Painting your floors is no small task: you’ll need to move out all of your furniture (yes, all of it) and be prepared not to walk in or through the room for several days while the coats dry. And the heavy-duty, hardwearing paint that’s suitable for floors also comes with lots of fumes.

What kind of paint do you use on floors?

For best results, go with a standard oil-based porch and floor paint or oil-based enamel. These aren’t exactly the greenest products on the market, but they’ll stand up to foot traffic better than any other paint. Other types of paints offer a tradeoff – they’ll have less fumes, but they won’t be as durable.

Is painting floorboards a good idea?

Painting floorboards is a great way to update a room on a budget – especially if you have the time to tackle the job as a DIY project. Ideally, you should use floor paints for a long-lasting finish, but most good quality paints suitable for woodwork will give you a surprisingly tough floor.