How to lay linoleum on a wooden floor?

Each person seeks to make their home as cozy and comfortable as possible. And the flooring plays an important role in this process. To date, there are a large number of varieties of flooring.

They differ in their appearance, cost, durability and strength. And the most popular type of material is linoleum. Such coverage is affordable for every person.

In this article we will be similarly talking about the merits, types and rules for choosing such material. And also we will tell about how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor.

Today, the vast majority of buyers know linoleum as an inexpensive, practical, synthetic material.

However, not everyone knows that initially such a floor was completely natural.It was made entirely from natural ingredients: wood tar and flour, jute, linseed oil and other products. This coating was completely safe for human health and the environment. However, the cost of the material was very rather big. Therefore, natural linoleum has not received such a large distribution, in contrast to its synthetic counterpart.

Modern linoleum consists of several layers. The substrate is most often made of polyvinyl chloride, rubber or fabric. Depending on this, linoleum is divided into several types:

• PVC This type of flooring is most common. It has excellent performance. However, it is completely unstable to low temperatures;
• relin Perhaps this is the most plastic and moisture-resistant type of linoleum. The outer layer of relyna is made of rubber, and the substrate consists of bitumen and ground rubber;
• Marmoleum This type of linoleum is markedly different from the others. Since it is made of environmentally friendly materials and is completely safe for human health and the environment.This coating is characterized by hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties. You can without fear of laying it in the nursery;

• griftalovy. In another, this type of linoleum is called alkyd. The production of this type of material is carried out by applying special resins on the basis of textiles. Such material is characterized by excellent heat and sound absorbing qualities;
• nitrocellulose or colloxylin material. This flooring also features high performance. However, over time may be deformed.

Also, linoleum is classified depending on the purpose and there are three types:

• domestic. The name of this type of material speaks for itself. Household linoleum is designed for residential premises and is not very thick. The material is quite durable, but not intended for excessive loads. Most often it consists of one or two layers. Design options for such floor coverings are the most diverse: from plain coatings to imitation of stone, marble, tile or laminate;
• semi-commercial. This coating option is already thicker and more durable.It is noticeably more durable and a bit more expensive than household linoleum. Designed for premises with medium traffic;
• commercial. This is the most durable and reliable type of linoleum. It is incredibly durable, and for this reason the cost of this option is the highest of all listed. Most often commercial linoleum is laid in rooms with extremely high traffic. For example, in shops, schools, hospitals, kindergartens.

Consider the main advantages of linoleum over other flooring, thanks to which it has become so popular among buyers:

• Democratic value. It is for the ratio of price and quality that such material is so widespread. Everyone can cover the floor in their home with linoleum, regardless of the size of the wallet. Of course, there are a large number of types of this material, which differ significantly in their value. However, anyway, everyone will be able to choose the material in accordance with their budget.

• Long service life. Linoleum is a very durable material. The average shelf life of such flooring is at least ten years. Moreover, some manufacturers claim that their products will retain their original appearance even after two decades of use. If we correlate this parameter with the cost of the material and its qualities, then doubts about the benefits of such a purchase will not remain even among the most skeptical buyers.

• The variety of colors. In the catalogs of modern stores you will find a huge selection of linoleum for every taste. This can be a spectacular and fairly high-quality imitation for more expensive coating options: tile, natural stone, parquet and so on. Or any other coating design. Colors and styles are limited only by your imagination.

• Easy installation. To mount household linoleum, you do not need any special knowledge, skills or special tools. You can easily handle this task yourself,without resorting to outside help. At the same time the process of laying does not take you much time. And you can immediately walk on a new floor.

• Resistant to moisture. Due to this property, linoleum can be safely laid in the bathroom and in the kitchen. After all, it is in such rooms that the most moisture and pollution. Also, the floor will turn out to use with a large amount of water, without prejudice to the quality characteristics of the material. Moreover, even in the case of flooding the apartment, the linoleum coating will not suffer, you will not have to change it.

• Unpretentious care. To get rid of dirt and dust that has accumulated on the surface of the floor, simply wipe the floor with a soft cloth. You do not have to spend too much time and effort on caring for the material. What is very happy any hostess.

As you can see, each type of linoleum has certain pros and cons. Therefore, the final choice of one or another option depends on your preferences and characteristics of the room for which the flooring is intended.

First, you should consider the degree of permeability of the room.The more intense the intended load, the stronger and thicker the material should be. You should also take into account the specifics of the space.

In the child’s room, hypoallergenic and safe for health types of linoleum should be placed, such as Marmoleum. In the living room fit almost all types of linoleum. Therefore, the final choice will depend on the external characteristics of the coating.

Given the above information, you can already choose high-quality linoleum, which will surely satisfy you with its characteristics. However, there are some more tips to help you make a smart purchase.

So, since the material will fit on the wooden floor, you should remember about some of its features. For example, the best option for a surface made of wood will be exactly synthetic linoleumand not natural.

