Host Cindy Piccoli breathes new life into an old vinyl floor by covering it with paper bags.
Materials:
gray oil-based enamel paint
paper bags
scissors
ruler
pencil
paintbrushes
red primer spray paint
polyurethane
vinyl wallcovering adhesive
Steps:
- Clean the floor thoroughly with a commercial cleaner, such as TSP (tri-sodium phosphate ) and allow to dry completely.
- If there are any major tears or scrapes in the floor, repair them with a vinyl repair kit.
- Paint entire floor with gray paint. It may take a couple of coats to cover completely . Allow to dry at least 24 hours.
- Measure and cut bricks. Their size will be determined by both (a) the design on the vinyl being covered and (b) the area of the paper bags not printed with a logo. Use the pencil and straightedge to make a template for the bricks, then trace around that one for the rest.
- Using the red primer spray paint, lightly dust each individual brick. Don't cover them completely, just use a mottled design. Allow to dry.
- Working a small section at time (three feet by three feet), apply the bricks to the vinyl using border adhesive. Remember to leave about one-quarter inch between them as this allows the painted floor to show through and look like mortar. The paper may begin to wrinkle at this point but it will go down. If not, the wrinkles create a nice texture.
- Once the entire floor has been covered, coat the entire floor with at least four layers of polyurethane.
Tips:
- Try to match the bricks to the floor pattern. If the old vinyl has a six-inch square pattern, cut them to about 5-1/2 inches.
- Brown kraft paper (available at craft and art stores) is a great alternative to paper bags.
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