The modern flooring market offers a huge range of products. One of the most popular materials is still linoleum. Its popularity is due to the variety of colors and textures, durability and ease of care. Professionals quickly install it on a concrete floor, but they use a different technology to lay the canvas on top of wooden boards.

Pros and cons of the product

Like any other material, linoleum has its advantages and disadvantages.

pros

• Large selection of cover sizes.
• Wide range of colors.
• Variety of textures.
• The ability to avoid seams in any room. The seamless nature of the flooring is aesthetically pleasing.
• Easy and quick installation using simple tools.
• Average degree of heat and noise insulation.

• High moisture resistance.
• Resistant to any household chemicals when cleaning.
• Can be used when installing heated floors.
• Long service life without loss of appearance.
• Lack of special care (rubbings, polishes and varnishes are not required).
• Conservative cost.

Minuses

• Household-grade coatings have a low degree of mechanical strength. If handled carelessly, dents and damage may occur, for example from furniture.
• Low quality types emit unpleasant chemical odors for some time after installation.
• Flammability. The cheap variety releases toxic substances when burned.
• Special requirements for preparing the floor surface before installation.

Which is better?

Linoleum comes in two types: natural and polymer.

The natural top layer consists of natural components such as cork, small sawdust, resin, and minerals. The bottom layer is usually made of jute fiber.

This linoleum does not burn, does not accumulate static electricity, and is an environmentally friendly material. However, buyers can be stopped by its high cost, low moisture resistance and uniformity of shades.

PVC linoleum is the most popular. The range of colors and variety of patterns allows you to match it to any type of interior.

Relin is a multilayer rubber linoleum about 3 mm thick. The composition is based on a mixture of bitumen, crushed rubber or caoutchouc. The top layer is made of colored rubber of small thickness.

Alkyd material is resistant to abrasion and has a high degree of noise absorption and thermal insulation. But it is very fragile, so it is not recommended for wooden floors.

Colloxylin fabric has no backing. Nitrocellulose is used for its production. Absolute resistance to moisture, elasticity and non-flammability make the material quite popular.

When choosing a floor covering, it is important to focus on the base on which it will be laid. If it is a wooden floor, then you will have to abandon the natural material, despite many advantages.

Synthetic linoleum is more moisture resistant and therefore does not rot. In addition, the multilayer polymer coating is characterized by a good degree of heat and sound insulation. Experts advise purchasing coatings with a thickness of at least 3 mm.

The choice of flooring depends on the area of ​​its application, as it is characterized by the level of load, abrasion resistance, and impact resistance. The service life depends on this.

Household - the thinnest material, suitable only for rooms with low traffic levels: bedrooms, storage rooms. For the average level, it is better to choose a semi-commercial type of linoleum. Usually it is laid in the kitchen, living room or hallway. It is preferable to equip floors in public places and offices with commercial grade material.

The specified classification of wear resistance and abrasion depends on the thickness of the coating and the structure of the materials. Therefore, when purchasing, you should first pay attention to these criteria. PVC coating up to 3 mm thick has a bottom felt layer or a layer of fiberglass, which is covered with a polymer film. Woven-based linoleum does not have a fiberglass layer; it is thinner, but more resistant to abrasion and other external factors.

The thinnest floor covering is baseless. This material does not have a base and is intended for those rooms where excess moisture is possible.

Preparing the foundation

Preparing the base Before you start laying the covering, assess the condition of the wooden floor. Troubleshooting should be done if necessary. The boards should not bend or creak.

It is necessary to check the reliability of all their fastenings. The floor should be free of traces of fungus, mold and insects, as well as rusty nails. Professionals advise inspecting the logs, even if the boards are visually intact.

When tapped, a dull sound usually indicates the presence of rotten areas. Before laying linoleum using a building level, it is important to make sure that the floor is level.

If a fungus is detected, then mechanical cleaning is impossible, since the spores penetrate deep into the wood. In this case, the wooden flooring should be completely replaced. If insects are present, it is necessary to either replace the boards affected by them or treat them with special protective preparations.

Old painted floors are sanded to remove old paint. If it holds well, then it is enough to remove only the exfoliated areas.

Protruding heads of nails and screws should be deepened or removed. If the floor is uneven, then it is scraped or covered with plywood panels.

Looping is used if the flooring is strong and does not have significant distortions in height, but its surface is uneven. To eliminate defects, use a hand plane or its electric version, as well as a sanding machine. Afterwards, it is necessary to seal all the cracks and recesses with putty, otherwise unevenness will appear on the linoleum.

Eliminating irregularities

If there are significant differences, the floor is leveled. This process is carried out in several ways:

• Sheet material in the form of plywood, chipboard or hardboard. The thickness of the sheet depends on the degree of deflection of the boards and varies from 8 to 12 mm. Laying of plywood panels is carried out joint to joint. If there are no significant irregularities, the sheets are fixed either with a special parquet glue or a mixture of PVA and gypsum. The strength of the connection will be ensured by nails or self-tapping screws with a countersunk head that do not protrude above the floor surface. The seams between the panels must be puttied. The plywood floor should be covered with a layer of drying oil.

• Filling the base with PVA-based putty. It consists of sawdust mixed with glue. The method does not require large financial expenditures and is easy to implement. The work algorithm is as follows:

1. The surface is cleaned and sanded.
2. Self-tapping screws are used to strengthen loose and creaking boards.
3. Apply the mixture and level it.
4. It must be allowed to dry for up to two days.

