What are leather floors, what are their pros and cons, features of use, installation technology and rules for caring for the coating. Leather floor covering is an elite expensive material. It has not only an excellent appearance, but also excellent performance characteristics. Leather for these purposes is specially processed and has a durable backing, which guarantees the wear resistance of such surfaces.
The structure and dimensions of the leather floor covering
Leather floors come in different types and can be produced in different formats: tiles, parquet, laminate. All these materials differ from each other only in size and methods of fixation. Their internal structure is almost the same. Leather flooring consists of several layers: top layer of leather (2.5 mm), cork backing (2-4 mm), HDF or porcelain stoneware. In this case, HDF is used for leather laminate and parquet, and porcelain stoneware for tiles. The leather is subjected to several stages of preparation: dressing, tanning, application of varnish or beeswax, dyeing. Vegetable tanned calfskin (black-backed) is most often used for flooring. To give it additional rigidity and strength, it is treated with a special impregnation, which also resists biological effects - insects, rodents, bacteria, fungi and mold will not start and feed on such skin. The way the raw material is processed usually determines the final result. To give a special style to the interior, the leather can be dyed to match the colors of an alligator, python, and so on.
Leather tiles are presented in three basic formats: 45x45, 60x30, 60x60 centimeters. There are, but much less often, such sizes: 20x20, 30x45 centimeters (rectangular products). There are also octagons with a side length of 20 centimeters and hexagons with a side length of 20 or 30 centimeters.
The texture of the floor can also vary. Leather tiles and laminate flooring are smooth, embossed, with or without patterns.
Pros and cons of leather floors
In ancient times, people covered the floors of their homes with animal skins. This is how the first leather covers appeared. If earlier the arrangement of such a floor was due to a forced necessity, because it was much easier to get the skin of an animal than a Persian carpet, nowadays the appearance of leather surfaces in homes is a new elite trend. Such floor coverings are distinguished by their aesthetic appearance. In the latest designer collections of leather floor tiles, you can find many products in a variety of textures and colors. Outwardly, such modules resemble ceramic, but only until you touch them or stand on such a floor with your bare feet. You will immediately feel the softness and warmth of such a coating.
The advantages of a leather floor are:
- Good sound insulation … Thanks to their special construction, the leather tiles are noise-resistant.
- High thermal insulation … This floor is pleasant to walk barefoot, even in winter. It is not cold and perfectly keeps the room temperature.
- Fire safety … Genuine leather does not burn well, moreover, the tiles are additionally treated with fire-fighting compounds.
- Moisture resistance … The skin does not allow moisture to pass through, and if water gets on it, it will not lose its shape and appearance, it is enough for it to simply dry. In percentage terms, this indicator is at the level of 7.4 units. For example, the moisture resistance of oak floors is 7.5%. Thus, leather can be used as a floor covering even in bathrooms and kitchens.
- Resistant to most dyes … Red wine, coffee, tea, ketchup, juices - all these food colors can be easily washed off the leather floor with a damp cloth and mild detergent, leaving no residue.
- Ease of installation … Laying such a floor covering will not be difficult even on your own. Most leather tiles have a tongue-and-groove construction, like a laminate, so it is enough to have simple tools to carry out all the installation work.
- Ease of maintenance … The leather floor can be vacuum cleaned, wiped with a damp cloth, but without the use of solvents. It is treated with special solutions that simplify the cleaning process as much as possible.
- Environmental friendliness … Leather is a natural material that is additionally processed with harmless compounds such as wax, vegetable tannins. Therefore, you can safely lay such a floor in living quarters, even bedrooms and children's rooms.
However, such a coating also has obvious drawbacks that must be taken into account before installing it:
- High cost of finishing material … The price of leather tiles per square meter can start from 4 thousand rubles.
- Intolerance to sudden changes in temperature … It is necessary to equip such a floor in heated rooms, otherwise the coating will quickly deteriorate.
- Intolerance to direct sunlight and hot water … Exposure to high temperatures can cause discoloration of certain areas. For the same reason, such a coating is not suitable for installation over a "warm floor" system.
- Cannot be installed in rooms with a high level of traffic … Recently, high wear resistance leather flooring material has appeared on the construction market. This is achieved through lacquer coating and hot pressing. However, even it should be placed with caution in corridors and hallways. And, of course, leather flooring is not the best solution for public and commercial establishments and reception areas.
It is not recommended to walk on such a floor in outdoor shoes and put it on open or partially open areas - terraces, balconies.
Features of using leather floor covering
Such a floor covering is a symbol of the owner's high status. Therefore, you can find leather flooring in elite apartments and houses with a low level of traffic.
