How to Paint a Diagonal Checkerboard Floor Design
If you have a plain older floor that needs a face lift, but you can't afford an expensive replacement, try giving your floor a faux finish with paint. If meticulously done, paint can resemble anything you want, and a checkerboard pattern is one of the easiest to create. Wood Floor Guide says the key to a spectacular finish lies in careful preparation and adherence to the manufacturer's recommendations for the paint you use. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Detergent
- Pail
- Scrub brush
- Mop
- Yardstick or measuring tape
- String
- Thumbtacks
- Painter's ¼-inch masking tape
- Paint (appropriate for your floor surface type)
- Paint roller or brush
Instructions
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1
Start with a clean, dry floor. Fill a pail with water and add a mild detergent (recommended for your floor type). Scrub the floor until it's thoroughly clean.
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2
Use a clean mop to rinse the floor several times to remove all soap residue, and allow it to dry completely.
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3
Use a thumbtack to fasten a string to one corner of your floor. Then stretch the string tightly across the floor, and fasten the other end (touching the floor) to the corner diagonally opposite the first corner with a second thumbtack. This string marks the center of the pattern you will form across the floor.
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4
Measure half the distance of the desired "tile" width from the string in each direction and make a mark directly on the floor at each point. (Example: If you want to paint 12-inch tiles, measure 6 inches on either side of the string.) Mark both sides of both ends of the string (four places total).
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5
Using the marks on each side as guides, stretch two more strings as before--one to either side of the original string. These represent the sides of the first tile strip. Now, remove the original (center) string.
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6
Run a continuous strip of ¼-inch masking tape directly beneath each string all the way across the floor, being careful to press the tape firmly to the floor and maintain the exact spacing along the full length. Remove the strings. (These tape strips will be used to lay out the rest of the diagonal grid pattern.)
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7
Repeat steps 3 through 6 with the remaining two corners. When complete, you will have one square centered in the middle of your floor. (All other squares will radiate out from this central square.)
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8
Measure out from the center (width) of one strip of masking tape, the same distance as the space between the first strip you created. (Example: If the first strip is 12 inches wide, make all subsequent tile strips 12 inches wide.) Set a string and place a piece of masking tape as before--parallel to the first strip.
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Continue measuring, stretching string and laying tape (in both directions) until you have covered the entire floor with a taped grid pattern.
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10
With the tape in place, paint every other square the same color using a paint roller or brush, starting with the center square and working out in each direction.
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Allow the paint to dry according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Then repeat the process, painting every remaining square a second color and let dry as before.
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12
Remove the tape very carefully to avoid pulling up paint, and clean up any ragged edges to create precise lines. The taped areas will appear as grout between tiles.
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Tips & Warnings
For solid grout color on a patterned floor (or a different grout from the original floor color), paint the entire floor first and allow it to dry for several days before laying out the pattern.
Schedule the renovation for a time when you can do without the room in question for a while (depending on the floor material and paint formulation). Even a floor that feels dry to the touch cannot withstand foot traffic right away.
For best results, purchase paint specifically formulated for your floors (vinyl, wood, ceramic, etc.) and follow manufacturer's directions for preparation and use. A properly prepared floor that is clean and dry will take paint better, look better and hold up longer.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit checkered grid tile image by Nicemonkey from Fotolia.com
