The other problem you may have had with the red paint (other than the relative warmth of the rooms) was the fact that red paint is notoriously bad at coverage. I think my wife ended up uising 4 coats of red paint in our entryway, and we did three on the red back door. And that was with latex paint!

Red is such a wonderful color to have up, but putting it up is a major pain.

When I was younger, my family moved into a house from the 1960s with a poured concrete daylight basement. The family that lived there before us stored their collection (read: pile) of old lawnmowers in it, and the leaking motor oil had seriously degraded the sunflower covered linoleum. My parents ripped it all out to the bare concrete, and painted the floor pink. I can't say the color worked, but their's nothing like a cool concrete floor on a hot summer day.
Thanks for the tips on the painting - I can't wait 'till I have my own floor to paint.

The other problem you probably had with the red is that dark colors take much longer to dry. recently we painted our stair treads in red (later adding a carpet runner up the middle). We figured out after having paint peel off in thick sheets that something was wrong. We called the manufacturer's (Behr) technical support (something I strongly recommend you do if you are planning to paint a floor).

He said we should wait more than 24 hours before recoat -- if possible a couple days. Plus, he suggested other products (including latex paints) that would have been better a choice than the exterior latex the fellow at home depot suggested. Because of our poor results, we sent our reciepts to the manufacturer and they repsonded by refunding our paint purchase.

Looks great, and I am glad you found such a cool solution for your problem.

For anyone considering painting over your wood flooring, please consider the quality of the flooring and the impact on resale value it will have on your house. Wood flooring is a timeless style that is always a desirable characteristic to have in a house, if in good shape. A friend of mine that is into real estate bought an old house with wood flooring a few years back. All he did was refurb the flooring, and painted the walls (think he spent about $2500 total) and resold the house 6 months later for $20,000 more than what he had bought it for!

Obviously this is an extreme example. However, wood flooring seriously impacts the value of your home. In the US over 80% of 1st time home buyers sell their house within 5 years. While you may save $1500 in the short term, in the long term you will probably loose much, much more.

Any tips for painting concrete floors? We ripped up nasty carpet and would like to just paint or stain/seal the slab itself.

Good point. Our wood floor was new 6 years ago, not that attractive and we are not planning on selling. If we wanted to sand it down and poly again, we could, when we had more $$, but for now this is more fun. MGR

We did concrete too, and the results were even better because the floor retains heat more evenly and doesn't have cracks that can fill up and cause bubbles. Again, I would use a good paint like Benjamin Moore Porch and Floor enamel and lay on a number of thin coats. And avoid wet days....

No jokes about painting youself into a corner? C'mon.

I have to say I cringed at the sight. I love the colors, but knowing that old wood floors are beneath the paint makes me want to cry. It is beautiful, but blasphameous at the same time.

Don't forget: it's all in the preparation! Primer, for example in the case of the red floor, is sometimes best tinted in the same color as the paint. It really does make a difference in the long run.

for painting concrete...

you may need to etch it with muriatic (sp) acid first. a light sand can even help. next you may want to seal it with a blockiing paint like KILZ (there are nice water-based versions too but KILZ is the "style" of paint you will need in that it blocks oil, rust and mold from penetrating through your top layer of finish paint). after you have sealed your floor, you can paint with any "durable" paint product. we used wall paint in oil-base as the colors were richer and more varied and then we put three layers of varnish (clear) over that. porh paint comes in lame colors (personally) and is formulated for rain and outdoor use. our floor is dark blue with a nice shine to it and we love it. about a year ago we revarnished it but did NOT retouch it and it now looks even nicer with the various mars and such. good luck.

I agree that it is beautiful, IF you have the insight to choose the color that will look great over time, and do a great job, but I do worry about all those lovely wood floors turning bright colors that won't look good to anyone in 10 years and the damage done that can't be reversed easily-- or at all. Plus, I have a friend who has had hers painted for 20 years, and it doesn't hold up for more than about 5. You will see chips, dings, scratches, and scuffs over the years, and have to re-do, often stripping varnish or paint first. It's an obligation you can't ignore! Natural wood hides a lot anddoesn't chip like that. Please!!!! Think twice!

You may also look in to analine dyes for wooden floors. This is a dye, rather than a paint, and it therefore provides a beautiful translucent quality. Wade Garrett makes a wonderful line with many rich and vibrant colors. You will find that you need fewer coats--one or two will do, but you will have to add a polyurethane finish.

This is a great solution for floors with imperfections and discoloration. The color saturates but does not completely hide the wood.

Three coats of water-based poly will keep your painted floor protected. Other quick dry polys would darken your color. Water-based looks like skim milk going on but dry crystal clear. 220 grit sanding before and between coats will allow the poly to adhere.

anyone have tips about painting tiled floors??

Generally, painting linoleum tiles (which is what I think you are referring to) is frowned upon, as any painter or store will tell you that it won't work. They are sort of right, but that doesn't mean you should listen to them. I have painted a number of tiled floors and the main problem is that between the shiny surface of the tile AND the flexibility of the tiles, paint doesn't really adhere and tends to flake off over time. That said, I have painted two floors with success, but neither of them do I care alot about. Our offices were painted and the paint has worn off under the chairs, and there are alot of scratches, but it is TONS better than it was before and we can repaint all those spots when we want. I also painted a low traffic kitchen and that has been fine. In short, if you want the change and don't need perfection go for it. It would probably also help to scuff up the floor with sandpaper as much as possible.

I'd like to know if anyone knows where to buy muriatic acid to prime my concrete floors before attempting this painting venture and more and more insight too / tips etc...Elisabeth merchantsrvcs@aol.com thanx

In terms of durability, you could also use a milk paint formula. It last very well, although it's harder to achieve the brightness of modern paint formulas. On the plus side, though, there are no toxic fumes at all. There's also the authentic touch of using milk paint, which'll look more historical than modern paint formulas.

