The Common Mistake To Avoid When Painting A Diamond Floor Design

Diamond-patterned floors have become popular for adding an eye-catching look to any room. One of the great things about this design is that you don't need to buy tiles or hire a professional to get the look. A diamond pattern can be achieved as a DIY with a bit of planning and the right supplies. When planning this design, though, it's easy to make mistakes. There is one especially common mistake among diamond floor DIYers: using painter's tape that is too wide. While the width of the tape won't make a difference in the diamond in the center of your tape, you won't achieve the alternating diamond pattern you are going for. Instead of neat diamond rows, you will have rows of diamonds that are possibly several inches from each other, alternating with stripes in something more like a plaid design.

It should be noted that using a wide tape is fine if you plan on painting inside each diamond and leaving the floor color underneath the tape as-is. The diamonds will be more spread out than if you used thinner painter's tape, but it won't affect the pattern. If you plan to add rows of diamonds to your floor, though, thick tape will be an issue. Since planning and executing a floor painting project is already a significant undertaking, it's crucial to choose the right kind of painter's tape. There are also some other things you can do to create a more visually appealing diamond floor.

Thin painter's tape can help you achieve the diamond design by reducing the space between each diamond's corners. Avoiding this painter's tape error moves each diamond closer together and also prevents the alternating diamonds from appearing awkward. For a diamond-pattern floor with connecting diamonds, like the ones in retro diners, an approach other than criss-crossing painter's tape is needed.

One method involves making a cardboard template (or a sample tile) of the diamond shape you want. You will place the template on the floor in the center of the room and trace around it with a pencil. Then, use a yardstick or a similarly long, straight item and trace along it, extending out from each side of the template as far as possible. These lines will serve as the guide for both the current and adjacent rows. Now, you can paint the diamonds using painter's tape to ensure straight lines, or skip the hassle of painter's tape and use a painter's shield.

Another method of painting a perfect diamond floor also involves using a template. You will put the diamond cutout in the center of your floor and place thin painter's tape around it on all sides. Repeat this process across the entire floor, ensuring the corners of the tape are lined up. Next, use a straight edge and cutting tool to remove the excess painter's tape, ensuring the diamond edges touch at their tips. Then, paint.