This is the most definitive guide on how to whitewash laminate flooring with simple DIY methods. Putting whitewash on laminate flooring in indoor areas has been a new trend.
This comes as a shock to many homeowners who have traditionally preferred to whitewash hardscapes like brick walls and stone patios.
Your house will have a beachy, relaxed feel to it if you have a whitewashed patio. Whitewashing, like painting or staining your laminate flooring, can instantly improve the look of your house.
Laminate flooring can be whitewashed if you are the know-how. That’s great; you’ve come to the correct place. Using a few dishwasher quirts, flat-finish latex paint, fine sandpaper, and water-contained latex varnish, you can quickly whitewash your pine or laminate floors.
This guide will walk you through the process of how to whitewash laminate flooring with step-by-step instructions. Whitewashing pine flooring and other types of wood floors are covered in these steps as well.
Is It Possible To Whitewash A Laminate Floor?
The whitewashing of the laminate floor will be a godsend. It is easy to disguise the broken plank by applying whitewash. When it comes to replacing broken planks, there’s no cost involved.
Is it possible to safely whitewash a laminate floor at this point? No, is the quick response.
laminate
A worn surface has cemented the photographs in place. Wetting the photo with whitewash will cause it to begin peeling away. Planks made of laminate are susceptible to buckling and warping in extreme conditions.
Engineered or solid hardwood can be whitewashed, though. However, you should avoid putting whitewash on the laminated surface if at all possible.
Next up, we’ll show you how to whitewash the laminated base.
Keep Reading: Explanation On Toxicity Of Laminate Flooring
Painting Vs Whitewashing
In the following table, we’ve summarized the distinctions between whitewash and paint. Whitewash can be mistaken for paint by many people.
Both have identical purposes, but they couldn’t be more dissimilar from one another. Salt, lime, and warm water are the fundamental ingredients of whitewash.
On the other hand, paint necessitates a greater number of components, such as resin and pigment as well as solvent and additives.
Whitewash also has a basic white tint that lends a rustic appearance to any surface it is applied to, particularly stone and brick.
In order to customize the color of the whitewash, you must add dye individually. When it comes to painting, you simply have to pick the color you like most from a variety of pigments.
It’s another point where whitewash and paint get set apart because whitewash requires less upkeep than paint. Whitewashed surfaces don’t peel, chip, or fade like paint, so you won’t have to do a lot to preserve them, unlike paint.
Moving on, the majority of paints include environmentally hazardous chemicals. Whitewash, on the other hand, can be manufactured at home with widely available components.
Whitewash, on the other hand, doesn’t seal in moisture, whereas paint does. Fractures form when water becomes trapped within your stonework and freezes.
How To Whitewash Laminate Flooring
Laminate floors can be easily whitewashed, but your patient must carefully follow these instructions. Each step is explained in detail, and I’ll explain the scientific reasoning behind it all. We’re ready to go.
Preparation
If you have a laminate floor, you can clean it using dishwashing soap. It is important to use a gentle cleaning solution because laminate floors are highly susceptible to dampness.
We’ll “damage” this material later, so take it lightly now to avoid destroying the entire flooring. Doing the whitewashing on a clear surface also improves the outcome.
If you’re unsure about how strong the dishwashing soap is, you can dilute it with water. Then use a soft cloth to wipe off the laminate floor with care.
Keep Reading: Quick Ways To Install Laminate On Concrete Surface
Create The Surface
Use medium-grit sandpaper to obtain a rougher surface texture for your laminate floor. Apply this sparingly to the area where you want to generate a more rustic look.
On a rough surface, the priming will stick better. Avoid overdoing this procedure to avoid causing damage to the material. Laminate floors are covered in a layer of polyurethane to protect them.
The laminate floor can deteriorate faster if that protective layer is worn away too much.
Clean The Sand
To remove the sand particles from your laminate floor once you’ve coarsened it up, use a vacuum. As a result, you’ll be left with a whitewashed laminated floor at the end of the process.
You may wonder, “Why can’t I combine steps 1 and 3?” It’s fine if you do them all at once. However, we can assure you that you will be disappointed with the outcome.
If you have an unclean floor, you will have to use more sandpaper than you should and the whitewash result will be less than desirable.
Apply Primer
Apply a thin layer of primer to your laminate floor. Allow it to air dry for the time specified on the package by the manufacturer. Take your time and be patient. It will take a long time to dry and leave a bad-looking surface if you apply too much priming.
