Painting Or Staining UGLY Vinyl Floor Tiles

13 years ago

Has anyone ever tried,(and been successful ???), painting or staining old,(1960's era), vinyl floor tiles ? The floor is the one thing I can't afford to replace at this time, in the new/old place we're fixing to move into. The ugly, dark paneling is looking SO much better, with multiple coats of Valspar's creamy "foxtrot" paint, including the kitchen cabinets. I'm using 2" wide Levilor wooden slatted blinds, in Pecan, and the contrast is very pleasing. But, the floor.... all of our furniture is antique, and large, so a lot of the,(formerly white, 12" tiles, with many, many layers of icky floor wax !), floor will be hidden. There are also some areas where the tiles, over the years, have been gouged out-can I just fill those area with a wood putty, so they're at least even ? The floors will be replaced as I can afford to do it, but right now, I'm having to spend money like a drunken sailor, replacing the roof,(I did arm-wrestle with the insurance/windstorm people, and won, so I'm getting a 26ga, corrugated galvalume roof, fencing for the dog, and pasture fencing for the horses, so whatever there may have been as a budget, is blown to smithereens for now.

Any ideas for these ugly floors ???

Featured Answer

charleee

13 years ago

You'll probably laugh at this idea, but I once saw an ugly vinyl kitchen floor transformed with paper bags. The bags were cut into even squares, glued down securely and covered with multiple coats of varnish. The finished product was actual beautiful and you'd never know it was paper bags. Unfortunately I saw this years ago and don't have a photo to share.

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Comments (15)

PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
13 years ago
could you post a picture of your floor tiles
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
I'll get some pictures when I'm there painting tomorrow. Or, I'm planning on being there painting, I'm sick as a dog right now, but I have to drop supplies off to my workers in the morning, so I figure I'll paint the rest of the day.
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cdgalake
13 years ago
I painted old sheet vinyl with valspar floor paint. Had to cut in around edges with a brush, then rolled the rest. A few days later, did it all again. It turned out great, but seemed to take forever to not be "sticky"'. This was in an un-airconditioned lake house, maybe that's why. I felt there was nothing i could hurt, the floor was so bad! And i liked the outcome. The paint can be tinted any color you want, i picked one that looked like vanilla ice cream, but it was too light and showed EVERYTHING. Good luck! PS...not sure if it applies but Rustoleum makes countertop paint for $24! love it. Covered old ugly laminate counters in kitchen and bathrooms!!
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
The laminate counters are homely, but are actually not in bad condition ! Those I'll have to live with, for now. I hadn't thought of painting the vinyl tile, I had staining in my head, hmmmm.... There IS air condioning in the house-we're on the Texas Gulf Coast, so the humidity is really bad, and will certainly affect the dry time.
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
olldbobbi, my Daughter has her hall walls done in the torn paper bags, it's lovely. But, my Husband absolutely hates it, so, that's not going to be an option for me. :(
charleee
13 years ago
Oh, bummer! But thanks for not laughing at my suggestion!
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
Oh no, the results are absolutely gorgeous !!! It looks like leather when it's finished. actually, I would MUCH rather the torn paper than the gazillion penny floors !!!
charleee
13 years ago
That's right! I remember it looking like leather. I'd love to see a pic if you have one :))
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
OK, I got a couple of pictures of the ugly floor...now I don't want y'all to be scared, please.... I'm also attaching a picture of the whole room, sort of. On a much more cheerful note, The roofers finished the new, currugated roof this evening-it's awesome ! Blinding for right now, but awesome.
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
Ooooh, sorry, corrugated....
PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
13 years ago
Paint it with a floor enamel
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
Painting it may be my choice of last resort, RFF, but, if our present place will go ahead and sell, then I could just have it covered up with the flooring I want. I'd love ceramic tile, but the little house is on blocks, so it moves too much for tile to be stable enough. The last photo was taken before I painted the walls the valspar "Foxtrot", and I ripped all of the hopelessly ugly curtains down, and replaced them with pecan colored 2" wood blinds. The difference is remarkable already ! My Husband hates it, but I told him it won't be so stark, as soon as we start putting our stuff in the rooms.
charleee
13 years ago
Check out this ideabook, and see what you think of this idea: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/try-diy-plywood-flooring-for-high-gloss-low-cost-stsetivw-vs~8216171
catclawrose
Original Author
13 years ago
I LOVE the plywood floors ! Actually, I love the ones where the plywood is sawn into planks the best. And, as I can afford it, that may be the consideration. I do know I want to try to be less cluttered, in the whole house. Which means I'll have a monster downsizing sale, snif. I already know that, for a few months, at least, I'll have to have a dumpster, so when I empty the three,(yeah, yeah, I know-hoarder....), storage units I have been wasting my money on, for the past six years, I will have tons of stuff that has been ruined. Already, I feel sure that the 65 boxes of leather and vintage fabrics are most likely ruined, but I'll salvage what I can of the fabric, to use for my custom pillows, carriage driving aprons,(yes, to sell !), and toss or sell the rest. I'm learning I can be pretty brutal with my getting rid of, and it makes my soul lighter, a good thing !