Want to paint your wood floors?
Obviously, you should do it! Here are some reasons why you should paint wood floors:
Painting adds color to the floor. It regenerates the beauty of the woods. Also, the painting helps to integrate any pattern as it also shows your style and taste quality. It is effortless to do, easy to maintain, and costs less than installing new wood floors. Moreover, it can prevent stains and marks in a high traffic area.
With all these benefits, will you stop yourself from choosing the best paint for wood floors?
Our experts in floor painting suggest a couple of tips, top-rated brands after applying and testing them in our projects. These products will be helpful for the cause. In fact, they will make you think twice or more about painting any kind of wood floor. Stay with us till the last word of the buying guide.
Table of Contents
List of Best Wood Floor Paint
1. Best for Fast Painting: KILZ Porch & Patio Latex Floor Paint
“it makes floor ready to use within a day.”
2. Best for Hardwood: Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor paint
“dual-coating applies superior protection to any interior or exterior wood floors.”
3. Best for Garage Floors: KILZ interior Wood Floor Paint
“extremely durable in areas like the basement, garages where marks or stains are more prone to appear.”
4. Best for Aged Wood: FIXALL Textured Coating Paint
“UV resistant, double bases, the anti-skid formula for refurbishing old wood floors.”
5. Best for Longevity: INSL-X CTS39989A-01 Tough Shield
“formulated to prevent any damages from grease, oil, and detergents.”
Top 5 Best Paint for Wood Floors Reviews
Decorating wood floors with paints is hassle-free when you have the finest products. We have made the selection task more manageable. Here are our proven items with remarkable benefits:
1. KILZ Interior/Exterior Porch & Patio Latex Floor Paint
The award won famous brand KILZ has some actual products to fulfill your home development needs. They are producing high-standard products for more than 40 years. Their Porch & Patio Latex floor paint is one of them. It was formulated to give the wood floors the correct Flatt or matte finish.
You can color your floors inside or outside the house with it. It is available in a portable 1-gallon container. So, it will help you covering rough surfaces up to 300 sq. feet. Again, the range increases up to 400 sq. feet on smooth surfaces. Upon this calculation and efficiency, we found KILZ latex paint very much cost-saving.
KILZ porch and patio acrylic paint give a low luster exterior finish. Its mildew-resistant film works great against scuffing, fading, or peeling. Moreover, it takes the least time to dry and clean. We found the drying period as only one hour and recoating period is 4-6 hours.
Why we liked it:
We picked it in our list for its firm and quick set on wood floors. It was effortless to paint with a nylon or polyester brush or an airless sprayer.
- Safe, durable paint for deck, porch, patio siding, and floors
- Designed for long-lasting low luster Flatt or matte finish
- Produces mildew-resistant film to prevent fading, cracking, scuffing, peeling, etc.
- Easy to use with brush or sprayer
- It can cover up to 400 sq. feet area
- 1-hour drying and 4-6 hours recoat time
- Dark or light paint color might be a good option as silver-gray turns into off-white color over time
- Applying over 90°F may dry the paint faster and cause less lifespan
2. Rust-Oleum Home Interior Floor Paint – Best for Painting Hardwood Floors
Rust-Oleum home interior floor paint is a premium quality product. It comes with an excellent two-part floor coating system that enables easy switch from old to a new look. Also, you will enjoy the wood floor paint colors from bathrooms to doorways. In a word, it is the best wood floor paint for any hardwood floor.
Most of the Rust-Oleum products are formulated to match the ambiance. If you have an old, faded wooden floor, the 367605-floor coating kit will make it newer. Again, the product helps you saving money on reinstallation wood floors. You can also paint the floor with this product without any prior stripping, sanding, or priming.
This kit is efficient on different floor types such as ceramic, concrete, hardwood, and others. The only thing you need to do is giving two coats (base and top) on the floor. The topcoat requires at least 5-6 hours interval from the first one. However, it will take up to one day for complete drying. You can use the whole kit to paint up to 100 sq. feet.
Why we liked it:
It is more than ordinary floor paint – one kit that works great on versatile flooring types. We recommend this one for painting hardwood floors.