You can buy a commercial mixture or make it yourself (Google "milk paint" and you'll find what you need). You may want to seal it afterwards, both to get a glossy surface and to make the color more durable, but if you want a real historical feel, milk paint's the way to go.

How about painting ceramic tiles? I've had SUCH a cute idea for painting the floor in my bathroom for a while now, but the prospect is a bit daunting. I've heard alkyd-based paints are the way to go for that ...

Donald, on ceramic it really won't work. If you do it, it will stay on for awhile, but it won't look too good and won't look like ceramic, which is a really nice finish. There are special ceramic finishes you should look into - that might even go on like paint - but that is all I know.

I painted a concrete floor (same thing, nasty carpet ripped up) with deck paint, which I was able to buy in a neutral base and get mixed to chip colors, just like wall paint. I chose two shades of gold, and painted a harlequin diamond pattern. I didn't bother to seal it with polyurethane since this is a very low-traffic room and I am a lazy, lazy person, but it's still held up very well and looks (and smells)so much better than that foul carpet.

Re painting linoleum: what about these new paints that go on plastic? I've only seen them in tiny craft bottles, but a small area like a bathroom might not cost a fortune to do.

Any more tips on laying down paint on concrete - checked the board for new tips and came up w/ nothing - c'mon guys (and girls) help a girl out - I leave my fla home in 3 days and wanted to attack this project today and tomorrow!! help!! (MAXWELL WHERE ARE YOU? LOL!)

Elisabeth,

Concrete is easy and it takes paint very well because it is porous. You need to use OIL paint and a polyurethane based floor paint will work even better. If your floor is raw, just paint it on, and if it has oil paint already you are fine painting on too. In both cases a good cleaning and removal of all dust and chips are important. If it has been painted with latex before, you are in trouble, and really need to scrape all this off (but this would be a rare occurrence). Best of luck, Maxwell

I painted my 70's flaming flourescent orange laminate countertops in my laundry room with the little jars of enamel craft paint from Michael's. It took about 3 hours to prep and then 2 hours to faux with a small sea sponge and a plastic palette to mix multiple shades. The result is a beautiful warm caramel granite finish with gold, black, brown and burgundy flecks. I topped it with two coats of marine varnish (it had to be durable...and waterproof....it's the laundry room counter and we have 4 kids...it get's LOTS of use). For fun, i left a small edge of the flaming orange laminate in one corner...I'm glad I did. The neighbor's don't believe it's a painted finish! Pix available via email as I don't have a web page.

Do not use Kilz or any other primer on a concrete floor. Go to Lowes and buy a latex paint made for concrete floors. Give it two coats of this 24 hours apart and do not walk on in for five days.

Any tips for painting tiles not standard linoleum
the harder standard apt tile sometimes you find it in elevators in apt buildings...

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.

If it's in a rental, the landlord may well have a problem with any kind of paint on the floors, since it is a major sand/refinish to remove paint.

Milk-based paint is fragile - not the best choice for a floor, unless you want a distressed look. It does have a soft, historic look which is nice. No matter what you use, you will need to sand first, and should use polyurethane after (be careful of yellow overtones which could change the paint tone)

You might want to try out a hidden spot (inside a closet, etc) before doing the entire space.

We have three bedrooms with nasty carpet. I would love to rip them out and paint the concrete slab floor. House was in built in 1955. Is it possible to paint?

My house was built in 1902. Sometime around the 20s or 30s Aspestos (sp)linolieum was put in the dining room and kitchen. It is terribly worn, the finish is gone and the color is just awful. We plan to redo both rooms within the next 10 years, but I need a fix before that. When I scrub the floors, the linolieum comes up with it, the water turns the color of the floor and it seems to seep into it, the floors stay wet forever! Bad news!! Is there a kind of paint I can use to seal the floor and to cover the awful color of it?

Amazing amount of interesting observations here and I don't know whether mine will help,but.....

I agree vis-a-vis resale. Most people who buy will want to (one hopes) do a re-sand and re-coat anyway, but few will be able to envision wood floors when the see painted floors. I'd say if you wanna paint 'em simply plan on doing it back when you sell.

There is absolutely no doubt that nothing will age nearly as well as the good old sanding and oil-based poly. But I've done both (for myself and others) and lived in both and I think there's a rustic, studio patina that an scraped-up, banged up, aged painted floor can have. That's the point - if you don't want a low-tech, funky feel then painting's not for you.

Three simple lessons from eveyone's paint woes: 1)PRIME. frankly, no one wants to do this but priming is not a paint company scam - especially on a floor. Primer is NOT paint (anyone who's had the lowly job of brush cleaner -such as I- can tell you that primer is much harder than paint to clean out of a brush. Pros, in my epxerience, will often designate some brushes for primer only). Think of it as glue that will hold the paint onto whatever's beneath it. (and, yeah, tinting the primer is a nice trick and the paint store should do this). 2)PATIENCE. I assume you are all painting with a gloss finish. 24 hours minimum on this. 3) Relax with the dusting! Dust falls. Your sweet new floors are gonna trap some dust as they dry. Please remember: six months of scuffing and walking and spills and you won't even notice.

Three more observations:

Definitely a coat of poly over the painted floors will help. Two coats will help a lot but most people don't have that kind of patience (5 coats total)

Anilyne (or however you spell it) dyes are very cool. But not really a DIY thing.

Muriatic acid is nasty and not for DIY use(my opinion). It chemically "etches" the conctrete, and if you have those smooth, raw (unsealed) poured concrete floors is it probably an unnecessary step.

I used to do scenic art in the theatre and pretty much all our floors are painted and there's one beauty to a painted floor: if it gets tired, just clear stuff away and throw on another coat of paint. Good as new!