• Self-leveling mixtures– the most unsuitable option for a wooden floor. It should be taken into account that cement mortars cannot be used on wooden floors. In this case, special mixtures are chosen that contain additives and reinforcing fibers. The old floor is cleaned and degreased before applying the solution. Gaps are filled with foam or sealant. The surface is primed in several layers.

Coating preparation

After preparing the wood flooring and choosing the linoleum, you need to prepare the flooring for installation.

To begin with, it is adapted, or, in other words, rolled out on the floor and left for several days. In places where there is poor adherence to the floor, weighting agents can be placed on the material. This is necessary for straightening the material and convenient work in the future, since it acquires room temperature and becomes more plastic.

When purchasing and transporting, it is important to avoid severe creases in the fabric.

If it is not possible to avoid kinks, then the synthetic linoleum can be heated with a hairdryer and pressed as much as possible with a heavy object. Unfortunately, leveling using this method is not possible for natural coatings.

After the linoleum has settled, it is cut to the required dimensions. When cutting synthetic fabric, an allowance is left along the edges for shrinkage, which will be covered by the baseboards. All irregularities in the form of protrusions, pipes and thresholds are marked with a pen and then cut out with a construction knife.

How to insulate?

In some cases, owners additionally lay a substrate under the linoleum. It plays the role of a noise absorber and heat insulator.

The choice of insulation is especially important if the floor has not been leveled with plywood sheets. In this case, it will not only provide warmth, but also correct minor irregularities.

Types of substrate:

• Cork. Excellent natural and safe insulation. Application is possible only in the presence of light loads on the floor, since the material has a low degree of strength. Also, when buying a cork backing, the high cost stops it.
• Jute. High resistance to moisture and rot, as well as non-flammability, makes jute filling popular.
• Linen. Linen backings are more suitable for preventing mold.

• Felt. An excellent heat-insulating material that can additionally hide unevenness. Felt material is resistant to heels and heavy furniture.
• Combined options include several of the materials listed above. They are a good heat insulator.
• PVC insulation in demand due to affordability. Foam options are good as sound and heat insulators.

Most often, owners buy linoleum with a backing already glued on.

Laying methods

Methods for laying linoleum are divided into adhesive and non-adhesive. Both options provide reliable fixation of the coating, however, for floors that experience heavy loads, it is optimal to use the adhesive method.

Glueless

The floor in small rooms can be covered with linoleum without using glue. The canvas is laid, smoothed from the center to the edges and secured around the perimeter with the help of skirting boards and in the doorway with a threshold. To do this, simply nail the fastening elements to the base.

The disadvantage of this method is the rapid wear of the material and the appearance of waves during operation.

Adhesive

This installation involves two methods:

1. Using double-sided tape. To do this, it is glued along the entire perimeter of the room. To improve fixation, it is permissible to lay additional strips over the entire area. Then the linoleum is laid in stages, gradually unrolling it from the roll and removing the protective coating from the tape.
2. On glue. Adhesive fixation of the coating is the most thorough, but requires a lot of time. It should be noted that in large rooms this is the only way to lay linoleum. Special glue for gluing is applied with a spatula in parts, gradually unrolling the roll. Waiting time – 20 minutes. Only after this can you press and fix the material on the floor. The floor covering can be used only after 7-10 days.

Special compositions that are used for the adhesive method:

• Bustilate is a synthetic adhesive designed for rigid fixation of coatings.
• Acrylate is a universal acrylic polymer designed for reliable gluing of various types of linoleum to surfaces made of concrete, wood and metal.
• Bitumen mastic is used for working with fabric-based roll coverings.
• Rubber-based mastic is used as a fixative for rubber or PVC linoleum without a backing.

How to secure the joints?

Since the glueless method implies the absence of joints during installation, it is necessary to study options for fixing parts of the coating to implement the adhesive method. To do this, the following materials are required: special glue, double-sided tape or cold welding. Sometimes hot welding is used.

Using tape and glue

In this case, double-sided tape is placed under the joint along the entire length. The parts to be glued are overlapped by 8-10 cm and fixed.

The tape should not reach the overlap area at a distance of 2 to 3 cm.

In the center of the joint, the linoleum is cut simultaneously to its entire depth. The trimmings are removed. The floor at the seam is either coated with glue or covered with double-sided tape, after which the material is ironed with a roller.

Cold welding

The algorithm for welding a linoleum seam is as follows:

• The surface of the parts to be glued is fixed in the seam area using double-sided tape. To do this, the tape is first glued to the base in two stripes. The top protective layer is removed from them, freeing the adhesive surface. Pieces of linoleum are overlapped on them.
• Using a construction knife, the coating is cut simultaneously in the middle of the overlap.
• The resulting joint is glued on top with masking tape, which is cut along the seam.
• The seam is filled by cold welding using a needle so that it protrudes slightly above the tape.
• After an hour, the masking tape can be removed.

Please note that complete adhesion of the glued parts will occur after 8 hours, so the floor cannot be used immediately.

As a result of welding, the seam is waterproof and almost invisible.

Hot welding

For very dense homogeneous linoleum without a backing, experts advise using hot welding to ensure reliability and solidity of the canvas.

This process is more complex than the methods described above and requires specialized tools and skills. The joints are fixed after gluing the linoleum to the floor.

When hot welding, you must perform the following steps:

• Cut the seam with a construction knife to the entire depth of the coating.
• Clean the edges.
• Set the industrial hair dryer to a temperature of up to 350 degrees and attach the nozzle of the desired size.
• Place a polymer fusible cord into the nozzle and wait for the tool to heat up.
• After heating, move the nozzle along the seam. In this case, the cord will melt and fill it.

