Can laminate be painted in a different color on my own?

In today's construction market, laminate flooring is the most sought after flooring. The comfort of the house depends on the quality of the floor. It is worth remembering how many difficulties arise when a house has bare wooden or concrete floors or linoleum is laid. Laminate flooring took the best from all of these coatings.

Content:

• How justified is the painting of the laminate
• The choice of paint and tools
• Surface preparation
• Staining recommendations

It is not surprising that more and more people choose this material, because it has all the necessary properties: warmth, strength and beauty. The rich color scheme and attractive appearance of the laminate will only emphasize the taste of the owner of the apartment. Everything else, the laminate perfectly tolerates any mechanical damage - traces of furniture, pet's claws, objects falling on the floor. Where is the catch? Over time, everything undergoes destruction and wear, so even the most expensive laminate can be damaged.

But do not rush to prematurely get upset and mentally save money for the purchase of new flooring. You can and should breathe new life into your gender. Painting will solve many common problems. It remains only to decide how to paint the laminate?

How justified is the painting of the laminate

Before proceeding to the coloring procedures, one should ask a logical question: is the structure of the laminate coating intended for painting? If so, is it possible to paint the laminate on your own without resorting to the help of professionals? To understand this, it is worth learning a little about the structure of the laminate structure.

Laminate flooring consists of several layers arranged in series:

1. The top is a protective layer, thanks to which the laminate successfully transfers mechanical damage. They make it from boomoplast - paper impregnated with melamine resin and corundum. The strength of the layer also depends on the amount of the latter.
2. Decorative - a layer of paper on which the desired pattern is applied, as a result of which the laminate has an imitation of wood.

   

3. Carrier - the main layer, the thickest and densest. They make it either from a fiberboard or from plastic. A spike connects the two sides of the laminate and the lock. Due to it, the laminate is tightly bonded, forming a single surface.
4. The bottom is the laminate substrate. Its task is to provide sound and waterproofing. It usually never collapses. Defects that arise affect the first and second layer, but sometimes the third.

Together, all these four layers form a piece of laminate. By combining many individual pieces, the laminate, like a mosaic, is assembled into one continuous floor material. If the thickness of all four layers is about 1 cm, then the durability of such a laminate is about 10 years, and with a thickness of 1.5 cm, the service life is close to 25 years.

Failure to know about such details can lead to damage to the laminate if, say, unsuitable paint is used, which will “fly off” after a month.

Why paint can ruin a laminate? It's simple: along with the pluses, it has obvious disadvantages, the most significant of which is high permeability. As long as the laminate is new and has no damage, it is protected from moisture, although in this case you should not often carry out wet cleaning or leave puddles of water on the floor.Painting already damaged flooring with a water-based solution will lead to a deplorable result: it will simply swell, so you just have to throw it away and replace it with a new one. Even if you choose the right paint, but do not pre-treat the surface, all efforts will be in vain. The upper protective layer will put a pig. It is very smooth, therefore, has low adhesion (adhesion property), and the paint is unlikely to linger on it for a long period of time.

How can laminate be painted at home if there are so many precautionary factors?

The choice of paint and tools

As mentioned earlier, water-based paints will come into dissonance with the layers of the laminate, so a paint that is compatible in composition with the top layer will be the best option. Polyurethane or alkyd paints are a good choice. They have the same qualities as the top layer, namely they cover the surface with a wear-resistant film.

To paint the laminate, you will need the most common tools:

• brush;
• masking tape;
• small and large skin, or sandpaper;
• clean rags;
• vacuum cleaner;
• solvent;
• wood putty;
• wide spatula;
• gloves and a respirator.

Surface preparation

The surface of the laminate has a protective layer with low adhesive properties, so before proceeding with the staining operation, they need to be increased, that is, matted floor. Here are some useful tips on how to do this without wasting time:

1. All debris, dust and dirt are removed from the surface.
2. With the help of a large skin, the protective layer of the laminate is destroyed, leaving a lot of small scratches on it. The surface is thoroughly cleaned of chips.
3. Large scratches or defects are covered with a thin layer of putty on wood. Deep scratches are completely filled with a putty mixture, the remains are removed by means of a spatula carried out over the movement. After drying, a second layer of putty is applied.
4. The surface is again treated with sandpaper, only now with medium grain. The task of this is to exclude hillocks and pits. Then the floor is gently cleaned with a rag or vacuum cleaner.
5. Next in line is the treatment with a fine-grained sandpaper of each piece of laminate separately. But the goal this time is to make the floor dull.
6. The surface is vacuumed, wiped with a cloth soaked in solvents for degreasing.
7. Masking tape is glued to the walls around the entire perimeter to protect it from paint.

You may be interested in learning about how to paint linoleum and how can this be done?

Staining recommendations

Having finished preparing the surface, you can proceed directly to the painting. How to paint a laminate is already known: polyurethane or alkyd paint.

Staining is conditionally divided into several stages:

1. The can of paint is diluted with solvent. Mix thoroughly until smooth. In the process of painting should also periodically stir the composition. Otherwise, the paint will settle to the bottom, and instead, it will be stained with a solvent.
2. To work, they must wear protective equipment, gloves and a respirator. Windows and doors are worth closing. For painting, it is better to use brushes, not a roller.
3. You need to start painting from the wall farthest from the door. Thus, you can completely paint the entire surface and calmly leave the room.
4. The paint is applied with effort, long strokes along the board. It requires attention and the gap between the boards.
5. The first layer should be thin and dry throughout the day.Doors and windows, to prevent dust and small debris getting on the painted surface, are tightly closed.
6. A second coat is applied, but already thicker. Coloring is carried out according to the same method as for the first time.
7. Leaves to dry completely.

It is time to evaluate the quality of the paint. If the paint covered the entire area with a uniform layer, without bright spots, then the work was done "excellent". In a situation where bright areas still appear on the floor, you will need to repeat the procedure and apply an additional coat of paint.

To ensure a glossy shine, the laminate is coated with two layers of colorless varnish.

A freshly painted laminate once again proves that things that have fallen into disrepair, including flooring, can always be given a second chance. This will not only decently save the financial resources of the owner of the apartment, but for a long time will delight him and guests with his updated and attractive appearance.