How to Stencil a Wood Floor

Stencils provide you with the opportunity to customize your wood floors in any way you choose. You can go as elaborate as you would like, or you can create a simple border that helps ground seating areas.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Graph paper
• Painters tape
• Small paint brushes or stenciling tools
• Level
• Square
• Paint
• Paint tray
• Polyurethane

1. Prepare to stencil your wood floor. If the wood has been waxed, you need to remove all the wax to allow the paint or stain stencil to adhere to the wood surface of your floor. Clean the area you are going to stencil and allow it to dry completely.

2. Plan your stencil pattern on graph paper. Remember: the more elaborate your design, the longer you'll spend on your hands and knees stenciling your wood floors. Be prepared to take the time needed to do the job properly in order to achieve beautiful results.

3. Ask a friend to help you lay out the design on the floor. Use levels and squares to make sure all your lines are straight and squares or designs are totally even. You don't want to spend hours on your stenciling only to discover the entire design is slightly crooked at the end of the project.

4. Tape out your design and begin the stenciling process. Use a nearly dry brush technique to apply your paint to the wood floor. Using too much paint will cause it to leak underneath the tape and ruin your design. You can add more coats of paint to darken or deepen the color by repeating the process.

5. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly and remove tape. Continue to tape and paint until the design is complete.

6. Seal your newly stenciled wood floors with at least one coat of polyurethane to protect it from wear and tear.