When laying linoleum, the canvases can be joined by hot or cold welding. Both methods do not require special skills and abilities, which makes it possible not to seek help from specialists. The main thing is to adhere to the technology of work in one way or another. Welding linoleum is the design of the seams between the canvases. Today there are two types of their connection - cold and hot. Let's talk about each method and consider in what cases which method is advisable to use and what tools will be needed in the process.
Cold welding of linoleum seams
This method is the most popular. But before describing the technology itself, we will consider what advantages and disadvantages this type of welding has and what tools need to be prepared.
Advantages and disadvantages of cold linoleum welding
Cold welding of linoleum joints is more popular than hot welding. This is due to the presence of such advantages:
- This method allows you to make the seam almost invisible.
- During the installation work, no special equipment is used, in addition to an edge cutter, which is quite possible to do without.
- Even novice craftsmen will not take much time to work (maximum a few hours).
- The technique allows you to accurately align the relief seams.
As for the disadvantages, here the list is much shorter. Cold welding is not suitable for working with multi-layer linoleum, as the joint will ultimately be conspicuous. You should not use this method even if insulation is laid under the flooring.
Tools and materials for cold welding of linoleum
Before proceeding with the installation work, it is necessary to prepare tools and materials. In addition to the linoleum itself, we need a roller, double-sided tape, a sharp construction knife, a metal bar, an edge cutter, and a cold welding adhesive. The latter is sold in any hardware store.
The consumer is offered several types of cold welding glue:
- Adhesive composition type A … It is used to work with new PVC canvases. The substance is liquid enough that it can penetrate into thin seams. It is used to connect joints, the gap between which does not exceed 1 millimeter.
- Type C linoleum welding adhesive … Used when working with old canvases. During the operation of the floor covering, the seams become slightly wider (1, 5-2 millimeters), so it is impractical to choose liquid compounds for gluing. Type C glue has a more viscous consistency and, after hardening, resembles linoleum in structure.
- Type T adhesive … Used by professionals. It was designed for bonding linoleum to a polyester backing.
Important! If you use type C adhesive, then there is no need to cover the linoleum surface with masking tape.
Cold welding technology for linoleum joints
In contact with linoleum, cold welding, which is essentially a solvent, turns the edge of the flooring into an almost liquid material. As soon as the solvent evaporates, and this happens very quickly, the canvases are bonded to each other. This connection is characterized by increased strength.
If everything is ready, then you can proceed directly to laying the linoleum. We work in the following sequence:
- First of all, it is necessary to complete all measurements. If there is a drawing on the linoleum, then you should think in advance how to arrange the canvas (the image can be located in the center of the room or symmetrically relative to the center). In this case, it makes sense to first draw a diagram and cut the linoleum according to the sketch made.
- The canvases are overlapped. Pieces of material should overlap each other by at least 3-4 cm. If you have a picture, you need to calculate the amount of overlap as accurately as possible. Otherwise, after trimming, its geometry will be broken. It is impossible to fix this. You will either have to buy new linoleum, or put up with the result.
- Using a sharp construction knife, you need to cut the linoleum at the intersection of the two panels in the middle. Both pieces are cut right through. In order for the cut line to be even, it is necessary to use a rigid metal bar during work. It is advisable to make the incision in one motion. In hardware stores, special knives for cutting linoleum are sold, with which it is much easier and more convenient to work. However, if you are not going to do repairs professionally, then buying expensive equipment is impractical.
- Excess linoleum must be removed. This is best done with an edge trimmer. First, carefully remove them from the top sheet. Then we put it under the bottom, and start working with the bottom piece. If you do not have an edge cutter at hand, and you do not consider it necessary to buy one, then you can use a sharp construction knife or scissors. If special equipment was used during cutting of linoleum, then the surplus of the canvas can be removed without a knife.
- At the next stage, the junction of the canvases is glued from the inside. Use double-sided tape for this. It is quite difficult to do it on your own neatly. Therefore, it is advisable to enlist the support of an assistant. First, the tape is glued to the subfloor. Then it is necessary to lay the floor covering on it (each canvas is laid separately). The seam must be rolled with a narrow construction roller, while pressing the linoleum to the floor.
- It is advisable to seal the seam with masking tape before cold welding. So that in the process of further work it does not lag behind the surface of the linoleum, it must be pressed. This is most conveniently done using the same paint roller that was used in the previous step. This is done so that the adhesive mixture, which is difficult to remove, does not get onto the surface of the linoleum. And so that you can get to the seam, cut the masking tape along the joint line with a clerical knife.
