Vinyl flooring has many benefits as a surface in the home. Not only is it affordable, but it’s also available in many different colors and patterns. It is also easy to maintain. Whether you have leftover pieces of an installation project, or you purchase them especially for other uses, consider various options for repurposing this material.
Line Under-the-Sink Cabinets
Under-the-sink areas in the bathroom and kitchen are often damp and dirty places. You can help protect cabinetry, flooring, and subflooring in these locations by cutting a piece of vinyl flooring to fit the bottom of the cabinet. Once cut, place the piece in the cabinet, and it will serve as an effective barrier against moisture and dirt. If you have active plumbing problems in these areas, consider resolving the leaks before moving forward with this project, because water damage will continue.
Protect Wood from Clamps
Working with wood often involves clamping pieces together to join them with nails, screws, or glue. When joining wood with clamps, you must take care not to damage the wood surface with the clamping hardware. To avoid unsightly damage, cut small scraps of vinyl flooring and insert them between the hardware and the wood to protect the wood from dents. Once finished, remove the clamps and the squares.
Innovative Coasters
Wet objects on wood surfaces can result in water damage. Whether you place glasses on a coffee table, or you have planters sitting on shelves or end tables, it’s easy to allow moisture from these items to damage your wood furnishings. Cut circles that are about 1 inch larger than the diameter of your planters or glassware, and then glue the two circles together with right sides facing out to create one attractive and practical coaster.
Wood Shims
Wood shims are helpful around the house when you need to stabilize a piece of furniture such as a large bookshelf or a table. Make little shims out of tiny pieces of vinyl and slide them between the furniture and the floor to lend stability.
Utilitarian Backsplash
A backsplash covers the area between countertops and cupboards. In a kitchen, the backsplash might be an expensive material such as tile or stone. In other rooms of the house, such as a workshop or a laundry room, you might opt for a less expensive material to serve as a backsplash. Consider covering this area with a remnant. You can choose a piece with colors that coordinate with room decor. The material will serve as a protective barrier for the wall that you can clean easily with a damp cloth.
Mats for Various Purposes
A number of areas around your house might benefit from small vinyl flooring mats, cut to size. For example, make a mat to keep the area you use for pet food clean. Cut another mat to use under a litter box to simplify cleanup. You could even use cut-to-size mats as art mats for children to keep work surfaces clean from paint and glue.
Get new and imaginative uses to serve a number of purposes around your home.
