How to Paint a Vinyl Floor

If you have a home decorating budget but have an unsightly 70s vinyl floor in your kitchen, bathroom or other area of your house, don't rush out to replace it. You can paint over the vinyl and create a new look. But before getting out your roller, familiarize yourself with the necessary steps to create a floor that looks like new.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Ammonia or trisodium phosphate (TSP)
• Water
• Primer with sealer
• Oil-based paint or paint with urethane or porch paint
• Rollers
• Painting poles
• Polyurethane sealer

1. Prep the floor. This is the most important step in this home improvement project. You need to thoroughly clean and strip the vinyl floor of its sheen. Either use an ammonia-based solution or buy trisodium phosphate (TSP) mixed with water to clean the floor and make it ready to accept paint. Allow the floor to dry completely.
2. Prime the floor before applying paint. Ask your paint dealer for a suitable primer that comes with a sealer already mixed in. Use a roller attached to a long painting pole and apply the primer to the whole floor, being sure to cut in around the edges. Allow the primer to dry thoroughly.
3. Choose your paint. You have a couple of options in the paint department, so take your time to peruse, ask questions and check out the color varieties. Paint that's suitable for covering your vinyl floor includes oil-based paint, paint with urethane, or the now-popular porch and garage paints.
4. Paint the floor. The easiest and quickest method for doing this is the same way you primed the vinyl. Using a brush, cut in around the baseboards first, creating your parameters. Then, using the roller attached to the pole, paint the center area, painting yourself out of the room. If you choose, apply two to three coats of paint, depending on the coverage you are getting with each coat. Be sure to allow enough drying time between coats.
5. Seal the floor. Once you are satisfied with the coverage and have allowed the paint to dry thoroughly, it's time to seal the floor. Using a polyurethane sealer, roll over the paint. Apply two to three coats of the sealer because your floor needs the protection and you don't want to have to do the job again.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to get fancy with stenciling, be sure to apply your stencil before sealing.
• To achieve the look of tile, paint the lines that separate the vinyl patterns.
• Before painting a vinyl floor or applying another flooring surface over the vinyl, be sure that the floor is in good condition.

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