Cheap but attractive flooring solution
July 5, 2018 2:57 PM Subscribe
We bought a new house - yay! But the floors are hideous - boo. I need help coming up with a cheap, attractive, DIY-friendly flooring solution for the laundry room.
The laundry room is large, roughly 6' x 19' so a hair under 150 sq ft. The floor is currently covered by a vinyl sheet product that has the texture of cork, but is definitely vinyl of some sort. It is pink, dirty/stained, and gross, and held down with some sort of adhesive. Underneath is some sort of linoleum/tile that based on the age of the house and the (hideous) pattern is possibly asbestos-containing. I don't know what's under that because I'm not interested in disturbing asbestos tile.
I would really like to cover up the pink fake cork, OR remove just that top layer and cover the creepy tile underneath. I would also really like to spend $1/sq foot (or less) because we are spending money like water in other areas of the house, and this will be a temporary (1-3 year) solution and does not have to look amazing or be incredibly durable. The room touches the kitchen, which has a different (less offensive) vinyl, in tile format, that is sort of a grayish-beige swirly pattern that I can't find for sale anywhere.
Options I have consider:
1. Painting the existing vinyl - it has a cork-like texture that might look terrible and be impossible to clean when painted.
2. New sheet vinyl - could not find a pattern that is not hideously ugly for the price I want to pay. Plus most of the available patterns/colors look strange up next to the kitchen floor.
3. Vinyl peel-n-stick tiles - ditto the above.
4. Vinyl plank flooring - I THINK this would look funny because we have actual hardwoods elsewhere in the house that are of a color and style that is impossible to imitate. But now that I think about it, the laundry room doesn't touch any of the hardwood rooms so maybe this isn't a problem? Vinyl plank is also a tad more expensive than other options.
5. Ripping plywood into planks and painting it white - people on the internet do this, apparently, and it looks cool but not sure if it's a good idea for a laundry room. Also can I nail into whatever linoleum is under this sheet vinyl?
The long-long-term plan is to tile this room and the kitchen in a nice matching tile, but that's a few years down the line. The house currently has 8 different flooring types, not even counting 3 different hardwoods that are at least stained to match, so there is a lot going on here.
What ideas am I missing? What jumps out as the best option?
The laundry room is large, roughly 6' x 19' so a hair under 150 sq ft. The floor is currently covered by a vinyl sheet product that has the texture of cork, but is definitely vinyl of some sort. It is pink, dirty/stained, and gross, and held down with some sort of adhesive. Underneath is some sort of linoleum/tile that based on the age of the house and the (hideous) pattern is possibly asbestos-containing. I don't know what's under that because I'm not interested in disturbing asbestos tile.
I would really like to cover up the pink fake cork, OR remove just that top layer and cover the creepy tile underneath. I would also really like to spend $1/sq foot (or less) because we are spending money like water in other areas of the house, and this will be a temporary (1-3 year) solution and does not have to look amazing or be incredibly durable. The room touches the kitchen, which has a different (less offensive) vinyl, in tile format, that is sort of a grayish-beige swirly pattern that I can't find for sale anywhere.
Options I have consider:
1. Painting the existing vinyl - it has a cork-like texture that might look terrible and be impossible to clean when painted.
2. New sheet vinyl - could not find a pattern that is not hideously ugly for the price I want to pay. Plus most of the available patterns/colors look strange up next to the kitchen floor.
3. Vinyl peel-n-stick tiles - ditto the above.
4. Vinyl plank flooring - I THINK this would look funny because we have actual hardwoods elsewhere in the house that are of a color and style that is impossible to imitate. But now that I think about it, the laundry room doesn't touch any of the hardwood rooms so maybe this isn't a problem? Vinyl plank is also a tad more expensive than other options.
5. Ripping plywood into planks and painting it white - people on the internet do this, apparently, and it looks cool but not sure if it's a good idea for a laundry room. Also can I nail into whatever linoleum is under this sheet vinyl?