Joints made in this way are absolutely moisture-resistant and wear-resistant.

Flooring rules

There are several main principles for laying linoleum on a wooden floor:

• The canvas is laid along the boards.
• When laying linoleum, it should be taken into account that the joints should be in the middle of the floor board.
• The average temperature in the room when laying the material should not exceed 20 degrees.
• It is recommended to place a canvas of marble or plain color in the direction of the light beam, which will make the seams invisible.
• It is important not to forget that when installing with tape or glue, parts of the linoleum are laid overlapping, so when cutting, you should leave 8-10 cm for it.

Required Tools

The most accessible tools that you may need when laying linoleum yourself are:

• Tape measure or 2 meter ruler.
• Pen or pencil.
• Construction knife or scissors for cutting material.
• Spatula for the glue method.
• Roller.
• Nails and screws.
• Hammer or screwdriver.

In addition, when preparing the base, a plane or sanding machine may be required.

Installation technology

Summarizing all the information, we can imagine the technology of laying linoleum in the form of the following algorithm:

1. Inspect the wood covering for defects and insects.
2. Checking boards for strength and creakyness.
3. Cleaning the floor from debris.
4. Sanding wooden boards to remove old paint. It is quite possible to do this yourself using hand tools.
5. Treatment with protective agents and impregnations.
6. Drying.
7. Leveling the floor in a suitable way:

• using plywood sheets;
• filling with PVA-based putty;
• using self-leveling mixtures.

• Acclimatization of linoleum. The roll of material is placed indoors for several hours to reach room temperature.
• Linoleum is rolled out on the floor and cut correctly depending on the geometry of the room. If joints are planned, it is necessary to provide a margin for overlap fixation. You should also leave allowances for the baseboards.
• The material is left indoors for several days. During this time, the canvas should straighten out. If there are deep creases, weights must be placed on them.
• Final adjustment of the canvas, taking into account the exact dimensions and obstacles in the form of pipes, thresholds, protrusions.
• When installing using the glueless method, the final stage is laying skirting boards around the entire perimeter of the room, installing thresholds or, in their absence, a protective strip.
• In the case of adhesive installation, the linoleum is glued to the base after adjustment. After this, the joints are fixed. Fastening methods can be different: tape, glue, cold or hot welding.

Despite the caustic and biased remarks of those who consider linoleum to be a relic of the Soviet Union, this material, due to its characteristics, is still widely used today. Practicality, low cost and a number of other advantages persuade thrifty owners in favor of linoleum, despite the huge selection of newfangled building materials. If we put aside bias, linoleum coating can be used on any basis, including on a wooden floor.

Advantages and disadvantages of linoleum covering on a wooden floor

Wood itself is one of the most beautiful and reliable types of flooring. However, in a number of cases, home craftsmen come to the conclusion that it has served its purpose. One option to avoid a complete replacement of the coating is to use linoleum.

This is interesting: the name “linoleum” originally referred only to a material made entirely from natural raw materials, which included jute fabric, wood flour and resin, flax oil and limestone powder. When plastic-based artificial floor coverings began to come into use, this name began to be used in relation to them.

The use of linoleum coating in combination with a wooden floor provides a number of advantages that allow you not only to update the appearance of the room, but also to significantly improve comfort:

• A wooden floor covered with linoleum has a significant increase in thermal conductivity; this material also has good moisture-insulating characteristics.
• Linoleum coating will save money on repairs; at a low cost, the service life of such a floor is from 30 to 50 years, while linoleum is not susceptible to rotting.
• Floors covered with linoleum are not noisy and you cannot slip on them.
• It is worth noting such a positive quality as a huge selection of colors, allowing you to fit the flooring into the overall design of the room.
• To cover a wooden floor with linoleum, you do not need to have any special skills; a home craftsman can do the entire amount of work independently and alone.

Before choosing linoleum flooring, it is worth considering its negative sides. These include low resistance to loads. If, for example, you put furniture on linoleum, dents will remain on the floor over time. Cheap varieties of this material are sensitive to both high and low temperatures. Exposure to cold can cause linoleum to crack, and high temperatures can deform it.

Criterias of choice

Currently, several types of linoleum coating are sold on the market, differing both in material and in the method of combining layers.

• Rubber-based linoleum should not be chosen to cover a wooden floor. This material does not allow air to pass through at all, and the wood under its surface will quickly rot.
• Natural jute-based linoleum can only be recommended to zealous lovers of environmentally friendly materials. It will not last long on a wooden floor, as the material is fragile and inelastic. But its price is quite high.
• Colloxyl linoleum made from nitrocellulose, which is a mat without any underlying base, is much better suited for covering a wooden floor. This material combines resistance to high temperatures, wear resistance and flexibility with environmental friendliness. You can even lay it on a wooden floor with slight unevenness.
• Alkyd linoleum contains more artificial components and is made from alkyd resins and a mixture of minerals. The material is quite brittle, so it is recommended to place it only on a perfectly leveled base. Possessing high wear resistance, it will last for a very long time. It is worth noting its high thermal insulation properties.
• If you put the optimal ratio of price and practicality in the first place, the leading place will be taken by linoleum made of polyvinyl chloride. It is usually made multilayer, which ensures a long service life, reliable heat retention and good sound insulation. When using it, special attention should be paid to ensuring ventilation of the wooden floor, since PVC linoleum does not allow moisture to pass through and the floor underneath can rot quite quickly. Produced using fabric, foam, heat and sound insulating base.

