How to Distress a Floor with Painting

Although some painting techniques require pristine applications as precise and perfect as possible, other techniques require imperfect and rudimentary results instead. After applying several coats of paint to a floor surface in your home, you can use a simple technique to distress the freshly painted floor. The result is a slightly rough and defective floor surface that exudes an informal, country charm for the room; some like to call it "shabby chic."

Trisodium phosphate
Bucket
Scrub brush
440-grit sandpaper
Vacuum cleaner (with brush attachment)
Tack cloth
Painter’s tape
2-inch angled trim brush
Latex floor paint (base color and top-coat color)
Paint tray
Paint roller
6-inch flat paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Measure 1/4 cup trisodium phosphate into the bucket and add 2 gallons of warm water. Stir the mixture well and saturate a scrub brush. Scrub the floor thoroughly with the cleaning solution. Rinse away the cleaner with plain water and dry the floor with a clean towel.
- 2
  Sand the floor lightly with the sandpaper to scuff it. Vacuum the floor with the brush attachment of the vacuum cleaner to remove as much sawdust as possible. Wipe the floor thoroughly with the tack cloth to remove every trace of dust.
- 3
  Apply painter’s tape along the walls around the perimeter of the floor to prevent paint from spreading onto these areas as you paint the floor.
- 4
  Load the base paint color onto the trim brush and paint around the perimeter of the floor to cut it in. Pour the base paint color into the paint tray and load the paint roller. Apply the base color over the entire floor in an even layer with the paint roller.
- 5
  Allow the first layer of the base coat to dry completely and add a second layer using the same application technique. Allow the second layer to dry completely before you continue.
- 6
  Pour the top-coat paint color into the paint tray. Load the paint roller with the paint and apply it to the floor, working in 3-foot sections.
- 7
  Brush the dry bristles of the 6-inch flat paintbrush randomly over the wet paint in the 3-foot section to remove some of the top coat of paint and give it a distressed appearance. Vary the direction of the brush on the floor to create a random appearance.
- 8
  Continue applying paint in 3-foot sections and distressing each section immediately with the paintbrush before the paint dries. Blend the edges of the sections together lightly with the paintbrush as you work.
- 9
  Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before touching or walking on the floor. Remove the painter’s tape.

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