Liam reveals why painting floors comes with danger, including maintenance
costs and impacts to property value.
PAINTING floors has become a popular way of adding extra character and design to rooms, enhancing aesthetics and creating a custom look. However, I’m here to remind people of the many drawbacks of engaging with this design trend.
I’ve explored the reasons why I believe people should avoid painting their floors, including decreasing the property value and issues with durability.
From covering up damage to seeking a brand new look, there are various reasons why people may choose to paint their floors. However, this design choice isn’t without its drawbacks. Let’s take a look at why I believe people should avoid painting their surfaces in further detail:
Painted floors require a lot of maintenance
Firstly, one of the biggest negatives with painted floors is the upkeep. To maintain a complete and tidy look, painted surfaces will require frequent touch-ups to address any scuffs, chips or discolouration.
This can prove quite time-consuming and quickly becomes much more work than regular hardwood or LVT flooring requires. Additionally, markings can show up quite easily on painted floors, meaning touch-ups may be needed more than you might expect.
It’s incredibly easy to damage
In comparison to regularly finished wooden floors, painted surfaces are so easy to damage or mark, leading to replacement costs or time spent maintaining the floor. For people with children or pet-heavy homes, painted floors can pose a challenge, it only takes dragging furniture or dropping a sharp object to scratch the surface and harm the overall aesthetic.
Also, in summer, sections of the floor that are constantly in the sun can quickly become discoloured. While it can be a unique design choice, in some homes, it’s simply not practical enough to justify.
Choosing to paint floors harms the property’s value
While opting to paint floors may seem like a bright idea at the time, it can quickly become an annoyance when the time comes to sell the property. Opting to paint can negatively affect the value of the home and deter buyers – with many preferring original flooring that offers a more timeless appeal. Traditional flooring, such as hardwood, laminate or LVT are all well-known and popular options, painting floors could provide a headache when it’s time to move on.
Moisture issues are common
On some flooring types, including wooden surfaces, paint can pose a moisture problem. This occurs as paint can act as a barrier, trapping moisture beneath it and raising the risk of the material warping.
The moisture can also lead to mould, impacting aesthetics and posing an immediate health risk in people’s homes. Therefore, I recommend avoiding this trend and instead maintaining the original flooring, minimising the risk of health concerns or further damage.
The style can quickly become outdated
Hardwood and laminate style flooring are popular due to their timeless appeal. Unfortunately, this is not the case with painted floors and the colour or overall look can quickly become outdated or untrendy. This then brings cost implications when it’s time to replace the look, so to avoid this, choose to prioritise a surface in a style that won’t go out of fashion, helping to maintain an inviting living space.
Overall, while I can see the appeal behind painting floors, I believe it offers too many durability and maintenance issues to make it practical to the common household. Instead, I recommend choosing a design that can be easily replaced or addressed if damaged without wide-scale costs.’
www.flooringking.co.uk
Liam Cleverdon is flooring expert at Flooring King