Photo gallery: types of linoleum

Calculation of the required amount of material

Having decided on the characteristics of the material, you should calculate the required amount of coating. Modern manufacturers produce linoleum in widths from one and a half to five meters in increments of 0.5 m. If the size of the room allows, it is worth choosing linoleum that will cover the floor with one sheet, without joints. In this case, you will not have to combine the pattern on adjacent strips, that is, material savings will be achieved. In addition, the absence of unnecessary joints will provide the coating with an ideal appearance.

Measurements of length and width should be made between opposite walls in several places, taking the largest distance for further calculations. When measuring, the dimensions of technological niches should be taken into account, and the depth of all recesses is added to the total width of the room. To the results obtained, add 5 cm of overlap for each wall. For example, if the room dimensions are 8 m long and 6 m wide. Taking into account the overlap, the required coverage area will be 8.1 x 6.1 = 49.41 sq.m. You should round up. If saving material is in the foreground, the dimensions of technological niches can be ignored; in this case, they will be covered with separate pieces of material, and the joints can be welded or disguised with decorative thresholds.

Having calculated the total area of ​​the required material, you should convert square meters into linear meters, which will allow you to determine the required number of rolls. The linoleum footage is calculated as follows:

1. To determine the number of strips required for covering, the width of the room is divided by the width of the selected linoleum. Most likely, the value will be inaccurate; it should be rounded up. For example, with a room width of 6 m and a roll width of 4 m, you will need 6/4 = 1.5 strips, that is, rounding up, 2 strips of material.
2. After this, the size of the length of the room is multiplied by the required number of stripes, the result in this case is rounded up.
3. An overlap of 5 cm is added to the result obtained.

When making calculations, the need to join the pattern should be taken into account. The pattern on linoleum has a step length similar to, for example, repeat on wallpaper. For correct joining, an amount of material equal to the step length of the pattern should be added to the length of each canvas, including this data in the final calculation.

Tools and materials

To lay linoleum you will need the simplest tools. The preliminary preparation of a wooden floor requires much more expense.

For preparatory work you may need:

• If sanding work will be carried out, you will need a sanding machine, a plane or a hand sander.
• To seal the joints you will need spatulas and putty.
• A hammer, screwdriver, nails and screws will be needed to strengthen floorboards, attach baseboards and lay flooring.
• The material of the flooring itself may also be required - sheets of plywood or chipboard.

For the actual work of laying linoleum, a different set is needed:

• A sharp construction knife or short shoemaker's knife.
• An even strip or ruler 1 to 3 m long.
• A regular spatula with teeth if the linoleum is to be placed on glue.
• Special mastic or glue for laying linoleum.
• Cold welding or a heat gun with a special nozzle for hot welding.

Preliminary work on preparing the foundation

When starting work, you should assess the condition of the wooden floor and prepare its surface for leveling. To do this, you should vigorously walk and jump over the entire surface, identifying weak and wobbly floorboards.

It is advisable to lift 2-3 boards and inspect them from the reverse side. The fact that the wood is rotten may be indicated by a change in color or the presence of mold. If the floor is “walking”, it is worth checking the condition of the joists. If necessary, place bricks or bars under the logs. It is better to replace rotten boards, otherwise this process will spread to the entire surface of the floor. If you find traces of wood-boring beetles on wood, you should invest in special bioprotective preparations. All skirting boards are dismantled.

Floorboards can squeak as a result of simply rubbing against each other. To eliminate it, you can pour graphite powder or talc into the cracks. After this, you can begin leveling the floor.

Ways to level a wooden floor

To level a wooden floor before laying linoleum, several methods are used, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages:

1. If the floor is level and in good condition, it can be leveled by scraping. This is the simplest and least expensive method. Before sanding, the nail heads should be sunk into the surface of the floorboards and the peeling paint should be removed. You can scrape using a special machine or manually, using a plane or scraper. Gaps between boards and recessed nail heads should be filled with putty. The disadvantage of this method is the presence of unevenness on the floor surface. To eliminate them, you will have to choose linoleum on a foam or felt basis or use a backing. Fragile and brittle types of linoleum coating are not recommended for use on such a floor.

   Using a scraping machine will ensure a high-quality leveling of the floor

2. The use of a self-leveling mixture solves the problem of uneven floors. You should choose mixtures specifically designed for pouring wooden floors. The mixture is diluted in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, after which the entire floor surface is poured with it. The result is a perfectly smooth surface on which any linoleum can be laid. The disadvantages include the fact that when using the mixture, a “stone” surface is formed, deprived of all the advantages of a wooden floor. On this basis, it is also advisable to use a substrate for thermal and waterproofing.

   For filling, use a mixture intended for wooden floors

3. The most commonly used leveling method is using sheet material - hardboard, chipboard, plywood, furniture panels. The panels are glued to the floor using a mixture of gypsum and PVA glue, or parquet varnish. Then they are additionally fastened using a construction stapler, nails or self-tapping screws. The seams between the sheets are puttied, the surface is covered with 2-3 layers of drying oil. This method, unlike the previous one, does not allow achieving a perfectly smooth surface. However, the sheet material serves as an additional substrate for linoleum, enhancing sound and heat insulation properties.

   Plywood forms an additional heat-insulating layer

Do you need a backing?