I am thinking about painting my kitchen floor. I have removed most of the composition tile that it once had. The base is plywood. Any suggestions on what would be the best paint for the job. Can I use a neutral color for the base the a stain on top then maybe varnish or polyurethane? Also I would like to change the color of my iron tub and comode, any suggestions?

For Julie, re floor in a rental apartment. I know you didn't want to put down a rug to lighten the floor, but how about painting a floor cloth? You can get a large canvas drop cloth from a home improvement centre, Paint it with any kind of paint you want. After it is dry, put at least 2 coats of polyurethane sealer on, letting dry completely between coats. You are in control of the design, you don't have to worry about puting the floor back to a rental state because you can lift the cloth and take it with you!

Wow where are all these realy creative people mine is the same old story i bought an old home I thought for sure that when i pulled up the nasty carpet that was layed in 1950 i would find great hard wood floors but noooo just concrete. Now I can't even begin to imagen what color the floor should be. I can't aford anything at this time but paint. and what if i mess it up this is so much to consider.

When I moved into my condo two and a half years ago the bathroom was in sorry shape and had not been updated for over 20 years. I didn't have a lot of money so I depended upon paint. The bathroom is a typical apartment one without a window and low ceiling. I painted the walls, ceiling, vanity cabinet and floor the same color of a deep saturated blue/purple (Pratt and Lambert Shaded Clematis). I then replaced the lighting fixture (turn it upside down so the light bounces off of the ceiling), faucet and a composite marble white vanity/sink countertop. New knobs, mirror, toilet paper holder, towel racks and toilet freshened the room even more. I then hung a floor to ceiling curtain over the shower curtain of the tub/shower combo. Finally I bought two very inexpensive fluffy white rugs for the floor. The floor was a busy strange patterned vinyl. I lightly sanded it by hand, applied a coat of latex kilz, two coats of the latex wall paint (semi-gloss), and lightly sponged on a contrasting color of red violet followed by two coats of clear latex poly acrylic sealer. The result is a dramatic little jewel. Everyone raves over it and several other owners in my building have copied it. Any blue color will "expand" the space. The bathroom seems much larger even though it's a dark color. The entire project cost only $500. I painted the countertop in the kitchen too! Also, painting wood is ok! Not all wood and finishes are pleasing and paint can really spruce surfaces up inexpensively.

I am planning on painting my wooden floor WHITE, but I don't like the low-tech funky feel described above. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

I have particleboard flooring under my carpet, and
I am sick of carpetting, I would like to paint it,
any suggestions?

Can IO paint the exterior of my house on a damp day when it may rain? I live in Houston, Texas.

We pulled up carpet in our house and found red oak floors. The floors have splotches of paint on them (from the prior owner painting ceiling) and some varnish and wax. What is the easiest and best way to fix this? Should we strip (don't really want to) or can we paint over all the mess?

I currently have linolieum on my bathroom floor. I am thinking that painting it would be an inexpensive alternative to placing linolieum over it. The linolieum is 3 years old and look fine except for a large spot where the toilet leaked under the tile. Please advise the steps to take and the paint to use. AThanks

Hi all ..i have grey marble floor tiles in my bathroom that are very dull and boring .Can anyone suggest a type of paint that I can use to cover them up. I'm thinking of painting them black and white , like a harlequin pattern. I'm more concerned about the durability of them , as it is a bathroom and has to withstand a lot of traffic , especially with my family ..any advice would be greatly appreciated

I have linolieum tile that is broken in some places. I will need to tear this up and will have sub-flooring underneath. Whats the best way to prep for painting. (I want a faux marble look.)

Thanks,
Tara

I already painted my bathroom floor with interior latex paint ... looks really neat with squares of maroon and tan that ended up looking like old linoleum. My question is this... what can I use to put a semi-shiny protective coating over this? I stopped at Home Depot and the guy just shook his head... like it was a lost cause... please ...any suggestions?

I have just bought a 1971 ranch house that hasn't been updated since 1971, dark wood everywhere, dated, carpets galore, unmatching shower & tub, and Linoleum/vinyl. I am painting the lot.

I am painting the Laminate Countertops.

I am painting the Kitchen cupboards.

I am painting the hideous bathroom tile.

I am painting the bath tub.

I am painting the lino/vinyl floor.

I am painting the particle floor under my carpets, in fact I finished pulling all the staples out and sanding today.

Who & what is the answer to most if not all my painting needs except the walls and and trim I hera you ask?

www.armorpoxy.com

Check them out, they gurantee their floor paint for 10 yrs but reckon it lasts for 20 yrs. Sounds good to me as I only want the painted floors for a couple of yrs until I install hardwoods.

My kitchen cupboards are getting a cheap makeover with proper cabinet paint which is self levelling and leaves a rock hard finish until my hubby custom builds the new kitchen in the European 32mm system with full overlay.

For now though this website is answering my needs and painting is a cheap fix.

Yes you can paint practically anything nowadays including vinyl, tile, laminate, coutertops, linoleum etc......... you just need to do the research. I painted tiles years and they looked good for years until we moved, I have no idea what they look like now. All you need is to sand the tile and find a primer that is designed for tile.

Good luck everyone & have fun, I am !

Does anyone have any advice for aging concrete floors?

I have horrible carpeting and want to rip it out everyday but am not sure when i will have the funds to replace it so all that I have read so far has been hopeful.
The point I really wanted to share though is that most Home Depot employees are not trained and learn as they go so always second guess and research their answers for your own good. I worked in the paint department and a few of my answers to cutomers were just ideas I thought would work but really I never had any training other than my experience at home. Happy Painting!

I have read so much and now I am hopelessly confused. I am moving into a rented condo. I have convinced the owner to let me paint the concrete floors. The floors are over 50 years old. They are red "brick-like" squares. My ceiling is very high and the look inside is contemporary. I want the floors light - to keep the space looking large. I have been to Home Depot and Lowes. They just point me to the garage or porch paint. Some web sites say etch - some sites say don't etch. Some say stain do not paint - some say paint. It will be my living room - I intend to lay down rugs. I probably have 2 -3 days to paint -and less than 6 days after that before I need to move in furniture.. Help!! Somone tell me what to do.. Thanks!!!

