The word "linoleum" actually means oiled linen. Even the ancient Vikings oiled the sails of their ships to protect them from water and moisture.
Covering floors with such material began in the middle of the 18th century. And he was then completely natural.
In the middle of the 20th century, due to a shortage of raw materials, natural linoleum gives way to polyvinyl chloride.
Nowadays, linoleum is the most common type of flooring. In construction supermarkets and markets, its selection is huge.
Consumers want to choose linoleum that would last longer, be safe for health and beautiful in appearance. And for this you need to know how to choose the right one.
The types of linoleum depend on:
- material from which it is made: natural, polyvinyl chloride, rubber, nitrocellulose, alkyd.
- applications: household, commercial and semi-commercial.
- presence of the basis: based on and baseless.
- structures (number of layers): homogeneous and heterogeneous.
Main selection criteria
What is the best linoleum for an apartment?
Destination
The untrained buyer pays attention only to the color and pattern. Those who have already encountered or studied the issue of choosing linoleum for an apartment know that they need to build on the type of premises.
Different rooms have different loads on the flooring. This means that linoleum in different rooms should differ in its quality characteristics.
Ecological cleanliness, naturalness
More and more consumers prefer natural materials. And flooring is no exception.
The ideal solution would be to choose high-quality natural linoleum for an apartment, it is also called marmoleum.
It is made from natural ingredients: vegetable oil, resin, cork flour, limestone powder and burlap (jute fabric).
Natural dyes are also used.
It happens that for greater wear resistance, such linoleum is covered with a polymer, but you can also find a 100% natural coating. The composition most often includes flaxseed oil, and it has bactericidal properties.
- Good fire resistance.
- Easy to dry clean.
- Wet cleaning is acceptable.
- Does not accumulate static electricity.
- Paints will not fade.
Such a covering will be ideal for the floor in the bedroom, nursery, living room.
The consumer can be frightened only by the high price, and also by the fact that this material is quite fragile and only a professional can lay it down.
Concentrated acids, alkalis, stabbing objects and high humidity can spoil it.
Low price, water resistance, sound-absorbing ability, variety of colors, ease of maintenance attracts to synthetic linoleum. But, be careful: it may contain substances harmful to health.
Therefore, in order to protect yourself from harmful purchases, ask the seller for certificates.
As a rule, household linoleum intended for residential premises is safe for people.
Thickness and density
For many, the durability of the coating is important: so that the linoleum does not "squeeze through", is resistant to mechanical damage, and so that the paint does not wear off.
It is not always better to choose linoleum for an apartment, focusing only on its thickness, thicker does not mean better. It depends on why.
If child safety is important, a really thick foam with a polyester backing is the best.
And for the heels and legs of furniture - not always, the semi-commercial option will be better, but in appearance it will be thinner than the household one.
Additional coverage
This is protection against deep penetration of dirt, it is easier to care for such a coating. A protective layer, also called a worker, is on all types of linoleum. This is the top coat. It can be from 0.15 to 0.6 mm thick.
It is he who protects from abrasion. On, in the corridor and vestibule, a coating with a PVC base with a thickness of at least 3 mm is suitable, and the thickness of the working layer should be higher than 0.25 mm. Semi-commercial linoleum will also serve well here.
Linoleum base
Its sound and thermal insulation depend on the basis. It can be made of expanded polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Such linoleum can be of different thicknesses. The foam base is moisture resistant, and the service life is 10 years.
Baseless linoleum is homogeneous PVC, its second name is homogeneous. This is a fairly thin linoleum (1.2-1.6 mm). The service life is 5-7 years, in order to extend it, linoleum treatment with special protective agents is needed.
Linoleum on a heat and sound insulating base is also popular. TZI is a material made in accordance with all sanitary and hygienic standards, has good heat and sound insulation. This explains its popularity. But he doesn't like moisture.
The double base - foam and polyester, gives the linoleum more strength.
In addition to wear resistance, other characteristics make linoleum convenient and comfortable to use.