It is worth immediately noting that the most commonly used types of linoleum coating are already equipped with a base based on foamed PVC or felt, that is, these layers already serve as a base for waterproofing and thermal insulation of the floor surface. However, in a number of cases the use of a substrate is justified:

• Leveling the floor. If the base for the linoleum covering is not ideal, the underlay will help smooth out unevenness and avoid deformation and breakouts of the linoleum. This solution will increase the cost, but will extend the life of the floor.
• The use of baseless linoleum implies the need to lay a backing underneath it to enhance moisture insulation and reduce thermal conductivity.
• Cold floor. If a screed was made from a self-leveling mixture on a wooden floor, it is worth thinking about a backing that allows you to retain heat.

In all other cases, using a substrate for linoleum covering will only be an unnecessary waste of effort and money.

Currently, manufacturers offer a large selection of substrates, but not every one is suitable for use under linoleum covering.

• The most common isolon substrate, made from polyethylene foam. Some craftsmen use it when laying linoleum, but a number of its properties negatively affect further use. This material is easily deformed and does not restore its shape well, so a floor with such a substrate will soon lose its attractive appearance and go in “waves.” In addition, the use of isolon can lead to a greenhouse effect. It does not allow water vapor to pass through, which causes accelerated rotting of the wooden floor.

Using isolite can shorten the service life of linoleum

• Cork backing is much better suited for linoleum. Its positive property is the ability to hide small irregularities; it is a good sound and heat insulator. However, there are also negative aspects - such a coating is noticeably springy, which entails accelerated wear of the linoleum. In addition, furniture installed on such a covering will “walk”. The cost of such material is quite high, so the price of the substrate may exceed the price of linoleum.

Cork coating has high elasticity

• Under linoleum covering it is best to use a rigid backing made from a mixture of wool, jute and flax. This environmentally friendly, high-density material is an excellent heat insulator and smoothes out unevenness of the base well. The material is treated with fire retardants and antifungal agents, which eliminates the risk of mold.

The backing is made from a mixture of flax, jute and wool and is quite rigid and durable.

Instructions for laying linoleum with your own hands

Linoleum should be laid at a favorable temperature range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 40–60%. During delivery, creases and kinks should be avoided. If delivery is made during the cold period, the linoleum should be kept indoors without unrolling the rolls for several hours. After this, the material can be unrolled and spread on the prepared surface for adaptation. Experts advise keeping linoleum in this way for about two days. After this, you can begin installation using one of the methods listed below.

Loose laying method

If the area of ​​the room does not exceed 25 square meters, there is no need to attach the linoleum sheet to the floor. It is enough to lay it on the surface and secure it around the perimeter with plinths. The seams between the sheets are sealed using cold or hot welding. The order of work in this case is as follows:

• If the room is covered in width by one sheet of material, it is spread on the floor. The canvas with the pattern should run parallel to the walls; for accuracy, you can use a tape measure. However, if the walls in the room are uneven, it is better to determine the general direction visually rather than measure the distance from one of the walls.

In small rooms, linoleum can be laid without joints

• After this, trimming is done using a knife and ruler. First, large pieces are cut off, then small excesses are removed, taking into account an overlap of 2–3 cm to compensate for thermal expansion. In the corners on the reverse side of the canvas, a mark is made at the contact point, after which a cut is made towards the corner.

Cutting is done after the material has rested for two days.

• If a room requires two or more strips, one of them is laid and trimmed first. The second strip is laid and equal to the first. To prevent accidental movement, the first strip at the junction with the second can be attached to the floor with double-sided tape. When laying the second strip, you should align the pattern, then trim it, also securing the joint with double-sided tape. It should be noted that usually the joint is made in the center of the room, and its direction should go along the line of greatest illumination, from the windows. In this case, the seam will be least noticeable. In some cases, a pattern on the covering can look advantageous in the center of the room. Then a different technology is used - a whole strip is laid in the center, and two narrow strips of linoleum are joined to it near the walls.

When joining, double-sided tape is used to secure the panels.

• The joints between the strips are glued using cold and hot welding. Hot welding requires certain experience and special equipment - a construction hair dryer with a special nozzle and a cord made of low-melting polymer. When heated, the polymer fills the seam between the linoleum sheets, holding them together securely. Due to its simplicity and high reliability, home craftsmen often use cold welding, which is an adhesive composition. With its help, you can glue linoleum sheets in two ways. If the linoleum is not attached to the floor and the pattern allows them to partially overlap each other, two panels are trimmed at once. This results in a perfectly joined seam without gaps. In the second case, the panels are simply moved and gluing is performed. Before introducing the adhesive composition, masking tape is glued to the seam and cut along the seam. Then glue is introduced into the seam in such an amount that the composition protrudes above the surface of the seam. After drying, the masking tape is removed.
• Finally, the linoleum sheets are fixed along the walls with plinths.

Important: There are two types of cold welding currently produced. Type A is intended for gluing linoleum sheets during initial installation. Type C is used for gluing old joints and joints of considerable width.

Photo gallery: sequence of works

Landing linoleum on glue

When the floor area is large, it makes sense to fix the covering to the base. Special mastics and glues are ideal for these purposes, a wide range of which are available on any construction market. When choosing an adhesive composition, you should pay attention to its compliance with the selected type of linoleum. No backing is used when laying on glue. Cutting and trimming linoleum is done in the same way as in the case of free laying. However, the subsequent steps are different:

• Strips of linoleum laid out on the floor are carefully rolled into a roll from the far wall to the middle of the room. After this, diluted glue is applied to the floor surface using a notched trowel from the center to the walls.

The glue is applied with a spatula from the center to the walls

• The coating roll is carefully rolled out, and at the same time smoothed to eliminate air cavities. When the canvas is laid out, it should be rolled with a roller from the center to the walls to evenly distribute the adhesive mass. The second part of the coating is glued in a similar way.

