I would do all the painting first. And then do the floors. If you do the floors first you need several layers to cover them up so the floors do not get scratched or any paint leaks . Some good prep work will be needed.

Yep , agree with tammra2. You can always go back and touch up the paint if it gets marred.

Paint first, then flooring. That's how all of the contractors do it. Paint is easily touched up.

One caution. The raw wood floors need to be covered with heavy paper especially if any spraying will be done. Don't assume, ask your painter. Some painters can be very messy and figure the floor guy will handle it. That can lead to the need for excessive sanding which ultimately effects the life of the hardwood.

paint, then floors, then touch up.

thank you all very much. I assume the wood dust from installing the woodfloor can be easily cleaned up by the final touch up by painter, right?

Yep, a good vacuum and wiping the walls with a damp rag are all you need.

Are these real wood floors being put in ?

On real wood floors being put down : You can also go to new homes being built and see how they do it If i remember on my new home I think they put down the floor first. Sanded etc. then covered Then painted Then came back and finished the floors Stained. Etc. I would ask several floor companies . I hope this does not confuse you. I think they finished the floors after painting was done so they did not get messed up

The floor is prefinished. So I think I'll ask the painter do the second coat now before the floor install. Initially they only want to come back to paint the 2nd paint after floor is installed....probably to save the "final touch Up" step. Thank you all

Pre- finished floors. If they are not installed yet paint first

Paint, then floors. I went through the same dilemma last year and even the painter said to do it in that order. You don't want them dragging their ladders across your newly finished floors. And painters are messy. I was worried because everyone said having carpet installed would trash the newly painted walls too-- even the flooring store owner told me this. But fortunately, I had a reasonable crew and just asked the guys to go as easy as they could on the walls since it was all new paint. Fortunately, they were nice and seemed to listen. Think the movers were rougher on the walls than the flooring guys, oddly enough. Any touch ups can be done after.

Everyone agrees to paint first , so glad we could all help with your project Good luck on everything. You are going to love it !

Thank you all!

Hi there! We can't tell you how often we get asked this question and it's a very important question to ask when scheduling work. We always say to paint the walls and ceilings first with some risk of needing touch ups. It's much easier to touch up a painted wall than a new floor- whether the floor be prefinished, sanded and refinished, hardwood or another type of floor covering. However, the one thing that's best to paint AFTER the flooring work are the base moldings and shoe moldings- and for good reason. First, the base and shoe moldings need to be installed once the flooring has been completed so it wouldn't even be there while the painters are painting before the floor work. Second, base and shoe molding require prep- nail holes filled and seams caulked. So it's best to do the moldings AFTER the flooring. When installing after a home or room was just painted, we are sure to be extra careful with the walls. Some touchups will be needed and painters usually expect and are OK with it. Feel free to check out and browse around our website. We have some great blog topics that we discuss and are always posting new articles!

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Another vote for painting first. We are currently building a new home and that is what our contractor has recommended. Well, more than recommended, he is insistent that floors will come only after painting is done.