When I first moved in to my house I wasn't thrilled about the linoleum in the kitchen, but it was neutral enough for me to look over. After 1 year of taking a pause on house projects, I decided that the easiest and cheapest way to brighten up the space would be to paint the floors. After many youtube tutorials, blogs, and consultations with friends, I took the plunge. Here are the supplies you'll need, and here's how I did it -
Supplies:
- Orbital Sander
- 220 grit sandpaper
- Liquid Sandpaper
- Deck & Floor Paint (I used Home Depot's)
- Painters Tape
- Paintbrush
- Paint Roller
- Paint Roller Extension Pole
- Polycrylic (satin finish)
- Foam Brush
First, I sanded the floors with an orbital sander using 220 grit sandpaper. My kitchen is small, so it took no more than 30min to complete. You don't have to sand too much, just to feel a little texture for the paint to adhere to.
After sanding, I mopped the floors thoroughly, then used a product called liquid sandpaper. I've used this before to de-gloss wall paint, and I just pour a little on the floor at a time and mop over it with a rag.
Once the floor is dry, I went in with painters tape to cover the appliances, vents, and anything I didn't want to get floor paint on.
I treated this like painting walls, so did the edging of the floors with an angled brush before going in with the roller. I didn't even bother using a paint tray and just poured a little paint on at a time, starting in the furthest corner of the room and working my way out. All in all it took about three coats of paint to get the even tone that I was looking for, and the most time consuming part is the drying time. I definitely didn't plan for it to take as long as it did to dry (my pours may have been a bit heavy handed) but used a floor fan to help speed up the process.
After giving it plenty of time to dry, I finished it with a polycrylic coat, using a foam brush to edge, and a roller for the rest. I only did one light coat, but if I could go back in time, would have done two.
I waited the full 24hr dry time before moving rugs and furniture back in, and I am so happy with the outcome. The white feels so bright, makes my kitchen feel bigger and more modern, and also elevates the space.
Overall, would recommend to anyone looking for an affordable way to upgrade their old linoleum floors! Now onto replacing the dreaded nipple lights...