Rolling is done to remove air pockets and distribute the glue evenly

• The joints between the canvases are connected using the methods described above by cold or hot welding. Along the perimeter, the linoleum is fixed with skirting boards.

Fixation with using double sided tape

As an original method of fixing linoleum coverings, the method of gluing with double-sided tape is sometimes used. In this case, marking, cutting and cutting of the covering fabric is carried out using the methods described above. Then the linoleum sheet is rolled into a roll, as when planted with glue to the middle of the room. After this, the work order is as follows:

• Double-sided tape is glued to the floor surface in parallel strips perpendicular to the walls or in diagonal directions at an angle of 45 degrees to the walls in increments of 15–20 cm, resulting in a pattern in the form of squares.

Linoleum is glued with double-sided tape

• At the next stage, the rolled part of the roll is gradually rolled out from the center to the wall, while the top protective layer is removed from the adhesive tape. When rolling, roll the surface with a roller.
• The seams are also joined using hot or cold welding. At the last stage, skirting boards are attached to the walls.

Video: gluing linoleum to a floor leveled using plywood sheets

As can be seen from the above, linoleum is an indispensable material for covering a wooden floor in cases where there is a need to make a new floor yourself. At the same time, such a coating will provide a modern and attractive look at a minimum cost.

Most of us have wooden floors in our apartments and houses.

And in country houses, most people prefer wooden bases - they are practical, inexpensive and quick to lay.

However, wood flooring in itself is not very aesthetically pleasing. Much more practical is the popular floor covering.

It is cheap, can be laid quickly and is very easy to care for.

How to properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor, whether it is possible to use the base without preparation, and if not, how to prepare it, will be discussed below.

Before you say whether it is possible to lay linoleum on a wooden floor in a private house, apartment or country house, you need to inspect this floor.

If it is made of humpbacked boards, rest assured that no matter how thick the linoleum is, sooner or later these humps will begin to appear through it.

Therefore, before laying, the wooden floor must be covered with sheets.

Plywood is chosen to be of small thickness.

3-5 mm will be enough. The dimensions of a standard plywood sheet are 1500x1500 mm.

When laying it, it is attached to the floor with self-tapping screws at five points - in the corners and one place in the middle. The self-tapping screws must be completely recessed into the body of the plywood; to do this, recesses are pre-drilled under them using a feather drill.

Correct laying of linoleum from several sheets. How to get rid of seams

Typically, linoleum has limited dimensions in terms of the length or width of the sheet. Although linoleum joints are usually a problem in large offices and industrial premises, you may also have to lay linoleum on a wooden floor made of several sheets at home.

For example, when you use different linoleum for different rooms. In this case, the simplest solution is to use a threshold.

The thresholds are sold in different types, are practically not felt when walking and create a beautiful distinction between colors. In addition, the threshold presses the edge of the linoleum to the floor, and you will not lift it up, touching it when walking.

The second option is welding linoleum. Not used for all types of linoleum. Two sheets from the same batch, of the same color, are welded.

Before purchasing, find out whether this type of linoleum can be welded and how. You may need a welding machine, or you may get by with a simple liquid for welding linoleum.

Glue the edges. Not entirely reliable. Over time, such a joint will still diverge, and the thicker the linoleum, the more.

So get ready for the fact that this decision will not last forever, and over time you will have to put a threshold in place of the joint.

If you use thresholds, it is most rational to lay linoleum so that the joints are not noticeable. For example, in an office room with several tables and an empty space in the middle, where you have to lay linoleum from two large rolls, place one large roll in the middle.

And cut the second one in half, you can even ask to do this when purchasing. After this, you will have two thresholds, but they will be located closer to the walls of the room, perhaps they will fall under, and it will not be so noticeable.

It is convenient to lay linoleum with a pattern “under the boards” so that the threshold is located along the “boards” and not across, so this will also not be too noticeable. It is better to lay linoleum with a clumsy pattern without direction without any seams, or use welding, which is presented in detail in the video:

Linoleum is a popular material used as flooring; it is widely used in civil and individual construction. Typically, linoleum is laid on a cement-sand screed or on another base, and they are often faced with the need to solve the problem of how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor.

To properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor, you should not only study the installation technology, but also select a material with characteristics that ensure the aesthetic appearance and durability of the flooring. In recent years, many varieties of linoleum of different strength classes and purposes have appeared, so the choice in terms of the optimal price-quality ratio is not too simple.

Types of linoleum

Linoleum is one of the first materials used for flooring; its ancestor was an oiled natural fiber, the production and use of which was noted in 1627. The official appearance of the material as a registered coating dates back to 1863 - at this time the English inventor Frederick Walton received a patent for the development of linoleum. The material received its name from a combination of Latin phrases: linum - flax, linen and oleum - oil, it corresponds to one of the modern types of environmentally friendly linoleum coating made from natural ingredients, which includes linseed oil and linen (tow) of natural origin.

According to the material of manufacture

Depending on the materials used in production, linoleum is divided into 5 categories:

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The main type of coating, widely used in the field of civil, commercial and municipal construction, the main material of manufacture is foamed PVC. Polyvinyl chloride linoleum is produced on a woven and non-woven heat-insulating base, can be single-layer or multi-layer, and has the following properties:

• Decorative. It has a huge number of patterns, colors, reliefs, imitations of any natural materials (natural wood boards are especially popular), there is no type of linoleum on the market that would not suit any interior.
• Long service life. Polyvinyl chloride linoleum is produced in several classes of wear resistance; in commercial types, its service life reaches 50 years with high daily traffic.