Keep Reading: Ways To Get Rid Of Silicone Caulk Form Laminate Surface
Make The Mixture
Mix up table salt and masonry lime with warm water in a bucket in order to create the whitewash.
Water and Latex paint can also be used to create the whitewash combination.
Once you’ve whipped them up into a thick cream, you’re ready to go. If you can’t get your hands on authentic masonry lime, this will do in a pinch. It won’t be as beautiful as the original, but it will do.
Apply The Whitewash
To apply the whitewash mixture, use a paintbrush or roller to spread it out on your laminate floor. This is the final step in the process of turning your laminate flooring into a white-washed look.
Seal The Surface
Apply a water-contained latex varnish to the surface after the whitewash has dried. This can be done with a brush and allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before using. Make sure your laminate floor gets a lovely finish by applying the latex varnish to all of its surfaces.
More Protection
You may safeguard your laminate floor by applying a second coat of latex varnish once the first one has dried. You should then wait a full day before employing the substance.
With the help of this tutorial, were you able to learn how to bleach laminate flooring? Is it possible to whitewash laminate floors at home? Afterward, let me know how it went.
Let’s move on to the next segment for the time being.
Keep Reading: Solution On Fixing Separating Laminate Floors
How To Lighten Laminate With Paint
There are no solutions for brightening the surface of the laminate flooring if you do not like the dark color and do not want to whitewash it.
This is due to the fact that laminates are made from HDF cores with a photo of wood painted on them. Unlike real oak, this material does not soak the stains and paints as readily.
As a result, staining or painting your laminate will do little to lighten it. But first, gather the following items to get yourself ready for the journey:
- A vacuum cleaner
- Paintbrush/ roller/ sprayer
- Primer
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Paint
- Sealant
Here is how you can paint laminate to lighten it:
Cleaning
The floor should be thoroughly cleaned before you begin any work. Use a vacuum or a mop, along with a disinfectant. The objective is to clean the surface to a pristine condition in order to facilitate the next phase. You can also learn more about removing the scratch marks from laminate floors.
Remove The Shine
The laminate floor’s protective covering prevents it from absorbing paint. Using sandpaper with medium-grit will be necessary to remove this coat.
Take your time and be as thorough as you can during this procedure. You don’t want to scrape the stuff underneath if you use too much force.
Keep Reading: Guide On Installing Laminate On Tiles Surface
Clean The Sand
Prior to painting, make sure all sand dust has been removed. Paint will not adhere to the laminate floor if you omit this step, resulting in an unsightly finish.
This process can be sped up and made more thorough by using a vacuum cleaner. If you haven’t used sandpapers before, be sure to look for any scuffs or holes in the laminate floor before attempting the last step.
To achieve a respectable end product, ensure that the surface is level.
Prime
Before painting, the floor must be primed. Because of this, the paint will adhere to the surface. Laminate floors can be primed with ordinary latex.
Once the primer has dried, you may begin painting. Ideally, the primer should be left out in the open for 24 hours to dry.
Apply The Paint
To paint a laminate floor, you have a choice of three methods:
- Painting a wide area like a laminate floor using a paintbrush is not the most efficient way to do so, as the paintbrush is too small.
- There are many advantages to using a paint sprayer, especially if you’re painting an empty or sparsely furnished space. But it also implies that it might be messy and that you need to know what should you do as a paint sprayer is difficult to use.
- It’s simple to use a paint roller, and that’s what most people will do. It’s important to have a large enough tray for the paint roller, as well as a large enough size to cover the entire laminate floor rapidly.
Porch paint or another durable paint is what we suggest you use. Also acceptable is latex paint. Acrylic paint should be avoided because it won’t adhere well to the laminate floor. After painting your laminate floor, you can apply a sealer to cover the paint and keep it watertight.
Keep Reading: Quick Ways To Get Rid Of Bubbles Form Laminate
Final Verdict
We hope you’ve found the above steps on how to whitewash laminate flooring helpful. Whitewashing the damaged laminate board is an easy way to cover it up.
Whitewashing the laminated floor or a surface will, above all, give your floor a more rustic feel. Whitewashing the laminate foundation before contacting manufacturers is recommended by several experts.
Photographs are put onto the planks to create this flooring type. A damp whitewash may cause the painting to peel away. But we’re not here to demoralize you, and we don’t intend to.
Whitewashing a laminate floor is still possible even if you consider the drawbacks of doing so.
