13 Cheap Flooring Ideas(DIY Tips Inside)

If you want to refresh the floor in any room of your home, then you can do that on a tiny budget too. Many low-cost options look equally good as their costly counterparts. Here are some cheap flooring ideas. Some are so easy you can do them yourself as well.

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Cheap Vinyl Floor Stickers

If your floor has become dated, and you need a quick fix, then vinyl stickers are the answer. They are available in so many colors, patterns, and sizes. You can easily choose the style that suits your home the best. If you plan to use vinyl sticker tiles in a frequently used room, then make sure not to compromise on the quality. For places like the laundry room or home office, you can choose an affordable version too. If you plan to use vinyl tiles in a kitchen, you can put some on the wall.

Here is a tutorial on how to lay vinyl sheets on the floor

Pros

• Vinyl flooring is water resistant.
• It is inexpensive and suitable for a small budget.
• It is durable, and with care can last for years.
• A lot of options available.

Cons

• It can damage the subfloor.
• It is not an eco-friendly material.
• With time it can become yellow.
• If it gets damaged once, there is no way to reverse the wear and tear.

Brown Flooring That Seems Like Real Wood

With very few bucks, you can create a floor that looks like hardwood. Start by cutting the brown construction paper. You can use a wood plank for reference. Cut the desired number to pieces to cover the whole room. Once you cut the paper into faux planks, next comes painting. Spread a plastic sheet in your garage or an empty room. Start painting on the planks one by one with brown paint. After painting each faux plank, create texture on the painted paper with a wood graining tool. Let all the painted papers dry out completely. The next step is to make a mixture of water and Elmer’s glue. Immerse each plank in this mixture. Apply glue to the floor where you want to put the plank. And then place the soaked plank on it. Do this to all the planks one by one. Once the glue is dry, apply stain on the planks. Use polycrylic for staining. It dries fast, so you will have to be swift while working with it. You can apply up to 5 or 7 coats of polyacrylic. The more the foot traffic, the more the layers.

Pros

• You can save a lot on this type of flooring.
• It gives the feel of hardwood flooring.

Cons

• It is not a long-lasting flooring solution.
• It can release toxins in the air that may harm health.

Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT)

Luxury vinyl tiles are similar to regular tiles. Which means you can lay them with grout. There are some precautions you need to take. The floor that needs to be covered should be free of grease or grime. If you have linoleum already on the floor that you have to treat, then you can apply the tiles directly. Else you will have to thoroughly clean the subfloor.

You can also cover your floor with some budget-friendly plywood. This way working with the luxury vinyl tiles will be much easier. To apply these, first you will have to put a layer of glue. Lay the tiles. After 24 hours, grout the tiles. The benefit of LVT is they can resist stains.

Cheap Painted Plywood Flooring

When you go for a remodel of a home, when you remove the carpet, usually a plywood subfloor greets you a hello. But how to make it work while staying at a low cost? The answer is treating the plywood with coatings. Treating plywood can make it work on the main floor. You don’t have to break the bank. Sand the plywood so that it is smooth. Then apply two coats of primer. Paint over the primer with enamel. Let the paint dry and cure thoroughly for a couple of days. You can also paint the trim in a different color. A trim will add visual interest to the floor.

Pros

• Plywood is cheaper compared to hardwood.
• You can do anything you want to finish its surface. Paint, stain, or stencil. Whichever you like the best.

Cons

• Plywood floors aren’t durable. Within months expect to see it scuffed and scratched.
• Plywood flooring may affect the resale value of your home.

Cheap DIY Pallet Wood Floor

After the use of pallets for furniture and walls, now it is also used on floors. A fun part of pallet wood flooring is the transition of shades of the wood. And if you make patterns with them, it will be even more artistic. Pallet wood is super cheap, and you can cover a whole room in very little money.

Here is an installation tutorial for pallet wood flooring

Pros

• Pallet wood is cheap.
• You can add a rustic feel for less.

Cons

• Pallets are treated with chemicals sometimes.
• It is not a durable option.

Log Slice Floors

Do log cabins always fascinate you? Do you dream of owning a log cottage someday? You can bring the feels of your dream home to your current home too. You can make a floor of cross-cut logs. The first step to making this floor is, of course, cutting the logs into discs. Then lay all the wood slices in the way you want them to be. Start gluing them one by one in the decided arrangement one by one. Elbow grease involved, we know, we know!

Once the adhesive has dried, fill the gaps between the log discs with grout. The color of the grout should look good with the shade of the wood you are using. When the grout dries, use a sanding tool to even out the logs. Sanding will also remove any grout sticking to the lumber discs’ surfaces. Then use a sealer to cover the whole log floor. Let it cure and dry completely before moving your furniture in.

Pros

• A variety of wood types to choose from.
• Suitable for a small budget.

Cons

• A lot of chemicals involved in sealing.
• Laying this type of floor is tedious.

