Laying linoleum on the floor - from the choice of material to technology and methods of installation on different types of bases. Laying linoleum on the floor is a simple process that even a layman can handle. This topcoat imitates everything, even marble and river pebbles, so it fits perfectly into any interior style. To put linoleum on the floor, you need to know how to choose a finishing material and substrate, and understand how to lay them on different types of substrates.
The main types of linoleum for the floor
There are many varieties of such a finish floor covering. Moreover, the models differ not only in appearance, but also in quality and composition. How to choose linoleum for the floor and not be mistaken, we will consider below. Oiled and resin-based floor finishes date back to the 18th century. For the next 2 centuries, linoleum was completely natural. By the middle of the 20th century, it was replaced by synthetic one - it was cheaper, and it was much easier to produce it.
Modern linoleum is divided into several groups:
- By the field of application - for residential premises (household), for offices and warehouses (semi-commercial and commercial).
- By material - alkyd (glyphthalic), polyvinyl chloride, nitrocellulose (colloxin), rubber, natural.
- By the presence of the base - basic / baseless.
- By structure (by the number of layers) - homogeneous and heterogeneous.
When choosing a material, decide on the load on the floor. Based on this factor, it is obvious that for the hallway, kitchen and living room, semi-commercial linoleum would be the best option, and a less durable household one would be quite suitable for a bedroom and a children's room.
Synthetic and natural linoleum differ significantly in cost. It is rather difficult to find material without artificial impurities. Choosing cheaper linoleum, pay attention to its smell. High quality PVC material is almost odorless. Additionally, ask the seller for a certificate. If he finds it difficult to provide it, refuse to purchase.
The main linoleum does not require laying the substrate, which greatly simplifies its installation. For base material, a layer between it and the rough base is required. The substrate, like linoleum, must be chosen correctly.
Criteria for choosing linoleum for the floor
Note how the rolls of material are stored in the store. They must stand vertically or be wound on special bobbins and be in a suspended horizontal position.
Bend the tip of the linoleum before buying, if after that a white stripe forms, refuse to buy. Such material will quickly begin to deteriorate, as it is fragile, and stains will appear on it over time.
Examine the surface of the linoleum. It should not have any delamination, bumps, bubbles, color deviations. Their presence indicates the low quality of the material.
When buying linoleum, pay attention to:
- Cover thickness … The minimum is 0.15 mm. This protection wears off quickly, leaving stains and streaks on the coating. Linoleum in these places will quickly deteriorate. The maximum thickness of the protective coating is 0.6 mm.
- Linoleum thickness … For a child's room, choose a thicker one to make the floor softer. However, remember that the thicker the linoleum, the worse it reacts to furniture legs and sharp objects - it gets pushed and torn.
- The presence of the base … If it is, installation will be faster and easier.
- Marking … Linoleum is divided into classes: 21-24 refers to household, 31-34 to semi-commercial, 41-44 to commercial. Also consider the range of operating temperatures, moisture resistance, fire safety, abrasion.
- Design … Modern linoleums imitate anything from river pebbles to granite, marble and laminate flooring. For a small room, choose light cold colors, for a large one - warm.
Choose high-quality PVC linoleum for living quarters. For children's rooms, as well as for people with allergies and asthmatics, natural material will be a good, but expensive, option. Products based on rubber and bitumen (linoleum-relin) emit harmful substances, therefore they are not recommended for use in apartments and residential buildings.
Colloxin linoleum has an attractive appearance, but changes significantly in size with changes in temperature. Glyphthal type flooring is difficult to install and requires a professional approach.
Linoleum laying rules
Despite the fact that laying linoleum on the floor is much easier than finishing the floor with parquet or laminate, you need to remember a number of rules, without which the end result may be far from ideal:
- Be sure to prepare the base and use a backing. This will extend the life of the linoleum.
- The purchased material should "lie down" for a couple of days. Stand it upright, and after "acclimatization" unfold so that it straightens out.