The long-long-term plan is to tile this room and the kitchen in a nice matching tile, but that's a few years down the line. The house currently has 8 different flooring types, not even counting 3 different hardwoods that are at least stained to match, so there is a lot going on here.
What ideas am I missing? What jumps out as the best option?
I recently replaced rolled vinyl with vinyl plank in my kitchen and I am happy with it. I have real, vintage hardwood in most of my house, so I had the same concern you did about the floors not matching well-- maybe moreso since in my case, the vinyl plank would be directly adjacent to the hardwood floors-- but, I picked a really contrasting color (I picked vinyl plank in a cool grey, sort of weathered reclaimed barn wood color, to contrast with the natural oak hardwood which has a warm stain) to make sure it would not look like I was trying to match the real hardwood and failing, and I think that worked out. I've gotten nothing but compliments from people who have seen it. It's really sturdy and water resistant, and was VERY easy to put in-- much easier than the ceramic tile floor I put in a bathroom several years ago.
posted by BlueJae at 3:19 PM on July 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by BlueJae at 3:19 PM on July 5, 2018 [7 favorites]
Underneath is some sort of linoleum/tile that based on the age of the house and the (hideous) pattern is possibly asbestos-containing. I don't know what's under that because I'm not interested in disturbing asbestos tile.Those two things don't go together. If you've got reason to believe the tile's asbestos, do not put holes in it or do anything that would break the tiles. Asbestos means either encapsulation or removal by people who know what they're doing.
Also can I nail into whatever linoleum is under this sheet vinyl?
Since you've got long-long-term plans for this floor, what's your goal in doing something with it now? Cleanliness? Looks? Secure footing?
Super-temporary could mean something like interlocking garage floor tiles that would sit on top of everything. Not a decorative look, but it'd at least be tidy, washable (in a dishwasher, even) and cheap, and it is a laundry room.
You might try removing a small piece of the pink vinyl to see how much trouble it'll be to remove the adhesive from the tiles underneath, and whether that can be done without too much trouble. A section under the washing machine would probably be fine for an experiment, and would help narrow down your possibilities. Installing multiple layers of flooring is not so great for safety.
I've installed vinyl plank flooring, and have been happy with it so far. You want to put it on as smooth and level a surface as you can, because bumps can mean that the boards won't connect properly.
posted by asperity at 3:24 PM on July 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Some vinyl plank flooring comes in non-wood prints. For example. But you can also just get a clearly contrasting wood-ish print. There are lots of gray prints (light and dark) that don't really look like wood to me unless I pay attention and look for the grain pattern.
posted by whatnotever at 3:36 PM on July 5, 2018
posted by whatnotever at 3:36 PM on July 5, 2018
So, we needed to solve a not-dissimilar problem as part of a kitchen renovation a couple years back (not so much hiding a floor, as needing a floor cheap, because we wanted to put money elsewhere in the project). We went with so-called "luxury vinyl tile" from Home Depot. A quick peek at their website suggests prices well below $1/ft^2, so that might work for you. Ours, at least, isn't adhesive as I recall, it just kinda grabs the floor underneath it in a way that would be removable if someone ever wanted to.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 3:51 PM on July 5, 2018
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 3:51 PM on July 5, 2018
Yes, what is your goal? What is stopping you from just living with it for the next 1-3 years and then redoing it more permanently at that time with like tile or whatever?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2018
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2018
Response by poster: My goal is to have an aesthetically pleasing clean floor. Yes, I could definitely live with it for 1-3 years but if I can replace it for <$150, I'd rather not. The laundry room is visible from the kitchen and our bedroom, and is the pass through to the backyard, so it's a room I will see a lot and I'd rather just not look at dirty, stained, pink fake cork. I would say goal 1 is looks and goal 2 is cleanliness.
posted by raspberrE at 8:04 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by raspberrE at 8:04 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Two options from one of my favorite home DIY blogs
Rubber Flooring I have had flooring like this in a bathroom, and really loved it.
