Can Hardwood Floors be Painted?
Hardwood floors can transform the look and feel of a home. But if you want to add your own flare, you might be asking the following question: can hardwood floors be painted?
Yes, hardwood floors can be painted – but you should keep some things in mind before starting this project. The surface of the wood will need to be properly cleaned and prepared before you start.
It also creates much more work if you ever decide to remove the paint in the future. The layer of paint will need to be sanded away, before you level the wood and apply a fresh coat of finish.
Why Paint Hardwood Floors?
If hardwood floors can increase the value of a house, why would you want to paint them to begin with? There are a few reasons why someone would partake in this task.
If the Wood is Damaged
Some surfaces can experience a lot of wear and tear, especially from heavy foot traffic. In some rare cases, the wood may be too damaged for restoration from sanding.
If this is the case, you may want to consider painting the material. It’s a much more cost effective option – compared to buying new hardwood floors (which can cost over $10,000 in some cases.
Customize Your Interior
Wood comes in many different shades, but it is generally the same color. If you’re not a fan of naturally brown floors, painting them will make the inside of your house match your style.
It’s becoming more common to paint wood – whether it’s cabinets or floors. If you’re not afraid to take a design chance and you want to tackle a do-it-yourself type of project, consider painting the hardwood.
Save Money
Homeowners often refinish their wood floors every 10-15 years. This range in time can depend on many different factors. But if one thing is for certain, it’s that refinishing wood costs a lot of money.
If you want to freshen up the interior at a much lower cost, painting is a great option. It will not only save you money, but it will brighten up the room and make the surface look new again.
Factors to Consider
There are a few things to keep in mind, if you decide to paint your hardwood floors. Even though painting can be done in a few easy steps, you may want to consider the following factors.
Takes Time
Even though painting floors is a straightforward process, it can’t be done in one day. In order to produce high quality results, you will need to apply at least 3-5 coats.
In addition to this, it’s critical to wait 24 hours before applying a new coat. That means it will take days in order to paint the floors correctly. During this time you will also not be able to use the room.
Can Fade Unevenly
The problem with throwing a fresh coat of paint on wood is that it can fade over time. When it comes to flooring, paint will wear off quicker on areas that experience heavy foot traffic.
You can slow down this premature fading by applying multiple coats. But over time, you will eventually need to repaint the floors again. Dirty shoes, spills, and other things can also speed up fading.
Hard to Undue
If you do decide to paint your hardwood floors, know that changing them back is a long and difficult process. It’s very easy to use a paint and roller, but removing a layer of paint is another story.
In order to convert the hardwood back to the original state, you will have to sand the paint off. This job will take time, but it’s also challenging to remove the paint evenly, without damaging the wood.
Painting Hardwood Floors Without Sanding
If you’ve decided that painting is the option for you, preparing the surface is the first step. But can you paint hardwood floors without sanding? No, you will need to sand before you begin this project.
Sanding the floors beforehand will rough them up, which will provide a better surface for the paint to hold on to. Hardwood floors are shiny and slick to the touch, because they have a layer of finish on top.
If you were to apply paint directly to the finish it would not hold on well. The floors would wear down much quicker, because heavy foot traffic would slowly agitate the surface over time.
How to Paint Hardwood Floors
- Clean – Before beginning this project, you will need to clean the entire room. Remove all furniture, before sweeping and mopping the floor. You do not need to remove the cabinets for this job.
- Sand – This is the second and most important step. Removing the layer of finish will scuff up the wood and prepare the surface for paint. As a result, the paint will be bonded to the surface and last longer.
- Use primer – Applying primer (also known as a base coat) will make the end result look much better. This will help treat the surface before applying the topcoat and it will be better for paint to adhere.
- Paint – Once the primer has fully dried you can move on to painting. As we mentioned in the sections above, applying 3-5 coats should do the trick. Only painting one coat will not last with regular foot traffic.
- Wait – It’s important to allow enough time to pass between each layer of paint. Once you’ve applied the final coat, wait another 24 hours. This will guarantee that the surface has completely dried before walking on it.
- Protect – After you have waited long enough, make sure to take measures that will protect the floor. You can install felt tips on furniture, to avoid creating scratches in the wood. It also helps to avoid wearing shoes on painted surfaces.
Conclusion
There’s nothing wrong with painting hardwood floors, as long as you understand what the project takes before beginning.
You will need to sand off the finish and apply multiple coats of paint for the best results. And remember that painting hardwood floors isn’t for everyone.
Just because it looks good in someone else’s kitchen, doesn’t mean it will work for you. And if you don’t like what it looks like, it will be very challenging to change the floors back.
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