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Remodeling your home can dramatically increase the value of your home. The home remodeling project with the highest return on investment in remodeling happens to be refinishing and installing new hardwood flooring. One of the hardest tasks in refinishing wood floors is whitewashing. Not only can it be hard to pull off, it can also transform your wood floors, drawing in mood-enhancing natural light, and make them seem like they were newly installed. However, we think we can simplify the whitewashing process for you so you can do it yourself.
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What is Whitewashing?
Whitewashing is when you paint over wood, or some other material, with whitewash. People do this to make a material seem fresher, and lighter, and to make a space feel happier. Often, a whitewash is made by mixing paint, or calcimine, or bleach with water, or something else. You can make a whitewash on your own.
Whitewash’s popularity actually started off for non-aesthetic reasons: whitewash was popular because it contained lime, which protects wood from the kind of bacteria that lead to mold, moisture and mildew. This is why colonial homes often have whitewashed floors.
According to Full Coverage Painting & Flooring, whitewashing your floors in the manner we will discuss below, will allow the whitewash to last long, looking fresh, light and new all the time.
Although this is the easiest way to whitewash your floors. Now, you should raise that by using paint, you are choosing a permanent solution. You won’t be able to sand away the paint because it will seep through the pores of the wood. However, it is an easy, effective, and robust solution that really taps into the tradition of whitewashing you can see in old flooring.
Preparation
Not every wood is suitable for whitewashing. Dark woods such as mahogany and cherry, may grey or brown as a result of whitewashing. If that isn’t your goal, then don’t whitewash. Light woods such as ash, maple and pine, really do well with whitewashing.
Now, once you’ve figured out if your wood is right for whitewashing, you should clear the floor and remove the varnish on your floor. Sanding with a square buff sander, or, if necessary, a high-power drum sander, is a great way of removing varnish. Once you’ve done that, then the white paint will soak into the wood. When you’ve removed the varnish, vacuum your floor and leave a clean surface.
Apply the Wash
Mix the paint with water in equal parts, or 2 to 1, or even 3 to 1. The more paint in the mix, the darker the effect will be. So, figure out the degree of opacity you want to have, then mix the paint and water. Apply the wash to your wood floor and spread it out using a rag. The paint will soak into the wood, and, once you wipe off your upper layer, the grains of the wood will appear, giving your floor a whitewashed look. Repeat the process across the floor, and when you’re done, seal the floor with five layers of sealant, preferably, a water-based polyurethane.
Learn more about different types of available paints and their advantages, on this website: www.air-safecleaner.com
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