How to paint outdated linoleum floor

Last week I showed my oak cabinets that I painted white. Several people remarked about not painting wood. I hope no one has objections to me painting linoleum. :)
See the full tutorial @ My Repurposed Life http://bit.ly/IeyAKO
Kitchen Floor BEFORE-I've had this floor for almost 20 years. It was not in my budget to replace it. I had seen people paint their wood floors, so I decided to try to paint my vinyl/linoleum floor.
Before painting with primer--I mopped the floor with a little dish soap, Mr. Clean and warm water. I rinsed the floor until the water was clean and soap free. This took about 6 moppings. After the floor dried, I wiped it down with TSP (Trisodium phosphate). The TSP helps to clean, degrease, and dull the finish of the floor. I used a latex "oops" gray primer.
I have 2 cats and a dog. I used my leaf blower to make sure there were no stray hairs flying around.
To get a good feel for the pattern I used newspapers.
I got busy with some painter's tape and started painting my squares.
I used Mythic paint. It went on really well, and 18 months later, is holding up fantastic. I don't like shiny floors-I chose the original floor for THAT reason. It was dull. I chose a satin paint, and decided not to seal the paint.
I love how it turned out, but honestly, now that I have black countertops (that I painted) I'm thinking about changing out the blue squares.... You can see the full tutorial over at My Repurposed Life http://bit.ly/IeyAKO
UPDATED to add. I have changed out the blue squares for dark gray squares. See more details on the blog. http://bit.ly/Y8wq6S
Gail--My Repurposed Life
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 4 questions
  • Treasuredchaos.com Treasuredchaos.com on Dec 23, 2015
    I also painted my linoleum. I ended up putting a coat of polyurethane over mine, but have noticed that you have to literally dry it to avoid water spots (it doesn't hurt anything, it's like your stainless sink fixtures where you can just see it). I'm curious how long the painted finish will last, or if any has been scratched, etc. I really want to know for the next time, cause now that paint is an option I'm sure to change my mind...often.
  • Jud7502183 Jud7502183 on Aug 02, 2016
    Did you use one or two coats of paint?
  • Leighann Leighann on Aug 01, 2017

    What kind of paint do i use indoor or outdoor and do i need to get water based or oil..And will i need to put a clear coat on it after i am done with all the paint

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 65 comments
  • Christie Christie on Oct 14, 2015
    thank you so much for sharing. this is defiantly something I will try in the future. It is beautiful.
    • Gail--My Repurposed Life Gail--My Repurposed Life on Oct 14, 2015
      @Christie yay! happy you liked it. I'm tiring of the floor.... I think it might be time for a change. :) It's just paint!
  • Janet chambers Janet chambers on Dec 22, 2015
    Thanks! I just bought an old house with a very small kitchen. It has the same flooring in the kitchen, bath, hall and laundry and I can't afford to replace it all. I didn't know you could paint it. Great! Thank You!
Next