Follow these simple tips to paint wood floors that will last!
I’m sharing how to paint wood floors today. I just made a last minute decision to paint the wood floor that was hidden underneath carpet on the third floor of the North House Lodge. Wowsa, what a difference it made in the room!
Painting wood floors isn’t hard if you follow a few tips and use the right products. The steps are the same to paint over previously painted wood floors or painting over bare wood floors. I also added a carpet runner to the stairs of the North House Lodge. I love how it turned out.
The first thing we tackled in renovating the other side of our old duplex was paint and flooring. There’s lots of hard work and achey bones that go along with this stage of work and not so much of the wow factor. Unless you pull up dirty pink carpet to reveal original wood floors that are about 167 years old.
All of the sudden, this part of the work became fun!
This is what the 3rd floor bedroom looked like the day we walked in. If you remember from my first post The North House Lodge the place came furnished. I’ve saved what items I could use, donated lots of it, and tossed plenty.
We call this room the loft, it has three twin beds and was part of the original home built somewhere around 1850. That was a working chimney at one point and it runs right through the middle of the room.
Can you see the potential in this room? I did as soon as I walked in.
Once we we pulled up the awful carpet we discovered gold; the original wood plank floors!
Look at the different plank sizes! How could I possibly cover them back up with carpet, at least not wall to wall carpet anyway. But, I couldn’t leave them as they were either. They were unsealed, stained and several floor boards were badly damaged.
Besides, the entire room had a smokey smell from the chimney. I suspect the wood absorbed the smell too. The best way to save the wonderful charm and character in this room was to paint the wood floors which would look good and seal them at the same time.
So, of course, I happily decided to paint them and am now sharing how to paint wood floors with you guys. I hope you have the opportunity to do a project like this!
How To Paint Wood Floors Tutorial
I use affiliate links to help you find the supplies I used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Supplies needed to paint a wood floor
- latex porch and floor paint – I used PPG Pittsburg Paint Floor and Porch Latex Enamel in Canyon Blue (I was impressed with the coverage).
- bonding wood floor primer Stix and Zinsser are my favorite
- paint roller with a long handle
- paint tray
- paint brush
- degreaser if needed This one is great for spot treating and it’s no rinse
- tools to remove nails, staples and old carpet tack strips from floor
- nail nippers
- hammer
- utility pry bar
- shop vac
- painters tape
Before painting wood floors that have been previously painted test the current paint to determine what type of paint it is, latex or oil based. Use a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol and rub the painted floor.
If the color comes off onto the cotton ball it’s latex paint. If no color comes off onto the cotton ball it’s oil based paint. When painting floors or any paint project, use the same type of paint to paint over previously painted surfaces.
Step one: Repair and secure damaged wood floor boards. Once the carpet had been pulled up we could see damaged boards and old repairs. That floor leveler can’t be painted, nor would we want to paint it. We replaced these floor boards with plain old wide pine boards.
Step two: Remove tack strips, nails and staples from wood floor. Nail nippers, a hammer and a utility pry bar will be your best friends for this stage of work. Place a folded towel on the floor for your knees as you’re working. Your knees will thank you.
Check entire floor for nails sticking up from the wood floor boards; hammer the ones that cane be re-hammered back into the floor. Pull damaged nails and staples out of the wood planks. The nail nipper made this part easy.
Step Three: Clean the wood floor before painting. I used a nail and scraped out the dirt from between the wood planks. I probably could have planted a small plant with the amount of dirt that came out!
Next, I used a shop vacuum and thoroughly vacuumed to get all the dust, dirt and debris off the wood floor and out of the cracks before starting to paint. If your bare wood floor has unidentifiable areas of grime you can spot treat it with a degreaser if needed.
Step Four: Prime bare wood floors before painting. Use two coat of a quality bonding paint primer allowing each coat to dry in between. Lay the stuff on thick! You’ll want to seal the old wood which also seals out odors. Remember the chimney smell we had in this room? I was hoping this wood take care of it.
Here’s a paint primer tip; tint your primer light grey. I do this for everything, especially furniture makeovers. It helps the top coat paint color be more even. They even sell grey tinted primer now. I especially recommend this if you’re planning on painting your wood floor white.
Let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before painting the wood floors with a top coat of paint.
Step Five: Apply two coats of paint to the wood floor allowing each one to dry in between. Again, lay it on thick allowing each coat of floor paint to dry before applying the next coat of paint.
