Take another look… down!
There's something you
don't often hear! Yes, down... at your flooring! We've seen some fabulous ideas
for flooring that we have to share. You can do these yourself with a
little time and very little money! At the end of your project you will have some of the most interesting
flooring in the neighborhood. Check out these great ideas!
Before you change your floor...
Make sure you study the proper steps of preparation for the specific type of floor you want. The better prepared for the journey they easier it
will be! Here are a few things you should always do:
- Clean the floor of debris - many times under carpet you may find nails, tacks or glue that will need to scraped off.
- If you're painting wood floors, fill in any cracks or holes with a wood glue and then sand those places. Sometimes this can be done lightly - sometimes you may need a little more, depending on the finish you want and the floor you've got!
- Clean the floor one more good time to remove dust.
- If you're painting, you'll most likely want to prime the surface using an extension roller, starting at the furthermost corner from the door or entryway. If you're laying tile or some other method of floor covering, you'll be ready to go.
- Whatever you do, make sure that you seal your floor when you've got it the way you want it! You'll want your beautiful new floor to last for a long time!
Ready? Here are just a few of the waaay cool flooring ideas we've found!
This is a painted sub-floor! Who knew it could look so grand?
As long as your subfloor is solid, it can be painted. Again, if you're pulling up old carpet, you'll need to clear the floor of debris - tacks, nails or other debris left behind by builders. Once you do that, you can fill in any cracks with wood glue and sand. Clean it again and cover with primer. Once it's dry, the sky is the limit! If you'd like a patterned floor, many patterns can be downloaded via the internet. Make sure that you use a paint with a sealer, or you will need to seal the paint when it's dry. You may need to add a shoe-molding or other little touches to get the finish you want! Voila! You've got floor to be envied! Use a stencil, a pattern or a colored paint - let your imagination run wild!
How about stained plywood floor? Hard to believe this is actually plywood!
Plywood can be purchased fairly inexpensively, especially when bought in bulk. Simply cut the the plywood into strips of your desired length and width, attach them to the subfloor with your preferred method. You should lightly sand and clean the floor. Then you're ready to stain or paint and seal.
How about a papered floor! This can be done with a print...
... or even craft paper! What?
Its basically decoupage from the days of old on a grander scale! You can stain (or tint)
individual pieces of paper, paper grocery bags, magazines, pictures, maps, or
fabric… the sky is the limit. Tear whatever you use into pieces for the desired
effect, seen above. Crumple and dip in a bowl of 50/50 glue & water. Spread
on the floor and smooth out any bubbles. Apply several coats of polyurethane.
Let it dry and enjoy your masterpiece!
We've talked about wood flooring today, but you can apply these same principles to concrete and other types of flooring. The methods of getting the floors you desire will be different, but with imagination and education you can have some gorgeous floors.
As always... AIVA Says: do your homework before diving into any do-it-yourself home improvement project! There is often more than meets the eye. And if you see a look you want but don't have the "want-to" to do it yourself, call us! We'll get it done for you at a price you can afford!
Until next week... AIVA
