How to Create Painted Checkered Floors

Sweep the floor thoroughly to remove all loose dust and debris. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon of water and two to three capfuls of trisodium phosphate cleaner. Insert a mop into the bucket, and mop the floor with the solution to remove any grease and oil that may interfere with the paint application.

Allow the floor to dry completely, and then sand the surface with a fine-grit sandpaper just until it is dull. After sanding, vacuum the floor thoroughly to remove all the sanding dust.

Open the lighter color of your two paints and pour it into a paint tray. Screw a paint roller onto an extension handle and then saturate the roller in the paint. Apply the paint to the floor in long, even strokes until the entire surface is coated.

Allow the first paint layer to dry completely overnight before proceeding.

Measure the width of the floor and divide the measurement in half to locate the center. Place a chalk line at the center point and stretch it all the way across to the other side. Snap the chalk line to draw a line on the floor.

Move the chalk line 12 inches to the left or right and repeat the process. Continue until you have snapped lines across the entire width of the floor. Next, repeat the same procedure across the length of the floor to create squares.

Apply long strips of painter's tape to each of the chalk lines, and press them down firmly with your fingers to prevent paint bleed-through.

Open the second, darker color of floor and porch paint, and pour it into a fresh paint tray. Insert a fresh paint roller into the paint, and apply it to every other square on the floor.

Remove the painter's tape slowly while the paint is still fresh. Allow the floor to dry for 24 hours before replacing rugs or furniture, or before you walk on it.