Sometimes you’ll see photos on Pinterest of gorgeous floors and think “I want that!” This week on Finish Friday, Amy shows us her tricks to get those pretty, Pinterest-worthy floors. You can express your creativity with your floors as long as you use the right tools and techniques, which is why we created the Amy Howard at Home Paint Your Floors Bundle. With this bundle, you can paint your floors with success – no worrying that the paint won’t hold up or that you’re releasing harmful toxins into your home. Follow along with Amy in this week’s Finish Friday tutorial for expert tips on painting your floors.

Preparing to Paint

One common mistake people make when painting their floors is buying the wrong type of paint. Acrylic and water-based paint will not hold up in high-traffic areas. You need paint that will adhere and stay put, which is where One Step Paint comes in. It’s water-based and free or VOCs and other toxins, so it’s safe for the little ones in your home, too. Once it’s cured on the surface, the stronger the bond becomes over time. That means you won’t have to repaint in the future.

Once you’ve chosen your desired One Step Paint color, make sure you have the other tools you need. The Paint Your Floors Bundle includes:

• Clean Slate
• A paint roller with wood handle
• 2 foam rollers
• Matte Sealer

The first step in painting your floors is making sure they’re clean! Regular soap and water isn’t enough in this case, as Amy stresses in the video. Use Clean Slate to take off grease, wax, dirt, or any other residues that will prevent your paint from adhering to your floor. Clean Slate does have a slight smell, so make sure you have good ventilation when applying it to your floor. And when you’re done using it, there’s no need to rinse it off.

Painting Your Floors

You might be wondering if One Step Paint is okay to use on your specific kind of floor. The answer is yes! One Step Paint can be applied to any floor surface including wood, prefabricated wood (which is common in recently built houses), concrete, linoleum, and tile. If you’re applying it to hardwood, there’s no need to sand, strip, or prime your floors. One Step Paint and Matte Sealer are safe to use on tile grout as well. And don’t worry — Amy gives you her tips for different flooring types. She starts her demonstration using a common ceramic tile many people have, then shows us how to paint synthetic flooring and linoleum.

To get started painting, Amy reminds you to give your One Step Paint a good shake and pour a small amount into your paint tray. Load up your foam roller with paint and roll it along the bumps or ridges to get rid of excess. Then apply a sheer, even coat to your surface using your roller. After about 20 minutes to let the first coat dry, you’ll go over it again with another thin, sheer coat so that the paint will look even and nice. Amy also points out that the foam roller included in the Paint Your Floors Bundle is best for flooring. Other foam rollers you may use to paint your walls, for example, are textured. Our foam roller will give your floors a neat, smooth finish.

Applying Sealant

After you’ve cleaned your floors and applied two thin coats of paint, it’s time to seal it. It’s important to seal your floors to protect the color from scuffs and dirt. The One Step Paint will adhere on its own, but sealer will make your floor easy to clean in the future.

Just as you did with your paint, you’ll pour a small amount of sealer into a tray and get rid of any excess. Apply it to your floors with your roller using long, smooth strokes. Once you’re done, the Matte Sealer will dry down after an hour or two into a nice matte finish. For best results, give your floors at least two days to cure before walking on it.

Adding Special Designs

With some expert help from Amy’s husband, Gene, viewers also learned how to add designs to your floor with paint. In this part of the video, Amy and Gene demonstrate how to create a pretty design on synthetic wood and linoleum. If you’re doing a freehand design, sketch out a design on paper first so you’ll know how to apply the paint. Then, Gene suggested drawing the design on your cleaned floor with chalk, followed by painter’s tape. That way you get crisp edges and an exact, symmetric design. If you’re using a stencil, that part’s already done for you! When you’re ready to paint, use your same tools included in the Paint Your Floors Bundle to paint and seal your floors.

Tune into Next Week’s Finish Friday

Want even more Finish Friday tutorials? Amy will share some of her knowledge and passion for refinishing projects every Friday at 12 noon Central! Follow and “Like” the Amy Howard at Home Facebook page so you can stay up to date with new videos, projects, tips, and giveaways!