Thermal insulation, noise absorption, moisture resistance are important criteria when choosing. There may also be requirements for it to be antibacterial (for a nursery) and antistatic (for example, for an office).
We determined the type of room where you need to lay linoleum, found out what is the intensity of the load. Now you can look at the product labeling.
How to read the label correctly
It is generally accepted that according to the intensity of the load, all premises are divided into residential, industrial and office premises.
The flooring on the packaging has pictograms that indicate the room.
A house that denotes living quarters (number 2), the image of a multi-storey building denotes an office space (number 3) and an image of a factory building (number 4) - production.
Each room has a different intensity of impact on the floor covering.
On the same packages, it is indicated by pictograms - men: one, two, three and four men.
The more figures, the greater the intensity of the load can be. The coverage class can be shown by numbers, or by a combination of pictograms.
For example, a house and two people indicate that the coating is suitable for residential buildings with a low load intensity.
- Classes 21, 22, 23 are for residential premises.
- From 31 to 34 - for office premises.
- From 41 to 44 - production facilities.
Some manufacturers also provide additional markings:
| Coating thickness, mm. | |
| Working layer thickness, mm. | |
| Weight per square meter, kg. | |
| Resistant to moisture | |
| Can be used for underfloor heating, max. 27 ° C | |
| Resistant to furniture on casters | |
| Resistant to furniture legs and heels | |
| Resistant to fading | |
| Fire safety indicator (B2, RP1, D2, T2) | |
| Abrasion, g / m³ | |
| Absolute residual deformation, mm. | |
| Change in linear dimensions,% | |
| Standard roller winding, r.m. | |
| Width in the current collection, m |
How to choose a class of linoleum
What linoleum to lay in the apartment in different rooms?
- For a bedroom, office, dressing room - they have a low load intensity, 21 classes of coatings are used.
- If 1-2 people live in the apartment, a 22nd class cover can be laid in the living room.
- With children it is a little more difficult, you need to take into account the behavior of children: for a child under one year old or a calm older child - it is enough to lay linoleum of the 22nd grade, but if the children are active, give preference to the 23rd grade.
- In living rooms and bedrooms, it is possible to lay a coating thinner (about 1.5 mm), with a working layer of 0.2 mm.
- Covering of the 23rd class should also be laid in the corridor if the family is small. When the permeability is large, it is worth thinking about the coverage of classes 31 and 32, such are, by the way, in small offices.
It has been noticed that the more wear-resistant the coating, the higher its cost. Overpaying is not always advisable.
It is better to choose a coverage option that is reasonable enough for the room so that it will serve its purpose for a long time and not overpay.
And the best part is the choice of design
Having decided on the class, you can approach the most pleasant and exciting - the choice of the design of the future floor. Here, too, it's hard not to get confused, because there are a lot of colors. There are patterns:
- Color associations.
For the majority, beige is associated with warmth and comfort, orange, bright yellow, red - invigorate, blue - soothes, blue intensifies drowsiness, gray creates a working mood.
- Remember cold and warm colors.
Design techniques are often based on the play of color. For example, if you need to visually enlarge the room, use a coating of cold light colors. And warm colors will visually reduce the room, make it cozy.
Warm shades will add warmth to the "northern" room, and cold colors will refresh a bright, sunny room on a hot summer day. Bright colors invigorate, attract attention, they are ideal for accents, they are good to delineate zones.
- The use of geometric patterns on the flooring.
You need to expand a narrow room - direct the lines across long walls or diagonally.
Small tiles will be appropriate only in a small room and will visually enlarge it, while large squares are suitable for a large room. The design imitating natural wood and stone gives the room an "expensive" and "eco-friendly" look.
Subtleties of purchase
Of course, the salespeople in the store will tout their product, but you must be vigilant. Having decided on the design, look at the linoleum again before paying for the purchase.
In the store, rolls should not lie on a horizontal surface, they either stand in rolls or are fixed horizontally.