- Try to use large pieces and minimize the number of seams.
- Linoleum is laid in three ways - on glue / mastic, dry and on double-sided tape. The first option is suitable for large premises, the second for small - up to 12 m2… The third method is relevant for rooms of any area.
- Fastening the skirting boards when finishing the floor is carried out only to the walls. This allows the linoleum to shrink / unclench during temperature changes and not wrinkle.
- The edge of linoleum, located in the doorway, must be fixed to the floor using metal strips and self-tapping screws.
Now you have some idea of how to lay linoleum on the floor. It's time to go to the construction supermarket for materials and tools necessary for work.
Linoleum installation technology on the floor
Having bought the material, you need to figure out how to lay linoleum on the floor so that the result will please for a long time. For work, you will need a certain set of tools, as well as a set of preparatory work with a rough floor.
Tools and materials for laying linoleum
Linoleum is an easy-to-use material. For its installation, a minimum set of tools is required:
- Sharp knife for cutting material;
- Notched trowel, if laying with glue;
- Heavy roller or small roller for rolling linoleum;
- Long ruler (ruler) or tape measure;
- Glue / double-sided tape for rigid styling;
- Plastic skirting board;
- Metal nut (if required);
- The required amount of linoleum.
Additionally, if preparatory work is required with a rough base, you need to have a self-leveling concrete mixture to tidy up the concrete slab, cement mortar for redecorating the concrete floor, plywood if linoleum will be laid on a wooden floor, a drill with a mixer nozzle for mixing the leveling mortar, composition for filling joints, grinder with a grinding wheel for working with a wooden floor, nail puller, needle roller.
Preparatory work before installing linoleum
Installation of linoleum on the floor begins with the preparation of the base. Such a topcoat can be laid on any surface - wood, concrete, tile. The main condition is evenness, the absence of obvious bumps and pits. On an uneven surface, with a large difference in height, it will not be possible to lay linoleum with high quality.
The order of preparatory work, if the subfloor is concrete:
- Examine the stove. Knock down the obvious hillocks, fill the holes with mortar.
- Check the surface with a level. With a height difference of more than 2 cm per 1 meter, a self-leveling thin screed will need to be poured.
- Close the dry mixture with water according to the instructions, stir with a drill with a mixing nozzle, let it stand for 5-7 minutes and mix again.
- If the area of the room to be finished is small, divide it into two equal parts. If the room is large, divide it into equal squares.
- Pour the mixture into one part first, then use a needle roller to expel any bubbles. When the surface hardens, repeat the work on the remaining floor.
- Let the surface gain working strength and dry well (at least a month!).
If the base is wooden, the order of work is slightly different. First, you need to carefully examine the surface and analyze the condition of the floorboards. To do this, they are tapped with a hammer. If the tree “sounds”, then there is no rot and wood-boring beetles. Such a floor can be left by aligning it with plywood for laying linoleum.
If rot is detected, proceed as follows:
- Disassemble the wood floor … Throw away the rotten floorboards and replace them with new ones. Clean old ones from paint, inspect, sand. Treat all boards with antiseptics and leave to dry.
- Inspect the lags … If there is a hint of rot, then it is best to replace them.
- Re-lay the wood floor … If the floorboards lie tightly against each other, do not creak, you can do without the leveling layer of plywood. Walk over the surface with a grinder with a grinding wheel.
- Check evenness with a level … If everything is in order, you can start laying the substrate (if you chose linoleum without a base).
It is not difficult to level a wooden floor with plywood. It is better to lay two layers, fixing each one with nails, observing the binding between the sheets like a brickwork. The second layer should be laid with the obligatory overlapping of the joints in the lower layer with a solid slab in the upper one. The fixation is the same.
Important! It is recommended to treat the finished surface with an antiseptic impregnation and let it dry well.
Laying underlayment for linoleum on the floor
Linoleum flooring begins with the choice of a substrate, if preference is given to a baseless sample of this finishing material. An interlayer between the sub-base and the topcoat will create an additional heat-insulating layer, hide small irregularities, and make the floor softer.
