Let me begin this post by confessing that I didn’t think this project would turn out so well.
When it comes to DIY projects, I am a planner and researcher. But this carpet was absolutely disgusting and had to be removed immediately. My adorable rescue rabbits were having stomach problems (I won’t bore you with the horrendous details of the chocolate fountains hopping), but this was an urgent carpet removal mission. I had no intention of spending hundreds of dollars on the space, so I did some fast and furious Pinteresting/Googling and came across this faux painting technique.
To give it a try, I removed a small square of padding and carpet from the playroom. After seeing the results, I decided to tackle the entire room using the old paint I had in my basement. The cost was zero. It took me between 6-8 hours from start to finish.
Before: I go into detail about the flooring, I want to share some of the cons and pros I have discovered with it.
Pros: Quick and simple (6-8 hours); inexpensive or even free if you have paint; customizable colors, textures, and plank widths; durable.
Cons: Hardwoods have a rougher surface than traditional hardwoods. They are also louder and colder, which creates a fake look.
This is how I converted our plywood subfloor from a builder grade to a faux wide plank wood floor.
I first removed the padding and carpet.
Next: I went through the floor and countersink all nails. I removed padding staples and filled in any gaps or unwelcome holes with wood filler.
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To add character, I left some nail holes. I also filled in the large cracks between the sheets of plywood: I used the horizontal cracks as a guide for my planks. I then painted the floor in Benjamin Moore Gingerbread Man eggshell with two coats paint/primer. Base coats can be any mustard color.
Then I measured and marked the widths of my planks, and then used painter’s tape to mask them.
After marking my planks, I mixed the paint. My primary color was Behr Baronial Brown exterior satin paint, but you can use any other chocolate brown. Mix 2 cups paint and 2 cups water together. I mixed 1/4 cup of dark chocolate craft acrylic paint with 1 teaspoon black acrylic to make the accent color. Then, I mixed equal parts of water and water (1:1 paint-to-water ratio).
To apply the brown to the entire plank, I used a large foam brush. Then, I used the brown/black to outline it and create small knots. Next, I used my natural bristle brush to push the plank against the grain. Twisting it to make knots and blend it in with the plank outline. To tape my plank lengths, I used vertical strips of tape. As I look back, it would have been better to use a darker base color and not knot the tape.
It can get tedious, so I called for reinforcements. Perhaps they’ll keep the room clean because they’ve invested in the floor. We’ll see…
At the halfway point, i stepped back to ensure that I was correctly staging my joints and making various boards lengths in order to create a more authentic appearance.
I was not happy with the final result after the paint dried so I decided to leave it as is. Protective poly coatings are a must if you want to keep your floor looking great! The exterior satin paint may be more durable, but we’re enjoying the look of the “new” flooring for now.
Although we will eventually put hardwood or carpet in the space, I am happy with it right now.
The best part is that the girls discovered that there’s a lot of acoustics without any underlayment! It was fitting, therefore, that the microphones and karaoke machine were the final touches.
This video will show you how to subfloor paint. Before I started my project, I watched this video many times. His flooring turned out amazing! Enjoy painting.
As always, I’d love to see your progress on this project. Have fun painting!
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