Otherwise, they may deform and these irregularities will be difficult to smooth out. When choosing a material, pay attention to this.
Feel free to sniff the linoleum. High-quality - both natural and synthetic, should be odorless, if it smells like frank chemistry - you better refuse to buy such a coating!
Ask for a hygiene certificate.
Bend the linoleum - if a white stripe has formed on the fold, it may mean that there is a lot of lime in the composition, so stains may appear on it over time.
Check the quality of the unfolded coating, there should be no delamination, bumps, the pattern should be clear, the color is the same everywhere, there should be no greasy sheen.
It is impossible to fold linoleum - creases may not be smoothed out, and in general the material may break.
Do not use tape on the front surface, because it will be very difficult to wash off the trace from it, you can damage the coating.
The variety of colors and textures gives great freedom in the design of any interior. And the correctly chosen and best linoleum for an apartment will last a long time, delighting with its invariable qualities.
Tarkett, the world's largest manufacturer of flooring materials with a 130-year history, produces one of the highest quality and most durable flooring - PVC linoleum. His factories are open all over the world, including in Russia. Since 1995, a plant for the production of:
- Household roll floors intended for residential use;
- Semi-commercial materials used in rooms with medium traffic (offices, halls, conference rooms);
- Commercial homogeneous (homogeneous) and heterogeneous (multilayer) flexible PVC used for trade, commercial, industrial facilities.
In domestic stores, Tarkett products are sold under 4 brands:
- Tarkett- the most expensive segment of the best high-quality linoleum grades 23, 31-33 and 41-43. The assortment includes more than 20 collections for household, semi-commercial, commercial and special purposes. A characteristic feature of the series is the variety of designs, as well as an interesting appearance with a believable imitation of the textured surface of parquet, massive boards, porcelain stoneware, etc.
- Sinteros- a budget option for household and commercial PVC coatings of classes 21-23, 31-34. The advantages of linoleum are versatility, practicality and durability. An analogue of this line is the products of the Ukrainian plant Vinisin.
- Polystyl- vinyl material 23, 31-34 and 41 grades, combining affordable price and quality Tarkett. Available in 6 collections, the assortment is selected in such a way that each design can be used in any type of room.
Thus, the Tarkett company produces high-quality PVC linoleum in a huge assortment for every taste, color and wallet.
Main pluses:
- High level of linoleum resistance to abrasion and tensile loads. Thanks to the transparent polyurethane tarnsparent and additional protective coatings Extreme Protection, Titanium, R.MAX and others, the surface of the material is inert to water, aggressive household chemicals, abrasives, shoes. And the use in the composition of fiberglass ensures the resistance of the floor finish to deforming factors.
- Sanitary and hygienic, fire safety and environmental friendliness. Tarkett products are the only ones in the Russian Federation that have received a certificate of voluntary eco-testing "Leaf of Life".
- Huge selection of designs and structures for parquet, solid board, marble, ceramics, natural stone, textiles and much more. The assortment includes more than 1000 decors in various shades.
- The choice of linoleum on a felt basis or on the basis of foamed PVC. The first is warmer, recommended for screed applications. The second is universal.
- Approved for use in preschool, educational and medical institutions.
- Easy installation and maintenance.
- Affordable price in many collections.
- Long service life - from 10 to 40 years.
Hello Dear blog readers, get ready, as this topic will be very voluminous and dedicated to which linoleum is best for an apartment. In the modern construction market, you can see hundreds of options of various qualities and from different manufacturers. The color variations of linoleum can also stir the imagination. Why is linoleum so popular? The fact is that this is the most popular floor covering among the population, which has an average income. They also love it for its strength and ergonomics. In our topic, let's start everything in order.
A summary of this article:
Which linoleum is better to choose for an apartment - household, commercial or semi-commercial?
There is no specific and unequivocally correct answer to this question. If we start talking about household linoleum, then, as the name implies, it is mainly used only in residential areas.
