Wallpaper Floor

Liza Glenn of Plaid Enterprises demonstrated an easy way to disguise an old linoleum floor using a new product called PaperIllusion from the show Pretty in Paint.

Materials:

• Vinyl flooring
• PaperIllusion (Hearthstone Bone 'n Cream, Hearthstone Green Fresco, Hearthstone Multi)
• Sandpaper and tack cloth
• Nonporous primer (i.e., Binn or Kilz brand)
• Latex satin or flat paint in desired grout color
• Roller
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Wallpaper chalk line tool
• Craft scissors (deckle or straight edge)
• Water tray, sponge and terry towel
• Wallpaper-smoothing tool
• Stencil
• Stencil brush and stencil gel paints
• Makeup wedge sponges
• Natural sea sponge
• Water-based polyurethane, satin finish

1. Remove dirt and wax from flooring, then lightly sand to re-tooth the surface. Apply 1-2 coats of a nonporous primer such as Binn or Kilz. Allow primer to dry for 1-2 hours. Then, paint floor with 1-2 coats of latex satin or flat paint in desired grout color. Let dry.

2. To prepare PaperIllusion paper tiles, measure and mark 6-1/2 inch squares on the backside of the Hearthstone Bone 'n Cream and Multi sheets (to make maximum use of the product). The number of tiles needed depends on the finished size of the floor. Cut out tiles using deckle edge scissors or tear, using a metal ruler for crisp edges.

3. To begin laying the tiles, start at the center of the floor and work toward the outside edges. First, locate the exact center of the floor and mark the spot lightly with pencil. (An easy way to find the center of the floor is to use sewing thread in a bright color. Tape thread in the corners of the room to form a big

4. Dip PaperIllusion tiles into water to activate the paste on the back. Start at the center of the floor and begin placing the paper tiles. Leave a small space between tiles to simulate grout lines, which you created earlier when you painted the floor.

5. Remove water and air bubbles from the tiles using a wallpaper-smoothing tool. Blot the tiles with a terry cloth towel to remove excess moisture. PaperIllusion can be repositioned easily to adjust spacing and placement. Continue until the floor is covered with paper tiles.

6. When the tiles are dry, apply a small amount of stencil gel paint along the tile edges to add shadowing. Blend the paint to add depth and dimension.

7. If desired, apply stencil designs using a small amount of paint on a natural sponge and pounce lightly over the stencil.

8. Let the newly tiled floor dry for at least 24 hours. After the floor has dried completely, apply four coats of water-based polyurethane, allowing drying time between each coat. After the fourth coat, lightly sand the surface. Apply two more coats of polyurethane. The floor can be cleaned as needed with a damp cloth.