Possible to paint/stain plywood flooring?

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My bedroom is on the second story of my town house. The carpeting was ripped out and now there is only ply wood flooring. Can I stain it to make it look richer or paint it to not make it look so "woody"?

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  1. joemammysbigguns says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    Plywood always looks like crap no matter what you do to it.

    Better to get some snap together flooring and put it down – check with some overstock/salvage places – I did the entire basement of my house with it for less than $400. One room shouldn’t cost you more than $100 even if you got some good stuff.

  2. Marvinator says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    Yes, but remember to finish the plywood with polyurethane or some other sealer or you will be repainting every few months.

  3. heart o' gold says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    I’d paint it. Plywood isn’t very pretty and it’s made with adhesives and chemicals I wouldn’t want on my skin. It can also give you splinters and is absorbent so will absorb anything you spill on it and that will make it even less attractive. Several layers of paint will seal all that stuff away from your body. You could also paint a "rug" as elaborate or simple as you wanted to make it look decorative. Be sure to clean it well and let it dry to prepare it for painting. You could also fill in any low areas or knots with fixall before painting. I ripped out my carpets years ago and for a time lived on painted plywood floors. With all my animals they were blessedly easy to clean after dealing with dirt-trap carpet…

  4. backdoc says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    I would paint it. That way it doesn’t look like plywood. It is just a sub floor, its purpose is to be covered with something like carpet, hardwood, tile, etc… but painting it will give you a unique look. I would then buy an area rug. Make sure to get gloss or high gloss paint though.

  5. Killer B says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    If you decide to paint, PLEASE use porch/stair paint, this will be easier to clean and you’re less likely to fall/slip/die. Ask anybody in a paint store or paint department and they’ll get you what you need. I know somebody who painted stairs not using special paint, they almost died.

  6. Turnhog says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    I personally wouldn’t do either, but if I had to choose between stain and paint of plywood (ugh) I’d go with floor paint, which is different then regular paint.

  7. sli79 says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    DEPENDING ON THE GRADE OF PLYWOOD (RUFF OR SMOOTH) I WOULD STAIN IT! AFTER ALL IT IS WOOD. AND THERE ARE MANY COLORS OF STAINS AND SOLID STAINS (MORE LIKE PAINT).
    I CAN IMAGINE THE FLOOR LOOKING LIKE AN IN-LAYED WOOD FLOOR, WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF WOOD.
    USEING GREEN PAINTERS TAPE (VERY IMPORTANT), DECIDE HOW THICK TO MAKE A LINE THAT OUT LINES THE ROOM, DO SEVERAL DIFFERENT THICKNESS AND IN THE CENTER DO A SOLID AREA (SQUARE OR RECT) . WHEN GOOD AND DRY AND TAPE REMOVED, USE A FLOOR POLYURETHANE, THAT WOOD FLOOR GUYS USE, NOT HOME DEPOT, OR MENARD’S TYPE BRANDS, AND DO SEVERAL COATS, THAT WILL SELF LEVEL AND FILL IN CRACKS AND HOLES.
    I THINK IT WOULD LOOK MUCH MORE CLASSY, ANY STYLE DECORE WILL WORK, AND IT WILL WEAR BETTER MUCH BETTER THEN PAINT.

  8. gimmyafrickenbreak says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    you can stain anything, just ask my kids, they have stained every surface in my house!!!

  9. lego says:
    August 28, 2009 at 2:40 am

    your budget dictates what you can do here. If you want, you can clean the floor and patch it with wood putty, then you can prime it and paint a mural on it, then seal it with a gym finish. Once again this is time consuming but your options are limited to your imagination.

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