Vinyl Composition Tile
posted by momochan at 9:06 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Rubber Flooring I have had flooring like this in a bathroom, and really loved it.
Vinyl Composition Tile
posted by momochan at 9:06 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is probably not searchable online, but try visiting your local home improvement stores regularly in case one of the flooring selections is clearanced. That's how I got 600 sq. ft. of pretty nice vinyl plank for half price. The exact shade doesn't matter so much in that case, right?
Also a really good option for 150 sq. ft.: Craigslist or similar. A lot of people have to buy whole pallets of whatever flooring they're installing, and they have brand-new extra to sell for cheap. Since the only real problem with that is that it would be hard to match, and that's not a real concern here, it could work. You could experiment with whatever material for flooring you'd like to use elsewhere, to get experience installing it in a less-noticeable room.
The laundry room being a high-traffic path will mean that you'll need to be careful to install a reasonable transition at the thresholds, so factor that in to whatever option you pick. Those usually aren't available in-store and aren't discounted (though they're not that expensive). But tripping is bad, try to avoid.
posted by asperity at 11:01 PM on July 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Also a really good option for 150 sq. ft.: Craigslist or similar. A lot of people have to buy whole pallets of whatever flooring they're installing, and they have brand-new extra to sell for cheap. Since the only real problem with that is that it would be hard to match, and that's not a real concern here, it could work. You could experiment with whatever material for flooring you'd like to use elsewhere, to get experience installing it in a less-noticeable room.
The laundry room being a high-traffic path will mean that you'll need to be careful to install a reasonable transition at the thresholds, so factor that in to whatever option you pick. Those usually aren't available in-store and aren't discounted (though they're not that expensive). But tripping is bad, try to avoid.
posted by asperity at 11:01 PM on July 5, 2018 [2 favorites]
Re: Vinyl Composition Tile --
"When I decided to start painting (in the middle of the night, like you do), I thought maybe it looked kind of awesome and amazing. It was fun seeing the floor black instead of disgusting or white, so I felt like I did a good thing.
"Then the next day rolled around. I went to inspect my handiwork...."
***
Dark-thirty in the morning. Husband asleep. Me... quietly cutting up the half-carpeted flooring in the master bath, a few feet away.
Oh... we did roll vinyl in the bathrooms and ceramic tile squares in the kitchen, sunroom, front entry and in front of the fireplace. Just not that night.
Are you sure you can't rip out the flooring down to useful plywood or cement? I would at least do a discrete check in case the washer makes a mess in the future. Demolition is the easy, cathartic part (see cutting up the carpet and pad above).
I'd save any baseboards, strip down to something level, then build up with roll vinyl or vinyl planks until time, money and resources are available.
About vinyl planks... the cheap snap-together planks snap back apart. The ones with a band-aid style adhesive strip (peel off the paper and carefully lay together) are a better choice.
posted by TrishaU at 11:09 PM on July 5, 2018
"When I decided to start painting (in the middle of the night, like you do), I thought maybe it looked kind of awesome and amazing. It was fun seeing the floor black instead of disgusting or white, so I felt like I did a good thing.
"Then the next day rolled around. I went to inspect my handiwork...."
***
Dark-thirty in the morning. Husband asleep. Me... quietly cutting up the half-carpeted flooring in the master bath, a few feet away.
Oh... we did roll vinyl in the bathrooms and ceramic tile squares in the kitchen, sunroom, front entry and in front of the fireplace. Just not that night.
Are you sure you can't rip out the flooring down to useful plywood or cement? I would at least do a discrete check in case the washer makes a mess in the future. Demolition is the easy, cathartic part (see cutting up the carpet and pad above).
I'd save any baseboards, strip down to something level, then build up with roll vinyl or vinyl planks until time, money and resources are available.
