Faux Wood Painted Floors

We pulled out the carpet and put in new floors. But when we got to the stairs, we knew we’d have a problem. The stairs were made from unsealed mdf and there were large cracks on the sides. We couldn’t afford new hardwood stairs so I devised a plan that consisted of lots of wood filler and paint.

First I filled all the holes with Elmer’s Wood Filler. Then I sanded it. I kicked up lots of dust so I’d recommend keeping your vacuum handy and wearing a dust mask.

Then prime with a good primer.

Next tape off the treads.

Then pick out a base color. I went in with a sample of our floors and picked out a light base color that matched the wood. Cover the treads with the paint, leaving the risers white.

I got various colors of brown, black and white acrylic paint and added it to a pie tin. Mixing the colors onto a dry brush a little at a time, I swept on the colors in the same direction. With the black paint, I went back and created knots and streaks to mimic our floors. This is what really helped give the stairs more dimension and look authentic.

For the next step, do as I say and not as I do. Make sure you pick out the right glaze!!! Oh my, mine took forever to dry and I couldn’t understand why until I actually read the label…slow drying! Ugh! For the glaze, I picked out a medium tone of brown matching my floor sample.

I painted on the glaze color and then used this wood grain tool (rocking it back and forth while using a sweeping motion) to make the faux wood grain. This is what really made it look awesome!

So after waiting forever and a day for it to dry, I put on some sealant ensure it’d hold up to the foot traffic.

And this is what it looks like next to our floors. Not too shabby! I saved lots of money and was able to make the MDF work. Mission accomplished!