Renters Should Be Wary Of This Dollar Tree Hack For Floors

If you're a renter, you'll already be well aware that there are certain limitations where home renovations are concerned. For example, any permanent improvement might be a breach of your lease. You don't want to risk having to find a new home with your security deposit lining your landlord's pockets instead of your own for the sake of making the space slightly chicer. As such, you should always look for little ways to spruce up your rental without making any permanent changes to it. One area you're probably considering is your floors. 

Landlords are known for installing low-maintenance flooring, from tile to laminate. Unfortunately, you might not like its appearance. This has renters reaching for the contact paper, adding a bit of flair to their otherwise dull floors. However, there are some flaws with this hack, especially as not all contact paper is created equal. For instance, if you're someone who steam cleans your floor, you may find that contact paper doesn't hold up to the task. 

Likewise, contact paper comes in every color of the rainbow, so the sky is the limit with this interesting aesthetic. You can even purchase it in wood grain for just $1.25 from Dollar Tree. And since it's peel and stick, contact paper makes for an easy DIY project that instantly mimics brand-new flooring. But if you're someone who doesn't want a ton of unsightly seams, then contact paper might not be your best bet, as you'll easily see where every strip connects.  

The Dollar Tree brand of contact paper is only 18" wide, so you'll likely be left with a room full of seams regardless of how well you install it. If you're using contact paper in a small kitchen, that's one thing. But if you're trying to cover a larger space, this faux effect will quickly become obvious. The other issue with contact paper flooring is that you can puncture it more easily than actual flooring. So if you wear shoes inside — especially something with a point, such as high heels — you run the risk of snagging your contact paper floors. You'll then be left to either place a rug over the snag or replace the section entirely. Another issue with contact paper is that it can damage wood. And if you put it on your floors, you may soon encounter it pulling off in bits and pieces, leaving behind a sticky residue that requires a lot of elbow grease to remove. 

If you're unsatisfied with your floors in a rental property, your best and crucially, safest, option might be to put down area rugs. There are plenty of tips and tricks to consider when choosing an area rug, but the best part about them is that they easily travel to your next home — no peeling or scraping required. And they won't void your lease either. There are tons of other DIY hacks you can find at the Dollar Store and Dollar Tree, so you may want to skip the contact paper entirely and look for other renter-friendly DIY decor tricks to beautify your home instead.