About vinyl planks... the cheap snap-together planks snap back apart. The ones with a band-aid style adhesive strip (peel off the paper and carefully lay together) are a better choice.
posted by TrishaU at 11:09 PM on July 5, 2018
Do you have something like a Habitat ReStore or any other sort of place where builders dump their extras? These are a lot like thrift stores for home improvement enthusiasts. You can often find any of the above in just enough quantity. Hit or miss!
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 11:33 PM on July 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 11:33 PM on July 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
This will sound crazy but I have covered some truly horrifying floors with sticky waterproof shelf paper from the dollar store, the stuff that's supposed to go in your cupboards. It's not going to last forever but at a dollar a roll who cares.
posted by windykites at 5:36 AM on July 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by windykites at 5:36 AM on July 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
The "paper bag floor" mentioned by msbutah above was my first thought. I did it in our basement after ripping out some terrible carpet and old, broken linoleum tile. The concrete underneath had residual ridged mastic that I couldn't easily remove (the album shows my efforts), but I laid the paper down right on top, not caring if the bumps showed through. There are photos in this album of whole project.
A few notes (since the album doesn't have a lot of detail): I used builder's paper similar to this, and Elmer's white glue bought by the gallon. I mixed the glue 50/50 with water.
As you see in the photos, the paper got very wrinkled as it dried, but then most of the wrinkles flatten out on their own. Any large wrinkles that remained were easy to slice with a utility knife and re-glue.
I coated it with polyurethane to finish it off. You will see there are some dark spots where the sealant got under some edges, but most of those lightened or disappeared as it dried, and the ones that remained are not bothersome at all. They are just part of the overall look.
After the last photo in the album, that furniture and set of tools got moved out, and my wife's art and craft supplies, including shelves, chairs, tables, desks, etc. moved into there. It's been over two years, with quite a bit of traffic, furniture moving and art classes, and it still looks great. The only casualty was during my recent replacement of our sewer line, I let a 3 inch pipe slide down the steps and it gouged up a bit of the paper. But I just glued it back and you can't tell.
Besides just painting a floor, I don't know of another method that gives a better, more durable look for such a low investment. The space is about 300 square feet, and I estimate I spent a little over $100 to do the floor. (I'm not counting the tools and supplies I used in my failed attempt to remove the mastic.)
posted by The Deej at 6:45 AM on July 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
A few notes (since the album doesn't have a lot of detail): I used builder's paper similar to this, and Elmer's white glue bought by the gallon. I mixed the glue 50/50 with water.
As you see in the photos, the paper got very wrinkled as it dried, but then most of the wrinkles flatten out on their own. Any large wrinkles that remained were easy to slice with a utility knife and re-glue.
I coated it with polyurethane to finish it off. You will see there are some dark spots where the sealant got under some edges, but most of those lightened or disappeared as it dried, and the ones that remained are not bothersome at all. They are just part of the overall look.
After the last photo in the album, that furniture and set of tools got moved out, and my wife's art and craft supplies, including shelves, chairs, tables, desks, etc. moved into there. It's been over two years, with quite a bit of traffic, furniture moving and art classes, and it still looks great. The only casualty was during my recent replacement of our sewer line, I let a 3 inch pipe slide down the steps and it gouged up a bit of the paper. But I just glued it back and you can't tell.
Besides just painting a floor, I don't know of another method that gives a better, more durable look for such a low investment. The space is about 300 square feet, and I estimate I spent a little over $100 to do the floor. (I'm not counting the tools and supplies I used in my failed attempt to remove the mastic.)
posted by The Deej at 6:45 AM on July 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
Of all the flooring I have installed over the years, vinyl plank is dead easy. It also looks very good, doesn't require you to attach it permanently in any way, and is great for places that get wet. The dogs like it, too, since it has a subtle give to it that grips their feet without leaving any indentation. It's quiet and literally installs with a razor knife and a straight edge. You don't even have to take up the vinyl sheet flooring underneath.
posted by Foam Pants at 2:51 PM on July 7, 2018
posted by Foam Pants at 2:51 PM on July 7, 2018
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posted by msbutah at 3:11 PM on July 5, 2018 [6 favorites]