Of the advantages in it, the following can be distinguished:
- Profitability. It has a very attractive price tag.
- Very easy to clean. You don't need any expensive special equipment.
- As we stated, it has a rich color palette.
- Very flexible and easy to transport.
- It insulates the room well.
- Possesses good moisture resistance.
As for the semi-commercial option, it should be said that it is something in between the domestic and commercial options. It can be laid in places with moderate traffic, which, in principle, means that you can lay it if you have a large family at home. It has almost the same advantages. Only it is a little more expensive.
Which linoleum is better to lay commercial or semi-commercial, or household - you decide. All options are well suited for the home. The last thing that could be noticed is that in the choice of household linoleum you still have great freedom in terms of colors and type of coating (there are imitating wood, parquet and others).
Commercial linoleum is not often used for flooring in an apartment, because its cost is very high in comparison with household and semi-commercial types. If the budget for repair costs is "rubber", then this is quite a good option for flooring, which will easily serve you for more than 10 years without any jams, creases, etc.
Which linoleum is better - foam or felt?
Foam linoleum is usually made with PVC foam on glass mat. The advantage of foam linoleum is its strength. Also resistance to high moisture. Of the disadvantages of such linoleum, one can single out the price, which is several points higher than that of analogues.
As for the felt base, the advantages of such linoleum include its elasticity and softness of the coating. This, by the way, directly affects the comfort of use.
This option is much cheaper than a foamed base, but unlike the latter, the pattern in linoleum with a felt base is applied to its entire thickness, which means that when "rubbed" it will not lose its appearance.
Based on this, we can conclude that in this matter you should be guided by what is most important to you - durability and strength or appearance. As you can see, everything is extremely simple.
What are the sizes of linoleum?
Now let's move on to the part with numbers. As for the size of linoleum, the situation is as follows:
- According to building codes, the thickness of linoleum ranges from 0.7 mm to 4.5 mm. There is also an option with a thickness of less than a millimeter, but such a material, as you might already guess, is completely unsuitable in everyday life.
- The most common linoleum in thickness is from 1.5 to 3 mm. Thanks to this thickness, sound insulation and thermal insulation hold well.
How wide is linoleum?
With regard to width, the following options are available on the construction market:
- 2 meters.
- 2.5 meters.
- 3 meters.
- 3.5 meters.
- 4 meters.
- 5 meters.
As you can see, there are enough width variations to avoid a lot of seams when laying. We spoke in more detail about the possible width of linoleum already once in the article - be sure to study how wide linoleum is.
What classes is linoleum divided into in terms of wear resistance and fire safety?
In terms of wear resistance, linoleum is divided into the following classes:
- Practically indestructible (dense wear-resistant linoleum).
- Weakly abrasive.
- Moderately abrasion.
- Highly abrasive.
As for fire safety, then things are much more interesting. To protect yourself, you should choose it according to the following parameters:
- Flammability.
- Toxicity.
- Smoke formation.
- Smoke spreading speed.
Now in more detail ..
Flammability is one of the most important indicators of fire safety. In this regard, linoleum has the following marks - from G1 to G4. In this case, G1 denotes little or no flammability, while G4 is an indicator of easy flammability.
When buying a cover, be sure to pay attention to these tags. Especially if the linoleum is selected in a room where there is frequent contact with fire. Practice shows that it is forbidden to lay G4 linoleum where it is required to evacuate people in the event of a fire.
As for toxicity, this indicator characterizes the amount of toxic substances released during a fire. The toxicity level is determined here in a similar way to the flammability labels - from T1 to T4.
T1 coating is low-toxic, while T4 coating is highly toxic and can cause an early poisoning of the body when the material is burned.
Smoke production is another important factor. It shows the amount of smoke emitted when burning. D1 - practically does not emit smoke when burning. D4 - when burning, a large amount of smoke is formed and the room is very smoke-filled very quickly.
Smoke spreading rate - refers to the indicators above. RP1 - smoke spreads slowly or does not spread at all. RP4 - when ignited, there is almost instant smoke.
