Linoleum is the most popular and versatile floor covering. It has been used in this capacity for 250 years. Nowadays, it has become more durable and has acquired a palette of colors
The oilcloth is transformed...
Four centuries ago, oilcloth appeared,which later became the "progenitor" of linoleum. The link between these two materials was an invention of the English: they applied fabric to a hot mass consisting of beeswax, resin, linseed oil and brown dye. Then this recipe was modified and improved, various dyes were added, patterns appeared, and as a result we got what is now actively used in interior design - linoleum. Its mass production forced manufacturers to look for a cheaper replacement for natural components. The development of the chemical industry made it possible to introduce artificial polyvinyl chloride into the composition of linoleum, which reduced the cost of both the process and the final product.
From simple to complex
Modern line of floor coverings,called linoleum, is diverse. It includes various samples - both cheap and not very practical, and exclusive in cost, appearance and durability. Household PVC linoleum is the most inexpensive option, its thickness is 1-1.5 mm, the pattern is applied to the surface by printing, and such a coating serves 3-4 years, after which it wears out noticeably and requires replacement. It must be laid on a perfectly flat surface to reduce the impact on its structure.
Commercial PVC baseless linoleum costsmuch more expensive, but it also lasts much longer: in rooms where many people pass by every day, it will last at least 10 years, and in an apartment it will serve faithfully for about a quarter of a century! The thickness of such linoleum reaches 2 mm (therefore, it is not subject to rapid abrasion), and scratches are easily polished. Its main drawback is a single-color or small pattern, which is due to the peculiarities of the material structure.
Coating with base is the next position inlist of linoleum types. Felt, foamed PVC, woven and non-woven materials, cork and much more can serve as such a base. The heat-insulating base increases the thickness of the linoleum to 5 mm, and its name suggests that the task of this material is to retain heat and reduce sound permeability. The disadvantages include painstaking installation, since it is important to avoid gaps in the seams: water can get there and spoil the "substrate". Heavy furniture leaves dents on such linoleum, so you will have to put it in one place for many years. By the way, if the base is made of foamed material, the harm from moisture getting under the linoleum is reduced to almost zero.
Commercial multilayer linoleum is the mosta composite material. It usually has 4 layers (sometimes there are more), the total thickness of which is up to 4 mm. Usually the bottom layer is an elastic waterproof base, allowing you to ignore small irregularities in the floor, the next layer is fiberglass, which prevents deformation of the linoleum, and then a decorative layer and a protective layer are applied to it. It is the thickness of the latter that determines the durability of the entire floor covering.
