Although not as popular as it once was, painting floors makes a strong statement and has a big impact on the personality of a living space. Think of a pure white room from ceiling to floor, or a bright summery color for a vacation home. It’s also an inexpensive and charming way to conceal floors that have major visible flaws.
Painting floors isn’t as difficult as some painting projects—you don’t have to worry about paint drips!—but there are some best practices to follow to ensure the job gets done properly and looks great when you are finished.
So here it is, tips from Zenith Painting on the best way to get your hardwood floors glowing in a whole new color:
1. Start By Sanding
Hardwood floors typically have some kind of stain or finish, and perhaps you’re even starting with an already-painted floor that you’d like to recolor. So you’ll want to start by sanding the floor to remove those materials.
You could do the job by hand with fine grit sandpaper, but you may wish to look into renting a floor sander if you’re expecting to cover a large area.
2. Clean, Clean, Clean
Sanding surely kicked up plenty of dust and debris, and you don’t want it to mix permanently with your new paint. Use detergent, water, and a mop to get every corner, then allow plenty of time for the hardwood floor to dry.
3. Choose a Primer and Paint
Your local paint store can help you select paint products specifically designed for painting floors. Latex paint will provide a satin finish, while alkyd and polyurethane are good choices for a gloss finish.
If you’re taking on this job yourself and expect to make a mistake or two, keep in mind that latex paint is harder to touch up after it dries.
4. Time to Paint
You will want to use a brush to cut in at the outer edges of the room, but a roller will work fine for the rest. Don’t mind any roller marks, the paint will settle into the wood and leave a flat surface.
5. Finishing Touches
Painting can cause hardwood grain to rise, so you may want to wait for the first coat of primer to set and do another round of light sanding and dust removal before applying additional coats of paint.
Finish up with a protective layer to guard against scuffs, scratches, and other wear and tear, and allow some time to dry—most paint types should dry in a day, but may take much longer to fully set and harden.
Call In the Pros
If you are ready to get started on a whole new floor in the Denver Metro area and don’t want to paint yourself into a corner, Zenith Painting can take care of the job for you! Give us a call at 800.381.4601 for more information and a free quote.
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