How to Paint a Wood Floor to Look Primitive
Hardwood floors can add elegance to a space if they are stained and sealed. However, if you are looking for more rustic, old-world charm, you can paint your wood floors to look more aged. The process of distressing a wood floor is messy, but the result can really add interest to the space. Distressing wood floors to resemble a more primitive look requires careful preparation, paint application and a little scuffing to achieve. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Coarse and fine grit sandpaper
- Paint (base color and top coat)
- Paint roller
- Chisel
- Chains
- Wood planks
Instructions
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Sand the surface of the wood flooring. This will help your paint adhere and smooth out some areas. To take on a more rustic look, you can vary your sandpaper grit strengths. Your flooring does not have to be smooth and perfect, so sanding some areas with coarse-grit paper and others with fine will help add wear to the wood.
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Paint the floor a light base color. This is the color you want to show through the topcoat when the wood is distressed. You can use an earthy color that is slightly lighter than the topcoat. Yellow or green can resemble moss or wear for a really primitive look. Allow the paint to dry for at least 24 hours.
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Apply the topcoat over your paint. Start at the area furthest away from your access point and apply the topcoat with a paint roller. Follow the grain for the bulk of the surface, but add a more worked-in charm by occasionally varying the direction of the paint. Allow the paint to dry fully.
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Scrape the surface of the floor with a chisel. Scrape to remove paint in some areas, scratch the surface and even remove some small chunks from the floor. This will expose your base coat and give your floor a worn, aged look. You can further beat the floors with chains or different planks of wood to create random damage that does not show a distinct pattern.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