We live in a 100+ year old house and have refinished all the old oak floors on the first floor (for the last time--there is not enough wood left to sand them again.) The second floor was in desparate need of refinishing and we've decided to paint. We figure that if we don't like it, we could sand the paint off and polyurethane -- the same steps we would do if we were merely refinishing the floors. But seeing your pictures, I'm sure we're going to like it.

Thanks for the tips -- we're tackling it this month after the rest of the room is repainted.

I want to paint a pine floor that was stained and under linoleum. I sanded to 100grit and removed most, not all stain/poly.
Cottage is on Fire Island and I want to paint a very pale green to feeel aged, cottagy. Any ideas.
Janovic told me not to prime, that primer is too soft for a floor. Others say prime. Also, I understand you can't glaze a floor. Can I roll off paint or is floor paint too thick. Am using water base. any advise

Just a note here. I am moving from a very old house (l03 years) that had been a rental property for about 20 years. There were a lot of repairs that needed to be done and $ was tight. The kitchen linoleum was in good shape but stained and ugly and no matter what I did it didn't look clean (or attractive). I put a base coat of porch and deck light grey enamel on..waited 4 days (I had to do l/2 at a time). Then I sponged 2 shades of beige, red and brown over the whole thing. When I finished the last coat of sponging I was putting the lid back on the paint can and somehow it flew off spinning across my just finished floor leaving a trail of light being swirls in its path! I almost cried..but after I calmed down I stopped and looked at what had happened. I then loaded small amounts of each of the colors (one at a time) on a plastic plate and walked around the kitchen spinning paint on the floor (it was kind of fun!) The result was a Jackson Pollak type painting on the floor. I have 5 kids, and 3 dogs and the kitchen is the main entrance to the house. This painted floor has stood up for 5 years of incredibly heavy wear and tear and everyone who comes over asks where I got the cool tile! (I always tell them I had it custom made ;)

We have an area in the kitchen where the Linoleum has a 10" by 10" oval type spot. It looks like rust but is very very hard to try and scrub off. My husband has done it several times over the years but we have let it go too long this time. A man who did our carpet said it was probably something on the wood under the linoleum at just that spot that is "bleeding" through???? Any ideas on what this could be. The house was built in 1978 and this is the only spot in the house that has trouble. There is no smell and everything appears ok in the crawl space underneath. We do not want to tear up the linoleum but may have to to find out what this is.
Help!

My entire basement floor was covered in a hideous linoleum tile. I painted it with custom tinted latex WALL paint and two coats of water-based poly over five years ago and it is still holding up VERY well. I was worried at first that the wall paint wouldn't hold up but, consider this. Spilled wall paint that isn't immediately cleaned up is almost IMPOSSIBLE to clean from anything - cloth, wood, linoleum, concrete, etc., so why wouldn't it adhere. My only suggestion is to allow plenty of dry time before walking or use.

I just sanding down old soft pine floors. They look 100 times better than before. However, the color of the wood is not even and I wanted to apply Tung oild but I am not wondering if I should stain/paint first to even the coloring out. Anyone know about Tung oil? Oh, the other part I need to move home by July 4th so time is a factor.

I have a daycare and want to paint a hopscotch,and different things for kids,on a cement drive there is a carport overtop I need to know what to do to perpare the drive and what kind of paint to use,this will be used for small children to play on riding toys and exc.

I need advice on how to paint unsealed cement/concrete tiles in my kitchen. They are a redish plum color and have never been painted before. I also want a glossy seal on them. Thanks!

I AM LOOKING FOR THE BEST ROOM

what type of paint should I use on an asbestos tile floor?
What type of primer should be used?
I don't want to sand because of the asbestos. What type of cleaner should I use to prep?
Thanks

I own a retail boutique store. When I bought the store it was in shambles. The floor is awful. It is tiled with ugly, stained tiles that are very unatractive. Would painting it faux marble be a way to make it look better? I am on a budget and cannot afford much. Any help would be appreciated.

HI that looks great very nice idea i was wondering do you think i could paint over my kitchen linolieum with the poly paint? i want to do it in my kitchen but im not sure if i can paint linolieum? I want to paint it black and what do you use to clean your floors do you use a special cleaner?

I would like to now if I can paint a Linoleum Tile floor in a bathroom. I need to know what I would use to do this and if the floor would hold up under a lot of foot traffic. Thanks Mike

My friend and I would like to paint her concrete hallway floor with a flagstone pattern to match the current entryway flagstone. The problem is that the carpet has been glued down. Has anyone successfully painted on a concrete floor that has had a glued down carpet removed from it? If so what steps did you use to remove the glue? Did sanding work or were you able to paint over the glue residue? I would appreciate any help you could provide in this area as this is a first for me. Thanks Kerry

How do I paint already painted batroom tiles(on wall). Not sure if they are ceramic or plastic. They are black and I would like to paint them white. Thanks

Anyone here have tips for painting vinyl tiles? My rental apartment has painful to look at wood pattern vinyl tiles.

good luck Sarah!

Two years later, how has it worn?

It's GORGEOUS, by the way.

I'm obsessed with dark orange-red lately and have no domestic use that I wouldn't regret quickly, so I have to be content to admire other people's wallowing in it.

You have no idea how close I am to racing out and purchasing exterior floor paint. Those floors look terrific!

Your floors look amazing, esp. against the white/cream walls. I particularly like the interplay with the yellow floor and the natural wood trim.

My own dream is to one day own and have polished, stained concrete floors in my main room. I've used them in my day job for some commercial spaces and the effect is just amazing - rich colors with a cool texture.

