The truth about our painted plywood floor – I’m spilling all the details of how our stenciled plywood floors are holding up after seven months.
My painted plywood floor is one of the most beautiful, creative, fantastic projects I have ever done. And one of the most popular projecta I have shared here at Lovely Etc. so far.
(If you missed my post about how I transformed my living room by painting my subfloor, you have got to go check it out immediately!)
Now that we have lived with our painted floors for more than half a year, I figured it was time to share a little update on how they are holding up. So here it is. The completely honest, unbiased update of the good, the bad, and the ugly of painted plywood subfloors.
This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more. Click here to see my full disclosure policy.
The Good
First, I should say that the floors have held up great and continue to be my very favorite thing in our house. I love, love, love them.
When I walk into other rooms that still have their dreaded dingy carpet, I can’t stand how the carpet seems to just suck all of the light out of the room. These floors, on the other hand, continue to be just as beautiful and reflective as they were the day I finished painting them.
The floors have also been quite durable. I have had almost no problems with the paint getting chipped or scratched.
Some of my furniture has protective pads under it but not everything. The couch is sitting directly on the floor and has not made even the slightest scratch in the finish – even when we scooted it around to reach things underneath.
There is one exception to this. There is a very small divot in the floor where I dropped something several months ago. I think it may have been a picture frame, but in any case a sharp corner fell into the floor.
This did not scratch the paint, but it did dent the soft plywood of the floor. The divot it left was deep enough to show the bare wood beneath the paint.
As you can see, it is tiny and not very noticeable at all. If it really bothered me, I could simply touch up the paint.
As far as cleaning, I have simply swept and mopped my painted floors the same way I would any other hard surface flooring with no problems.
The sealer I used has been one of the biggest keys to the durability of this project and has held up great. I used porch and floor paint followed by Rust-Oleum Varathane Clear Water-Based Polyurethane, Satin Finish.
I also painted the floor of my screened porch several years ago with porch and floor paint but did not use a sealer. Not only does that floor not have the same beautiful sheen, it is also much more difficult to keep clean. Without a good sealer, the dirt just seems to stick to the paint.
The Bad
I am extremely happy that I stenciled a pattern on the main area of the floor because it hides dust and dirt so well. (I used this Paisley Allover Stencil by Cutting Edge Stencils.)
The solid area around the edges of the room tends to show every speck of dust – mainly because the floor color is so dark. Also, being a painted surface, it is very uniform and hides nothing. Even hardwood floors have some wood grain to help camouflage dust.
The other reason the pattern is so key is that it helps hide the seams in the plywood floor. The floor overall looks completely amazing.
But when the light hits it a certain way, you can see the plywood seams quite clearly. This doesn’t really bother me, but if you are a perfectionist, it may not be for you.
Of course the seams would not be so noticeable to begin with if I had used the right filler to patch them before painting.
When I originally painted my floors, I used a product called Flexible Floor Patch and Leveler. I am sure it is great for some applications but not for painted floors – it has a very rough texture and does NOT sand smooth at all.
This weekend I was patching some dings in our kitchen floor in preparation for laying hardwoods and I tried something I hadn’t seen before – Dap Presto Patch Filler .
It was brilliant! It goes on very smoothly and sands like a dream. This is definitely what I would use in the future to smooth seams before painting floors.
And the biggest negative of all.
After I posted about my painted subfloors, a fellow blogger let me know that painting subfloors can be a problem from a real estate point of view. Yes, I already realized that potential buyers may not be pleased with plywood flooring – even if it is very beautiful plywood flooring.
The bigger problem is that in at least one state, you cannot sell a house unless there is some sort of covering over the subfloor – it has to do with not being able to get bank financing. One of those strange quirks.
That state is Virginia which is where I happen to live. (This may or may not be true for other states – I am not an expert in real estate and have absolutely no idea).
For some people, this could be a major deterrent and it is definitely something you should be aware of before you undertake a project like this. For me, it is not really a big deal because we are not planning to move anytime soon.
The Ugly
Come on, seriously, there is nothing ugly about this floor! It is magnificent and it makes the whole room seem so much more amazing.
Okay, so there was one point when it almost took a turn toward ugly.
When I first did this project, I actually sealed the floors two times. The first time I used Varathane Crystal Clear Water-based floor sealer in Gloss Finish. The floor was so shiny and glossy that it looked wet long after it dried. The extreme shininess of it also highlighted every single imperfection in the plywood – not pretty at all.
