Recycle Your Laminate Flooring at Home!

Whether you are replacing old laminate floors or have more leftover flooring than you would possibly need for a future repair, you can recycle your laminate flooring at home. Turn your home into a mini laminate recycling center by using your old floors for a variety of crafty do–it–yourself (DIY) projects.

Here are some great ideas for ways to recycle your laminate floors at home:

One great way to reuse old laminate planks is to cut them into coasters to set your glasses on, using a table saw. Simply sand the edges smooth after cutting and voila! New coasters!

Another great way to reuse or recycle laminate flooring is to make decorative plaques. This is best done when you have wider planks rather than narrow strips, though you could use a few narrow strips joined together to make a large rectangular plank. First, lightly sand and prime your laminate floors, then paint using any craft paint or household paint to your liking. Next, you can design your decorative plaque any way you like. Using cutouts from magazines, computer print outs, and scrapbooking designs, you can create any design or saying you wish to display on your decorative plaque.

Here is a great example of design made on a recycled laminate plank from Instructables.com:

Once you have your layout figured out, mix a 3 to 1 mixture of 3 parts white glue and 1 part water. Brush onto the painted laminate and place your pictures into the glue firmly, being sure not to leave bubbles underneath. Next, brush another layer of the glue/water mixture over the entire plaque. The glue will dry clear and create a protective layer. Once the glue has dried, you can finish the plaque with a top coat such as a polyurethane finish or shellac. Attach a hanging device and voila! A personalized decorative plaque!

We’d love to hear your comments. Tell us what creative ways you found to recycle your laminate flooring at home!