I’ve painted the walls in my house multiple times. I’ve painted furniture, doors, trim, picture frames, cabinets, vanities, cement block, the outside of my house, and I’m sure there are other things I’m forgetting about. When I heard my friend talking about how she wanted to paint her 1970’s slate entryway floors (which would be a first for me!!!), I jumped at the opportunity to help! Was I excited to try something new? Yes! Was I equally terrified that we would ruin her floors, they would peel and chip after a short time, and she would have to spend tons of money replacing the floor? Also, yes. (Spoiler alert: It’s been two years since this project and the floors are holding up great and still look amazing!! Thank goodness!!)
Regardless of the risk, we decided to do our research and carry on! Here I am sharing what I learned from my first experience painting slate floors, as well as some other things I researched along the way.
First a quick rundown of our process:
- Prep and clean the floors
- Paint slate stone only, no grout – Let it dry
- Spot paint any streaks – Let it dry
- Buff
- Thoroughly sweep floors
- Top Coat full coverage including grout – 2 coats
You can also visit my Lowe’s Storefront or Linktree to get all of the essentials you’ll need for this project!
Prep Work is Key
This step can either make or break your entire project. It isn’t flashy, but it’s the most important!!! A few wrong decisions and your paint starts chipping or peeling off, and suddenly you have a full-blown DIY disaster on your hands. This is common sense, but it is unbelievably important. Floors take a beating, and the paint will not stick if the surface is not prepared correctly.
First things first — not all paint belongs on a floor. Make sure you’re using one that’s actually made for floors and can handle real-life wear and tear. Then (and I know this isn’t fun) read the label. Every paint has its own prep requirements, and skipping that step can mess up your whole project. Research, read reviews, do all the things, and make sure you’re getting a high-quality product. It would be such a shame to go through all that work only to have it peel over time.
Your paint directions will tell you how to properly prepare the surface you’re painting. I’d also recommend doing a little extra digging to see if anyone else found something helpful along the way.
We used Bungalow 47 for the floors. The recommendation was to thoroughly clean the slate with a multipurpose cleaner (or soap and water) and a degreaser before painting. Some paints also require priming, so again — research. It’s part of the fun, right?!
Paint - Take Your Time
Slow and steady wins the race. This project definitely took longer than I thought it was going to. That wasn’t a bad thing! I’m just usually a pretty fast painter, so I honestly thought we could get it done in two nights since it wasn’t a huge area.
I guess that doesn’t really make sense when you think about it, because painting edges always takes the longest. This was basically one big edge job. Do not rush, or your paint job will be streaky!
The Size of Brush Matters
The size of the brush you use matters. I like using a 1-inch brush to do trim. It is easier for me to get a straight line, cut in when necessary, and paint the details. My friend chose to use a 2-inch brush because she was more comfortable with that size. Either size would be fine!
A word of caution: Smaller brushes are not the best for full coverage. They simply don’t hold as much paint as thicker brushes. I am more comfortable using a 1-inch brush, so I did that, but I needed to make sure I was thoroughly covering the area and that there were no streaks. It might be necessary to go back over it a second time (regardless of the brush size).
We chose not to do a second coat, but we did go back (once the paint was completely dry) and spot-paint any streaks we saw.
Buffing: WOW! DO NOT SKIP!
I never would have realized how important this step was if I hadn’t seen it for myself! Before buffing, the color was very flat. I liked it, but it lacked detail.
Buff with a microfiber cloth. We didn't and it caused some fuzz balls to come off while buffing. Totally fine, but just an FYI.
You can see the difference between buffed (right) and not yet buffed (left). This is still not the final color.
The buffing truly gives each piece of slate a realistic look. The chalkiness fades away, and the natural grooves of the stones become visible. This was by far the most rewarding part of the project for me!
Save Your Paint Brushes (and Your Money!)
Do Not Get Wet!
Water is a HUGE no-no before the top coat. I’m talking not even a drop.
The night after finishing the first coat, my friend and I did a little wine celebration (any reason for a wine break is the right reason). Meanwhile, our children were running in and out of the house to play in the snow.
Well… although we covered the floor, a few drops of water flung off of them onto the paint. (Yes, we know. It was a bad idea to let them go in and out of that door. It was only a very small corner they needed to walk through, but in hindsight, the back door would have been the right choice.)
The kids' cards were our very professional system for marking which stone section needed spot-painted.
The drops left water marks on the chalky paint. We were easily able to spot-paint the area, but it was an avoidable mistake.
Applying the Matte Topcoat
Bungalow 47 is the thickest paint I’ve ever used, which is another reason it took longer to apply. It dries looking very chalky, so keep in mind that the color in the can isn’t exactly what the finished floor will look like. We used the color Tarnished Silver, but the final result ends up a bit different — especially once you add the top coat.
For the final step, we applied the clear Bungalow matte finish top coat, which dries darker and gives the floors their finished look. I can’t speak for what a different brand of top coat would do, but based on everything I’ve read, most chalky paints darken a bit once sealed.
The directions say not to shake the can, but they do recommend stirring before applying and occasionally while working. We edged the sides first and then used a 4-inch foam roller to cover the entire surface, including the grout.
I’ve used foam rollers in the past, and I’ll be honest — I haven’t always loved them. But for this project, it worked well, and once the top coat was fully applied, the floors were looking amazing.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to make a change to your floors but aren’t quite ready to replace them, I’d definitely recommend this project — as long as you’re willing to put in the time to do it right (because, again, a DIY disaster is the alternative!). I was also inspired by this tutorial on painting slate floors here: How to Paint an Outdated Slate Floor — it’s always helpful to see another take on the process before diving in. Two years later, the slate floors are holding up beautifully, and I’m so glad we took the risk. With the right prep, a little patience, and careful attention to the directions, this is totally doable. Happy painting! 🙂
