How to Not F**k Up Your Contact Paper Floor is a video on how to use contact paper on floors.

The master bathroom is one of the most neglected rooms in the house.It feels ancient and outdated, there is no shower in the bathtub, the fixtures are old, and baby blue tile reigns throughout.The most unnerving thing to me was the linoleum.It was gross and yellow around the base of the toilet.I didn't like putting my feet on it.With only a year left in the place, we didn't want to make any expensive or permanent changes.We wanted to make sure we maximized what we had.

I came across a story on the internet about someone laying vinyl contact paper to cover their flooring, and I knew it was my bathroom's destiny.

I knew how to work slowly.To work out the air bubbles by pressing the paper down from the middle.I was going to use my utility knife to make cuts.And...!

I regrouped myself a day or two later.I tried a lot of different things on my second approach.The result was much better.

The tips that led to my success are in this master list.

1.You can choose a pattern like wood grain.It is less obvious where pieces meet because of a repetitive pattern.

2.Are you working in close quarters?narrower rolls are much easier to handle.I was unable to maneuver the roll around in a tight space the first time I tried it.It was easier to position and press the pieces without accidentally sticking them to the tub, the wrong place on the floor, etc., when I bought 45 cm wide strips.

3.If you are tearing your hair out trying to line up the edges of your contact paper with the wall, try using a straight edge and the measurements on the backside of the paper to cut your roll into squares rather than strips.The biggest difference in my success was that my strips refused to go on straight.It was difficult to line the paper up vertically and horizontally because a foot of the roll was stuck down.A crumpled ball.Oh, *cough*

4.Are you going to install the contact paper in your bathroom?Then wash your toilet.Really well.You might spend half an hour hugging it, and you will wish you didn't.

5.Before you start, you want to sweep and clean your surface.The area I was about to work on was wiped down to keep crumbs and cat hair out.

6.Overlap your pieces.There was no way my contact paper was going to line up perfectly.The edges that were most likely to be walked on were protected by the rug.

7.Give a lot of margin around your obstacle when you cut around furniture or weird edges.You can cut thin strips off until you are satisfied.scraps can be used to fill in if you remove too much.

There are 8.Start in a hidden area.There is a learning curve for dealing with vinyl, so it is best to start in an easy area, or at least somewhere that will be covered by furniture.The second time I started under the radiator.

There are 9.To line up, cut a strip of backing off the edge.You can align the working edge without the paper getting in the way or the whole piece of contact paper sticking to the floor.

10.Be patient!Definitely more patient than I was.The enemy of good is perfect.Take a deep breath, and remind yourself of how bad your current flooring is.Maybe have a beer.

It is hard to say what a difference it makes.I like it.I feel like I can walk around in the bathroom without being bothered by the ick.There are more simple bathroom updates on the way.This room is not going to be neglected anymore.

This project required four rolls of contact paper for a grand total cost of 27.96, not counting the initial roll that ended up wadded and discarded in a huff.You can find my contact paper at dollar stores or online, but I got it at a local building supply store.This maple color is one of the nice designs that Amazon has.

As you apply the contact paper, they make a fancy tool to smooth it out.You can buy it here.You can use a credit card.If your wallet is in the other room.No shame.

What types of projects have you tackled with contact paper?What kind of temporary decor solutions have you used to make a place feel like home?

Hey Shannon!We moved out a year later and the contact paper still looked good.We just left it.Depending on how much traffic your room gets, whether or not you use a rug, and whether you have kids or dogs that can catch the corners easily, your mileage may vary.I hope you will share your project if you try this.

You are a blessing.Not true.With one bathroom in the house, there is no way I can do a fix that requires painting.This is perfect.Extra DcFix / D-C-Fix vinyl is on order.I hear good things about Krud Cutter, but I wonder if it would work with water.

I haven't tried it, but it's definitely worth a try, even though I was turned off by that yelling bearded man on the TV.If you want to preserve the existing flooring, like in a rental situation, it's best to test it in an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn't do anything weird.All that information is not true.

I am happy that you have found an alternative to painting that will not leave you without a bathroom for hours.Sounds like you have a plan for it.When you are done, I hope you will share your results.

Thanks for making it easy to understand.I would have liked to have found your site earlier.Cleaning with alcohol or the backing paper being in the way are just some of the helpful tips other sites don't address.Thank you for the images.

Hey!I am happy to hear that you found this helpful.Contact paper can take some trial and error.If you ever have a photo of your project, you can link to it here.

Hi Donna!That is a great question.I always cleaned my contact paper floor by hand because the room was so small.I would imagine that a mop would catch on to the peeling edges and pull them up.The flat parts in the middle of the floor were solid, so I would have been comfortable mopping it.Best of luck with your project!If you get some insight into the mopping question, feel free to share it here for anyone else who wants to give it a try.