A time finally comes when the other cleaning will not soften the carpeting, and you need to take it up. That leaves you with a bare subfloor and several of expensive flooring choices. Though it sounds like a slap-dash solution, painting the subfloor can actually be a viable choice. Floors paint wears as well as most floor coverings, and you have control over the shade. Should you prepare the subfloor well, you may have a smooth floor that matches the rest of the room decor to a “T.” Preparation involves time, but it’s time well spent.
Start the carpet-removal process by prying the baseboards from the walls using a pry bar. If you plan to reuse them, tap the nails with a hammer, amount each and stack them in a safe location.
Pull up the carpeting and underpadding, roll it up and carry it from this space for disposal. Most carpets are installed on tack strips, and you pull the rug by grasping a corner, lifting and moving along a wall to complimentary one side. Repeat with the other 3 sides.
Remove the tack strips around the perimeter of the floor. The easiest way to do this is to tap a flat-head screwdriver under a strip and pry upward using the screwdriver. You might require a pry bar or pliers to remove some broken pieces. Be cautious; the tacks are sharp. Discard the strips Using the carpet.
Inspect the floor for stray staples and pull them out with pliers. Pound down any nails which are tied and reset some other screws using a screwdriver.
Fill seams, nail and screw holes, knots and other flaws with epoxy wood filler. Mix the two parts of the filler according to the directions, spread it with a putty knife and scrape it apartment while it’s workable.
Sand the floor with an orbital flooring sander and 80-grit sandpaper to glue the wood grain and mix the stitch. Vacuum the floor, then mud with 100-grit paper. Use a hand sander to sand in corners and borders where the massive machine does not reach.
Scatter a coat of high-solids floor primer using a paintbrush, working the brush along the grain of the wood. You can also use a roller for the majority of the floor, but you’ll still need to have a paintbrush for the edges and corners. Allow the primer dry overnight.
Screen the floor with a floor buffer and 150-grit sanding display. Primer raises the grain of this wood, and viewing — which means sanding the floor gently — knocks it back down. Vacuum the floor when you are done.
Spread on coat of floor enamel using a paintbrush, painting using the grain of their wood. Don’t use a roller for this coat since the nap marks will be visible. Allow the floor dry overnight, then display and apply another coat.
Paint a pattern on the floor, if desired, with a different color or a different shade of the exact same shade. 1 strategy would be to paint a border — others would be to earn a checkerboard or simulate shingles.
Safeguard the paint with a minumum of one coat of clear polyurethane finish. Put on the finish using a pad applicator or paintbrush. To get the smoothest finish, apply two or more coats, screening every single undercoat using a 150-grit display when it dries.