Luckily, I didn’t let that get me down; I just went back to the store and bought Rust-Oleum Varathane Clear Water-Based Poleurethane, Satin Finish. I put this right over the finish I had previously used and it turned out perfectly.
So there you have it – the unbiased truth.
It may not be perfect, but I absolutely adore my painted plywood floor.
Has anyone else out there tackled a floor-painting project? What tips or advice would you add?
Are you as thrilled with your floors as I am with mine? Anyone have other questions about the process or about how they are holding up?
If you are thinking about painting your own floors, you may want to check out these other posts for tips and answers to many of your questions:
Rachel @ The Olde Farmhouse on Windmill Hill says
So glad for this update! I am planning to paint subfloor in my bathroom (which is in the process of a reno) and am wondering about using the same sealer you did. Do you think it will withstand being wet periodically? (This is the kids bath and I have boys; yes the floor will get wet. :) ) Thanks for sharing your thoughts. ~Rachel
Cathy says
I would try a marine type sealer. It is made for boats so should work.
Janie says
Glad to see the update. I have a plywood floor in my living room, and I have been toying with the idea of painting and stenciling it for a while now. There is a large pool table in the middle of the room, and it has taken a while but we reluctantly have to let it go to clear the room. Times change…it is used less, so its time… I want my room back! Your pros and cons,, and tips are surely going to help.
Crane Farms says
I think the floors are awesome. I unfortunately am stuck with the dingy carpet in an apartment right now!
Carrie @ lovely etc. says
Rachel – I am not sure how it will withstand water but swiffering hasn’t been a problem. Though that is probably much less wet than a kids bathroom. I am thinking about giving this sealer a try over the painted floor on my screened porch though which does get some rain blowing in. So I say why not give it a try.
Amanda G. says
Thanks for the update! Your painted subfloor was one of the motivating factors I had to ripping out the carpet and painting the concrete in my dining room! Still a work in progress… but almost done! :) I wish I’d had wood to paint and not concrete!
Priscilla says
I’ve stained floors before, then sealed them with a couple coats of polyurathane. It provides a waterproof seal that protects the floor against even wet mopping. Can you share your reason for choosing the sealer you used?
Carrie @ lovely etc. says
Priscilla – I used this sealer instead of polyurathane because I didn’t want the sealer to yellow with time. Since this is a painted floor (even though it isn’t white) I wanted to make sure the color would stay true. Polyurathane tends to yellow but this sealer is called crystal clear because it remains clear.
Jen Lossing, The Consigner Designer says
WOW, these floors are gorgeous! I am heading over to your tutorial to see how you did it. It looks like a lot of work! Well done!
SkippyMom says
Stunning and the patience that must’ve taken. WOW.
I, too, live in VA. The most arbitrary, we own your lives and make ALL the rules kind of states that exists in our country.
We have the beauty – mountains/beaches, we have the seasons – all four, we even have really nice people living here, BUT I cannot wait until our youngest is on her way to college b/c we are moving faster than you can say “Goodbye”. And it figures that VA is the ONE state that has this law.
I can guarantee you that no one [real estate agent, bank] is going to realize that is subfloor. Even if you have to disclose it I doubt it would hold up a loan. Then again….it IS VA.
Enjoy your floors. I am gearing up to paint our basement floors, but nothing as beautiful as yours. :)
Kezia says
Massachusetts has this same law. My realtor DIL and I just happened to have this conversation a few days ago. There must be some exceptions because I bought this foreclosure 23 years ago with subfloors only. I’m still living with them.
Carrie says
It is so interesting how laws are different from state to state.
uniquelyyoursormine.com says
Ok..I’m going to do a VERY small flooring area, my daughters walk in closet. I’m concerned about the seams the most therefor I want to make sure that the product I use is flexible enough to not open up / crack down the road.. Any suggestions before I tackle this? I want to make her tiny closet look very hip and cool even if I’m not (according to her) so I’m very excited about this… And since it’s such a small area I don’t think I’ll have a resell problem but if so I can always put carpet back down… thanks for any feedback you can give me! I just LOVE your floors! – Susan
I Play Outside The Box says
I want to paint my hardwood floors so badly…have wanted to for years! Mine are in such poor shape…and I know paint is CHEAP! Someday! Love the look of yours!
Ally says
I saw you on Primp and had to read your post since I recently painted the plywood floor in my storage room – not beautifully like yours, just plain old white – but it seems the trick is the sealer, which I didn’t use. Thanks for the useful tips and info.