Summing up, let's say that when choosing linoleum, do not forget to pay attention to all accompanying marks. This will protect you and your home from unforeseen circumstances.
According to European standards, linoleum has a specific two-digit marking. The first number characterizes the type of room. The second is the intensity of the load.
The first number is as follows:
- 2 - living quarters.
- 3 - office premises.
- 4 - production facilities.
The second digit is as follows:
- 1 - low intensity of the load.
- 2 - average intensity of the load.
- 3 - high intensity of the load.
- 4 - very high load intensity.
If you choose linoleum, then follow the following markings:
- 21 - premises for short-term use (this includes, for example, sleeping rooms)
- 22 - linoleum for living rooms, kitchens, children's rooms.
- 23 - linoleum for hallways, corridors and common areas in communal apartments.
These are the main residential markings. After them, there is already marking on the number 3 and 4. Such linoleum is already suitable only for hotels, commercial premises, shops, warehouses, etc.
Is natural or artificial linoleum better for an apartment?
This question is very interesting and almost always excites the minds of those who are going to choose linoleum. So let's figure out which linoleum to choose for an apartment.
In the production of linoleum from natural components, oak bark flour is used, as well as ordinary wood flour. It is not uncommon to add various organic oils and pine resin.
Practice shows that linoleum made from natural ingredients is an environmentally friendly material and is especially popular with those people who have a child or have allergies.
It is suitable for those who decide to save money, but it is worth remembering that this material is not as fireproof as its natural counterpart (due to the lack of oils). It also has a rather unpleasant chemical odor.
Our advice is as follows - if you are faced with the choice of natural or artificial linoleum, then pay attention to factors such as the frequency of use of the premises and the presence of children or pets. These are the most basic things to focus on.
These two concepts can turn out to be a dark forest for an ordinary buyer. In fact, everything is simpler than it seems, and we will help you not to get confused in this terminology and easily distinguish one material from another and not make a mistake when buying.
What is heterogeneous linoleum?
Heterogeneous linoleum is a linoleum that consists of several layers. Their thickness is usually 2 to 6 mm. The basis of such linoleum is reinforced fiberglass, which is covered with PVC.
A different pattern is applied to the PVC on top. It is worth saying that heterogeneous linoleum is a rather difficult material to manufacture.
Homogeneous linoleum what is it?
Unlike heterogeneous linoleum, homogeneous is a homogeneous material. Its thickness varies from 1.5 to 3 mm. Also, the main difference between homogeneous linoleum is that it provides a narrower choice of patterns.
It should also be borne in mind that this linoleum already has a specialization - it is most often used in shops, corridors of public places, front doors.
Now we turn to the main question - which of these two linoleum is better for an apartment?
The answer will be unambiguous - the best option for an apartment is a heterogeneous option. Homogeneous ones have one very unpleasant property - it is almost impossible to clean it with ordinary detergents due to the presence of lime in it.
It absorbs dirt well and may require a sander for cleaning, which is not a good option at home. Therefore, it is worth leaving this option more for technical rooms.
As for heterogeneous linoleum, in terms of cleaning, a conventional soap-based detergent is sufficient, which is always available at home.
Most people are interested in a reasonable question - which company is the best linoleum for laying on the floor in an apartment? We answer .. Today, the best and most reliable option is Tarkett linoleum (Tarkett).
Of course, there are other manufacturers of linoleum, whose products can also be safely laid on the floor in apartments. For example, such as - Grabo (Grabo), Forbo (Forbo), Ideal (Ideal), Gerflor (Gerflor), Juteks (Juteks) and others.
Their price / quality ratio is very good, i.e. when laying on the floor, you can be sure that the flooring will not fray to holes in the coming years.
That's all. Now you know which company (brand) linoleum is better to lay on the floor in the apartment. The choice is naturally yours - we only give advice and recommendations.
