Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Install new unfiinished floor or paint room first?

I need to paint a room and install an unfinished hardwood floor.

Which one should I do first and why?

Normally you would paint before installing flooring to prevent paint splattering on the floor, but becuase you are installing UNFINISHED flooring I would recommend painting last. The new flooring must be sanded and sealed and this the sanding will create lots of dust. So after the floor is finished you will have to remove all the dust and then paint. Also you will probably have to remove baseboard and quarter round moldings to install flooring and they will also have to be painted the new color. Good luck.

that is the dilema. I've already removed the baseboards, so I am free to either the painting or the floor installation next. Removing the dust is a pain, but it can be done in an afternoon. I haven't installed a floor before so I was wondering if I may have not thought about something that might be critical.

you'll probably scuff the walls when you're putting the floor in. i'd wait to paint last. you don't want to have to wipe dust off your freshly painted walls and have to touch them up, so do your floor first, clean up, then paint. keeping paint off the floor isn't a big deal.

Install flooring first and finish. Cover floor with rosin paper to protect before painting. Use a drop cloth, carry a clean, wet rag to wipe up paint drips. Go to www.nofma.org for the National Oak Flooring Association's hardwood flooring installation instructions.

Hi,

Sorry, one more opinion!

I was taught to do walls first. And while you have the opportunity, check your ceilings for painting.

Walls are rarely damaged by installation of flooring by professionals. Infact, I've never damaged walls with floor installations when doing my self.

Even if you are having your floors refinished, you do not need the extra aggravation of dried paint.

Just my opinion.

Aimee

My 5 cent:
1. Install wood floor
2. Sand the floor, put first 2 - 3 coat of floor finish
3. Install baseboards, etc
4. Cover floor with paper (tape paper sheets to each other so no dust will go to your new floor)
5. Fix, paint walls, seilings, paint baseboards, etc
6. Remove apper and put last coat of floor finish.

It does not make sense to paint and then sand floors which will result in dust settling on paint. Install floors, clean up dust on drywall and all surfaces. Cover floors to protect, use drop cloths, wipe up spills. When painting is done, then everything is clean, dust free, and finished.

I have cleaned up drywall dust. I have cleaned up sanding dust from wood floors. I have painted many homes. I never want to remove dust from my painted walls. When I am through painting a room, I am through with that room except for decorating it.