- Allrounder paint for versatile floor types
- Helps a lot in home renovation
- Requires no sanding or priming to apply
- Dual-coat paint creates a low odor and accessible cleaning facility
- Black color watercolor paint is available in two styles: semi-gloss and matte
- You can paint up to 100 sq. feet with a single kit
- Less coverage option compared to its price
- Not recommended to apply where the weather is wet or dampening
3. KILZ Interior Wood Floor Paint
Okay! Let us talk about another marvelous KILZ paint. L377711 model acrylic paint is suitable for any garage, interior, or exterior floors. Though the package tells it is for concrete floor, it works of wood well. After all, we got a good result in watermarks removal from our garage.
Like other KILZ paint, this 1-part epoxy paint takes less time to dry (2 hours). You can recoat the area within 4 hours. As it is water-based, it has no additives or rough odor. Besides, the painted floor remains protected from chemical, oil, and gasoline damages.
You would love to work with this paint. It will give a satin finish on the horizontal floors. Also, it is easily usable with a brush, roll, and sprayer. You can purchase the 1-gallon container to decorate 500 sq. feet at maximum.
Why we liked it:
You can choose this product for basement and garage painting. There will be no marks of the tire, faded color, stains on the floor.
- A perfect paint for porches, patios, and garages
- Expert authority formulated paint lasts more years
- It repairs crack, fading, watermarks from the surface
- Shortest ready-to-use duration
- Smart, time-saving application with brush, roll, and sprayer
- Applicable in covering up to 500 sq. feet floor
- Do not choose it for vertical painting
- Not worthy of its price
4. FIXALL Textured Coating – Best for Painting Old Wood Floor
We already tried FixAll Skid Grip paint on our old basement floor. It has been providing significant abrasion-free, textured coating for a long time. We believe this product is the most suitable for the refurbishment project.
This 100% acrylic paint comes with UV resistant formula. Alongside this, the durable coat and dual bases give the floor a new look with a high-grip finish. Nobody is going to slip on the deck, garage, or in the kitchen anymore.
You can use it at home or in an industrial area. The textured acrylic paint is available at 1-gallon size with 7 attractive colors. Also, it is elementary to paint the surface with a brush or paint roller.
Why we liked it:
Indoor or outdoor – FixAll acrylic paint always shows its magic with UV-resistant and double base formula. We liked it for its anti-skid nature in the heavy traffic area.
- A durable coat with dual bases gives floors long life
- Protects the floor from stains, watermarks, and UV rays
- Colors do not faint in high traffic areas
- Increased performance with reduced oxidation
- Meets ADA standards for slip quality
- Works great on wood, asphalt, concrete, and other flooring types
- No clear information about the coverage per unit
- You need to apply a base coat (thin coat) for the expected finish
5. INSL-X CTS39989A-01 Tough Shield – Most Durable Wood Floor Paint
For rugged, aesthetic looks on the wooden floors, INSL-X is the stuff you should get. The company has been following its tradition of making premium quality products. This Tough Shield floor and patio paint is just a good example to it. This water-based acrylic paint protects the floor from abrasions caused by detergents, greases, and scratches.
We got a satisfying result by applying it to our doorways. It really works as resistance to ponding water as the package information says. Moreover, it can be used on other surfaces like masonry, concrete too. The sturdy satin finish keeps the color evergreen.
You can color non-painted or painted wood floor at the porch, patio, and inside the home. Also, it is suitable for applying in light commercial renovation works. For the best result, you should use it when the temperature is above 50°F. One gallon of paint is sufficient to paint up to 450 sq. feet. However, you can read the label for preparation and application ideas.
Why we liked it:
It sounded really sturdy as we had tried to scratch the paint after a couple of weeks. So, it is a good selection for indoor paintings.
- Applicable in residential and light commercial projects
- No wearing, stains, ponding water after applying
- Gives a rugged appearance on the surface.
- Good for the patio, the interior of the house.
- Durable satin finish for longtime color-locking
- Suitable for painting floors up to 450 sq. feet per gallon
- Not recommended for garage or driveways floor painting
How to Paint Wooden Floors?
Follow these below steps to paint wood floors:
- Preparation: Remove the old paint (if) with sandpapers from lower grit to high grit gradually. 60-grit sandpaper would be an excellent idea.
- Priming: Spot priming is recommended where you see no finish. If you want to prime the whole area, we suggest you sand the area after priming for painting afterward. Our suggestion would be using a 220-grit paper to sand the dried primer. Then, add painter’s tape to protect molding and places to avoid painting.
