Any Surface: How to Paint {Part Three}

painting rugs and floor coveringsRugs

Base-coat your rug material if desired. After the base coat dries, use a straightedge to guide your stencil placement. Apply your design in a contrasting color with a stencil brush and stencil, cleaning the stencil before moving it to a new section. When the paint is dry, seal and protect the design with clear polyurethane.

Walls

Before painting walls, wash them with trisodium phosphate (TSP) and repair any cracks or holes. If your house was just built and your walls have not been painted before, it’s a good idea to apply a wallboard sealer before painting. For old drywall and plaster, a stain-blocking primer can help hide water stains or other marks.

Wood Floors

To paint a wood floor, clean and sand the surface (filling any cracks with wood filler), then apply an oil-base sealer. You can use either oil-base or latex paint. Alkyd or modified epoxy latex porch and floor paint is a good choice for high-traffic areas. A polyurethane coating (a type of varnish) will help protect painted floors. You might want to use a water-base varnish because oil-base varnishes yellow over time.

Use a roller with a long handle to cover large floor areas, although a brush is fine for small areas. Remember to plan your escape route: Start in a corner and work toward your exit to avoid stepping on wet paint.

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