Good Questions: Using Milk Paint On Stained Wood Floors

question mark.jpg While How To Paint Your Floors and Not Screw it Up has generated all sorts of helpful feedback, their have been even more questions about this topic. In an effort to get them answered, here is our question for the week.

I have unsealed wood floors that are stained a rather dark brown (in a rented apartment). I would like to lighten and brighten the room, and think painted floors would work better for me than a rug. Is there a way I can do this without moving out to allow smelly paint to dry?

I have been reading about milk paint. Will a light color cover the darker stain, or do I need to sand the floors (something else I do not want to do!) Can I use regular latex paint and some sort of sealer? Also, will any paint finish be impossible to remove, if the landlord wants to re-let the apartment?

Thanks for your help, Julie

If you have an answer, click on 'comment' below....

Comments (1)

Just read a lot about milk paint. Apparently if you mix it with a special bonding agent, also sold by the companies who sell the milk paint, it can be put on over regular paint. See milkpaint.com and realmilkpaint.com
The colors you get will be more interesting than regular floor colors.
My husband painted the wideboard floors, not in good condition, in our old 1830s house, in a checkerboard design using two regular floor paints. Floor paint colors are in general not particularly interesting, but the checkerboard worked. He had to outline the checkerboard on the floor with pencil and then do the painting. Very tedious but it survived for years, and the scratches and dings from usage and dragging of furniture did not prove too unsightly.
Good luck!