I’m your newest follower.
:)
suzyq says
This is by far the most gorgeous painted floor I have seen yet!
I’m thinking of painting my bedroom floor but don’t think I’d have the patience to pull of anything as ambitious as this!
I’m in awe
Definitely your newest follower – would love to have you come be for a visit and follow back when you can!
Hugs,
Suzan
Ann@StylishOnceAgain says
That is amazing. I am your newest follower!
Jill says
How cool to get a good update! I always wonder when I see some “amazing” project if it actually held up. Thanks for giving a review and I’m glad yours lived up to what was hoped for.
Corn in my Coffee-Pot says
I was wondering how they are holding up.
I should probably write and update on my bathroom ‘DECOUPAGED’ floor!
Your’s is beautiful…I’m thinking of doing the same thing in my kitchen…it will be right onto the sub-floor. But after seeing your lovely PAINTED FLOOR–the wheels are turning!
…thanks for the update, Pat
Holly says
I have wanted to do this somewhere in my home. I just moved to Virginia – thanks for the update on how you like the floors after living with them. I have painted wood floors several times – can be a lot of work. Love the look!
Michele says
What an amazing project! In the pictures, the floor certainly looks beautiful and a good solution for now. Very imaginative, too.
Suzan says
I think you found a remarkably clever way to solve a problem. Painted sub flooring is infinitely better than gross carpet and a heck of a lot better than UN painted sub flooring. Glad to read that they are holding up well for you. If you decide to move, just call up one of those carpeting places that does the whole shebang for some ridiculous cheap price and cover them.
Jessica says
Beautiful! Stopping by from Serenity Now!
Brandelin says
I have just sat down after pulling up half our carpet. I am not sure if I am as ambitious as tou, but the level of inspiration is wonderful. We are waiting on the contractor for wood flooring or deciding if we will tile. Seeing this makes me wonder just what I really want to do.
Jeannine says
I thought it was magnificently gorgeous when I saw it months ago, and I’m so thrilled it’s still that way! Thanks for the update!!
Jeannine @ The Concrete Cottage
Beth says
This is great information! Even though I would not do this in my home, I have been curious about doing it in my cute garden shed. How perfect this would be!
Carrie @ lovely etc. says
Susan – a closet sounds like the perfect place to try this out. As far as seams, I wouldn’t worry about them in a closet. I have had no problems with the paint cracking, the seams just don’t look perfectly smooth. But that really shouldn’t matter in a closet. Hope you give it a try.
Paula says
Great update! I love your floors! We’d love for you to link this up at our party! http://housewivesofriverton.blogspot.com/2012/09/riverton-housewives-round-up-31.html
Elise Lin says
Wow I love your floor! I think this is one of the best internet makeovers I’ve ever seen.
wi.dragonfly says
We are facing a similar dilemma in our main living and dining area. We have dark orangish carpet and dogs. Need I say more? Anyway, the carpet is so gross I told my Husband I wanted to remove the carpet and paint the sub floor until we can decide on the permanent flooring. I pointed out, though we are not planning on moving any time soon,it really doesn’t matter because we can NOT sell the house with this carpet anyway! So we might as well make it comfortable for us. We will probably install carpeting right before we move because that seems to be what most people want but we think carpet is not very hygienic.
Pat Clark says
How long did you wait for the paint to cure before sealing your floor? Thanks…love, love , love this floor.
LYNN STIFF says
The floors look amazing! If you want to stop the dust from accumulating around the edges you can install quarter rounds with your molding and caulk. It adds a nice effect and dust won’t get through.
Anonymous says
Actually you did a good thing when you put down a coat of gloss and a coat of satin over it. A flooring guy told me its the best finish because the gloss is the most durable and then you have the nice mellow satin sheen finish. So a serendipity!
Anonymous says
If you need floor covering, you could see if you can buy remanents in room sizes and go right up to the baseboard and see if that “covers” the VA law on floor coverings before sale.
Susan Morris Bernstein says
Love love love these floors. I’m working on doing mine now, but I just had a quick question – do I have to use Floor and Porch paint since I’ll follow your instructions and use the Varathane clear satin water based floor sealer after?
Thanks for your amazing inspiration!!
Samantha says
Hi there, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve linked to your blog today because you were our Pinsperation when doing out office floor! Here’s the post address: http://handmadebymrsh.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/stencilled-paisley-floor.html
Thank you for this follow up post, it really helped us decide to go for it!
