Choosing linoleum as a floor coveringallows you to get significant savings in the family budget while having a practical and beautiful floor. Even more pleasing to thrifty owners is the opportunity to avoid unnecessary costs for inviting a master to lay it. But for a truly long and trouble-free use of this material, you need to know how to properly lay linoleum so that it is not subject to rapid wear and deformation.
Laying antistatic linoleum.
Requirements for laying linoleum
The special feature of this flooring material isamazing plasticity. The linoleum sheet takes the shape of any surface on which it is laid. Almost any type of subfloor can serve as a base for it, as long as it is fairly level and does not have any serious slopes, bumps or holes. The only thing you should not do is try to lay linoleum on carpet - on a soft base, the sheet will bend and stretch, and the furniture legs will quickly press through the covering. In this case, you can lay sheets of thick plywood on top of it without removing the carpet. The resulting three-layer "pie" will create good thermal and noise insulation in the room. The rules for laying such a floor are quite simple - a level, dry base and leisurely, careful work.
Construction of floors with linoleum covering onground. A concrete base is considered an ideal option for installing any type of flooring. Laying linoleum on concrete requires that the surface not only be as even as possible, but also have no cracks or potholes, especially where the floor meets the walls. All damage must be repaired with a cement-sand mortar, and if it is too significant or the base has large deviations from the horizontal level, then it is necessary to install a cement screed. It should be noted that after this procedure, linoleum can only be laid when the solution has completely dried and set, otherwise the increased humidity of the base will lead to mold and fungal microorganisms on the back of the material. You can check for moisture in concrete the old way - leave a piece of glass or mirror on the surface overnight and check in the morning to see if water droplets have appeared on it. Another requirement for such a base is the complete absence of traces and stains of grease, oil or paint. An old plank floor is considered completely suitable for if it has retained stability, has not rotted and the wood moisture content does not exceed 10-15%. The moisture content in the boards is checked with a special device - a moisture meter.
Preparing the floor for laying linoleum.Indicators exceeding the norm will indicate the prospect of rot not only of the subfloor, but also of the linoleum itself together with the adhesive composition. In this case, the wooden flooring will have to be dried by installing heaters in the room. This usually takes up to 6 weeks. Loose boards are fixed to the joists with screws, and narrow wooden slats or chips are placed in large cracks before puttying. Uneven surfaces are eliminated with a planer, working in the longitudinal and transverse directions. If it is planned to lay linoleum on glue, the base is primed to ensure better adhesion. The tiles used as a base must meet all of the above requirements. Broken tiles are subject to replacement, and those that have come loose - strengthened in place. A slippery surface will not adhere well to mastic or glue, so notches are made on it with any hard and sharp object. A decision on whether old linoleum can serve as a base for laying new one can be made only after its careful examination. If the canvas has retained its integrity and lies on a fairly even base, its edges are lifted and the inside is examined. Any dirt and mold that is found must be cleaned out, the material is dried and the back is covered with a layer of primer. Return to contents</a>
Selection of material and preparation of tools
Trimming linoleum.This floor covering got its name at the time when linoleum was made only from natural materials. Now about 80% of this product is made from synthetic raw materials. Despite its high environmental performance, natural linoleum flooring is in low demand due to its high price and lack of flexibility. The ability to break during transportation and operation makes it unpopular, despite many other positive qualities. PVC flooring has only 2 disadvantages: it does not tolerate critical temperatures and contact with acidic and alkaline chemicals. The synthetic composition of the flooring will not harm the health of the apartment's inhabitants if its manufacture complied with all accepted standards. When choosing a purchase, you should consider that there are two types of linoleum - homogeneous, that is, baseless, and heterogeneous, the reverse side of which has a backing. The homogeneous type is thin, and to ensure the thermal and moisture-insulating capacity of the floor, it is better to purchase a backing for laying between the subfloor and the material.
Linoleum laying scheme.The heterogeneous type has two types of internal processing. The foam base is more durable, and the fabric (jute) base is a good heat insulator, but less durable and susceptible to humidity. An assessment of the room features and operating conditions of the future floor will help you choose a certain type of product. In the process of laying linoleum flooring, you will need an approximate set of tools and additional materials:
- a special knife with replaceable blades;
- rubber roller;
- Ruler;
- double sided tape;
- glutinous mastic;
- paper tape;
- adhesive for joints;
- notched trowel for applying mastic.
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The laying process of linoleum flooring
Tools for laying linoleum.The direction of the material sheets depends on the pattern, but in narrow and long rooms it is better to use a longitudinal arrangement of the stripes. If the room has complex contours, it is better to make a trial layout to determine the exact cut. A pre-made cardboard or paper template will help you cut out the necessary parts for recesses, protrusions or pipes. The roll delivered from the store will need to be laid out evenly in the room where you plan to lay it for a couple of days, allowing the material to acclimatize to room temperature, and its surface to straighten out. When cutting, do not neglect the small stock left. It may not be possible to lay the linoleum correctly due to unevenness of the perimeter, and it is better to cut off the extra centimeters later. There are two ways to lay the flooring - the "dry" method and glue. The first option is only suitable for a small area, but even in this case it is worth fixing the sheet to the base with double-sided tape. When using this technology, it is especially important that there is no dust or small debris on the base. One side of the tape is glued to the floor, then the top protection is removed in parts and the roll is gradually unrolled in the desired direction, pressing the material. In this case, the adhesive tape should form a grid for the best possible fixation of the linoleum. Skirting boards installed along the perimeter finally secure the covering in place. When using the adhesive method, a distance of 0.5-1 cm is left between the wall and the sheet, which is necessary to prevent swelling during natural expansion. The mastic is applied to the surface of the base with a notched trowel and they begin gluing the first roll, unrolling it in the direction from the far corner to the door. In the process, the sheet is smoothed out, trying to expel excess air and glue from the center to the edge. This can be done with a rubber roller or just a thick, not too soft cloth. The next roll is laid in the same way, with an overlap of 1.5-2 cm of material on the surface of the first sheet. After laying the entire covering, 2-3 days must pass before the joints can be designed and glued. To ensure the strength of the joints, they are treated with a special glue called "cold welding". Paper tape, which is cut at the joint and removed after the seam is filled with glue, will help protect the edges of the rolls from this agent.