To those who asked about painting various surfaces, and those who asked about primer: Sanding and primer are twin keys to getting paint to adhere to almost any surface.

Start with a clean surface -- remove grease, wax, and anything chalky. If there's any gloss or if you're concerned about adhesion, do a light sanding with 150 0r 200 sandpaper. On a floor, you can use a floor sander with a screen... available at a rental shop. All you want to do is degloss so the primer has something to hold onto. (If you're going over polyurethane, you have to scuff it up diligently, because poly doesn't want to stick to anything.)

Then prime with any of the primer-sealers that mention "excellent adhesion" on the label. Kilz, BIN, Bullseye... these are a few of the big names. A water-based primer-sealer is fine. If you're making a drastic color change, look for a primer that is tintable, and tint it in the direction of your final color, but not necessarily matching the final color.

The only time you will have a problem is when the surface is already painted and the existing paint isn't adhering well. There isn't much you can do about that, short of removing that old paint.

Painted floors are fabulous

Red paint is difficult because red pigments are transparent therefore they need many more coats to give a good coverage - the purer and clearer the red the more transparent it is - burgundy reds and terracotta reds will cover better as they have other pigments in them which are not transparent

Laura - its clearly the ghost spot of a hideaous murder!

Wow, great post. I'm getting ready to paint my floors too and I am curious about the colors, as I like these two colors you have shown, they're close to the what I've been considering for my own floors.

Did you custom mix these? (I'm guessing you did). How did you arrive at getting these colors, i.e. did you take something in for them to scan at the paint store, or are these swatches? I haven't had good results scanning at the paint store for color matching, so I would appreciate your advice.

I have a 100+ year old house with some original pine floors and some new. We refinished the inside floors, but painted the screened porch. Benjamin Moore Porch paint is designed for use on floors, this paint looked great from the start and has held up very well over several years now. I'm pretty sure we used the latex too, so no particular mess involved, although we were not going for the very hi gloss finish. A lot of old east coast houses would have had painted wood floors inside - pine was the common wood, it is soft and the paint helped protect the floor. I think it is our more modern eye which expects the look of the wood.

When I stained my concrete, I got the acid at B. Moore. Instead of painting concrete, stain it instead. Staining is much prettier. B.Moore has many colors of concrete stains.

Regarding the wood floors, they are worth so much more sanded and stained. To cut the cost, only hire out the sanding, and do the staining and sealing yourself. You will save at least half. I discovered this myself when some floor guys failed to return to finish my floors. I had only paid a small deposit, and they had finished the sanding. When I realized how easy and cheap it was going to be to finish the floor myself, I was thrilled they had deserted me.

We are planning to paint the subfloor in our ranch-style home--which isn't plywood. I want to make it appear like stained concrete (or at least give it patina look). Does anyone know how to achieve?

Grossy old pink bathroom floor tiles - I want to paint beige. I am planning on sanding the tiles down with a electric sander. Then priming with a adhesive primer. Then painting over the tiles with a few thin coats of a floor paint in beige. Do you think this will work OK? This small bathroom is not used much and is mainly covered with a bathroom rug.

I had a nasty situation when my contractor put down the wrong color tile in my loft bathroom.He initially painted the floor with water based latex wall paint. Needless to say, I fired him and did some research. Next thing you know,I'm in there scraping up the wrong stuff. I ended up painting it the most incredible deep, dark chocolate color (the original stuff was an putrid green). I went to Sherwin Williams and got this stuff called Tred-Plex which is made specifically for floors. They do also carry products for wood and concrete floors. They also gave me this heavy duty primer that stunk to high heaven and was sticky, but man it worked. Now I have the color floor that I wanted all along and for much less than new ceramic tile. Painting a vinyl tiled floor can be done, but you must use the correct products and the floor must be clean. I'm going to apply a couple of coats of water based polyurethane to give it a nice sheen.

Hello. I dont know if anyone can help me or not- I have been looking online everywhere for help with concrete floors. My husband and my son are going on vacation for 2 weeks. I want to suprise him when he gets back I want to have his bedroom totally made over in a tropical ocean theme. He is 11 and is crazy about sharks. Right now there is nasty carpet in there that I want to pull up. my question is this- Have you ever seen someone try to make the floor look like water? like the ocean? I thought it would be so neat. I just dont know if it is possible. I want it to look really glossy like it is wet all the time. You know how people make boxes and put personal stuff in them like wedding invitations, etc? and then they pour an epoxy mixture over it to set it? I thought maybe I could do something like that? that could get pricey for a floor, even though it is a small room. any hints tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks~

I have used two coats of oil baced primmer on my tile floors. The paint can said that ther is no need to sand, because it will stick to any glossy serfise, including glass and tile. After the two coats of primer were dry, I faux painted my tile floors. I waited for them to dry, but noticed dull spots in many areas, but not all areas.Does any one no what causes this and how to fix it. I will then put three coats of oil baced primer, but will not do so untill I am able to get rid of the dull spot. I even try to re faux one tile, did not seem to do so good. I have already Primed, painted, and clear coated my liveing room. It has dull marks. I am not so worried about that, because I will be puttin a rug, as well as furnitre to cover most of it up. I am worried about the areas that will not have any rugs or furniture to cover the dull spot blemises. I hope some one can help me.As we are on a limited buget and can not affort to replace the tiles.

I have found that taking oil floor paint and thinning the first coat about 35% with paint thinner then painting a full strength second coat
works better then any primer. I have heard to many horror stories about the latex primer at Lowes.

I have a painted concrete floor and we had a water situation that bubbled & peeled paint in certain areas of the floor. The water situation has been solved and our basement is now dry. We would like to repaint the floor. There is 3 different colors of paint that the previous owners painted on the floor. We would like suggestions on how to remove the old paint and put new paint and to seal the floors afterward.

This worked great for me.