Next, we will consider the nuances of choosing linoleum for a certain type of home space. This is a very important part of our article, since, based on all of the above, you can see that linoleum is not as simple material as it might seem at first glance.
How to choose linoleum for the kitchen?
It should not be hidden that linoleum has already become a traditional material for the kitchen, which does not cease to be popular. The kitchen is a very picky place, so the choice of flooring should be approached with great care.
The most important question to be asked when choosing linoleum is natural or synthetic flooring?
If you decide to choose a natural covering, then you can be sure that it will consist of environmentally friendly materials. It will have the following advantages:
- The coating will be hygienic.
- Fire resistant thanks to natural materials.
- You can choose from a wide variety of coloring pages.
- It is resistant to heat, which means that it is possible to carry out a warm floor system under it.
Synthetic material differs from natural material only in some respects. Synthetics advantages:
- Has dielectric properties.
- Heat resistant.
- It has a low price in contrast to its natural counterpart.
So what should you choose? It should be borne in mind that natural material is more expensive, and synthetic is more affordable. The main advice - if you have the money, then of course you should choose the natural option.
But if you decide to save money, then synthetics will also be a good choice. We talked in more detail about the choice of linoleum for the kitchen in the article - which linoleum for the kitchen to choose, I advise you to study.
Which linoleum for the bathroom is better?
Regarding the choice of linoleum for the bathroom, there are the following basic tips that must be strictly followed:
- Choose waterproof linoleum. The humidity in the bathroom is much higher than in other parts of the house / apartment.
- Be sure to choose options with a coating that has ribbed elements. They will protect you from unexpected falls, as linoleum becomes very slippery after being exposed to water.
- Also choose linoleum, which will be resistant to physical stress of objects pressing on it (washing machine, sink, etc.), as well as which will withstand the effects of various detergents.
Masters advise putting homogeneous coatings in the bath.
How to choose the right linoleum for the bedroom?
Everyone knows that a person spends almost a third of his life in the bedroom. And for the bedroom, linoleum only from natural materials is better than ever.
Since such linoleum is bactericidal, it will have a pleasant effect on your well-being. It also withstands sunlight well and does not emit harmful substances into the air.
By the way, natural linoleum in the bedroom is very suitable for people with allergies or bronchial asthma.
How to choose linoleum for a hall in an apartment correctly?
For the hall, you should choose household linoleum. Pay attention to the thickness - it should be medium, since the hall is a place with a moderate load.
A semi-commercial option is perfect. It should have a 21-23 class of wear resistance. Linoleum on a jute or felt basis can be called good options for the hall.
These materials are quite elastic, soft and retain heat well. It is very pleasant to walk on them and they are absolutely safe for your health. A nice bonus is that these materials are easy to clean and also easy to care for.
If there are pets, then due to the antistatic properties, wool will not stick to them (materials).
Which linoleum to use for the hallway and corridor?
Most masters advise choosing semi-commercial linoleum in the hallway and corridor. It is ideal for the reasons that the corridor is the place with the most traffic in the apartment.
Semi-commercial linoleum will not allow shoe marks to appear on it. Also, practice shows that it is almost impossible to damage this coating by force.
Choose semi-commercial foam based linoleum - it will last longer than other options. As for the colors, the semi-commercial linoleum, although not replete with the same print options that are available in the household, but there is also plenty to choose from.
How to choose linoleum for a nursery?
The most basic advice in choosing linoleum for a children's room is naturalness. Recently, there may be a large number of allergy sufferers among children and linoleum made from natural materials in this case will be the best choice on your part.
Remember that the nursery is a pretty aggressive place. Your child will play with toys there and drop something on the floor. Naturally, this will affect its integrity.
The second main advice is that in order to avoid frequent replacement of the floor covering, it is worth choosing linoleum in the nursery with a thickness of at least 3 mm. Household foam linoleum is perfect.
As for the colors, it is better to choose the material as brightly as possible for the nursery. This will delight and cheer up not only you, but also your child.
What is the best linoleum to lay on a wooden floor?