This is due to the fact that polyvinyl chloride does not rot and has a special foam substrate, which consists of several layers.So this type of linoleum has a low thermal conductivity, which will allow you to keep warm in the country, in a private house, in an apartment or "Khrushchev".

We talked in detail about the features and characteristics of linoleum. Now it’s time to figure out how to properly lay such material on a wooden floor.

The better the preparation of the wooden base is carried out, the better the final result will be. To get started, carefully inspect the floor. In no case should there be deep cracks, chips, mold and fungus. All boards must be holistic and even. Otherwise, you will have to replace them or level them with a planer or other suitable tools.

If this is necessary, it is best to prepare the surface with putty. It will not take a lot of time to putty in quality, but the result will definitely please you. By the way, if you are going to lay linoleum on a painted floor, do not forget to completely remove the old paint from the boards before you start laying.

After you are finally convinced of the reliability of the wooden floor and have prepared the surface, you should take care that the surface becomes more even. For this you need to put on top of the boards sheets of fiberboard or plywood.

This is necessary in order to avoid deformation of linoleum during operation. After all, bare wooden boards tend to sag from the load. While the top sheets of plywood or fiberboard laid on top will easily eliminate this drawback. So the floor covering will retain its original appearance much longer.

So, the surface preparation is complete. Now it's time to do the preparation of linoleum. Before starting the installation of linoleum is best to pre-decompose the material on the floor. This is necessary so that the linoleum straightens after storage and takes the temperature of the room.Without such a procedure, it is not necessary to start laying in order to avoid unwanted defects.

If you want to properly lay the linoleum with your own hands, you should thoroughly follow all the rules of installation technology. First thing, decide the direction of the picture. Carefully ensure that the joints are less visible. We also recommend that you make sure that the temperature in the room when laying is stable. This way you avoid material deformation.

Next, you should decide how you will fix the material to the wooden floor. Exists The three most common options for installing linoleum on their own: without gluing and gluing:

• What can you stick? For gluing linoleum to the floor most often used special glue or double-sided tape. Fix the material and at the joints, and across the surface. The last mounting option is the most durable. Moreover, sometimes to fix the material, some decide to nail it to the floor.In this case, it is best to attach the material to the nails with decorative hats, so that the coating in the house looks as neat as possible.

• Do I need to stick? The answer to this question can be obtained only by yourself, carefully evaluating all the conditions. If you want to lay the floor "for ages" and are not going to change the floor material in the future, it is best to use glue during installation. This is especially true of spacious rooms. In small rooms it is quite possible to lay linoleum without glue or tape. They can be used, except when you still need to attach the joints or make the hatch.

As you can see, laying linoleum is not difficult at all. The main thing is not to forget about the basic rules. We repeat once again that the main thing is preparation. If you do not close the gap, in the future the flooring will stretch and lose its visual appeal.

And if you do not pay enough attention to the preparation of the boards and skip the fungus, then you should not be surprised that the base under the linoleum will rot and eventually will break.By the way, if you are going to lay thin linoleum in a rather cold room, we recommend to pre-warm the floor surface:

• In order for the joints on the surface not to be so prominent, linoleum should be laid in the direction of light. This rule applies to plain material. Since on a brighter coating with a picture of this problem will not arise. The main thing is that the seams were on the middle part of the board.
• If you lay the material on the glue, you should wait a few days to check the quality of attachment. In the case of blistering and irregularities, you should pin down the problem areas with the load and wait a few days again.
• Be sure to follow the temperature of the room in which the installation will be carried out. It must be at least fifteen degrees.
• In the process of cutting the material should be very carefully carried out all measurements. It should also be borne in mind that over time, a couple of percent of the coverage may go to “shrinkage”. Therefore, be sure to pre-straighten the material in the room and wait a few days.

So, we talked in detail about everything related to the selection and laying of linoleum.Now you will not have difficulties with the choice of such a floor covering and the process of its installation on a wooden floor. The main thing is to strictly follow all the rules and subtleties of work. And then a durable and beautiful covering will appear in your house, which will serve you for many years.

In order to make it easier for you to understand the features of laying linoleum on a wooden floor, we made a selection of A few illustrative examples of finished flooring in the interior:

• Laying linoleum patterned "under the laminate." This type of coverage is very common. As you can see, the surface of the floor turned out perfectly smooth. This result was achieved due to proper preparation of the floor, which we discussed above. Linoleum with such coloring looks very stylish and beautiful. At the same time, such a flooring will cost you much less than a real laminate. And the installation process will be much easier and faster.

• Fixing linoleum using double-sided tape. This image clearly demonstrates the process of fixing the joints using construction tape. As you can see, the surface is smooth.At the same time work does not require special skills and a lot of time. The end result is sure to please you.

• The process of preparing the material for laying. In this photo, you can see workers spreading linoleum on a pre-leveled wooden floor. After a few days, when the coating will take final form, you can start laying.

You can find out how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor in the video below.