• Moisture resistance. PVC does not allow moisture to pass through and is not afraid of water; it can be safely laid on the floors of damp rooms - kitchens, balconies and loggias, basements. It should be borne in mind that due to the low vapor permeability of the PVC coating, the base underneath must allow air to pass through well, otherwise mold will appear under the linoleum and rotting processes will begin.
• Low thermal conductivity. Foamed PVC, like any materials with air in the structure, retains heat well, so when laid directly on a cement-sand screed or concrete, the floor will be warm. Also, PVC is dielectric in nature and does not accumulate electrostatic charge.
• Environmental Safety. PVC does not rot, resists the growth of bacteria and mold, and does not support combustion.
• Easy to install. A significant advantage of polyvinyl chloride linoleum is the ease of installation of the coating; any homeowner can handle the work alone; in many cases, the use of glue will not be necessary.
• Low cost. A wide range of PVC linoleum is supplied to the market with different manufacturing technologies and wear resistance classes, which are the main factors influencing the cost. Inexpensive household linoleum for rooms with low traffic (bedroom, living room) can be purchased for 150 rubles. per square meter, the average cost of semi-commercial types for objects with a higher load is from 300 rubles. per m 2.
• The disadvantages of polyvinyl chloride materials include poor resistance to high temperatures.

A natural coating, the main components of which are: flaxseed oil, wood or cork flour, resin, lime and color pigments, the base is jute fabric. Marmoleum contains only environmentally friendly natural materials, so it is purchased by people who pay increased attention to their health, people with allergies, asthmatics, and used as a covering for rooms where children live. Natural linoleum has the following qualities:

• It is resistant to abrasion, and in terms of durability it belongs to the semi-commercial and commercial types (operation period 50 years).
• The oil contained in marmoleum has bactericidal properties.
• It has a large number of colors, the dyes do not fade in sunlight.
• Does not support combustion processes, noise reduction level 5 dB.
• The material is mainly sold in rolls 2 m wide, tiles measuring 50x50 cm and panels 90x30 cm; it is quite fragile when laid, and it is not recommended to bend it.
• The cost of Marmoleum is an order of magnitude higher than that of the popular polyvinyl chloride linoleum; this coating is for wealthy people - the price of 1 m2 is 1100 - 2500 rubles.
• In apartments, Marmoleum is not recommended to be installed in damp balconies and kitchen areas, or on loggias.
• Marmoleum is not highly decorative; it is produced with a simple pattern and a small number of colors in one product, often with a monochromatic coating.

Alkyd (glypthal). It is made by spraying alkyd resin onto a fabric cord; it also contains mineral components and dyes. The thickness of the glypthal coating ranges from 2 to 5 mm, it is plain or with a certain pattern, the material is fragile, so it is not recommended to lay it on uneven surfaces or floors with large differences. Before laying it, it is necessary to maintain a certain time interval in a warm room in order to avoid changes in linear dimensions in length and width.

The advantages include good abrasion resistance and high heat and sound insulation qualities, the disadvantage is the difficulty of installation due to the fragility of the fabric.

Colloxin. Made from nitrocellulose, mostly without a base, the coating is highly elastic (flexible) and wear-resistant, waterproof and fire-resistant. The surface has a decorative shine, giving it an aesthetic appearance; disadvantages include a tendency to shrink and sensitivity to temperature changes.

In the production of this variety, technologies for recycling raw materials are used; the coating is two-layer, the base is a mixture of old crushed rubber with bitumen filler. The top layer is also made of technical rubber with a polymer filler and coloring pigments. The advantages of relin include high moisture resistance and plasticity, the disadvantage is the increased content of volatile substances harmful to health in the substrate, released during operation, therefore rubber linoleum is not recommended for laying in living rooms.

According to production technology (for PVC)

Polyvinyl chloride linoleum has no worthy competitors in terms of cost and physical parameters; it is produced using two main technologies:

Homogeneous. The material produced by this method is homogeneous in structure, has one polyvinyl chloride layer with a thickness of 2 mm or more. Homogeneous polyvinyl chloride has a uniform structure and pattern throughout its thickness, its high strength characteristics were initially designed for objects with high traffic, the main area of ​​application is public and commercial buildings, where it has served for more than 25 years.

The product has all the advantages and disadvantages of polyvinyl chlorides; its distinctive feature is the ability to restore a damaged surface using mechanical methods by grinding and polishing the deformed area. In this way, they get rid of scratches, indelible dirt, and wear of the top layer during operation - after polishing, they get a renewed floor covering.

The homogeneous look has two main types of color design: imitation of natural stone (marble, granite) or plain color; to increase wear resistance and chemical protection, it is covered with a polyurethane protective film.

