(An unusally popular post on the web, we repost here for the first time in over 2 years. Enjoy)
When my wife, Sara Kate, and I decided to paint the floors in our small summer house, most people were shocked (including our parents). Bare wood floors are so chic and such a staple of 90's style, that painting them over and covering them up seems sacriligous. Barely.
Our floors are cheap, new solid floors, and they were in great need of refinishing. It was either sand and polyurethane (which would have been messy and cost at least $2,000) or paint them ourselves with polyurethane based oil paint (cost: $200 for the paint + 3 weekends of our time).
The inspiration came from visiting my friend Charles' house in Massachusetts that had been part of a Shaker community. All the floors had been painted and repainted for years in the richest colors. The house was warm and bright without the aid of carpets or rugs, and the idea seemed perfect for any summer house, where all you want to do is walk barefoot for days at a time.
It seemed easy to maintain, and removed all hint of preciousness to the floors. They just seemed practical and lovely, reminding me, as well, of the bright colors in Monet's house at Giverny where he painted both the inside and outside with the bright colors of his surroundings.
Moving the furniture was easy, the problem was working with the paint. I made a big mistake in laying the second coat on too thick and painting on a rainy day. The humidity and the thickness caused the paint to wrinkle, clot and appear dull and matted. I had to work hard to undo my mistake. Here are my new tips on how to do it right:
1. vacuum and wipe down floor thoroughly to remove all dust and dirt
2. use polyurethane based porch and floor enamel
3. after cutting the edges with a brush, roll on a thin coat with a 1/4 inch roller
4. keep the heat on (@ 70 f) to insure quick, dry drying
5. roll at least two more thin layers and allow at least 24 hours between coats
6. don't plan to stay in the house (bad fumes) and keep the windows open while painting
We found that the white floor paint behaved much better upstairs than the red that we used on the first floor and attribute this to the warmth upstairs of both the air and the floor itself. While we would rather use a less toxic paint, we have yet to find one that can withstand this use. We are still looking, however. The result? A shiny, clean, beautiful floor that establishes a new style for the millenium. MGR
(Orginally posted on 2004-04-19 - MGR)
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.
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.
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 ...
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!
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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
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I love the art above your fireplace. What is it, exactly?
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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.
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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!
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muriatic acid is generally in the garden/pool supply area at Home Depot or similar stores.
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