Tip: Before beginning this project, the wood floor must be prepared. Start by sanding with a machine sander, then nail down loose nails and planks. Fill in large holes and noticeable cracks with "plastic wood" (available at home centers) in a pine shade. Cracks between planks will eventually be lost in the faux parquet design.
Materials:
poster board
matte knife
scissors
measuring tape
long straightedge
pencil
acrylic paints
sandpaper
Steps:
- Make a template in the shape of a hexagon. Mark a line 10 inches across onto a sheet of posterboard and mark the center of that line. Draw another 10 inch line whose center intersects the first one's center.
- Draw a 5 inch perpendicular line at both ends of only one of the axes. Make the center point of the 5 inch line meet the end of the axis.
- Using a straightedge, connect the ends of the lines to form a hexagon shape. Cut out template with scissors.
- Find the center of all four walls and mark this first. Begin tracing at center cross and work out from these guidelines. This is more reliable than working from the walls inward, since walls are frequently irregular.
- After the design has completely been penciled in, score over the pencil lines to a depth of 1/16 inches with a sharp matte knife and a straightedge. Then move the straightedge slightly and score each line again to create a groove. Remove excess wood with and awl. This is to prevent the stains or paints from leaking outside their boundaries.
- To color the design, either use water-based stains in contrasting colors or acrylic tube colors diluted with water and mixed to give appropriate shades. Make sure either color mixture is diluted enough for the wood grain to show through. Let dry thoroughly overnight.
- Apply black acrylic paint to the floor in sections (filling in grooves) and immediately wipe off with a damp cloth.
- Use medium grit sandpaper to age floor.
- Seal using an eggshell or clear acrylic varnish.
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