FLOOR PAINTING DESIGNSMake sure you want to paint, before you apply floor painting designs to your floor. Painted wooden floors can be sanded down and refinished, where as other types of painted flooring might not be the best choice if your going to eventually remove the paint. There are three types of floor painting designs, to create a unique look for the walking areas of your home. Below you will find floor preparation advice, along with ideas and suggestions for doing a faux finish, stencil project, or specialty painting technique. Prior to using floor painting tools, products and materials, check with your local home improvement center, regarding what's required for the job at hand. Your store representative should also be able to help you with preparation and application advice that's specific to the type of floor you are coating. Fillers, primers, paints, materials, tools and cleaners used, will depend entirely on the kind of floor you are applying your floor painting designs to. Hammer/nail set/ nails. Primer/paint. Tray/roller & cover/sash brush/cut can. Medium tack, sharp edge painters tape. Pole sander/120 grit sand paper/sanding sponge. Electric sanding machines if needed. Hole filler/putty knife/caulking & gun. Stencil/brush/paint. Cleaner/mop/pail/ for moping floors. Measuring tape. Strait edge. Vacuum cleaner. For those who have a nailed down floor, you will need to re-set any protruding nails. A squeaking floor might also require an extra nail or two. Fill and caulk any holes or divots. Pole sand the floor, vacuum then damp mop the surface so as to remove any dust or debris that might be left behind. Check with your local home improvement center, regarding fillers, materials, painting products and information on how to fix your noisy walking areas. You can use this interior interior color selection link, color selection link, to help you pick out tones, hues and shades for your floor painting designs project. When choosing paint colors, keep in mind that lighter colors tend to show less scuffs or scratches and can make a room look larger and more open. Darker on the other hand are classy and will set off lighter colored furniture. Once you have selected your colors, come on back here for more help getting that floor painted. Stenciling Most paint stores, or the paint section of your local home improvement center, usually carry an assortment of stencils. If you do decide to stencil, ask a paint store representative for help deciding on the best products, materials and tools to use, with the type of floor you are going to stencil. Specialty paint techniques Specialty techniques are well suited for floor painting designs. Color blocking, striping, applying geometric designs or a faux finish are just a few of the ideas you can consider for the work at hand. Once your floor is prepped, and the tones, hues, and shades you want to use are selected, roll on two coats of your base color. Be sure to pole sand between the first and second coating. With your pole sanding done and the second coat dry, use the measuring tape, pencil and painters tape to measure out, mark off and tape the type of floor painting designs you have decided to use. As an example, large diamond shapes, triangles or rectangles look great as a floor design, or stripes may be what your looking for. Use the Internet, library, magazines and book stores to help you find the floor painting technique best suited to the work being done. Faux finish There are an assortment of faux finish technique one could use as a floor painting idea. From sponge painting, or splattering to rag rolling and smooshing, either would work well, adding a unique look to the floors your walking on. Concrete/tile Paint tends to adhere quite well to concrete or a tile surface. Unless the tile or concrete has a shine. If the surface has a shine to it, you will need to roll on some primer made specifically for glossed concrete or tile surfaces. With that said, you might want to apply an epoxy coating to your concrete or tile floor, especially if the floor being painted is in a high traffic area. Epoxy also has a lasting ability but can fade or yellow over time. Linoleum Painted lino can last a long time, as long as the proper primer, paint and painting procedure is followed. Talk to your paint store representative regarding linoleum painting assistance. Hardwood Floors made of wood are, in most cases, the best type of flooring for implementing a floor painting design. Wooden floors are almost always painted with a latex based product. Laminate Like linoleum, laminates can be painted but the proper products, materials and painting techniques must be used, before a coating will stick to a laminate surface. Floor painting is a good choice to enhance the look of a room, it's fast, cheap, and your options are almost unlimited. Start by drawing your floor painting designs onto paper. Being informed and doing a top notch job of preparation, results in the best job possible. Applying a clear coat over your finished work, gives the floor that extra bit of durability. Waiting about six months, then top coating with a clear coat works even better. If your floor was painted before, it will be easier to repaint. No paint job will last indefinitely, at some point touch ups or re-paint the entire floor will be required. Allow 48 hours for your paint to dry, before walking or placing furniture on the surface. Oil (alkyd) polyurethane and epoxy products are quite durable but can take a long time to dry. Oils also smell bad and have other problems that tend to eventually show up. If your handy with a brush, try an inlay, marble or other type of free hand painting idea, stenciling on a few words or a poem could be something to consider. For those who feel that painting an entire floor is to daunting, try only applying your floor painting designs to a smaller area, like the corners or center of a room. Looking for decorating solutions other than a applying floor painting designs, a bathroom project maybe. Click on the home link. You should be able to find a decorating or painting idea by reading the text. If I have missed something or you would like to ask a question, e-mail me. Your address will be held in the strictest confidence. I‘ll also try and answer you, in as prompt a manner as possible. |