How to Measure the Floor for Painted Diagonal Squares

Mix 1/4 cup TSP and 2 gallons of warm water in the bucket. Scrub the floor surface thoroughly with the TSP solution. Rinse the floor with plain water and dry the floor thoroughly with the towel.

Sand the floor lightly to create a slight scuff. Work carefully to sand the entire surface evenly. Vacuum the floor with the brush attachment of the vacuum cleaner to remove sawdust. Wipe the floor with the tack cloth to remove any remaining sawdust from the floor.

Apply painter’s tape along the perimeter baseboards to prevent paint from spreading to these surfaces.

Load the trim brush with primer and paint the perimeter of the floor to cut it in. Pour primer into the paint tray and load the roller. Apply primer to the floor with the paint roller in an even layer. Allow the primer to dry for the time recommended on the product label.

Apply the base coat of acrylic paint over the primer using the trim brush and the paint roller. Allow the paint to dry completely and apply a second coat of paint. Allow the second coat of paint to dry for at least 24 hours.

Measure the length and width of the room and divide each dimension by two to find the precise center of the room on the floor. Mark an “X” on the floor at the center point.

Place one end of a chalk line in one corner and the other end in the diagonal opposite corner (get an assistant to help you with this). Snap the chalk line to place a diagonal center line over the floor. Place one end of the chalk line in the next corner and place the other end in the diagonal opposite corner so that the chalk line will pass over the center point of the room. Snap the chalk like to place another diagonal line over the floor -- the two lines should cross over the center point of the room.

Determine the dimensions you wish to make the squares -- 8-inch squares, for example. Using this example, place the tape measure at the point where the diagonal line ends at a wall. Measure 8 inches to the right of the line and make a mark. At the other end of the line where it ends at the opposite wall, make a mark 8 inches above the endpoint. Hold the chalk line at these two points and snap it to make line parallel to the center line that is 8 inches away. Repeat the same process to make parallel lines across the entire right side of the floor. Reverse the process to mark the floor on the left side of your original diagonal chalk line, measuring increments to the left of the lower right-hand endpoint and down from the upper left-hand corner endpoint.

Repeat the same process to mark parallel lines to the other diagonal center line. Measure and mark chalk lines the same distance apart (8 inches in the example) to create a diagonal grid on the floor.

Determine which squares you wish to paint with the contrasting color and which squares you will leave the existing base color (every other square needs contrasting color painted over the base color). Apply painter’s tape along the lines to surround the squares you will paint with the contrasting paint color.