How to Paint Wooden Floorboards
Bored of carpet and want to transform your room in a quick and affordable way? Why not paint your floorboards!
Going back to basics is a great way to refresh your home’s interiors and give you a relaxed, pared-back vibe that suits so many interior styles. You don’t have to stick to traditional colours either, as our selection of Al Fresco paint matches all types of colour schemes.
In this guide, we’ll discuss how to paint your wooden floorboards, including some tips to make the process simple.
What You'll need
- Sugar Soap
- Sandpaper
- Mask
- Paintbrush
- Roller
- Paint - Craig uses Al Fresco Wild Old Sage
Preparing Your Wooden Floorboards
Preparation is key to getting the best finish. So before you do anything, wash the surface with Sugar Soap and hot water to thoroughly clean it, then rinse and dry.
Once the floor is dry, it’s time to sand it. Use light abrasive sandpaper and gently go over the surface. Don’t forget to vacuum the dust afterwards to leave a clean and dust-free area.
If your floorboards have previous oil or wax-based treatments, you’ll have to remove this before painting. Otherwise, you may find the paint doesn’t stick or leaves patchy areas.
When you’ve prepped the floorboards, mask up to your skirting boards if you’re not painting them the same colour.
Painting Wooden Floorboards
In the video above, Craig paints onto untreated softwood, so the Al Fresco paint is diluted by 10% for the first coat. If you’re painting varnished or previously painted boards then you should not need to thin the paint. Before starting, check what type of wood you’re painting onto first to get the right first coat consistency. Our Al Fresco and Chalk Wall Paint work well on hard and soft wood floors. This gives you a great choice of colours and either a flat or ultra-matte finish, respectively.
Apply the paint with a brush for the edges and a roller for the rest of the floor. If you get a mottled effect, use a large brush to create a smooth finish as you go. When you approach completion of the first coat, remember to give yourself space to get out of the room. There’s nothing worse than having to step through your fresh paint. Leave this to dry for a minimum of four hours before applying the second coat.
Before you return to the room, take your shoes off to avoid any marks or dirt on the surface. As Craig is painting bare wood boards, he uses a P150 grade to take away those courser spots. Finally, vacuum the dust away and wipe it down, and it’s ready for the next coat. If you’re painting varnished or previously painted boards, you are unlikely to need to sand after the first coat.
Following the same process as before, apply the second coat. This application doesn’t require dilution, so you can just paint straight from the tin.
Applying A Top Coat
In most cases, using Frenchic Al Fresco or Chalk Wall Paint doesn’t require a topcoat as they self-seal. However, if this room is a high-traffic area, you might like to apply two coats of Frenchic Finishing Coat or Tuff Top Coat for extra protection.
Once your topcoat is dry, you can walk on it. But Craig recommends no shoes on the floorboards for the next seven days and to treat it carefully for around three weeks to give it a chance to cure fully.
What’s The Best Paint For Wooden Floorboards?
Our Al Fresco and Chalk Wall Paint collections provide plenty of great options when painting your floorboards. Both offer hard-wearing finishes and have self-sealing properties for durability. The choice of colours also matches perfectly with various décor themes, so there’s nothing stopping you getting started!