Using Contact Paper to Redo the Floors (Renters Rejoice!)
A Small Change Can Make a Big Difference
Are you like me and absolutely love to have a nicely decorated home? Are you also like me and don’t own your home?
*sigh*
The life of military housing. The all-white walls, the horribly ugly tile, the cheap contractor’s cabinets. We are blessed to be in the newer-built housing, but that doesn’t mean that there have been plenty of families before us who didn’t take care of things the way they should have been.
It also doesn’t mean that the white walls don’t make you feel like you live in an institution. So what is a person to do? Sure, we could paint, but when we move, we are responsible for changing the walls back to good old primer white. Been there, done that, and won’t ever do it again. So what are people like you and I supposed to do?
Contact Paper Flooring
Let me introduce you to the world of contact paper. There are many wonderful things about contact paper, but let me tell you the best part about it: It’s removable! So when the day comes that you have to move, you just take it off and move out. No repainting and no damaged surfaces.
But why should you trust me? Well, I can say I have done it multiple times, actually. I refresh my countertops on average every six months. Why? Well, because again, it is only contact paper; it is not meant to be permanent, and after many washings and kids being rough, I find it is faded a bit.
Easy fix! Just grab a corner, pull it off, and put on new paper. This gives you a chance to change your design if you’d like something new and fresh.
So if you are a renter or in any situation where there are just some décor things you cannot do, don’t despair—there is always hope.
What You Need
- A roll of contact paper in the design of your choice
- An Exacto knife or box cutter
- A pair of scissors
- An old credit card (or something similarly hard and flat)
How to Apply Contact Paper Flooring
The application is easy.
- First, make sure the surface you are covering is clean and free of dust and dirt; this is very important.
- Then measure out the size piece you will need and cut it off the roll with the scissors.
- Unpeel the backing just a few inches from the edge and place the sticky exposed edge in the spot where you want to start.
- Then take the card and smooth out the contact paper onto the surface as you pull off the backing using the card to make sure you don’t have any air bubbles under your paper.
- Lastly, stand back and enjoy your new surface.
In the before picture above, you can see how I left some of the small cabinets above the sink in the original condition so you can see what they looked like before I added the chalkboard style contact paper.
The great thing about using the chalkboard kind is the option to write on it if you choose. You could make various lists or just little notes or designs. I prefer to just leave mine black. In this picture, you can also see the horrible tile floor that is pretty standard in military housing. It is ugly, that is all that needs to be said.
In the after picture, you can see the glory that is now my new faux hardwood floor. Don’t get me wrong; it was work to get it all laid out and is a project I strongly suggest no one over 20 weeks pregnant do (I was 28 weeks, and it was painful—I was sore for days).
© 2016 Jamie Nico