DIY Technique to Create Faux Tile for a Laundry Room Floor

DIY Technique to Create Faux Tile for my Laundry Room Floor.

I used this (my own) DIY  technique to create faux tile 10 years ago when we did a major update to our home.

I wanted my floor to look like large tile. This was the finished results then and this is what it looks like now.

This is after 10 years and the current Laundry Room Update. This is a high traffic area also. That door in the photo is to the garage. There were paint spots and smears and it was dull and dirty looking. Do I put down new flooring, repaint or try to redeem or restore it? Hmmm?

Before I show you what I decided to do I want to share my DIY Technique I used to Create Faux Tile in my laundry room a decade ago.

Step 1: Remove the old tile or carpet.

Clean the concrete floor. Our lumber yard recommended cleaning with TSP. Follow the instructions on the container.

The laundry room floor originally had VCT industrial tile that took us forever to remove. There was black, nasty, mastik glue holding it down. We scrapped and scrubbed to remove all that. Don’t ask me why we didn’t just tile over it because that would have been so much easier in the long run. Oh, wait. I remember now. Stained concrete was a popular process at that time. Joe and I were going to stain the laundry room floor and the kitchen floor.

Step 2: Choose your design and colors.

I used a paint technique that I made up to create concrete that looked like tile.

Instead of staining, hubby and I decided that a tile look would work with the Old World style that we had going on in the rest of the house. The paint colors were tested in a small, inconspicuous area to see how it would look. After it was dry, I scrubbed it to see if it would hold up to traffic. Yes, it did.

The tile shapes were measured out and I had found some skinny tape at our lumber yard to make faux grout lines.

Step 3: Apply paint using brush and sponges

Craft paint was used on this floor. This is important. The concrete was not sealed. It was open and porous so the paint actually absorbed into the concrete and “stained” it. This technique will ruin a good brush.

To create faux tile, working in a small section at a time, spray the concrete with water using a spray bottle. While the surface is damp work a combination of colors into the concrete using a brush and a sponge to work the paint in and blend the colors to create the faux tile look. Please note: The coffee in the photo has nothing to do with the paint technique.

A friend once told me that to refinish a wood floor you needed a sander, a lamb’s wool applicator, a gallon of polyurethane, and a fifth of whiskey. What in the world was the whiskey for? He laughed and said, “It has nothing to do with the floor but YOU will need it!”

Since, I don’t drink, coffee is the whiskey replacement!

Satillo tile was the look I was after. Brick red, golden yellow, teddy bear brown, and deep red were the colors that worked well to create the faux tile.

Step 4: Add highlights and shadows

Remove the tape. To create depth, add shadows and highlights.

On each tile, add a darker color on two sides to create the shadows and use a lighter color to create a highlights on the other two sides. Repeat the process for each tile being mindful of which side is shadow and which side is light. Be sure to soften the interiors edges for a rounded effect.

Step 5: Seal the concrete to finish

2 coats of Concrete Sealer was used to finish the Faux Tile Floor.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the sealer.

That was 10 years ago.

This was last week. Since I was trying to stay on a budget, because of the bathroom remodel, I decided to see if I could redeem it.

I used TSP to clean it, and a wire brush to remove the grey and white paint spots. Then, 2 coats of Quick Shine Floor Finish.

Hallelujah!!! It was worth the time it took to clean it and give it a new life.

My Faux Tile Floor still looks good.

So for the time being, I am not changing the floor. And, I am excited to announce that the laundry room is finished. I will share that in another post.

In closing, my laundry room floor had been mistreated (paint drops), ignored (too long since it was polished), and walked on (high traffic area). How often do you feel mistreated, ignored, and walked on? Life does that to us.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10 ESV Biblegateway.com

The Greek definition for the word restore or perfect is: to render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair, to complete. to fit out, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust, to fit or frame for one’s self, prepare.

And I love this one: ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be.

126 times “restore” is mentioned in scripture. This is so encouraging to me. I hope you are encouraged too.

Here is a prayer for you.

Father,
Thank you for loving me with your everlasting love.
You are good and You know what You have planned for my life. I trust you.
You know what I have been through and that after I have suffered a little while,
You, the God of all grace, You have called me to Your eternal glory in Christ,
and You will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish me.
Amen

’til next time,

Nathalie