I’d wait a few days at least two, if not three before placing items on the freshly painted floor. There is a big difference between dry paint and cured paint. Keep in mind when the newly painted floor feels dry to the touch it’s not fully dry yet.
Now that I’ve shared how to paint wood floors, I should share a few simple painted wood floor care tips to make your DIY paint project last.
Wood floor care tips
How to clean a painted wood floor. Use a damp mop with a gentle cleaner or a Swifter to clean painted wood floors.
Avoid scratches in your freshly painted wood floor. Carry, don’t drag furniture and other heavy items across it. Use felt stick on pads under furniture feet. I also purchased anti-skid rubber cups to put under the bed legs with wheels and dresser legs so they wouldn’t move around. Both of these fixes also worked great on our new wood floors we installed in the rest of the house.
I have so much more to share in this room besides my how to paint wood floors tutorial 🙂 I’ll share more pictures of the room and more awesome home decor projects soon, I promise!
I’d love it if you pinned my tutorial!
Are you or someone you know thinking about painting wood floors? What color would you choose?
How to Paint Wood Floors Beautifully to Last
Follow these simple tips to paint wood floors that will last!
Materials
- latex porch and floor paint
- bonding wood floor primer
- paint roller with a long handle
- paint tray
- paint brush
- degreaser if needed
- painters tape
Tools
- tools to remove nails, staples and old carpet tack strips
- nail nippers
- hammer
- utility pry bar
- shop vac
Instructions
- Repair and secure damaged wood floor boards.
- Remove tack strips, nails and staples from wood floor.
- Clean the wood floor before painting.
- Prime bare wood floors before painting.
- Apply two coats of paint to the wood floor allowing each one to dry in between.
Regina says
Hi Wendy
This looks great. I’m ready to begin my painting of wood floors also, finally finished the preparations. My question is did you use a sealer(polyurethane) on top of paint to prevent paint chipping or scratches to the surface
Thank You
Wendi says
Hi Regina!
That’s a really good question. I did not use an additional sealer because I used a floor paint. Also, the sealer will not prevent chips and scratches in the floor. It’s held up well so far. Just don’t drag heavy furniture across it or do anything you wouldn’t normally do in a wood floor and you should be fine. Thanks for asking your question and good luck with your floor project!
CHRISTINE DUBUC says
wow! just found this on Pinterest. Looks so great! a lot OF GRIMEY WORK I’M SURE BUT IT LOOKS FAB!
Wendi says
Hi Christine! Thank you! Painting the floors wasn’t so bad, especially because I used a long handle on my roller. It was a much better option than putting down more wall to wall carpet and much less expensive. Most of all I love the original exposed floors. They added so much character to the room! Thanks so much for your note and visit!
J says
Hi Wendy! Looks great! This may be a dumb question, but do I need to prime wood that has already been painted with old paint? Or do I just simply paint over it? I’m about to paint the wood on my porch and there’s some leftover paint on there, but in patches.
J says
Sorry, WENDI! I’m running on little sleep!
Wendi says
Hi J… No, it’s not a dumb question at all. You won’t need to prime prepainted wood. But there are two things you should watch out for. One is that you’re using the same type of paint as what is down already. Only use latex over latex and oil base over oil base. I have a post with painting tips tat will share how to tell the difference here https://h2obungalow.com/painting-tips-that-will-save-you-time-and-money. The second thing you’ll need to check for is loose paint. If you paint over patches of loose paint it will peel later. I hope that helps and good luck with your project!
J says
Thank you, Wendi! My porch is looking great so far. I appreciate all your help 🙂 https://www.house4baby.com/blog/2018/2/2/front-porch-part1
Wendi says
Hi J!
You’re welcome! Your porch is looking great! I have no doubt you’ve got big plans for decorating and enjoying a little outdoor relaxation in the near future! Keep up the good work:)
Philann says
Hello! I just happened on your page and I love, love, love the blue painted floor. Can you share the exact color and who makes this paint? I’m trying really hard to talk my husband into painting our wood floors who have dulled terribly over the years to lighten up our house. I look forward to hearing your reply and can’t wait to see more. Thanks.