Perhaps most people experience heavy wear and tear on wood surfaces. This is especially true for the floor. Over time, it loses its original appearance, which cannot be restored even by careful polishing. What to do in this case? The answer is simple - lay linoleum. But the next question arises - which linoleum is better placed on a wooden floor?
For laying on a wooden floor, it is better to choose linoleum with good thermal insulation properties. Together with wood, this will give an excellent effect and the heat will remain in the room for a long time. As for its options, it all depends on the room in which it will be used, so it's up to you whether to choose a household, semi-commercial or commercial option.
As for the specifics, then linoleum on a fabric basis is well suited to a wooden floor. Also, linoleum without a base, which has a homogeneous structure. The masters also advise colloxil linoleum, it is flexible and easy to install, but if the room is not ventilated for several days, an unconstrained chemical smell remains.
What is the best linoleum to lay on a concrete floor?
Since the concrete floor is an inhospitable cold coating, in terms of choosing linoleum, preference should be given only to multilayer options with a foamed and insulated base.
Why only this type? If you choose any other linoleum, then, of course, it will also fit well on concrete, but all year round you will notice that the floor is cold. This can be very harmful to your health.
Is it possible to paint linoleum and what kind of paint?
It just so happened that not everyone has the opportunity, after the appearance of defects in linoleum, to immediately renew the entire coating. Most resort to clever ways. One of them is painting. Let's say straight away - you can paint linoleum. Another question - what dye composition to do this so that it does not turn out worse?
The most popular linoleum paints are oil, alkyd, and acrylic. With them in order:
- Oil paints are the most budgetary option. If you follow the dynamics of the development of the construction market, then this paint is already outdated. But on the other hand, it fits well on the surface and does not create irregularities. Of the minuses, only a rather sharp and unpleasant odor can be distinguished during painting and during the drying process. Also, this paint must be periodically renewed, as it will wear off over time.
- Alkyd paints are much more advanced than the oil version. This paint is very flexible, resistant to water and distinguished by its durability. Also does not lend itself to fading in the sun. Dries quickly enough (in just a couple of hours). The only negative is that, like the oil version, it has a pungent smell when painting.
- Acrylic paints are the most suitable option for linoleum. Dries quickly, withstands mechanical damage well. The service life of such paints is very long. From the pleasant little things - the composition of the paint withstands chemical exposure well (it is especially useful when you need to wash the floor with various means).
As we could find out, linoleum can be painted. The approach to paint only depends on the size of your budget. Of course, if it is not large, then oil paints are suitable for you, if medium or good, then alkyd and acrylic paints. But practice shows that it is better to pay money once for good material than to spend large sums of money on reworking the work later.
Is linoleum harmful to health?
After all that we have listed in this article, a specific question creeps in - is linoleum harmful to health? As we found out, linoleum is made of natural material, and sometimes it is made of PVC and its analogues. The first is, of course, completely safe.
The second can be harmful to children and adults with allergies. In fact, with proper care, linoleum made of artificial materials will also be safe. Simply do not neglect the rules of styling and caring for the latter.
Most importantly, remember:
- If you have artificial linoleum, then ventilate the room at least once a day.
- Do not put artificial material in nurseries and bedrooms.
- Use only specialized detergents.
When choosing linoleum, we ask the following questions:
- will it fit into your interior in color, pattern and texture;
- whether it can withstand the load on the floor;
- whether it meets the requirements for moisture resistance, sound insulation and thermal insulation;
- take - on a foam (PVC) basis or on a felt?
And, of course, everyone would like the flooring to not require replacement for as long as possible and survive until the next renovation.
What does "linoleum base" mean?
By the base of linoleum we mean the type of base layer of the floor covering that is in direct contact with the subfloor made of wood or concrete.
Reliability, strength, durability of linoleum, as well as sound and heat insulation characteristics directly depend on its thickness and configuration.
