goes on. In the event the surface below the base coat isn’t clean, you will receive bubbles. The drawback with painting flooring is that there isn’t a handy ultraviolet light to make it all fix fast. After the first coat, then wait at least 24 hours before another coat.
Holly Marder
VOH Architects
7. Add more color coats. Two thin coats of color are adjacent, with 24 hours to dry in between. Don’t forget to paint on each coat as thinly as you can. “If you really do a thick coating of paint on the ground, then it remains tacky for longer and does not cure as well,” Comer.
9. Apply topcoat(s). For long term durability, it is possible to finish with one or two coats of a polyeurethane clear coat. Allow 24 hours to dry between coats. Again, the local paint shop ought to have the ability to point you toward an proper item. Start looking for non- or no-VOC coatings and paints to minimize the fumes.
Tara Seawright Interior Design
10. Wait. If you apply topcoats, you’ll need five to six layers of coatings on your floor. It’s a good idea to wait another day or so to walk on it, and then only in socks. The longer the floor is permitted to cure, the harder the end will be — like your nails!
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Are You Gutsy Enough to Paint Your Floor White?
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