What to Put on Top of Floor Paint

Polyurethane Coating

• If you want overall protection for a floor’s paint job, you can get it by applying a polyurethane coating over the top of the paint. Polyurethane dries into a hard, transparent surface. Give the painted floor at least two days to dry before applying polyurethane, and apply the polyurethane coating in two thin layers. Let the polyurethane dry for 24 hours, then sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper before applying the second layer.

Rugs

• Use strategic rug placement on top of floor paint. Use runner rugs in areas such as hallways or the foyer to create a walkway. For living rooms or bedrooms with painted floors, consider a large rug that covers nearly the entire floor surface. The rug protects the floor and offers a comfortable place to sit on the floor, while leaving the painted floor on display at the edges.

Furniture

• When furniture gets jostled, the feet of furniture can scratch floor paint. To protect the painted floor, use furniture pads to prevent movement and stop scratching and scuffing. If you’d like to get creative, use area rugs beneath furniture pieces. An area rug may help tie together the color of the floor and the coloring of a piece of furniture.

Other Types of Flooring

• If the floor paint in a room is old, or if you decide you’d like to try something different in the room, you generally can install another type of flooring directly on top of a painted floor. Before attempting to install flooring over a painted floor, check that the surface is level, fill in low spots and clean the floor. Once the floor is level and clean, you can install tile, hardwood, laminate or linoleum without taking up the paint.