Tips on Painting Hardwood Floors

It is often the case that hardwood floors look better painted than laminate flooring would look in the place. Many even prefer the look of painted hardwood even to tile flooring that could be used in its stead. Painting a hardwood floor can bring new life to a severely damaged hardwood floor lengthening the life of your floor. One of the keys to pulling off this look without a hitch is by using a thick paint that is bright colored enough to cover up the grain of the hardwood beneath.

Another secret to remember when painting hardwood floors is to really slather on the urethane. Once your painted floor has dried, adding three or more coats of urethane will help your floors look shiny and new much longer. The paint itself will do very little to keep your hardwood floor looking good or extending the life of your floor, if you do not cover your paint with urethane it will quickly lose all of its sparkle and shine. Another benefit of the urethane coating is that protects the floor from the harmful effects of dirt, water, and other contaminants.

As with all painted surfaces, you should be certain that the floor is free of dirt, dust, hair, and other particles as well as clean and dry. If there are large holes, dips, or dents in your hardwood floors you should take care that you fill them with wood fillers, which can easily be found in home improvement retailers.

You should make sure a bare wood floor is primed before you begin painting. Priming sealers do wonders as far as hiding the grain of the wood so that it does not show through once the paint is dry. If the floor has been varnished or has a urethane finish you should sand it well before applying primer. It is a good idea if you find yourself at a loss to ask for advice from the staff of the store where you are buying supplies for suggestions about primers and paintings for your hardwood floors. Most manufacturers have well prepared list of compatible paints and primers that are available at the paint supply stores.

Oil paints generally work best for painting floors. The oils tend to bond to the surface of the floor much better than water-based paints. Oil paints also tend to dry much more quickly and harden faster which will shorten the length of time you will need to spend on your project.

A final touch to your floor-painting project would have to add a faux finish or special design to your floor. Stencils make a great foundation for this particular type of project and make it very easy to achieve.