Yes, you absolutely can paint laminate flooring. While laminate floors are extremely resilient, like all flooring, after years of general wear and tear, scuffs and stains, your floors might be in need of a fresh start. You can of course do this by replacing the flooring, but painting your laminate is also an option.

Should You Paint Laminate Flooring?

While painting laminate is possible, there are a few common issues that people face when trying to do so:

• The flooring surface isn’t properly prepared, so paint doesn’t adhere at all or scrapes off easily
• The wrong type of primer and/or paint is used, and it doesn’t last
• It’s very difficult to sand off the wear layer and leave enough flooring in good enough condition to merit painting
• Initial results seem attractive, but are quickly tarnished by chair legs, shoes, toys or pet claws

If this doesn’t deter you and you’ve decided this is a DIY job you’re ready to take on, we’ve written this guide on how to paint laminate floors:

1. Clean The Floor Surface

With any wood effect flooring, over time it will collect dust, dirt and debris that gets trapped on the surface layer. Before you begin sanding, it’s essential to give the area a thorough cleaning with a hoover and mop. This is also a chance to look for deep marks or scuffs and fill them in so that they are as level as possible for when you do paint your flooring.

2. Sand Away The Gloss From The Laminate

Whether you decide to use grit sandpaper or a sanding machine, you’ll need to remove the gloss from the laminate. The gloss layer is the topmost layer that protects the texture of the laminate flooring and in most cases, this is a protective layer of plastic. If you paint over the gloss layer, it’s unlikely it will adhere. So while you don’t want to remove this layer completely, you should ensure the gloss ‘sheen’ is removed. This is the most delicate step of the process. It’s crucial that you don’t sand too aggressively and risk damaging the softer material below it.

3. Repair Crack and Holes

If you’re new to this type of DIY, it’s inevitable that you’ll make mistakes and that’s ok. You might sand off too much of the layers and, since the main goal of the sanding step is to evenly smooth out the surfaces of the laminate flooring, you should check the flooring again and then use caulking or another filler material to repair any cracks or holes. You’ll then need to clean up all of the dust that’s accumulated from sanding.

4. Prime The Floor For Painting

Priming is the next step before painting to ensure that the dried paint stays adhered to the floors. Using a regular latex primer, apply an even coat (or two for an even smoother finish) and then leave it for a day to dry before you begin painting.

5. Paint The Floor

Next, apply the paint! There are a few ways you can choose to do this step:

• Roller - One of the easiest ways and great for larger rooms
• Brush - Great if you’re trying to avoid fixtures that can’t be moved, such as kitchen cabinets
• Spray paint - Perfect if you don’t have any furniture in the room.

Whatever method you use, it’s a good idea to use masking tape to protect the walls or skirting boards, as well as any pipes you’ll be painting around. It’s best to get a resilient paint such as a porch paint, though latex paint is also a great alternative. It’s important to avoid acrylic paint as this may fail to stick and can wear off easily. The most important thing is to let the flooring dry for at least 24-48 hours so that you can ensure it’s safe to use it.

Should I Use A Sealant On My Painted Floor?

If you want to make sure that your laminate surface has an excellent floor finish, it’s a good idea to use a sealant, such as polyurethane to prevent water damage. This can extend the longevity of your painted wood floors as the coating can help minimise the effects of foot traffic. Keep in mind that the sealant you need will depend on the type of paint you’ve used. Sealant is also great for maintenance because it can absorb plenty of scuffs and scratches on its own. If your flooring experiences a visible mark, reapplying a layer of sealant can be enough to fix it.

To keep the just-painted look, add felt pads to furniture and make the room a shoe and pet-free zone. Painted floors can also be quite slippery, so careful if you’re in a hurry.
We hope this guide has helped you to paint your laminate flooring. It’s a big job so if you’d prefer to go for a replacement instead, check out our plank laminate flooring or you can also explore our affordable laminate flooring.