How To Paint Hardwood Floors

When painting your hardwood floors, it is advisable to use an oil-based primer alongside an oil-based paint if you want your color to last longer. If you choose a water-based paint, be sure to lightly sand the floors before applying any paint or primer. If you're looking for a durable and long-lasting finish, an oil-based primer and paint is the way to go. You'll need to do some prep work beforehand, including sanding the floors and vacuuming up any dust, but the end result will be worth it. Check here for more information.

Things You'll Need To Achieve Fine Painted Wood Floors

• Oil-based floor Paint color
• Oil-based primer
• Natural-bristle paint brush
• Painter's tape 
• Dust mask
• Heavy gloves
• Knee Pads
• Paint tray 
• Paint roller
• And of course, wood floors :)



If you've got all this equipment ready, let's paint paint wood floors!

Painting Fine Hardwood Floors

STEP 1

Cleaning and evacuation of the room

Before you can start painting floors, you need to evacuate all furniture and objects in the room. Then, clean the entire space to eliminate any dirt or debris lying around. Just sweeping the whole room will do. 

STEP 2

Sanding the wood floor

Sanding is smoothing the entire surface area with sandpaper or a mechanical sander (belt sander) to get rid of varnish, enamel, or stain. 

You always need to sand the area you want to paint to soften the wood for painting, especially if it's a new floor.



NB: Put on your dust mask, heavy gloves, and knee pads to protect yourself from sanding dust and splinters.

Here's how you sand:

Starting at the areas furthest from the door, rub the 150-grit sandpaper on the floor in a circular motion. Rub an area multiple times before moving to another section. Then, continue until you've covered the entire floor. You'll need to lightly sand the entire surface area for a never-painted hardwood floor.

You might need to use a belt sander in larger spaces for faster and more efficient work. You can rent a belt sander machine from your local hardware store.

You will need to remove the previous layer of paint before sanding for a previously painted wood floors, especially if it's a darker color.

STEP 3

Priming the wood floor

To get your wood grain ready to accept paint and for the color to shine beautifully, priming is essential. But before you start, you need to consider if you're going to be working on bare wood or a previously painted wood. 

Why, you ask?

Well, bare wood is porous, which means it absorbs more of whatever you place on it. So, it will need more coats of primer than a wood floor that's already painted. A previously painted wood floors will still hold layers or fragments of the old paint inside the wood grain. However, it would be best if you still primed it properly to allow the new paint to adhere to the surface of the wood.

NB- A good primer is as essential as priming itself. It is advisable to use an oil-based primer alongside an oil-based paint if you want your color to last longer.

Without further ado, let's get priming!

• Open the windows and wear a mask or respirator to avoid inhaling harmful fumes.
• Pry off the lid of the primer can and stir the content thoroughly. 
• After stirring, pour the primer into the paint tray.
• Dip your bristle brush into the primer and start cutting the edges around the room (where the wall meets the floor) until you cover the whole perimeter. 
• Use your paint roller to roll over the remaining area of the floor. Roll over a section vertically 2 or 3 times before moving to another section to ensure the primer is absorbed properly into the wood grain.
• Leave to dry for a day or two before sanding again with 220-grit sandpaper. Sanding the floor again smoothens any thick layer of primer to allow the top coat of your paint to dry into your wood.
• Finally, to prepare the floor for painting, sweep the entire and vacuum if needed.

STEP 4

Adding layers of paint to painted floors

Latex enamel paint is durable, but you can also get Patio Paint or Behr Porch as an alternative for high-traffic areas. These paint products are oil-based enamel with components resistant to wear and tear, water, and high foot traffic, e.g., the laundry room, an old farmhouse, and porches.

As for latex enamel paint, you can purchase a premium kind from Benjamin Moore.



Before you begin painting, it's advisable to use a color that matches the same color theme of your home decor. You'll also need to consider how much paint to use. The quantity of paint will depend on; 

1. The size of the room- your local hardware or paint store should be able to advise you on how much paint you'll need for your floorboard per square area.

2. How many coats of paint- you'll need twice the quantity of wood paint if you plan to apply a second coat. The same logic goes for a third coating.

Now, here's how you paint your wood floor.

• Tape the baseboard around with painter's tape
• Use your natural-bristle brush to cut around the baseboard and floor trim.
• Roll the remainder of the room in stripes with the paint roller until you get a smoother finish.
• Wait for 24 hours for the floor to air dry.
• Apply a second and third coat to deepen the paint's color and wait for it to dry completely

In two to three days, the paint should have dried completely. Then, you can walk around on your freshly painted hardwood floor.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! We hope you found this guide about painted floors helpful. If you have any questions regarding the process or tips on how to make your hardwood floor painting project a success, contact us, and we'll be happy to help you out!

About Wollongong Timber Flooring

Choosing the right paint for your hardwood can be difficult. Not all paints are created equal, and not all paints will work well with your hardwood. In fact, using the wrong paint can actually damage your hardwood. At Wollongong Timber Flooring, we understand the importance of choosing the right paint for your hardwood. That's why we offer a wide selection of high-quality paints that are designed to work perfectly with your hardwood. We also have experts on staff who can help you choose the right paint for your needs.