Our popular brown paper flooring original video (that has spawned a lot of copies!) and our FAQ answering the many questions we get on it led us to create this follow-up video to provide even more information on how it wears as well as answering more questions.
More than four years ago Brian and I tore up the disgusting carpet in our daughter's room and covered the particle board subfloor with brown craft paper. While we worked on it, we shot footage for a video so other people could easily follow exactly what we'd done. We thought a few thousand people might want to see it, not a few hundred thousand!
Since then it's become one of AOC's most popular posts and has generated so many questions I created a whole Brown Paper Flooring FAQ page. One of the things people want to know - and for good reason - is how well do paper floors hold up under foot traffic.
So we've made a follow-up video where we revisit our floors to see how they've held up after more than four years. We also look at issues like area rugs and sun fading, and something I did wrong that is now causing a problem. And at the end of the video I answer the most common questions from the hundreds we've gotten on YouTube and this blog. I hope you enjoy it!
Sherry Lauser says
Hi,
We have underfloor heating, would this technique work on top of it? Have you heard of anyone else trying it?
Thank you for your time.
Kind Regards,
Sherry Lauser
Jami says
I haven't, actually, Sherry - which is kind of amazing since over the years I've heard of just about everything (I thought, lol). I have no idea what the heat would do to the finish. It is polyurethane which is pretty durable and heated floors don't get that warm, do they? It might be okay, but you'd really have to do a test somewhere that you wouldn't see but that you could leave for long enough to tell.
Katherine Williams says
Congrats on all the action your paper flooring how-to video has garnered including being picked up by a national magazine! We also live in the Pacific NW, across the border that the rain doesn't acknowledge. We have carpet at the entryway ... Now that's a disgusting carpet!
Jami says
Thank you, Katherine! I agree with entryway carpet (though I think bathroom carpet beats it in disgusting factor, lol).
Tessa says
How pet friendly is the brown paper flooring?? I'm thinking this would be awesome in the kids bed rooms and the "pet room".
Jami says
I don't have personal experience with this floor and pets, but I have had readers tell me it holds up well to them. Plus it's easy to fix if something does happen.
Lynn Cloudsdale says
Hi Jami,
You're awesome!! I left my husband, bought a house and a hydrographics business, all within 4 months. So, I kinda ran out of cash but am extremely artistic and fairly resourceful; I went online yesterday looking for cheaper solutions than buying flooring for my basement … found your site and now have a plan!
Thank you so much!
Lynn 😀
Jami says
Thank you Lynn! Hope you like it. 🙂
Patricia says
Hi Jami!
Loved the video. Loved the update and the Answered Questions.
Like you...my floor (YES,over vinyl, in my bathroom) is my most popular post!
I don't have videos of it on Youtube. But it is my most pinned on Pinterest, my most Googled on Google, and most DIRECT EMAIL inquiry.
I love my bathroom floor. I should do another update on my floor-- it is only 2 1/2 years old.
I get wet pool traffic and it has held up well.
I have had a small crease like you mentioned (a ridge) and it has loosened a little.
The greatest problem with my floor-- is where the water seeped under the vinyl from a leaky toilet wax ring. It created a darker water stain in the paper...seeping up.
One thing that you didn't mention-- and maybe you haven't had to do this. But this floor is very easy to repair.
A little sanding. A little more poly. A little more paper, stain, and poly finish coat...and Bob's Your Uncle!
Patching is done. Repair is complete!
Thanks again for posting this ingenious technique for a super cheap but very creative idea! You gave me the courage to try it!
Oh...and to remove over vinyl. I would think you just pull up the vinyl. For concrete...not so easy. 😉
Thanks Jami!
Pat
Shelly says
So nice to have the update. Your floors look great after 4 years. It's good to know that it lasts so well.
Mindy says
It was so crazy to hear your voice. Blog reading is similar to books, you make up how you think people should sound in your head. Cute video.
Jami says
Ha! Now I'm afraid to ask what you had me sounding like in your head... 😉