Penny Flooring Guide DIY

Searching for your next DIY project? We’ve found it. It’s penny flooring! If you’ve been thinking about improving the look of your kitchen or basement bar, we recommend starting from the ground up...literally. Begin pinching your pennies, and keep reading for more on this impressive design.

 

Getting Started: Gathering Supplies


A penny saved is a penny...that’ll earn you the coolest flooring around! Whether you’re building your home or renovating an old room, this tile is a great way to showcase your unique style. With a few materials, a few sets of hands, and a small space to tackle, you can make this shiny dream a shiny reality in less than a week! Here’s what you’ll need:

 

  • Pennies (about $3.00 per square foot)
  • Black paint and brush (optional)
  • Glue (Gorilla or Elmer’s)
  • Epoxy
  • Floor squeegee
  • Space heater
  • $15-20 plumber’s torch


Once you have all of your materials, the fun can begin.

 

Laying Your Penny Flooring


Step 1: Start off by cleaning your existing floor and making sure it’s level. Keep in mind that you will be able to see the floor a bit, even under the pennies. So if you don’t like the color of your flooring, pull it up and/or paint it. We recommend a black base, as this will make the copper pop!

Step 2: After the floor dries, begin gluing penny by penny. Just a little glue on the backs of the pennies will do the trick. Have a friend (or two) help you. You can crank up some jams, listen to your favorite podcast, or just chat as you work. You might even sip on a cocktail (or two) in between gluing. Once you’ve finished, let everything dry overnight.

Tip: HomeDit has a cool fiberglass tile technique you might like to try.

Step 3: Now it’s epoxy time. Best Bar Top Epoxy’s UltraClear coating is a great choice. They even have a kit you can order, which helps with directions and mixing. Get ready, though. This step takes patience. You can’t simply dump the epoxy all over the floor and call it a day. You have to pour or “flood” evenly. The good news is, this epoxy does self-level.

Tip: Before you pour, be sure you’ve removed any furniture or appliances that you don’t want the epoxy sticking to.

 

Next Steps: Handling Epoxy


Step 4: This is where the space heater comes in handy. You might not want your entire house at 75 degrees, but that’s what it takes to make this stuff work properly. So block off all doorways (with canvas or sheets) and let the room you’re working in heat up. It’ll need to stay above 75 until the coating cures completely, which takes about 3 days.


Tip: As you let the glued pennies dry overnight, place the epoxy in a room with the heater. It’ll be ready to use the next day!

Step 5: Again, move slowly as you pour the epoxy. Read all instructions carefully, perhaps even aloud, to a partner who’s helping. It’s great to have two sets of ears during this process. UltraClear Epoxy self-levels to ⅛”, which is actually double what most brands do.

After pouring, depending on what brand of epoxy you’re using, you may have a short window to cover the floor with your squeegee to level out your flood coat.

Bonus! Check out this video from Countertop Epoxy! It’s a great visual guide, and they even do what’s called a “seal coat” before flooding. They also recommend isopropyl alcohol spray to get rid of air bubbles out.

Step 6: A plumber’s torch is great to have, although a hairdryer will work in a pinch. Just make sure it’s a good, hot one so that you can get any air bubbles out.

While UltraClear requires torching for only a few minutes, some brands may require up to 20 minutes. Remember to stick closely to the directions provided, as pockets of air may continue to surface during the specified time period. You want to get them all out!

 

What a Beauty!


In 72 hours time, you, your furniture, and your furry friends are safe to be on your new penny flooring. You’ll be so proud of the finished product. And don’t be alarmed! It’s perfectly normal for guests to drop to their knees to examine the coins while oohing and ahhing over your handiwork. Be prepared to talk about the experience because everyone will want to hear the behind-the-scenes story!

And if this penny flooring happens to be in your kitchen or bar, you can add even more pizazz with some of Prestige’s hand-blown, artisan decanters, and glasses. They also make great conversation pieces. Speaking of conversation pieces, what are some of the coolest or classiest you’ve seen? Let us know in the comments!