I painted the outdated vinyl floor in my house! I thought I’d share since I have been asked by several people how I painted it. I bought my stencil from Royal Design Studio, I used the all the angles stencil.
After a lot of research and trial & error I found a budget friendly solution to our 80’s vinyl floor. I painted our vinyl floor for a much needed update! I was able to do our kitchen, laundry & front bathroom for under $300 & some time of course.
You will need:
Oil based primer
Flat or Matte paint colors – go for high quality here
Polyacrylic – I used Satin & Semi-gloss. I found the semi-gloss too slippery, so my first two coats were semi-gloss & the top coat was satin. Polyacrylic doesn’t yellow the way polyurethane does.
Foam rollers (the extra fine type for cupboards)
Stencil
Paint trays for each color
Paper or newspaper to roll excess paint off
Painters tape
Scrub brush or vegetable scrubber
Simple green or similar cleaner for cleaning dried paint from stencil (see stencil manufacturers recommendation)
I found it best to do it start to finish in sections. It is helpful to do a test spot. I did mine in a closet. I did more research after my test spot due to the bleeding of the black. Paint specialists informed me that the flatter paint shouldn’t run the way satin or semi-gloss would. 
It can be tedious, but when done in chunks goes quick & turns out great! The less you have to go around, the easier it will be. My project was quite difficult due to the cupboards & so many corners & edges. I’m so glad I painted my floor, I could have never found a flooring this unique! It is strong & withstands lots of heavy traffic in my house.
Step 1:
Wash the floor thoroughly. Use a scrub brush if necessary to remove stubborn debris. Allow to dry.
Step 2:
Paint the oil based primer on. I used a brush to insure all crevices were covered good. I found 1 coat was all that was needed when done this way. Make sure to apply it thin so the texture of the floor still shows through. Touch up with a 2nd coat as needed. Allow to dry. Make sure the room is adequately ventilated, this stuff is stinky!
Step 3:
Paint the base coat on with a roller. Brush as need in the corners & edges. Make sure to apply as thin as possible, you will do more than 1 coat. I found when it was too thick it crackled & had to be sanded down; not fun or easy. Allow to dry & paint a total of 2-3 thin coats.
Step 4:
Find a good starting point. I started mine in the center of our laundry room since I could use it as a ‘T’ to our kitchen. Consider how you will section off the room & make it flow best. Make sure it is lined up as square as possible with the area to be stenciled. Tape the 4 corners of the stencil to the floor. Dip the foam roller into the tray. Roll the roller on your paper to remove excess paint. You want it fairly dry to avoid running underneath the stencil. Roll it over your stencil until the openings are covered. Apply more paint as needed, but always roll off the excess. Carefully peel the tape & lift the stencil in one quick movement. I rinsed my stencil in the tub in between every stencil. A quick rinse was all that was needed when done promptly. Every so often I would scrub it carefully on the tub floor with a scrub brush & simple green. I laid a towel in the floor, set the stencil on it & covered it with another towel. If you move the stencil around gently it dries quick. You may have to wait for the last stencil to dry. When dry, match up the lines & tape the stencil down. Repeat the process. Corners are a little tricky. I also received a smaller stencil for tough areas. Sometimes I had to just tape it off, which was easy to do with my particular design. It would be a lot more difficult with some of the intricate & curvy designs.
Step 5:
Clean & dry the floor good. Paint the polyacrylic on with a brush or roller. Read directions on the can thoroughly. I applied 3 coats. Make sure your hair is tied back.
It is recommended to let the paint cure for 7 days before placing any rugs on it. I also let it cure before I moved my table & chairs back to their original spots.
It is really not as bad as it sounds. If you follow these directions, good results should be achieved. I love my ‘new’ floor! If you decide to do a project please share with me or use the hashtags #stenciledfloor #paintedfloor #paintedfloors #royaldesignstudio There are so many fun stencils to choose from!
Royal Designs Studio is currently offering 20% off with Promo Code FLOORED20
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I painted the outdated vinyl floor in my house! I thought I’d share since I have been asked by several people how I painted it. I bought my stencil from Royal Design Studio, I used the all the angles stencil.
It can be tedious, but when done in chunks goes quick & turns out great! The less you have to go around, the easier it will be. My project was quite difficult due to the cupboards & so many corners & edges. I’m so glad I painted my floor, I could have never found a flooring this unique! It is strong & withstands lots of heavy traffic in my house.
Love it!
Thanks, Dawn! I do too, it really changed things!
I LOVE this idea!! My kitchen floor is old, old and I’d love to try this. Where did you find your stencil? What about under the kitchen chairs? Does the paint wear away due to movement back and forth?
Thanks! Our floor is original to the house from the 80’s. I’ve had no trouble under the table, but it definitely helps to let it cure for 7 days. I did my bathroom & laundry area over a year ago & have had no issues. Polyacrylic is the same thing used on a lot of hard wood floors. My stencil was on: http://www.royaldesignstudio.com They have lots of fun designs! It would be a great project for you after harvest!
What size of the All The Angles did you use, my vinyl flooring is a peel and stick from a big box, and we are a few years away from our dreamed of remodel and this looks like an answered prayer to me as a stop-gap until then. My only issue may be that a few of the tiles are cracked/broken due to underlayment issues that will be addressed later … I am just so depressed by the flooring now it makes me sad to enter my kitchen.
Hi Deborah,
I used the larger size of All the Angles stencil. We have a similar issue in our dining area, I found some 2 part vinyl flooring glue to help hold the loose edges down and painted right over that spot. I have had to touch up that spot, but I think it’s due to us having office chairs at our kitchen table and a heavily used spot. It has been our answer for the interim as well!
Your floors are beautiful! I am thinking about taking the plunge and doing ours soon. I’m wondering, since it’s been about 2 years, how are your floors holding up? I’d be doing this in a high traffic area, and I’m just wondering if you’ve had any significant issues. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial!
Hi Allison,
The paint has held up quite well. I’ve had a heavily used spot require a touch-up, but no big deal and definitely worth it!
So well done! I hope it’s wearing well since you’ve posted these.
It has! I have had to touch up a heavily used spot due to our office chairs at the kitchen table, but otherwise it has held up well! I think the key is proper curing of the poly-acrylic.