Two coats of Kilz oil based primer (White). Then go to a hobby store and get very fine sparkly stuff. I used three colors. Put one color into a high gloss poly and put on. Then add another color to the next poly coat, etc. Let dry in between. Then coat with two coats poly with no sparkly stuff. Looks great. The base coat could be another color like burgandy for a granite look, etc., etc.

Have the paint store shake the sparkly stuff in their paint shaker. Good Luck

If painting on cement make sure the floor is over 60 degrees.

We tore up nasty old carpet, then cut grooves in the plywood that was under the carpet to replicate plank flooring with a skill saw - and used a dremel to get closer to the walls. This worked better than the router which was recommended in the web article I got this idea from. We stained and then did three coats of poly. Everyone's amazed that this isn't 'real' plank flooring! We varied the width of the planks, using a 2x4 as a guide.

Susie Hoffman, I've been looking for analine dyes for a loooong, time, and I'm thrilled that you're able to get them. But when I went to WayneGarrett.com, I got a--er--Questionable website! I finally found them at GarrettWayne. and here's a link to the analines for anyone (beside me) interested:

http://www.garrettwade.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=101838

I'm just thrilled. Thank you, thank you!

When I was in high school, my mom and I went on a painting spree. My bedroom floor was white with pink stripes about... 4 planks wide. It somehow worked really well. Not a lot of the floor showed because I had a French rag rug down too, but it was just interesting enough to make my room really unique and put-together. Our formal living room had a light green and light yellow harlequin diamond pattern on it too. It was light enough that you didn't really notice the pattern unless the sun was beating through the windows. It was awesome.

Even though I am quite afraid of painting the floors in my house, it really works sometimes- especially when the floors are pretty banged up

I love the art above your fireplace. What is it, exactly?

Is it common practice to purchase a home without first learning what type flooring is under the carpet? I would at the very least ask.

i painted the landing on my second floor with "nacho" by benjamin moore. it looks great and i give it a light top coat every three or four years. i also painted my plywood stairs white -- it took about 3 coats of bin and four coats of outdoor paint. again, they look amazing. i did, however, end up putting a small runner down the middle because the stairs could be slippery. the rest of the house has wood floors and i don't think i would paint those. love paint!

muriatic acid is generally in the garden/pool supply area at Home Depot or similar stores.

Concrete can be stained with a product made to do this. It requires etching, but there is a non toxic product I got at my paint store to do this. The stain was easy, and looked great. I bought a cheap garden sprayer, per the stain manufacturer's suggestion and used two colors. It looked like stone, and was lovely. Looked good for the three years I lived there, too.

Don't underestimate the value of a professional paint store. Home Depot is hit or miss. Once you get past the idea that the guys at the paint store are pros, you will realize that pros are what you want. Just lay it out there, what you want to do and what you did and so forth. Most of them like a challenge, and if nothing else you are providing them with wacky customer entertainment. They have seen and heard it all, when it comes to paint, so skip Home D.

I've done my stairs and now what to keep going.
http://sewbeeit.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/red-hot/
I like the oil based benjamin moore 133 for this type of project. I wonder if the new generation of latex paints will be able to replace it fully.

All kinds of great coatings for all different applications (floors, countertops, faux stone/granite, etc.) are available at ArmorPoxy.com. I've used several of their products and all with great success. Particularly fabulous is the "For Dummies Bath Refinishing Kit". You can use it on your tub, sink, tile, etc. and it makes everything look like brand new white porcelain. It's truly amazing and easy to use. I did my bathroom more than 2 years ago and it still looks amazing....

Great tips and advice in this post - I use this technique and look quite a lot - especially in newer buildings for younger people.

Although I have only started to use it within the last 10-12 months. Will be interesting to see how it holds up with time and heavy foot traffic.

Do you think newer latex paints will last longer or do you think its oil based all the way?

I'm wondering if you would absolutely have to sand first? I have wood floors that have already been painted. Unfortunately, my landlord wasn't using any sense at all and painted the wood floors in our living room and home office PEACH! Blimey, it is ugly as heck! She painted the guest room floor white, and chose this hideous colour for the more used rooms.
I'm thinking in the spring, I would want to repaint the peach floors white but really loathe the idea of sanding two 10x10 rooms

I just bought a house that was built between 1890 and 1905. The wood floors had been painted, but I was hoping to sand and stain them. I have since learned that they are a softer pine rather than the oak I had hoped. I was thrilled to stumble on this website when I googled "painted wood floors". Your photos are wonderful and I am reminded of a family vacation to the east coast.

My little house is in Indiana and has much of the original character. I have not had much luck learning about residential architecture of it's period other than Victorian or Georgian homes. My home is much more modest.

As it turns out, the painted floors seem to be appropriate for the time period as well as being more budget friendly.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Ok so first of all...I think your painted hard woods look amazing and I am very jealous :)!! BUT....I moved into a rental house about a year ago and the hard woods have been painted brown. And I HATE them now...the paint chips very easily when you move anything across the floor and when this happens the chips make it look dirty. Plus the dark brown shows everything! I have to sweep and mom my house everyday or it looks filthy! Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning/maintenance? Remember it is a rent house!

