How to Marbleize Faux Floors

Rub sandpaper over the floor surface lightly to scuff the surface without scratching into the floor. Vacuum the floor to lift sanding particles. Dilute ¼ cup of liquid detergent into a gallon of warm water. Wipe the floor down with a sponge to clean away any dirt or grime. Allow the floor to dry completely.

Run 1-inch wide painter’s tape along the base of each wall as close to the floor as possible without taping the floor. Paint over the entire floor using your cream colored base coat of latex satin sheen floor paint and a standard paint roller. Allow the base to dry for two hours. Paint a second coat and leave it to dry for four hours or until no longer tacky.

Break up the look of the “marble” for larger floor areas to make it look like individual slabs, if desired. If so, run 1/8-inch wide tape vertically and horizontally over the floor to break the area up into equal-sized sections, such as 6-foot squares or 4-by-6-foot rectangles.

Mix into a container one part of your base coat latex paint and four parts of one of your latex glazes. Create the 1-to-4 ratio mix in a second container with your other glaze color. Pour each glaze mix into individual paint trays and place the base color in a third tray.

Apply the three different colors to the floor using sponge rollers or sea sponges in random patterns, working with the base color only half as much as the two glazes. Work the rollers at 45-degree angles to create marble drift patterns, alternating the direction you work in between slabs.

Work in smaller areas at a time starting in one corner and working toward a door or along one taped off “slab” at a time so the paint stays wet while you work. Avoid working the area too heavily or you’ll begin to mix the paint colors and end up with a more uniform look rather than mottled colorations.

Blot over the wet paints with a lambswool pad to soften some areas and with a crumpled plastic bag around others to create crisp lines. Continue to apply the paint and glaze mixtures over the floor areas followed by blotting with the pad and plastic bag until the entire floor is complete. Allow the floor to dry thoroughly overnight.

Remove any of the 1/8-inch tape, if used, from the floor area slowly by pulling it backwards over itself. Apply a coat of non-yellowing latex varnish over the entire floor using a paint roller. Work from one corner toward the door. Allow the clear varnish to dry for up to 24 hours before walking or placing furniture on the floor.