- Some experts recommend slightly warming up the joint before cold welding. To do this, you need to put a metal plate 15-20 cm wide on the seam. Install the iron on it and connect it to the network. As it heats up, it will heat up the metal, which in turn will heat up the floor covering. Do not overheat the seam.
- It remains to apply cold welding. It comes in tubes with a sharp needle at the end, which allows you to close the seams neatly. Before using the glue, shake the contents of the tube and make sure that there is no debris or dust on the needle. Slowly squeezing out the substance, fill the joint between the linoleum canvases.
- Be very careful when removing excess cold welding. The resulting connection is elastic and can be springy. If you cut off too much adhesive, then a depression will form at the junction, which will be extremely difficult to seal.
Sometimes cold welding is applied not to both canvases at the same time, as described above, but to each blade separately. First, the edge of one piece is processed, after which it is placed on the floor. Then the edge of another canvas is processed, and it is laid end-to-end with the first one. After that, the linoleum is rolled with a paint roller to make the joint invisible. But not everyone succeeds in doing such work accurately the first time. You can pre-practice on unnecessary scraps of flooring.
Note! Its strength directly depends on the length of the seam. The strongest are short joints.
Hot welding of seams of linoleum
This method of sealing joints is advisable to use if you have to work with natural materials. Under the influence of hot air, they will not melt, and the heating temperature of the edges will reach 6000 degrees. The technique is also used for laying linoleum in rooms with high traffic.
Pros and cons of hot welding linoleum
Hot welding of linoleum has the following advantages:
- Since the procedure takes place at high temperatures, the resulting seam is hermetically sealed.
- This method is safer than cold welding.
As for the disadvantages, hot welding can be used exclusively during manipulations with hard types of linoleum, since only they do not melt under the influence of high temperatures. The work requires special equipment and skills to work with it.
Materials and tools for hot welding of linoleum
For work, in addition to the flooring itself, you need to prepare a cord for welding linoleum, a hot air gun, an arc-shaped knife or scissors in the shape of a month.
An alternative to a hot air gun can be the most ordinary soldering iron. However, do not expect that the quality of the seam made with it will be the same as when working with a hot air gun. In addition, the soldering iron is not equipped with a thermostat. Therefore, it is not possible to control the heating temperature.
The curved knife can be replaced with scissors, the blade of which is curved in the shape of a crescent. Direct experts do not recommend using it, because it is almost impossible to carefully remove excess glue with them.
The composition of the cord for welding linoleum is similar to the floor covering itself. Under the influence of high temperatures, the edges of the panels melt, and the rope penetrates into the structure of the material. The seam made in this way has increased strength. If all the work has been done carefully, the joint will not be conspicuous at the first glance at the floor. If you see a hot air gun or an apparatus for welding linoleum for the first time, then preference should be given to the cold method.
The technique of hot welding of seams of linoleum
Hot welding of linoleum involves the use of special equipment. But there is no point in buying it in order to make repairs 2-3 times. Therefore, this method is mainly used by professionals.
When laying the flooring and joining seams by hot welding, follow these instructions:
- Unlike cold welding, the canvases are not overlapped, but end-to-end. At the junction, using a construction knife, a small V-shaped depression is cut out, the width of which is 2-3 millimeters. The depth should not exceed 2/3 of the thickness of the linoleum. This recess must be cleaned of dirt, dust and debris. This is best done with a vacuum cleaner.
- We heat the hot air gun up to 450-500 degrees.
- In the prepared groove, it is necessary to lay the welding cord using a special nozzle. In order to ultimately not form gaps, it must be well fixed between the cord and the canvas at the very beginning of work. Its free end should be parallel to the linoleum joint. Do not take too long a cord. Its length should not exceed half the length of the seam. The cords are joined with an overlap (3-4 cm).
- After laying the welding cord, you must immediately remove the excess adhesive that protrudes above the surface of the linoleum. If it hardens, then you will not be able to do it carefully.
Pay attention to how to properly lay linoleum in terms of aesthetics. If the room has a shape close to a square, then it is possible to join the canvases of the floor covering both along and across the room. In this case, you need to consider how the light falls. The seam will be less visible if it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Watch a video about welding linoleum below:
We looked at how to glue linoleum with cold welding and what is hot. When choosing a way to design joints, first of all, you need to pay attention to what kind of flooring you are going to work with and what equipment is at hand. In addition, it is worth taking into account the permeability of the premises: in offices or shops it is advisable to seal up the seams with hot welding, but in apartments you can limit yourself to cold welding.
