All homes have floors (your house needs major remodeling if it doesn’t!), and they are the part of the house that gets the very most wear and tear. We walk on our floors all day, every day — they put up with a lot! However, no floor is perfect, and all floors show wear eventually. We know that carpets can be replaced, but is there another option for hardwood floors besides refinishing? Yes! Hardwood floors are a good candidate for painting.
Because it is basically irreversible, you will want to think hard about it ahead of time. However, if the conditions are right and you decide to go ahead with painting your hardwood floor, using the right products and procedures will make it look fantastic!
How to Decide: Should I Paint My Wooden Floor?
Sometimes a wooden floor has sustained so much wear and damage that refinishing is not going to make it look new again. In other cases, the wood floor was not that great to begin with, and refinishing is bound to disappoint you. Finally, you may just feel like stained wood is not the best look for your room or house. In these cases, painting the floor is an economical and effective way to bring a fresh, beautiful look to an old floor.
Painted Floors Look Great
Painted floors can look amazing! There is so much room for variety and creativity, based on the look you want to achieve. You can have patterns or borders, glossy or flat, light or dark, and any hue you desire. The color can be based on your walls or your furniture, your area rugs or your artwork… you could even choose your floor and ceiling colors to coordinate!
Faster and Simpler than Refinishing
Refinishing a wood floor is a VERY long and messy process! Sanding leaves tons of dust, the rooms need to be completely emptied and sealed off, and then there is a lot of cleaning to be finished afterward. After that, the actual staining and sealing takes days to be completed.
On the other hand, painting a floor is much quicker and easier. Far less sanding is required, and paint is much easier to apply than stain.
Durability of Painted Wood Floors
Some people are concerned that painted floors get scratched easily. However, if you use high-quality paint, this should not be an issue. Like a stained hardwood, a painted floor can be mopped and scrubbed, and, unlike a stained floor, you can touch it up with a paint brush and it will look brand new!
What Color and Paint Type Should I Choose for My Wood Floor?
There are no rules about what color you should paint your floor! However, there are some general tips:
- It is best to avoid either black or clean white because both these paint colors show dust and dirt easily.
- Lighter colors reflect more light. Just like with walls, darker colors make a room feel smaller, while lighter ones make it feel more open.
- You will probably want to use flat paint, because you will need to put polyurethane over it and it adheres better to flat paint. Also, polyurethane will make your floor glossier anyway.
- It is very important to use high-quality paint if you want your floor to last! Cheap paint will not hold up to the very heavy use floors get.
Contact Your New Jersey Painting Contractor
If you are considering painting your floors, please feel free to contact Cherry Hill Painting. We have been serving New Jersey and the Philadelphia region since 1968, building a reputation for unique attention to detail and, of course, excellent painting. Our services include interior and exterior painting, drywall services, pressure washing, deck maintenance, and much more! Please feel free to call us at 856-662-8282, and schedule your free estimate today. We can’t wait to hear from you!