Jessi says
Great read! Yes, its true. In order to get financing through FHA you need floor covering. Now that we bought our home through an FHA (nationwide-but I live in FL) loan we are rehabbing the heck outta of our new home. We’ve ripped out the nasty carpet in two rooms so far and have two more to go. We stained the concrete in the living room which we love! And now we have the same problem with the base boards. The (in my mind) huge gap! We’ll be remedying this shorty. I plan on just adding on to it because we have a very tight budget. Also in the other room I’m in the middle if painting and that’s how I found you. I’m looking for a great sealant because I painted a design and I want it to last until I feel like changing it. If you’d like to follow my projects I’ve started a blog as well. You can follow me at http://WWW.trashtalkinjessi.WordPress.com I will update ASAP with my current projects. Many many more to come. :-) Thanks for sharing yours-Jessi
Anonymous says
I would like to know what kind of traffic your floor receives. How many kids, pets – dogs? Is this a main room or a “formal” room that doesn’t get much traffic? I think they are BEAUTIFUL. I am a single mom with one just out of college and one just going into college and with TWO big dogs and two boys there is a lot of traffic in my house and I just don’t have the kind of cash I would need to refloor with hardwood. It needs to be DURABLE!! So interested to hear your response. I am mostly concerned about my dogs’ nails on the soft plywood – that will be a critical part of my decision. BUT THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL – CONGRATULATIONS!
Mindy says
Just stumbled onto your blog through a google search on painting subfloor. Your floors are amazing! I’ve been thinking about painting mine for awhile but was unsure until now. I have a couple of questions for you though. 1st, you said that it took you several months to finish the stencil. Were you able to use those areas of the house while in progress? If so, did you need to do touch ups before the final sealing? Also, how did you keep your stencil from gumming up? How often and what did you use to clean it? Thanks so much!!
Oma KC says
We used deck paint on our sub-floors because it’s thicker and more durable then regular paint (for people who have children and like to drop things on the floor) will alleviate any dents or chips on your floor. We got this deck paint at Home Depot for $25 which comes in a 5-gal bucket. The only downfall is that you are limited in your color selection. I haven’t asked if you could add ‘color’ to it to change the color of the deck paint and if it would change the consistency of it. However, we went with a nice shade of brown and it looks awesome!
Anonymous says
Wish I had seen this blog a week ago! We ripped out the gross carpet in a 600 sq ft room, discovering 60’s linoleum squares underneath. Prepped to no end (removing old glue, tack strips, so on). Primed with two coats, and began a 18 x 18 checkerboard approach. The light squares were fabulous bone-colored metallic, alternating with a deep grayish (half of those were washed with deep blue metallic). Subtle, fabulous, transcendent…and then we ruined the entire thing. Used Minwax Polyurethane, which turned the whole thing yellow. After spending days on my knees, I’m nauseous at the outcome. The last thing I wanted was a tan and brown floor!!!! We’ll start over, and use the Varathane next time…boo hoo!
Carrie @ lovely etc. says
Oh no – that is terrible! Your original floor sounds gorgeous. I am so sorry things went wrong – I feel your pain. It is a lot of work (but worth it). Good luck with take two.
Christine says
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful idea. Im in the process of buying a home. I don’t want to put alot if money into it until it is in our name. Also I have a puppy so any accident on an expensive floor will greatly upset my boyfriend. This idea will definitely be an inexpensive way to cover this ugly floor and take the worry out of any loss of investment. Also thank you for covering all aspects of your experience as the negatives are the first thing we think about, it takes the fear out of trying it.
Carrie says
How exciting to be buying a home! I understand about not wanting to invest a lot just yet and I’m glad my update was helpful. Good luck!
brenda boudrow says
I live in NH . I painted the map of Lake Winnipesaukee on my kitchen and dining floors. It was 25′ by 13′. It was all done to scale with a 8″ border. I only painted in the lake area and the border. The plywood made it look topigraphical with the land and islands being left plain.I used four coats of floor water based clear finish. It took 100 hrs to paint and do all the lettering. Totally worth it. However 2 years later my home burned to the ground. I miss that floor.
Carrie says
WOW!! That sounds amazing! How sad that you lost your home and your beautiful irreplaceable floors. I love using maps on walls and furniture, but never considered painting a map instead of using a paper map of some sort.
Kathy says
Do you happen to have pictures of the entire room. I love the pics that you took, but have noticed they are of specific areas at a time. I would like to see more of the overall, entire effect. Would like to see more before decide to attempt mine. Thank you!
