Painting floors has been popular for thousands of years.
Decorative painting has been an artistic expression of people for thousands of years. Decorative floor painting is the process of painting a floor, rather than staining it or using a tile or vinyl floor with a pattern on the flooring. Decorative floor painting allows for more customization of the flooring, as well as the fun of painting and coming up with a design yourself.
History
The Romans were some of the first recorded people to paint their floors, painting decorative designs onto floors made of wood and stone. The ancient Indian tradition of Rangoli involves painting spiritual or folk art on the floor during festive occasions. Floor painting became more popular around the 1800s with painted floor cloths. Many wealthier people would paint these floor cloths as decorative additions to an otherwise unremarkable floor. When linoleum was invented, floor cloth painting went out of style. Since then it seems that decorative floor painting has experienced another revival because of its budget-friendly nature and relative ease for do-it-yourselfers.
Benefits
There are many benefits in painting decorative patterns onto a floor. The ability to paint anything and any pattern on a floor is appealing to many, as is the cost savings of a lower-budget floor.
One of the main benefits is the ability to use a plywood floor, which is much less expensive. You do not have to install a fancy wood floor if you are going to paint it. Many paints are designed for use over tile, linoleum and stone as well. This makes it possible to paint a floor rather than refinish it or replace it. You also get the added benefit of a completely customized floor. Any color and pattern can be painted.
Considerations
There are many considerations that go along with decorative floor painting. The condition of the current floor is one consideration. A beat-up floor will not look as good painted as a floor in good condition. You also should consider how often the floor is used. In a high-traffic area, the paint will not last as long. In most cases, you will need to seal the painted floor with a polyurethane coating to protect the paint from scratches and scuffs.
Warning
If you paint the floor yourself, make sure to start in a corner and work toward a door. Otherwise you will be trapped in the room until the floor dries. It is helpful to draw your pattern on the floor before you paint to keep track of the design you're using. You also can use stencils to help you paint.
Time Frame
A painted floor should last around 10 years if it has a protective seal over the top of the paint. After 10 years the finish will wear down and the paint will start to deteriorate. At this point you can either strip the floor and repaint it or replace the floor with another flooring style.
