If you’ve ever spent any time or money sanding and refinishing a wood floor, you may wonder why anyone would ever paint one. But in some cases, a painted wooden floor is a great idea and can add charm and character to a home.
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Over time, some hardwood floors become simply too worn or damaged to make refinishing an option. Decades of water damage or other stains, deep gouges, or just too much wear can all make a homeowner start to think about wall-to-wall carpeting or extra-large area rugs.
Painting the floor not only can make it look great, it can also seal and protect the floorboards from further damage. As with any paint job, preparation is key. The floor needs to be lightly sanded to give the new paint a good surface to bond to. Be sure to sweep and vacuum thoroughly after you sand to remove any particles. If the floor was never finished, or if the sanding exposes a lot of unfinished wood, give it a coat of primer before you paint. For the top coat, choose a paint that’s designed for floors and decks—it’s specially formulated to hold up under foot traffic.
Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 75 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.
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- For Every Hue, a Mood: Use Color to Make the Most of Every Room
For Every Hue, a Mood: Use Color to Make the Most of Every Room
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We often choose colors we believe to be an expression of ourselves. But the science of color psychology suggests that we might successfully select paints based, not on who we actually are, but on who we want to be.
The practice of using color to influence health and moods dates back to ancient times, when it was thought that blue heals burns, yellow alleviates breathing problems, and red overcomes paralysis.
Though it doesn’t support the bold claims of our ancestors, modern research has proven that, indeed, color can have dramatic effects on our mind states. By applying color theory in each room of the house, you can ensure, not only that your colorful abode is visually appealing, but also that it makes you feel great!
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Bob Vila Radio: Exterior Paint Color
Choosing a paint color for your home’s exterior can be intimidating: This is a big, expensive job, and whatever color you choose is going to be there for a while. Here are a few tips to help you choose wisely.
Photo: architecture.about.com
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- Bob Vila Radio: Chalkboard Paint
Bob Vila Radio: Chalkboard Paint
Kids and chalk go together like peanut butter and jelly—and parents love the easy cleanup of chalk, whether it’s on the front walk or the living room walls. But there’s a fun way to let kids of all ages make their mark: chalkboard paint can turn almost any surface into a place for art, notes, or even shopping lists.
Photo: inspirationforhome.blogspot.com
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Bob Vila Radio: Kraft Paper
If you’re starting a paint project and worry about protecting your floors, don’t just throw down a drop cloth. Consider kraft paper instead.
Photo: amazon.com
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Bob Vila Radio: Historic Paint Colors
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “historic color”? Do you envision a rather limited palette of muted grays, blues, and greens? It turns out you can choose historic paint shades, for use indoors and out, without sacrificing cheerful, vibrant colors.
Photo: flickr.com
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Boost Your Color Confidence
Photo: HGTV® HOME by Sherwin-Williams
In her position as director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, Jackie Jordan spends her days looking at color, thinking about color, and predicting which colors will work best in today’s homes.
Related: Trending Now: Emerald Green
While whites and creams still rank among the most popular paint choices in America, Jordan has noticed home color use steadily growing over the past decade. “People are becoming less fearful of using color,” she says. Here are her tips on choosing harmonious hues for your own home:
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- How To: Remove Varnish and Other Wood Finishes
How To: Remove Varnish and Other Wood Finishes
Varnish, lacquer, shellac and other clear coats are applied to protect wood furniture and flooring from scratches, scuff marks, and stains. Applied properly, these products do their job well—but what if you want to re-expose the wood grain for refinishing, repair, or restoration?
Then your first order of business will be removing the wood’s existing finish. There are many different clear-coat finishes, and if you don’t know the origins of your piece, it can be extremely difficult to distinguish between finish types.
Here are three ways to de-varnish wood when you aren’t sure what type of finish you’re dealing with.
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- Is Stripping Paint Really Necessary?
Is Stripping Paint Really Necessary?
Photo: coastalthemehome.com
It’s always amazed me to see workmen sanding all the paint off a home’s exterior just because some of the paint is peeling. All that work and expense, and rarely is it necessary. Generally, new paint isn’t going to adhere any better to bare wood than it would to a layer of old paint.
Before climbing the ladder, sander in hand, take the time to answer a pair of essential questions: 1) Why is the paint peeling, and 2) is it really necessary to strip all of it?
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- Painting Masonry Walls and Floors
Painting Masonry Walls and Floors
Photo: allthingsconcrete.com
Hurricane Sandy proved to be a trial for many of us. My wife and I were fortunate, and our home suffered no major damage. The storm did, however, test the paint job I’d recently completed in the basement of our new co-op.
This apartment complex—a set of brick buildings with slate roofs and stone foundations—was completed in 1918. When moving in just a month before the hurricane, our basement looked as though it hadn’t been touched, or even cleaned, since the ’40s.
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