For rooms where they prefer to walk in outdoor shoes, a leather laminate or parquet will not work, but tiles based on porcelain stoneware can be used. It is more durable and more durable. You can also put it in elite country clubs, boutiques with small sales areas, offices of chiefs, where the permeability is relatively low. It is worth noting that the smaller the tile size, the more expensive it looks, and the floor design is more decoratively sophisticated. Accordingly, the price is higher. If you intend to lay out leather floor tiles in an office or public place, then make sure that it is treated with a special varnish. In a private house or apartment, where you prefer to walk barefoot, sit on the floor, it is recommended to lay laminate or parquet with soft, pleasant-to-touch leather treated with wax impregnations. Most often, leather floors are painted in natural shades - all tones of beige and brown. It is also common to find black and white floor tiles. These colors are usually used in combination with each other to create interesting signature designs. The skin can be smooth, embossed, grainy, patterned and imitate various animal colors. However, since this is an elite and "restrained" material, it is customary to give preference to colors that can maximally emphasize the natural origin of the floor. But to create avant-garde styles in the interior, you can use leather in bright colors. This is a great way to highlight the originality of a room and make it as comfortable as possible. It is also possible to lay the leather tiles as individual spots in the room to create accents.
Technology of mounting the leather covering on the floor
You can make the leather floor yourself. The main condition is a clean, dry, even rough surface. Otherwise, the installation of this coating is not much different from the installation of tiles or laminate and can be carried out on glue or on a substrate.
Preparatory work before laying the leather cover
Before proceeding with the installation of the leather floor, the rough base must be carefully leveled. The maximum allowable height difference can be no more than two millimeters per meter. For leveling large drops or holes, bumps, use a self-leveling mixture. You can also try to putty the defects.
After you have repaired all the holes on the floor, it should be thoroughly cleaned (vacuumed), wait until the leveling compounds have completely dried and primed. Before starting work, it is recommended to bring leather tiles or laminate into the room where they will be installed for a day. This is how the material adapts and acclimatizes.
Fastening leather tiles to the floor
Leather tiles with a porcelain stoneware base should be laid, like ordinary ceramic tiles, on a special glue that is suitable for working with such materials. Installation is carried out in a room where the temperature does not drop below 18 degrees Celsius. Laying is carried out according to the following scheme:
- We start installation from any wall perpendicular to the windows.
- We apply glue, which in consistency should resemble thick sour cream, on the surface of the tile with a notched trowel and press it against the floor surface.
- If the dimensions of one tile are more than 20x20 centimeters, then the adhesive must be applied to the surface of the subfloor.
- We tap the laid tiles with a rubber mallet.
- The easiest way to lay is "seam to seam". If you do not have experience, then you should not "experiment" with the installation of expensive leather tiles in a ragged way or diagonally.
- If trimming of individual elements is necessary, then we use a grinder.
- To maintain the evenness of the seams, we use special crosses, which we take out after the adhesive has dried.
- Using a wooden beam or a building level, we regularly check the vertical and horizontal lines of the laid tiles.
After laying and drying the floor, it is recommended to treat the leather with a special varnish or cream that contains grease, honey or wax.
Laying leather laminate flooring
Install leather laminate in the same way as conventional wood laminate. As a rule, such parts have a traditional “tongue-and-groove” system. Assembly instructions for leather laminate:
- We lay the leveling underlay on the subfloor. It is recommended to use extruded polystyrene foam.
- To make the joints invisible, we lay the laminate along the fall of the sun's rays from the window.
- To minimize material consumption, we begin to lay the first row from the whole panel, the second from half, and so on. To start the second row, use a segment from the first.
- We join the parts, inserting the spike into the groove at an angle, and gently lower it to the floor.
- We use a mallet or knock the lamella through the wooden block with a hammer to make the laminate join more tightly.
- We put each next row with an offset of? from the previous one. Thus, a high strength of the coating is ensured.
- We leave expansion joints around pipes and walls one centimeter wide.
- Cut the last row lengthwise to achieve the desired width.
- If it is necessary to cut the panel, we use a jigsaw or a hacksaw.
- Using the mounting foot, we join the trimmed board with the grooves of the previous row.
Leather floor care rules
Although such a flooring does not belong to the category of "capricious", it should be looked after according to certain rules. This will ensure the durability and attractive appearance of your leather floor tiles.
Key recommendations:
- Do not move heavy objects on this surface.
- It is recommended to attach felt pads to the furniture legs so that they do not leave dents in the skin.
- Place special small rugs under the furniture on wheels (armchairs, TV tables).
- When cleaning, do not expose the coating to excessive mechanical stress - do not rub with brushes or abrasives.
- Do not wash the leather floor with solvents or harsh chemicals.
- Treat the surface with special compounds from the manufacturer about twice a year. You can buy these funds in hardware stores.
How to make a leather floor - watch the video:
Leather floors have taken their place in the luxury flooring niche. They are beautiful, pleasant to the touch and quite practical. You can do the installation work yourself, but you still need to have some construction experience so as not to spoil the expensive material. If you have no experience, it is better to seek professional help.
