Linoleum Flooring - Comments
(Read the article that everyone's commenting on.)
Hello - I think we have uncovered very old lino floors in our house - as we are on a very tight budget I was interested by your comment about painting it ? What would you suggest painting it with ? is it possible to paint it in an eco-friendly paint - would be a shame to use a non environmentally friendly paint if the floor itself is such an eco choice ..
emma at November 25, 2007 02:39 PM
Posted by: emma at November 25, 2007 02:39 PMOne reason your old floor is eco-friendly is because it's there and no more resources will be consumed to create it or install it. Keeping it is a great idea, if the floor is in good condition.
Sherwin Williams has an eco-friendly paint that I think would work. The paint itself isn't always the issue but what you seal it with. Clean the floor thoroughly and let it dry completely -- maybe for a few days even -- before painting. Depending on its color and the color you are going with you may want to prime it; your paint store clerk can help you decide that.
A plywood floor I painted once came out well when I used the system of a dual-roller and dual-paint pan system so I could apply two colors at the same time. Most home improvement stores have this system. It's a lot of fun and you can create the look you want easily. I think that could work for you too, especially if you are thinking of a marble-ish looking floor.
Then, when you have the floor painted the way you want apply several coats of Diamond Coat Varathane Urethane formulated for floors. And enjoy!
The Flooring Lady at November 25, 2007 07:40 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at November 25, 2007 07:40 PMHi, I am also getting ready to paint my lino kitchen floor. I know I must lightly sand with to degloss (wet sanding avoids any inhalation of possible asbestos I've heard) I know AFM Safecoat has both an Eco Friendly Primer - should I use Oil based or water based? And then finally I was wondering what type of paint I should use, flat, gloss? And any eco-brands you can recommend. Thank you so much!!!! I'm a bit nervous but I have to go for it while my kid is gone for seven days. Safe coat also has a low VOC polyurathane.
Mika at December 27, 2007 04:03 PM
Posted by: Mika at December 27, 2007 04:03 PMIf you have an old linoleum that may have asbestos, be sure to wear a mask as you sand and make sure the residue is cleaned up thoroughly before taking the mask off. But before you sand, see if you can find a product that will degloss the linoleum without roughing up the surface -- that will be safer in regards to asbestos.
I'm all for water-based primers, paints and finishes. Oil based has high VOCs which contaminate your air quality and impact your health. Sherwin Williams has an eco-paint that I like very much.
I have also been quite pleased with water-based Diamond Coat Urethane I have on all of my cabinet. Their floor product should be just as fabulous. The link to them is in this thread.
The Flooring Lady at December 28, 2007 10:08 AM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at December 28, 2007 10:08 AMHow can I replace my 1939 linoleum small kitchen countertop (which I like but is damaged) with a new one that is an exact copy? Mine is green and has a yellow border cut into it. (So there was some simple cutting of linoleum involved.)
Ellen Freilich at February 13, 2008 09:18 AM
Posted by: Ellen Freilich at February 13, 2008 09:18 AMI don't know that you'll get an exact copy of your present countertop, but you can buy the green and yellow linoleum and find someone to install it for you. Take lots of pictures before so you can remind the installer what it looked like, even though they should remember from the demolition portion of the project.
The Flooring Lady at February 13, 2008 10:50 AM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at February 13, 2008 10:50 AMOh Dear,
Thankyou for you last reply. I finally just went for it and decided to paint my linoleum kichen floor however during the process I've come across a big problem. After almost three weeks of meticulously cleaning, sanding, painting my kitchen floor ( a beautiful espresso brown) I waited more than three weeks to allow the paint to dry and cure properly before applying the polyurethane, Finally today was the day I have been waiting for to apply the polyurethane and I did so over 3 hours ago and!!!! I can see terrible milky brush marks all over my beautifully painted floor, all over the place! I thought it was supposed to leave it clear and satin smooth. I am beside myself as to what to do next. Will the second and third coat make it look better? Should I sand the blotchy spots and apply more polyurethan on top? By the way we made sure the room tempreture was perfect before starting the polyurethane - we used AQUAZAR Water Based poyurethane - Satin Clear. Help! I've been going crazy without my kitchen and now I just don't know what to do to fix this. Any advice would be most appreciated. Thank you so,so much. Mika
mika jarnagin at February 16, 2008 11:11 PM
Posted by: mika jarnagin at February 16, 2008 11:11 PMI called my paint store about this for some ideas. Their first reaction was to never paint vinyl flooring (and I couldn't get him to understand there is a difference between vinyl and linoleum). So, are you sure your floor is linoleum and not vinyl?
Once I got him past that issue he said that not all water-based polyurethane's are to be used on just any surface. In fact, he indicated most are to be used directly on wood or as additional coats on themselves. Sherwin Williams does have a water-based polyurethane that can be used on paint. Check your product to see what surfaces it says it can be applied to.
Don't hesitate to call the manufacturer for input. They may have ideas about the problem and therefore a solution. Please let us know what you learn.
The Flooring Lady at February 18, 2008 11:01 AM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at February 18, 2008 11:01 AMI am an artist who paints with oil and am creating a small art room adjacent to my laundry room. Is linoleum a good option for flooring for these two rooms? Can solvents be used to clean any paint drips I may make?
Ro at March 14, 2008 04:41 PM
Posted by: Ro at March 14, 2008 04:41 PM
You clearly understand the challenge of using solvents to clean floors. Linoleum is a durable flooring, but it will be abused by the use of solvents on it. I haven't done that, but I can feel confident there will be damage -- I just don't know what the damage will look like. Linoleum color goes throughout the product so you won't have spots with no color, as you might with vinyl.
I'm not sure what your best bet is with your floor options. My sister-in-law has a concrete floor in her art studio so she doesn't have to worry about dropping oil on it. That could be an interesting option for you too.
The Flooring Lady at March 14, 2008 10:31 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at March 14, 2008 10:31 PM(Read the article that everyone's commenting on.)
To post a comment on "Linoleum Flooring", please return to that article's main page.