I love painted floors. Just started painting floors in my older home. On my third room and decided to paint it a darker color but may have to do it again in a lighter color as I feel the room looks way too dark. For anyone considering painting over your wood flooring, please consider the quality of the flooring and the impact on resale value it will have on your house. Wood flooring is a timeless style that is always a desirable characteristic to have in a house, if in good shape.
best timber flooring

I hope somebody can help me out a bit here... When I first got my apt., I put in beechwood floors (tongue/groove parquet in appr. 15mm thickness, which has a pine base and a 7mm layer of beech on top). When I had to put in kitchen cabinets which move up and down electronically (with counters with no cabinets under because of wheelchair use - the whole thing is a unit which stands on top of the floor on some tiny legs, the lift mechanism is built into the side walls, so no metal shows when you have the cabinets in a lower position, but the downside with this, is if you want to do something with the floors, moving the cabinets would cost a fortune) and in the process also had to knock down some walls, hence I had to put in a new floor in that part of the apartment (I removed a large closet and used the space to make the kitchen and a bedroom bigger). But, a short time after, I got a new maid to help me out. Since I was very particular when it came to take really good care of these floors, I made lots of microfiber mops wet, then used the washing machine spinning cycle to remove most of the water, to make them only damp - since this was recommended and also a great way of doing it (so much easier, when one got soiled, you just moved onto a clean one etc., so no need to rinse the mop out, dip it in a bucket etc.). The maid came at 9 a.m. while I had gone to work, but when I got home around 4 p.m., the floors were still wet (and still dirty, since all the dirt was in the pool of water on the floor). I asked her over and over again, trying to make it work, but after 6 months, I gave up and called her agency, who immediately said they would give me a new one (I got a very clear impression that she had got many complaints, since she did an awful job in general and the place never got clean). Problem was, when those 6 mths were over, my beech floor was real damaged. It swelled up in the joins, the varnished loosened etc. But it got real bad when I got a little dog who sometimes had a little accident, as the swelled up joins really let water through. That and continued cleaning, has made the floor look so horrible, I'm really embarressed when I have guests...

I have debated over what to do. One thing is a limited budget, another is that I still have a dog (who's getting old and sometimes have accidents during the night, even if she uses a puppy pad, she sometimes misses), and I'm thinking that maybe it's not the best idea ever to go for new floors in the whole apartment (and it'll cost me a lot too, as I just can't do anything myself anymore and as it just happens, my friends and me both have been quite unlucky health wise, most of us are now wheelchair users for several reasons...). BUT, the past year or so, I have watched quite a lot of reality shows, and it has become quite obvious that dark floors have been really popular. And some of the dark brown ones I have seen, really seem so dark you can't see very much of the wood grain, I think. So I'm wondering if my best bet actually would be to paint my floor and seal it super well. I know that there are great floor paints on the market here, both oil and water based, and I hope I could get a nice color. I see though that some tell about having problems with everything showing. Here the floors are vacuumed and mopped twice a week, and I am not sure if that would be enough... The color I would love, is a dark, cold brown (with black/gray in it rather than yellow/red). But, I also really love taupe! Especially a darker taupe. Have any of you seen floors painted (or stained) in such a color? I have also been thinking about an old painting technique they used a lot way back to make a pine floor look more exclusive (my apt. bedroom way back had such a floor, in a house built in 1936, and as I remember, the owner said it was the original floor, done by his father in law who built most of the house for them). What they did then, was something they here called "Combing". They first applied a lighter color paint as the base coat (as many layers as needed to cover nicely), then used an oil paint thinned with water (now we would probably buy a ready mixed thin glaze). This was applied in only one layer, then a "comb" was pulled over it, board by board. This gave an impression e.g. of oak wood grain. I am thinking that what maybe could be something to try (test it before doing it, of course), was to paint with a dark taupe, then glaze/comb with a very dark brown. Hopefully it would be possible to find an expert on old painting techniques (or I could actually call my old landlord, he's in his 80's now), to find out what this "comb" was made of, and what it was called, so hopefully it would be possible to alter some existing painting tool to do the job today. I would e.g. guess that one could take a wide brush, then use some hair stylist thinning scissors, I do have two different ones myself, and cut away some of the hair - making a brush that would paint "stripes" of varying widths. Guess it must have a somewhat random pattern to look as it should. But in total I would think that you could get a somewhat richer look, and that I could get the feeling of warmth that I oddly get from looking at COLD colors... Or cut notches in a squeegie to make a painting comb from that, making it as wide as 2 boards (which is about the same width as the old pine boards used to be and which is the width each parquet board had) and use that to make the pattern... Then do it the opposite way, roll on the glaze, then use the squeegie to remove some of the glaze. Actually I would think that could work, as I have made similar combs from stiff plastic to use to make some texture when painting on canvas using acrylic paint...

OMG, I can't even stand the thought of having to paint these floors (or replace it, for that matter, both will be quite an ordeal). I have no idea of how we will be able to move all this furniture, huge book shelfs etc., so the floors can be done... Somehow I'll have to paint parts at a time, I simply can't remove everything I have, as I have no place to put it while at it. I guess I will have to use my kitchen and bedroom (and maybe something on my balcony, but a bit scary if the weather turns bad) - move everything from the living room and hall in there, then when that is done and has gone hard, we'll have to move everything and everything from the kitchen and bedroom into the living room and hall, then carefully sand the part where the two "portions" will meet (the door opening to the bedroom and the wide opening to the open kitchen), and hopefully be able to make a seamless join... I know that I many times have done something like that on walls and have a way of "fading" the paint into nothing by using a quite dry roller and give it a "jagged and faded" transition, but the floor sure is a lot smoother and have much less to no texture (and my walls have textured and painted wallpaper which is a lot more forgiving and also somewhat absorbant). I sure hope that you, by first fading the first part into nothing, then sanding the transition area lightly with fine paper before you start painting again by trying to use the fading technique in the opposite way, can get a smooth and pretty looking floor. I would love it if somebody have done a floor this way and can offer some advice on it!