- Painting: You can use a paint brush to cut into room edges to protect the molding or walls from painting. Then, apply the first coat of paint and wait for the drying time. Later, do the second coat and seal the area with polyurethane. It protects from high traffic. Now, allow the paint for complete curing to reduce peeling risks, scuff, or fading sooner.
Can you paint hardwood floors?
Yes, it is possible with high-quality wood floor paint. You may choose latex or acrylic-based paint to color old or new hardwood surfaces.
How much paint is needed for your wood floors?
Usually, one-gallon paint can cover 300-450 square feet area. You can measure the surface area and apply paint according to the size.
Can you paint old wood floors?
Old wood floors mean worn, faded, unsmooth surfaces. You do not always need to install new wood floors. In this case, refurbishment with floor paints can save you money and time. But you need to sand, prime the floor well before applying paint to it.
Buying Guide – Best Floor Paint for Wood
When you choose the best wood floor paint, you must remind some key points to get the most of it. Here are some of them:
Types
For wood floors, latex-based or acrylic paints are most suitable. These paints can produce layers of protection to the wood surface. You should use paint with low odor and the least chemicals as ingredients.
Paint Finish
Mostly wood floor paints offer a satin finish. But you can get Flatt or matte finish too. There are also some unique qualities you should care about that are related to finishing. Anti-slip, anti-skid, textured finish etc., are beneficial for the sturdy result. Also, some paints may have UV protection, heat, and rain protection quality.
Fast Dry
Usually, you may need to apply more than once in painting wood floors. It takes 4-8 hours to dry after applying the first coat. But some will take up to 24-36 hours depending on thickness and quality. Fast dry also allows quick recoat time.
Color Options
Wood floor paint also has numerous color options. You can match your preferences from gray to black, red etc., colors.
Size
Floors require more paints than just a tiny room. In the current market, mostly wood paints are available in a 1-gallon container. You can select them with other size packages too.
Final Verdict
As long as you have wooden floors, you may know the reasons for painting them. But the selection of the best paint for wood floors is tiresome as the versatility never ends. We have sorted out the problem after applying these mentioned products. They appeared good, environment friendly, and also possibly long-lasting, as we assume and examined.
Have a great painting day!
Hi there! I appreciate all the information you provided. I live in a very old house and the hardwood floors in my kitchen were a complete disaster—I painted them with a texturized porch paint and I’ve been happy with the results but I’m having a hard time finding a way to clean them well. I’ve used multiple styles of mops—rag, microfiber, swiffer—and the texturized floor either rips apart the fibers of the rag, doesn’t allow for easy movement over the floor, or just plain doesn’t clean up stains. The kitchen is a high-traffic area and it also is our main entrance to the home so we get lots of mud/dirt on the floor. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to keep indoor hardwood floors painted with texturized paint clean? I’m desperate for help!
Hey Laura, thanks a lot! We are glad that you have found this article useful.
Hence, we are here to assist our well-wishers in building a good relationship with them. As you said, you have texturized porched paint on hardwood floors; you must be careful about cleaning the surface. We know how challenging situation you are facing right now. But don’t worry. You can follow these instructions:
We have seen many experts suggest using a vacuum cleaner (without a rug beater) or a dry microfiber mop to clean the textured hardwood floors. It can clean the high-traffic area such as the entrance, kitchen. If there is any between the wood boards, you may use the crevice tool of a vacuum cleaner. Again, you can sweep the floor with a stiff bristle broom. It will loosen and remove dirt and debris well. But you should not use any wet or steam mops. All they can do is damage the floor and make things worse.
We have seen some people using no-wax, water-based painted floor cleaner. You can try this too by mixing several items in a gallon of hot water. These items are 4tbsp washing soda, 5tbsp borax, and 4tbsp dishwashing liquid. After preparing the cleaner, pour the liquid mixture into a spray bottle and spray on the spot. Rinse and dry the sprayed area.
You should test a minimal area first. It can give you a good result on new paints. But it may not be so satisfactory on old painted floors with cracks, brittle, or flakes. Thus, we prefer vacuum cleaning more than other methods. Hope, you will have no problem anymore. Thanks again.