Can I paint the linoleum on my kitchen floor to match my new paint job? The floor stuff is ugly in my modular and I can't afford to lay new stuff.
Thanks.
By Daley Jean from Kingman, AZ
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When I was a kid and my parents couldn't afford to paint the linoleum in any room of the house, that includes the living room and dining room too, my Mother would get down on her hands and knees and paint the linoleum (back then, where we lived, there wasn't long handled paint rollers and she probably wouldn't have spent the money on one, anyway). Then when the base coat was dry, she would take old rags and dip them in different colors of paint and dab them over the base coat, giving it kind of a stippled effect. Most people now would sneer at it, but it served the purpose at the time.
My Mother never put a clear sealing coat over the paint, but it seems like I have heard lately that a person should. Have you priced the peel and stick vinyl tiles? There have been times that I have seen them advertised for 99 cents each, and they are 12" square. With a little planning, you should be able to install them yourself, instead of hiring somebody to install other flooring. Of course when I was a kid and we did get linoleum my Dad just laid it, cutting around the stove, sink, etc. And we never had trouble with it curling up on the edges. I don't know what he did to prevent that, but I know he never used any type of glue.
How large is your kitchen? I see Big Lots has $15 pieces that my friends put in their rental bathroom and front porch. You could also go to your local furniture store if they sell flooring, sometimes they had remnants or rolls they got on discount that they keep in the back for customers that can't afford the regular vinyl. You can paint the vinyl but I would use poly over it with about 3 coats. Good luck.
I've painted linoleum floors before and they held up really well without sealing but that's probably because I don't allow shoes in my home, just bare feet, socks or soft bottom slippers. Be sure and ask the store which type paint would be the best to use. I am sorry I can't remember what kind I used for sure but I think it might have been the outdoor porch paint.
I have seen this before, we used this when needing a black/white floor for a play production. Use oil based and make a design by masking off areas and good luck.
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Does anyone have experience with or tips for painting a linoleum floor? I've been told by the folks at a leading home improvement store that it's possible, but may not hold up to wear. It's the kitchen floor.
I know I would have to put a primer on first, Kilz or something similar, but what kind of paint after that? Deck, porch, masonry? And then polyurethane? I'm looking for a cheap fix until I can afford tile or hardwood. Thanks a bunch.
Gloria from Western NY
This can be done, and you can do it!
I have experience doing this and it holds up extremely well.
Prime the floor first with interior primer; let it dry.
Then using interior paint (can be for walls, doesn't have to be floor paint) paint your floor.
After you have designed the floor (if you've used stencils to make a border, etc.) let this dry at least 8 hours or overnight.
Now coat the floor with polyurethane (non-yellowing type) at least 3 coats, letting it dry between coats. You'll be amazed at the durability and pleased with the new floor. (02/06/2009)
By BrendaC.
Another option would be to just install "peel-n-stick" laminate/linoleum tiles over the existing flooring. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to trim and the results are great. I was opposed to this idea a few years ago when my white linoleum kitchen floors needed replaced. But, I have been thrilled with the results and received many compliments. If you consider this, you can get 1 sample tile for under $1.00 at the local home improvement store and see how it would look.
My mother painted all of the linoleum floors in our house many times. This included the kitchen, dining room, and living room. She didn't ever prime them, She washed them, let them dry then got down on her hands and knees with a can of paint and a paint brush. I think for the base color she must of have used tractor paint, because the background was always a medium gray (we had one of the old Ford tractors that was all gray and I figure my dad must have had a good supply of the paint on hand).
Then that evening after it was dry she would get down on her hands and knees again with a couple small cans of different colored paint, and a small paint brush and put dabs of these colors all over the floor. All of this was usually done when us kids and our dad were gone for the day. There was never any kind of sealer put on top of the paint. I can't remember how long the paint job lasted, but living on a farm and having four kids, I know my mother was busy enough that she couldn't have done this more often than two or three years apart. She also helped out in the fields and doing chores. This was back in the fifties. (08/06/2009)
By Joan
I am thinking of painting a floor that is covered with linoleum? What do you think?
Kim from La Mesa, CA
You could always try it but I don't believe it will work very well. For one example, the paint will wear through to the linoleum where you walk the most leaving paths of exposed linoleum. What you could do is have new linoleum laid over the old. (12/30/2008)
By Harry
I did that years ago. You need to use floor and deck enamel and make sure the floor is really clean before you start painting. It lasted ok for a few years til we were able to afford a new floor. (12/30/2008)
By grazhina
You can do it. Put a coat of Gripper paint primer on it first and let it cure for a whole day. Then put your paint on. Top with two coats of polyuethane. You can get a matt finish if that is what you want. (12/31/2008)
