Painting and Stenciling Your Floorboards
The simplest way is to buy several cans of either water-based or oil-based paint, paint the whole floor the same color and use a brush around the border of the room while using a roller for the center.
There is also the paint effect of ‘aging’. The paint will evoke an old-fashioned kitchen or a distressed look. Instead of painting the entire floor, you can also stencil the floor in a repeat pattern with self-made or store bought stencils.
If you have not gone through the previous steps of sanding, staining and varnishing then you might want to check your floor for any surface damage, sand them down and use steel wool with mineral spirits to remove any wax or grease.
You will need:
Stenciling:
String, nails, and pencil
Straightedge metal rule
Stencil or transparent acetate sheet (for making your own)
Sharp craft knife
Spray mount adhesive or painter’s masking tape
Stencil brushes
Large paintbrush
Water or oil-base paint
Floor-grad varnish
Aging:
Small paintbrush
Large paintbrush
Paint roller and tray
Lint-free cloth
Fine abrasive paper
Scraper (if required)
Paste wax or petroleum jelly
Water-base paint
Floor-grade varnish
Finding Your Center. To find the center of the room that you are working in, you need two lengths of string (this method is usually used when laying Parquet flooring which would require chalk line). String the strings from the midpoints of opposite walls. If the room isn’t square, start the lines from the corners of the room.
Aging
You may be thinking to yourself why on earth you would want to age or distress your floor after all of that work! If you have a kitchen decorated in an old-fashioned style or have a dining room filled with distressed antiques, then this just might be the style for you!
It is quite simple to make painted floorboards look older than their true age. Before painting, apply a barrier, such as paste wax or petroleum jelly, in random patches onto clean floorboards to prevent paint from seeping into the wood. Once you have painted the floor and that paint is dry, simply use a cloth to remove the wax or jelly (use a scraper on difficult lumps) and lightly sand the edges to blend in with the painted areas. Seal the work with a few coats of protective varnish. For a unique look, give the floorboards a coat of a contrasting base color before applying the paste wax or jelly.
Stenciling
Making a stencil. You can buy a ready-made stencil or you can make your own for those more personal designs that are just not mass-produced. A transparent acetate sheet is the best material to use. Lay it over a pattern for tracing, then cut out the design, leaving “bridges” so part of the design doesn’t fall out of the stencil. The best tool for cutting the stencil is a craft knife with a sharp blade. A continuous pattern requires a registration mark to align the stencil. Use an element in the design or draw a line on the stencil.
Stenciling your floor. First, plan out your pattern on a scale drawing of the floor, starting at the center of the room and using small squares to indicate how often the pattern is repeated. On the floor itself, find the center (see Finding Your Center) but instead of using chalk lines, use two lengths of string tied to small nails tapped partway into the floorboards.
Measure and mark the positions for several of the surrounding patterns. By marking the patterns as you go, you can make slight adjustments if you start to go off course. With each new group of marks, double check for overall appearance before you commit yourself by applying the paint.
The easiest method to secure your stencil is to spray the back with a spray mount adhesive. This will hold the stencil in place while you paint. But it will also allow you to peel it off and reposition it afterward. Or you can use painter’s making tape.
Load a stencil brush with some of the paint and dab it on a sheet of white paper to find the right amount to use because a little stencil paint can go a long way! Apply the paint to the floor, using a short dabbing motion to prevent the paint from going under the edges of the stencil.
If you want to use a second color, let the first one to dry completely (water-based paints will dry quickly). If you are using more than one stencil sheet (some stencil kits have a separate sheet for each color), make sure the stencil is correctly aligned over the previous image before applying the new color.
Remove and reposition the stencil, continuing until you finish the room. When the paint has completely dried, cover the final result with three coats of floor-grade varnish, painting the full length of a few planks at a time.
Now, you have a floor that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Something that you can say, “I did that!” and be proud in the fact that you did!
