Looking to buy floor paints for wood? Can you even paint them?
Trying to make your hardwood floors look better can be difficult, if not downright scary. After all, they often cost a lot of money, and most people get nervous just thinking about painting them, especially if they mess up.
But, don’t despair! I’ll show you how to paint your wood floors without any problems, the best floor paints for wood you should get, and I’ll help you at every step. By the end of this article, you’ll be sure you can do it right the first time and know how to do it. Are you ready to learn a whole bunch of tips and tricks? I’m ready too, so let’s get this show going!
What kinds of hardwood floors can be painted?
You can paint most wood floors (yes, even expensive teak flooring, if you dare). But you shouldn’t ever paint right on a glossy surface, because the results are usually bad.
The best thing to do is test the wood you want to paint. This is easy to do in three steps (each outlined later in more details). First, get a small section of the wooden floor ready (in the corner or under a couch). Then, put a small amount of paint on the wood and let it dry. After 24 hours, check the results to see if the paint is cracking, peeling, streaking, or bubbling. If it looks good, you can feel good about moving forward. If you do have problems, please leave a comment at the end of this article and I will help you.
Why even think about painting your wood floors?
Some people like the way it looks better than bare hardwood, especially if the wood has been re-stained. You can also show off your creativity by making designs and patterns on your floor with paint. You could also just use one color for the whole thing. Painting gives something a unique look that can’t be made with bare wood.
To hide cheap hardwood: Even if your floors are brand new, the wood planks could be low quality (especially if you used pallet wood for your floors) and not look good. You might even think about pulling them out and getting new ones. Before you do that, you should paint them in a style that goes with your house. You’ll be happy with how things turn out.
Renew old, worn floors: Your hardwood floors will start to look old after a while. Even though this can sometimes show character, it often looks terrible. Most of the time, scratches, scuffs, or color loss can be seen. Even if you try to fix the broken wood, a good coat of paint is all it takes to bring it back to life.
Saves you time and money: Instead of replacing the whole floor, you can save a lot of money and time by painting it. Even if you only work a couple of hours per day, it usually only takes one weekend.
What kind of Floor Paints for Wood is best?
What’s the best floor paint wood? It can be walked on often without getting worn down.
It is very hard to scratch and stain.
Most of the time, it will last longer than other kinds of paint.
During application, it needs solvents to clean up.
Because of pollution, some states have banned using cars inside.
It takes quite a while to dry.
Not too bad for the environment because it doesn’t give off many fumes.
Instead of solvents, you can use water and soap.
dries a lot more quickly.
Oil-based paint lasts longer (rugs or mats can help with this)
Sometimes produces dull colors (although this does depend on the quality)
Its chemical make-up is fairly new, and only time will tell how well it works.
PRO TIP #1 Try to get a paint with polyurethane in it. This chemical makes things stronger and is great for places that are a little bit damp. If you can’t find one, don’t worry about it. You can always add a coat of polyurethane afterward.
Some popular colors and patterns for painting wood floors
You can choose any color you want, but if you need ideas, check out this Pinterest board on painting wood floors. It’s important that the color of the paint on your wood floors matches the other things in your room. Even though you can start over, you won’t have to if you take the time to do some research first. This can be pretty fun, especially if you do it with your partner or a close friend.
If you want to keep the natural look of a dark wood floor, you can make it look brand new by painting it the same color as the wood.
If you want to be creative, you can add checkerboard patterns and other designs to the top coat of paint.
If you use vertical stripes, your kitchen, bedroom, or even bathroom can look longer.
You can also use colors to draw attention to certain parts of a room (such as furniture).
The shape of a diamond can even make a room look bigger than it is. You can do anything.
Here’s more on the best floor paint for wood.
How Shiny Should Painted Wood Floors Be?
The paint’s sheen is how well it reflects light. Even though most floor coatings (varnish, for example) have a sheen value, this guide will only talk about colored paint. There are four levels of sheen for wood paint, and the percentages below describe how each one reflects light. They are glossy (75%), semi-gloss (55%), satin (40%) and matte (20%), with glossy being the most shiny. Check out this great article on HouseLogic.com.
Satin is without a doubt the coolest kid on the block. Satin finishes are a good compromise between being shiny and being useful in everyday life. People like this option because it lasts a long time and small dents and scratches aren’t too noticeable. People with pets or families also choose this paint sheen for the same reason, and they are usually happy with their floors.
Semi-gloss: This paint isn’t as “shiny” as full gloss, but it still shines pretty well. This is not a bad thing, though, because many people love the style and go out of their way to buy it. Some people say that you should mop at least once every two days because it shows dirt easily. It’s also more likely to get scratched by accident, but rules like “shoes off” or “pets outside” can easily stop this from happening.
How Much Paint Do Your Wooden Floors Need?
How much paint you’ll need will depend on three things:
The thickness of the paint: If you use oil-based paint, you’ll need more than if you use water-based paint, which is thinner. The thicker the paint, the more you need, but on the plus side, you won’t need as many coats, so in the end, it should even out.
The size of the floor: If you have big rooms, you will need more paint to cover them well. Generally speaking, a gallon of paint will cover about 350 square feet of painted wood floors, so keep that in mind.
Number of coats: If you need to put on two coats, you’ll need twice as much wood paint. If you want a third coat, multiply the amount you started with by three, and so on.
Should you use a primer before painting your wooden floors?
There is a lot of confusion about what a “primer” is and how to use it on wood floors, especially when painting. Let me help you understand this, and maybe you can tell your friends about it.
Simply put, you don’t need a primer if your floor still has its old finish and you can’t see any bare wood. On the other hand, if wear and tear has worn away parts of the previous finish, you need to apply the primer to these areas. This could mean that you have to prime the whole floor, but don’t do it if you don’t have to.
How to paint wood floors without making a mess of them
After knowing the best floor paint for wooden floors, the rest is back to you. This can be a great DIY project as long as you are careful. But because local contractors in the U.S. are often cheap, it’s not always worth the time and effort. If you’d rather just get a free quote, Pro Floor Tips can help you do that.
If you also want to know the best wood floor paint for high traffic areas, check our blog!
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