Changing Your Floor With Paint

Back in the day you would never even consider painting a floor, because it would never wear well. However, paint products have improved so significantly, that you can paint virtually any surface, have it look great and last as well. Floor paint and deck paint is made to withstand the rigors of foot traffic. You will want to select quality paint and properly prepare your surface, and your new floor will be stunning.

Getting Prepared

To prepare you want to measure the floor so that you know how much paint you will need. Before buying your paint you should have a really good idea of how you want it to look when you are done. For example, decide on the finish that you prefer. While a high gloss finish is easy to take care of, it can also be very slippery. However, if you do opt for a glossy finish, you will want to use a good quality urethane product. If you want less of sheen, then you may want to select an acrylic latex paint. It is a little less slippery and a little less shiny. You will also have the choice of latex or oil base paint. While oil base is probably more durable, latex paint dries much quicker.

Prepping the Surface

Before you start painting you want to make sure that you prepare the surface of the floor that you are planning to paint. Make sure that it is spotless. Any dirty or greasy spots will not hold the paint properly, so make sure that the floor is squeaky clean. If the floor has been painted before you should probably clean it with TSP and remove any flaking paint. Lightly sand to improve adhesion, and sweep up any sanding dust. Once the floor is really clean, make sure that you let it dry completely. Then just before painting sweep one last time and dust mop to remove the tiny bits of residual dust.

Quality Primer

Before you ever paint a floor, you will want to prime the entire area first. Use a roller with a long handle to apply a thin, even coat of paint, and make sure to let it dry completely before painting it. Priming your floor surface allows the new paint to make a solid bond with the existing surface. If you are planning to paint a new concrete surface, make sure that you let it cure for about six months. Use muriatic acid to etch a new concrete floor before painting it for the first time to make sure that the paint sticks correctly. Again, after treating with the acid make sure that the surface is completely dry before applying your first layer of primer to it. When selecting your primer and paint, make sure that you have the right product for the surface that you are painting, because paint formulations are very specific to the surface which they will cover.

Final Coat

Once your primer is dry, now comes the fun part. Apply your color layer of finish paint. Again use the extension pole and a roller and make sure that the first coat was completely dry before beginning the second coat, so that your paint will always adhere correctly. Let the floor dry and harden before walking or placing furniture on it.

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