Wendi says
Hi Philann and thank you So much! I loved this floor color too. I used PPG Pittsburg Paint Floor and Porch Latex Enamel in Canyon Blue, isn’t it the perfect shade? It’s kind of a colonial blue and not too blue. I liked using Pittsburg paint too and it wasn’t very expensive. Do a search to see who carries it in your area. Hope that helps and good luck with your floor project!
Patty says
I love the floors and that room has so much character.
Wendi says
Hi Patty and thank you! The room is coming together well. As soon as my rugs arrive after being lost for several weeks in transit I can share the rest of the room! Seriously, I’ve ben tracking them down for weeks now. Grrr. Take care and thanks for your note!
Angie ~ Ambient Wares says
Such a labor of love! The room is beautiful and the color you chose to paint the flooring is just gorgeous! I’ll settle for 1 day old wood flooring in my house. Maybe someday 😀 Pinned
Wendi says
Hi Angie and thanks! This entire house has ben a big labor of love…LOl As soon as my throw rugs show up I can share the other projects and the whole room! Thanks so much for your note and sharing my wood floor project!
Ivory says
Wow, whee! My hats of to you, because that was a BIG and hard job you took on, but the end results is fabulous. Thanks for sharing.
Wendi says
Hi Ivory and thank you! The floors look so good it was worth the work. The hardest part was prepping the floor, the paint part was easy! It makes my day when you guys love my projects as much as I do. Thanks so much for your note!
Marie says
How sweet a surprise is that!!! They look fabulous and great color choice! Excellent floor painting tips – pinned to my painting tips board. Swooning over the brick walls in the room too.
Wendi says
Hi Marie! You should have seen the fellows face that is helping me out here when I said I was keeping the floor. I had to tell him to trust me! LOL I love this room! There are other fun projects I’m almost ready to share in here then I can do the full room reveal. …The brick wall is one of them! So good to hear from you & thanks for your visit!
Jody says
You are doing such a great job. I love your emails. I am getting a new house at the end of the month. One I pick. I believe it will be closer to the North Lodge style. But, I am taking the idea of what I can do with it rather than the Oh my God what have I done. I have been stagnent for two months. Time to get my life back on track.
Wendi says
Hi Jody and thank you! Congratulations on your new house my friend! I’m sure you’ll make your place gorgeous. It’s exciting to start fresh with a new place that needs work and a new look. I hope you have a s much fun with yours as I’m having with this one!
Geri Ann says
So much work, but it paid off. The floor looks great!!! Love the color…
Wendi says
Hi Geri Ann and thank you so much! The prep was the hardest, taking out all the old nails and the tack strip, vacuuming the dirt up was kind of grunt work too! LOL It was worth it though. I love the floor color too, it’s almost a colonial blue. I can’t wait to share the other projects in this room with you guys!
Paula says
Hard work pays off! Your floors look incredible! I love the color you chose and think that this room now looks charming.
Wendi says
Hi Paula! Yes, hard work does pay off…whew, I’m so glad it’s starting to here. The rooms are all coming together at this stage, slowly, room by room. There’s still a lot of work left to do but at least it’s looking like a home rather than a construction zone! Thanks so much for your note & visit:)
Serena @ Thrift Diving says
The floors look great! Reminds me of the color I chose to paint my garage floor, only a tad bit darker. Great job! And much cheaper, too!
Wendi says
Hi Serena and thanks! I LOVE these floors so much. I wish I could take them home with me to FL.. LOL Painting them was loads cheaper than re-carpeting the entire room. Plus. I saved some of the charm of this old house. I can’t wait to share more projects in this room and the full room reveal. As soon as my throw rugs show up that are lost in transit I can start doing that! Thanks so much for stopping by my friend!
Kathy says
I just pained my old wood floors white and I love them… but I use the floor and porch paint from Lowe’s… it was valspor. I think the name of it was called!!
Wendi says
Hi Kathy… That’s awesome! I Love our painted floors too! I’m glad you used a porch and floor paint, you’ll find it lasts a lot longer. I’d bet the white stands out beautifully. If you’d like to share a picture, Wednesdays are our share day on the H2OBungalow Facebook page. Thanks so much for your note and visit!
Rhonda says
Wow, 167 year old wood floors. I love the paint color that you selected too. Great job.
Wendi says
Hi Rhonda and thank you! I’m in love with the color of the floors. This blue is almost a colonial blue and it’s a great neutral background for the room. I can’t wait to share he rest of the room reveal…soon! Thanks so much for visiting my floor project 🙂