The base performs the following functions:
- alignment or masking of irregularities (the more there are, the thicker the base layer should be);
- shock absorption - optimal elasticity of the coating helps to relieve stress on the joints and spine;
- heat and sound insulation - in this case, the thickness of the layer also plays a role;
- protection of the upper decorative layer, which consists in the fact that the base layer prevents moisture from penetrating into the upper layers of the material.
So that you can choose the best linoleum for your home or office, we offer you a short description of its foundations.
Foamed (PVC) base
Floor coverings based on vinyl foam or PVC are more durable and moisture resistant, so they are suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, corridors and other areas with high humidity.
To the advantages of a foamed base, manufactured mechanically, and high resistance to point and mechanical loads. This means that the heel marks on your linoleum, as well as the prints of the furniture legs after rearrangement, will quickly disappear.
Linoleum on such a basis has a relatively small shrinkage - 2 mm, but it is recommended to lay it as flat as possible on the floor.
The disadvantages of such a framework we can say that it is thinner (1.5-3.5 mm), respectively, such linoleum is more rigid and less shock-absorbing. In addition, the PVC base loses its properties under the influence of temperatures exceeding 27 degrees, which should be taken into account in the presence of underfloor heating.
Felt base
Compared to the previous one, this base layer is more environmentally friendly and thicker (up to 5 mm). It is warm and soft, so it is an excellent solution for ground floors or private houses.
The thickness of the base also provides good soundproofing properties of linoleum.
Disadvantages of nonwoven backing can be called low moisture resistance, susceptibility to rotting and the appearance of fungus, so the presence of a damp and unheated basement under your apartment will inevitably lead to rapid deterioration of the coating. Today the felt used for this base layer is impregnated with special waterproof and antifungal agents, which gives it a relative moisture resistance.
Also, in comparison with the foamed, the main felt layer tolerates point and mechanical loads worse - in other words, the dents remaining after furniture and other heavy objects do not disappear.
Felt-based linoleum can have a shrinkage of up to 10 mm, therefore, before fixing it with plinths, you need to let it rest for a while. But you can lay it on an uneven floor - the main thing is that it is dry if protection from moisture is not provided. This linoleum is ideal for a bedroom, living room or nursery, where it will provide the necessary softness and comfort.
As you can see, the answer to the question "What is the best base for linoleum?" directly depends on the type and characteristics of the room for which this floor covering will be used.
Whichever base of linoleum you prefer, what is written below may be useful to you. There are 3 types of linoleum - household, commercial and semi-commercial, which differ in thickness, number of colors and patterns.
Household linoleum is characterized by many colors, low price and availability, but its durability is not so high - it will last no more than 5 years. Household floor coverings vary in thickness from 1.3 to 4.5 mm. It is this indicator that determines their reliability and durability.
Therefore, experts in the field of repair advise to lay a more durable and thick (from 4.5 to 8 mm) semi-commercial floor covering on a felt or PVC basis. It can withstand average operating loads, and its service life can be up to 20 years.
The most durable can be called a commercial coating designed for rooms with the highest traffic. It is the thickest (from 8 to 10 mm), will last more than 20 years, but you may not be satisfied with the limited choice of colors and some subtleties with styling.
Important: low quality linoleum, containing various harmful additives, has a pungent odor and an unhealthy greasy sheen. Trust your sense of smell and all the required product certifications.
Like other building materials, linoleum is manufactured in accordance with GOST and must have the appropriate marking, consisting of 2 numbers. If there is no marking or there is only one number, this indicates a violation of the manufacturing technology, which may affect the quality of the material.
It is better to purchase linoleum for the kitchen or other rooms in large stores, where it is more likely that it is in good temperature conditions. In any case, it is worth making sure that you have a quality certificate.
It is always better to buy rolled linoleum in one piece. The coatings purchased in different stores may differ in texture and shades of colors, just like linoleum from different batches of goods.
Do not fold the linoleum in half - it can only be folded with the front side inward.
We hope we have answered many of your questions and wish you a quick, inexpensive, high-quality and beautiful repair!