There are several types of substrates:
- Linen … Linen underlay for linoleum has a small thickness, is quite tough, and consists of 100% flax. Not a bad option in the middle price category for polyvinyl chloride baseless linoleum on a wooden base.
- Cork … Cork backing is the best on the market, but also the most expensive. Suitable for any baseless linoleum and any subfloor. Does not absorb water, does not collapse under the influence of moisture, does not deform during temperature changes, has high shock-absorbing properties. Additionally, it provides high-quality sound and heat insulation. To prevent the cork backing from getting bent, choose the material with the highest density.
- Jute … Jute is a natural material. The substrate from it has high heat and sound insulation qualities. It has a low density, so it will slip under heavy furniture. Choose a jute backing under baseless linoleum if you plan to lay it on a wooden base.
- Combined … The combined linoleum lining consists of linen, jute and wool. Such a substrate has high heat-insulating properties, it is quite dense, therefore it does not bulge under furniture, it absorbs noise well.
In addition, artificial substrates are produced from foamed polyethylene and polypropylene. They are often chosen due to their low cost and availability (you can buy them at any construction market). They are short-lived, cannot withstand the weight of furniture, and quickly collapse in the most loaded places (corridor, kitchen). The positive qualities of the above natural materials outweigh their high, in comparison with synthetics, cost.
Thoroughly sweep and dust the base concrete floor before laying the underlay. After that, lay a vapor barrier film, dense polyethylene will do. Be sure to put it on the walls. After installing the skirting boards, cut off the excess.
Roll the underlay across the floor. Fix the joints with construction tape. Leave a technical gap of 3-5 mm between the wall and the substrate.
The vapor barrier does not fit on wooden floors, all other points are relevant and are performed in the same sequence.
Floating linoleum flooring
The easiest way to put linoleum on a wooden or concrete floor is to roll out the roll and let it rest for several days, then install the baseboards, and that's it. This is called floating. If you choose it, observe some subtleties:
- Leave a technological gap between the linoleum and the walls (about half a centimeter).
- Use this styling only in small spaces.
- Do not attach skirting boards tightly to the floor. When the temperature rises, linoleum expands slightly, and when it decreases, it contracts. If you press it strongly against the floor with the baseboard, unevenness may appear.
- Be sure to secure the edge of the linoleum in the doorway with a metal sill so as not to tear it by accidentally catching.
Fixing linoleum with glue
Suitable for large spaces and used for concrete floors or tiles. Such laying is more time consuming than floating.
Operating procedure:
- Spread out the linoleum rolls. When they are straightened out, proceed with the installation.
- Close the adhesive mixture according to the instructions.
- Peel back half of the prepared linoleum and apply the compound to the floor with a notched trowel.
- Place the linoleum on top and gently press it into the glue with your hands. To improve traction, use a heavy roller or small roller - roll the floor.
- Do the same with the second half of the linoleum.
- Let the glue dry (maximum one week).
- Dust off the linoleum. Glue masking tape on each side of the joint and seal the gap with cold welding. After it hardens, remove the tape.
- Install the skirting boards by securing them to the walls.
Fastening linoleum to double-sided tape
Quite an easy way. Suitable for both large, medium and small spaces.
Operating procedure:
- Remove all dust.
- Peel off the protective tape from one side of the tape and apply it around the perimeter of the room.
- Use the tape to create a grid on the floor.
- Cover the tape with linoleum.
- Peel back half, remove the protective covering from the tape, lay the linoleum and press it to the floor.
- Do the same with the other half.
- Attach the skirting boards to the walls without pressing them too hard to the floor.
How to lay linoleum on the floor - watch the video:
Linoleum as a floor finish is a convenient and practical material. It will not be difficult to lay it on your own if you follow all the nuances. The result will be a stylish flooring that can imitate both tile and expensive parquet flooring that fits perfectly into any interior.