Traditionally we here (Norway) do not use the wide (or is it high?) baseboards that are very common many other places (e.g. in the US) anymore (you do see them in old houses though). We normally also use the same wood/color on the base boards as on the floor itself, not the white or neutral color that I've seen so many times in homes in the US or England (and on TV from these and other places). I am a bit in doubt as to what would be best in this case, esp. if the floor ends out very dark... Would love to hear what you guys have done and why you prefer it like that (the existing base boards I have, are oak even if the floor is beech, since I could not get beechwood ones locally at the time and they suggested using oak to me, and it actually looks very nice, does not look very different than the floor, it's just slightly darker/colder without clashing at all). The base boards are not very high/wide, not entirely sure, but would think something in between 2" and 3". Should I paint them in the same color to become part of the floor like we traditionally do here, or would it look better with white ones (most walls are egg shell white, I have one colored wall in taupe in the living room, which I am planning to change soon, either using a dark brown or a plum purple - with lots of new light in the part too, so it won't get dark).

Sorry, this must have ended out super long. I am rotten at explaining such things in a short way (esp. in English, which is not my language) - hope you'll forgive me and can stand reading through it all!

Thanks in advance for any creative input, experience/advice or simply your thoughts on the subject! I'll appreciate it a lot!!! :)

Lotta :)

This was such a great write up, Exactly what I was looking for, I think I still have about a month of research before trying this ;)

When we bought our house we got carpet on the second floor because it was cheap. We planned to replace it with hardwood eventually because it is healthier and easier to keep clean. We just found out that my son has environmental allergies and we are not ready to install a new hardwood floor. So I am ripping up the carpet in his room and I am going to paint the floor. You gave me a great idea that I can do quickly and without much investment. There is plywood under the carpet so I don't feel bad about painting it and I am not ruining the resale value of the house. One day when we can afford new hardwood floors we will do that but in the interim I won't have to worry about what is on the carpet and my son will appreciate it if he can breathe in his room. Thank you for the ideas.

I have an old house (built in 1923). It's near a university, and thanks to generations of student tenants the oak floors have seen a lot of hard wear. They also have some dark stains, (no) thanks to one of my cats, and while I have managed to bleach those out most of the way, they're still visible.

The floors have been refinished too many times already, so there isn't enough wood left for another major refinishing. In a couple of rooms, they've been over-sanded to the point that there are bouncy spots in the floors. So I've given a lot of thought to painting them, and after looking at a lot of photos and reading articles like this one, I think I'm going to go for it. I got a good deal on the house, love it and the neighborhood, plan on staying in it for at least another decade, and am not worried about resale. If I ever am, I'll have the floors replaced entirely (the house is worth the expense). But for now, I just want clean, bright-looking floors!

Since I live in a place that's gloomy and gray eight months of the year, an off-white or very light taupe seems the most appealing option. The house has a light, airy feel I love, and I think pale floors will enhance that. Carrying the floor color up onto the deep baseboards would make the rooms look bigger, too. Since I'm also an artist, adding patterns and patches of color (especially on the stairs) could be a lot of fun, and make up for the fact I can't have rugs due to the cats.

That said, I used to be a house painter and have refinished wood floors before, so the "how-to" isn't a problem. The floors currently have a coat of oil-based polyurethane on them. So it will be a matter of cleaning-->scuffing with sandpaper-->vacuuming and dusting like mad-->priming with Kilz (oil-based)-->applying gloss porch and floor paint. I have one upstairs bedroom that's really bad, so I'll start with that one and gradually work my way through the house.

I know this is a very old post, and most of the comments are old as well, but for anyone stumbling across it looking for guidance, I thought I'd answer a couple of common questions:

Yes, you can paint over linoleum. Scrub it thoroughly, strip off any wax, give it a light sanding to scuff the surface, and prime it with an oil-based primer. Then paint. If you have ugly lino that you can't yet afford to replace, this is a great option; it'll buy you 3-5 years before you have to re-paint, during which time you can save up for new flooring. (Or, if you're like my mom, you'll end up painting the floor a fresh new color every few years and spend the tile money on something else.)

Vinyl can be painted, but adhesion's a problem since the surface is soft and constantly flexes underfoot. It's a temporary fix, at best. Clean, Kilz, paint, and start budgeting for your new floor, because painted vinyl will look like poo pretty quickly. Or just figure you'll repaint it every year or two.

Concrete can be a tricky beast, especially in a basement or former garage that might have dampness or oily spills on the floor. You'll have to clean and degrease the floor thoroughly, and if it has a very smooth, shiny surface you'll need to etch it with muriatic acid to give it some tooth. There are special primers for concrete floors--use one. It really will make a difference. I painted the workroom floor in my basement without using a concrete primer, and the mineral salts in the concrete came up through the paint. I then had to strip away as much paint as I could, re-prime with concrete primer, and re-paint in order to fix the problem. Don't be me. Use the primer the first time, and save yourself the headache.

Plywood, chipboard, and particle-board subfloors are easy to paint--sand the rough spots, prime, paint. Use an oil-based primer suitable for raw wood in order to keep stains from rising up through the paint.

If you think you might want to change the color every few years or so, don't apply a water-based polyurethane, as it will keep future layers from sticking as well. Just paint the floor, touch it up as needed, and repaint as desired. The higher the paint gloss, the better it holds up, so use either high-gloss or semi-gloss, rather than urethane.

Use oil-based primers, yucky as they are. They block stains far better than latex primers, and provide better adhesion. Given how much wear a floor takes, and how much work it is to re-paint, do it right the first time. You can use latex paint over them, and subsequent paint jobs will not have to be re-primed (unless you've worn through to bare wood, but spot-priming will take care of that). If you have a really stubborn rust or dye stain that bleeds through oil-based primers, pigmented shellac will usually kill it (it's the one thing that keeps the Calcimine often used as an interior finish in old houses at bay, and that stuff is pure evil).

If you don't like the thin gaps between the baseboards and the floor, use caulk to fill them. Push the caulk into the gaps with your finger, then wipe the excess away with a damp rag.

Okay, I didn't plan to go on at such length, but there you go, Floor-Painters of the Future...

I am redoing my granddaughter's room. The floor is unsealed oak hardwood that I had redone few years ago. It is horribly scratched now and I cannot afford to have it redone. Want to paint it white. Comments?