Foam Puzzle Tiles

If you need to lay new floors in your kids’ playroom or basement, then no need to splurge. An ideal choice for both of these rooms is foam puzzle tiles. They are cheaper than other forms of flooring. Foam tiles also add comfort to the floor and can work without any rug. They are available in many colors and patterns. You can choose the color that looks good with your space the most. You can easily replace them at any time. They require no special skills to install. So, you can save a lot on the service charges of floor installation as well.

Pros

• They are durable.
• They are soft to walk on.
• Heels and walking on them won’t create any noise.
• They are easy to install.
• They are easy to maintain. You can swap the old ones with new ones.
• They can be recycled.
• There are many options to choose from.

Cons

• They can develop odor with time.
• They are not water-resistant. The places where they are joined can catch water seeps.
• They can cause slips.

Cheap Ceramic Tiles Ideas

The use of ceramic tiles in homes is ages old. Ceramic tiles are a timeless flooring material. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, they are cheaper than other types. Secondly, they are durable. With proper care, they can stand the test of time. Thirdly, they are stain-resistant and can withstand moisture as well. They are a popular choice for laundry rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. Ceramic tiles need some professional help for installation, but you can use them for years afterward.

You can mix plain solid color ceramic tiles with patterned ones. There are many ways in which you can use ceramic tiles to clad the floors. They usually have a glaze on top, so you need not worry about any accidental spills. By accident, if you break a tile, it can be replaced.

Pros

• They are durable.
• They are cheaper.
• They can be easily maintained.

Cons

• Installation is tricky and sometimes adds up to labor costs.
• They can get uncomfortable due to toughness.
• During winter they can become cold.
• They are heavy, so the subfloor should be strong enough to sustain the weight.

Cheap Concrete Floors Ideas

There are some spaces in homes where you can embrace the concrete subfloor. For example, instead of covering your basement floor with costly wood, you can treat the concrete. The grungy look of concrete with treatment can look amazing. You can make it smooth and polished like any tiled floor.

Stenciled Concrete Floors

If your concrete floor is not too rough, then you can paint it with stencils. You can choose the classic option of white paint to make patterns. Or get a little creative and mix colors.

Here is a tutorial for stenciling concrete floors

Lacquered Concrete Floors

If you like a glossy look of a floor, then you can treat your cement floor with such a sealer.

Here is a tutorial for a DIY epoxy concrete floor

Pros

• Concrete floors are durable.
• You can save a lot because you will be treating the subfloor instead of installing any material on top of it.

Cons

• They are hard and can become uncomfortable.
• During winter, a concrete floor can become too cold.
• If you have lacquered it with multiple coats, it might run the risk of accidental slips.

Thin Brick Paver Flooring

First, you have to lay the brick pavers on the floors. Make any design you like. Then apply grout in between the bricks. This floor has a white grout. It looks great with the color of the brick pavers. Once the grout is dry, apply a sealer on top of the bricks. Make sure to choose such a sealer that has no shine. The original color of the brick pavers should stay the same.

Pros

• Brick floors are usually durable.
• They do not collect dust or other toxins.
• They are easy to clean.
• They are great for adding a warm feel to your home.

Cons

• Brick is durable because it is hard. Which means it can sometimes become uncomfortable. But you can always soften it with area rugs or carpets.
• Brick floors can catch stains. So, it is better to be generous with the sealant. And you might need to refresh the sealant to avoid any permanent marks on the floor.

Carpet Tiles

Another budget-friendly flooring option as low as $1.5 per square foot is carpet tiles. They can hide away even a rough cement floor while adding texture and softness to your room. You can choose between a cornucopia of colors and patterns.

Pros

• They are easy to install. This can save you labor costs.
• Carpet tiles are usually long-lasting with care.
• Carpet adds comfort to the room.
• There are a lot of options to choose from.

Cons

• Carpet tiles can collect dust over time and not suitable for health.

Here is a guide for installing carpet tile flooring

Wallpaper

Who said wallpaper is just for the walls? You can use wallpaper on the floor too. The wallpaper will save you from the tedious work of stenciling if you want a pattern on your floor. You can choose any design of wallpaper for as low as $2 per square foot. After sticking the wallpaper to the floor, you have to cover it with a sealant. You can use polyurethane for sealing the wallpapered floor.

Pros

• It is available in a lot of options.
• A good fix for worn-out laminate floors.

Cons

• It needs heavy adhesive to stick to the subfloor.
• A lot of coats of polyurethane are required.
• It can damage the subfloor at the time of replacement or removal.

Cheap Bamboo Flooring

While you might not have an enormous budget for the hardwood, you can still work wood in your home, with a bamboo floor. Bamboo floors are beautiful and durable. Even with years of use, bamboo will stay the same. Bamboo is carbonized too for a darker color, similar to hardwood.

Pros

• Bamboo flooring will stay in good condition for a long time.
• You can easily refinish its surface.
• It is an eco-friendly material.

Cons

• Bamboo planks are joined using an adhesive. And sometimes the adhesive can release some toxins in the air.