Painting a wood floor is an inexpensive way to give a room a fresh new look. It is not a difficult job and should be looked upon as any other painting project, the fact that it is a floor and not a wall or a door is irrelevant. Whatever the style of the room decor in the house, a painted floor will compliment it. For example, both country and contemporary looks will fit in well with a painted floor. Many people think that painting a wooden floor is sacrilege, but if the floorboards are a real mess then painting your wooden floors is a really good option that some people go for.
It is important that you get the right paint, don’t be tempted to use any old paint that has been in the garage for years. Getting the right paint for this job is particularly important as floor paint is manufactured to be much more hard-wearing, ensuring it will be capable of taking high levels of footsteps and lots of wear and tear. Before starting the job, remember the room will be out of bounds until the floor is finished, the last thing needed is children and pets running in while the paint is still wet and then running around the house leaving footprints. This will mean a call to the household insurance company to claim on the accidental damage part of the policy, and also an excess to pay which just makes the job more expensive. Quick drying paint is one option if the room is needed quickly.
The wooden floorboards should be clean and free from dust. Any large cracks and holes should be mended properly. If not they will become glaringly visible when paint is applied. Once that is done the next step is sanding the area that needs to be painted. If it is a large area then it is a good idea to rent a floor sander. It will save a lot of time and energy. If it is only a small area a hand sander will be best. Once the floors have been sanded they will need sweeping and mopping to remove all the dust. The floors will need to be smooth before painting so mopping the floor twice will ensure the best result.
Using a good primer, go along the edge and corners of the floor with a brush. Paint outward from the edges and corners about 4 or 5 inches all around the room. This will allow the roller to meet these edges without it touching the skirting boards and walls. Use a roller to put primer along the remaining surface of the floor and allow drying. Apply the paint the same way you applied the primer and wait at least a full day before applying the second coat. When the second coat is dry it is time to apply one coat of clear varnish over the paint to harden the surface of the floorboards and extend their durability.