Do You Have The Guts to Paint your Wood Floor?
Do you have the guts to paint your wood floors?
I don’t. I thought about painting my worn kitchen floors when we remodeled, but instead chose to refinish them. I guess I am a coward, but I just couldn’t bring myself to take that big of a plunge especially since my floors are in good condition. I have seen painted or stenciled floors look absolutely adorable, and it can be a big improvement if your floors are stained or damaged. After stumbling upon this post on Re-Nest, I now have renewed interest in painted floors and I think I would actually like to paint a fake rug onto my screened-in porch this Spring. It would look so cool! What do you think?
If you are interested in painting your floors, I would suggest using an oil-based paint it has a harder, more durable finish than latex paints. Elle Decor has a handy guide to help you along with your project. Also in the Elle Decor article is a bit of history on painting wood floors. I thought was so interesting to learn that this was a very popular way of decorating in the late 1700’s. The article on Elle Decor states,
“painted wood floors were in widespread use in American homes by the late 1700s. Popular colors included white, yellow, red, and green. But it wasn’t just about aesthetics—paint also helped protect the wide-plank pine floors of the time.”
Remember, your home is one of your biggest investments so be careful and do your research when doing something so permanent to your home.
A home I am looking at has carpet over painted wood floors…I wonder how much it would be to re-paint the floors vs. refinishing? I love the patterned look, but don’t think I would have the patience to finish it!
Sarah, I called my favorite hardwood floor company, Harry Baldwin with Baldwin Hardwood Floors, and he said that you should definitely sand and refinish. It is probably more expensive than re-painting it (especially since you could DIY the paint), but it is so much more durable, attractive, and it will make your home more marketable when you go to sell. Also, you wouldn’t want the paint to get too thick from multiple coats. He did mention that many times people paint floors because they are either badly stained or someone is just too cheap to refinish them. Hopefully they aren’t stained, but if they are – he said he could put a dark stain on the floors so that it doesn’t show. Hope this helps! -Sarah Snodgrass