Carrie says
I know what you mean – it is just really hard to take pictures that show both the details and the whole space. There are pictures showing more of the whole space in this post – https://www.lovelyetc.com/2012/08/progress-living-room-and-dining-room/
Sue says
I’ve painted two floors and LOVED the results. Great job!!!!
Carrie says
Awesome! So good to hear others’ success stories!
Painting Tips says
Great post! Been reading a lot of tips for floor painting. Thanks for the info!
Carrie says
Thanks!
Carl says
Hi, thank you very much for sharing this. I think you’ve done a wonderful job and explained the process very well. It looks great and the pattern that you chose for the stenciling is very nice and practical because it’ll help hide some of the daily messes that can accrue along with dust and day to day wear and tear.
Thank again for sharing it.
Carrie says
Thanks Carl – you are definitely right. The pattern is awesome at hiding crumbs and dust and imperfections.
Penny Clayton says
Good day to you! Your floor is just beautiful. I do have a question about wear and tear. We live in the country (lists of dust and debris), we have four 150-200 lb dogs and cats. We also have young boys and a teenager. Our floors are beat to death daily. Carpeting is gross and I steam clean ours so much the carpet is getting bald spots and it still looks gross. I want to rip it out and not put in a new flooring until after we finish the remodel. Do you think with the right sealant these will hold up?
Carrie says
Penny, I am with you on carpeting being gross. I have had my painted floors for a little over two years now. They don’t get quite the abuse yours would but we do have a toddler and we had a small dog for the first year. They have held up excellently. I’m really not even careful about scooting furniture around anymore. The only thing that has damaged them in the least is dropping heavy objects with sharp corners on them – this leaves little divots into the wood. Otherwise, they have held up so great.
sara says
If you’re worried about subfloor laws, then it would be good to find out what your state defines as a ‘subfloo’r and ‘cover’. They may just mean a bare, unfinished piece of wood over the floor joists, and painting or staining that may be fine. My house has a single layer of plywood over the floor joists and is listed as not having a subfloor, rather than having only a subfloor.
Carrie says
Good point Sara – I will have to look into that. Thanks for the tip!
Rovin's Hardwood Flooring says
Thank you kindly for offering this. I think you’ve made a heavenly showing and clarified the procedure extremely well. It looks incredible and the example that you picked for the stenciling is exceptionally decent.
Cindy says
Just like everyone else, I love your floor and would like to attempt to do this on my own living room floor. How do you think this will old up with my 135ib Great Dane? Just curious, do you have any pets? How log did it take you to do the stenciling.
Thanks for your input and your posts. I’m looking forward to reading more.
Cindy
Carrie says
Thanks Cindy! I can’t say for sure how it will hold up with your Great Dane, but it has held up really well for us. We had a very small dog for the first year we had these floors and it didn’t cause a problem. We’ve had the floors 2.5 years now and I’ve gotten kind of careless with them. I scoot furniture around on them all the time and it hasn’t damaged the finish at all. And the stenciling did not take nearly as long as you might think. I worked on it for a few hours a night for two or three nights.
Cindy says
Thanks for replying so quickly. I think it will be worth the try.
Lisa Crowe says
Hi Carrie…thank you sooo much for the detailed post….i used it the most when i decided to use my sub-floor as my finished floor. At this point, I have patched, sanded, primed, painted and stenciled the whole floor, and am considering sealing it…only problem is the top coat i used was Behr’s glossy porch and patio paint, and the guys at home depot are telling me that I cant polyurethane over the glossy paint as it wont stick and will probably lift the stenciling as it peels up. Any ideas or thoughts? I would really like the floor to last me a few years, atleast. Thanks, Lisa
Carrie says
Lisa, good question. I don’t have a lot of experience with glossy paint, but I do know that even if you aren’t able to seal it, glossy paint wipes clean and stays looking good way better on its own than other paint finishes. I also painted our porch floor six years ago and was unable to seal it because I couldn’t find an appropriate sealer. Even though it is an indoor/outdoor space the paint hasn’t faded or chipped. Unfortunately, that floor was a satin finish and it has gotten pretty dirty looking over the years. I would also recommend checking the labels of your paint cans to see if they recommend any type of sealer that can be used. Good luck!
Jessica Johnson-Rowlands says
I did this project in my bedroom and LOVE it. I get so many instant Likes on FaceBook. Just wanted to say thanks for sharing!!!
Carrie says
I am so glad you love it! Congrats on your new floors!