Heterogeneous. Multilayer linoleum made using this technology is produced using the coating method with sequential application of layers to the base, the main of which are:

• Fiberglass. It is basic and is responsible for maintaining the linear dimensions of the coating.
• Primer. For high-quality uniform application of subsequent layers, the fiberglass is primed, and then a front layer of foamed polyvinyl chloride is applied to the primer.
• Facial. The main requirements for foamed PVC of this layer are a flat, smooth and white surface, on which the colors and geometry of the subsequently applied pattern will appear without distortion.
• Printed drawing. It is applied using engraved printing cylinders, each roller of which rolls one color and is responsible for the aesthetic appearance of the canvas.
• Protective. To protect the printed design from abrasion, a transparent film of purified PVC (transparent) is applied to it, which is responsible for the wear resistance of the product - the thicker it is, the longer the service life of the coating.
• The basis. After applying all the above layers, the canvas is turned over and the back side is covered with a thick layer of polyethylene foam, which is responsible for the main physical characteristics of the product: heat and noise insulation, elasticity, residual deformation (the degree of restoration of shape after compression).
• Compact. This is a leveling layer of foamed polyvinyl chloride, which is applied after fixing the base. The next cycle of production of multilayer linoleum is passing the roll after applying all the layers through a high-temperature oven (heat chamber), where foaming of the structural components of the canvas occurs.
• Protective. After passing through a high-temperature chamber, the canvas is coated with a protective varnish that closes the micropores of the film - this reduces the absorption of contaminants deep into the structure and makes cleaning easier.
• Back drawing. Facilitates product identification and simplifies cutting work for sellers thanks to the printed cutting grid.

According to wear resistance

The main criteria when choosing linoleum: its wear resistance and the type of premises in which it is intended for use, this data, in accordance with European standards with the article EN 685, in force since December 1995, is displayed in the product labeling and consists of two numbers. The classification applies to laminate, parquet boards, synthetic tiles made from a variety of materials. The first digit indicates the class of premises in which the flooring can be used:

• 2 - residential, these include rooms in apartment buildings and private houses, dachas with low traffic;
• 3 - service and office premises, include premises of administrative and office buildings, shopping centers, public catering facilities, preschools and schools, and healthcare institutions.
• 4 - production, the group includes premises on the territory of plants and factories in which people constantly work in a standing or sitting position and on the floors of which light vehicles move.

The second digit of the marking indicates the wear resistance of the coating: 1 - low; 2 - average; 3 - high; 4 - super durable.

In everyday life, linoleum is divided into the following groups:

• Domestic. Used for flooring in rooms with low traffic (bedroom, hallway), in communal apartments, private country houses and cottages, the thickness of the protective shell does not exceed 0.35 mm, the service life is 10-15 years. For installation in apartments, it is more rational to use classes 22, 23.
• Semi-commercial. They have a protective film from 0.35 to 0.6 mm, it is laid in office and service premises with average traffic, corridors and kitchens of apartments, country houses, the service life depends on the load and averages 20 years. For installation in residential premises, wear resistance classes 32 and 33 are sufficient.
• Commercial. It has a high class of wear resistance, is made of dense PVC with a protective layer of up to 0.6 mm, the cost is higher than other types, it is most often used in areas with heavy traffic (shopping facilities, public transport, healthcare institutions, schools). The service life of this type is up to 50 years.

There is a less common classification of linoleum coatings based on abrasion, consisting of the following classes: F - abradable; R - moderately abraded; M - slightly abraded; T – non-abrading.

Preparing Wood Floors

Before laying linoleum on a wooden floor with your own hands, a rough base should be prepared for installation; the procedure for carrying out the work depends on the type of wooden covering (regular or parquet board, plywood, OSB, chipboard, fiberboard).

Since relatively soft and elastic linoleum cannot mask bumps, holes and other types of floor defects, the main condition for its high-quality installation is a smooth, even surface. In most cases, parquet boards and wood boards lie flat on the floor; in case of minor defects, proceed as follows:

• The gaps between the sheets or boards are covered with wood putty, the screws on which the plywood sheets were attached are screwed in deeper and their caps are also filled flush with the surface.
• For small protrusions and irregularities in the absence of a sanding machine, grind them down with a plane, chisel or coarse sandpaper; you can use a grinder with a removable disk for attaching sanding wheels.
• If linoleum is laid with glue, the wooden surface is treated with a primer to reduce consumption (absorption) of the adhesive composition and increase adhesion.

Preparation of floorboards

Before laying linoleum on a wooden floor made of boards, it checks its condition, on the basis of which a decision is made on the preparation method; in this case, three options are possible:

Puttying. A similar situation is typical for modern wooden floors made of planks - when they are laid, they are varnished and fixed with a tongue-and-groove joint and self-tapping screws, which are screwed from the inside to the joists above the tenons (secret connection). During use in such a floor, small gaps appear between the boards after drying, knots fall out, during preparation they are covered with putty; if the screws were screwed up, the caps are recessed deeper and covered with putty on top. After the putty has dried, linoleum is laid on top using glue or without glue, and the edges are pressed along the perimeter with plinths.

Leveling with wood boards. If a room like an old Khrushchev building has a painted wooden floor, the boards of which have a cross-sectional shape in the form of an arc, you can level its surface with sheets of chipboard, fiberboard, OSB, and plywood. In this case, there is no need to putty cracks and recesses, replace defective boards, or recess nail heads - sheets of plywood will not only level the floor, but will also hide all defects and provide additional insulation.

Flooring is carried out in the following order:

• Remove the baseboards, remove all debris with a vacuum cleaner, and if there are high protrusions, remove them with a plane or chisel.
• They begin to lay plywood with a thickness of 7 - 12 mm, laying the sheets with offset seams (bandaging) and not reaching the walls by 5 mm, they are screwed to the wooden base with self-tapping screws using a screwdriver, recessing the caps by 1 mm.
• Closely located joints and slightly recessed screw heads are covered with wood putty

Advice: It is better and cheaper from a financial point of view to lay linoleum on such a floor with double-sided tape, which sticks well to clean and even plywood.

Leveling by scraping. Old painted floors with wide cracks can be restored to order by removing uneven surfaces using sanding equipment. It should be noted that carrying out such work on wooden surfaces with large uneven areas is quite an expensive option and takes a lot of time; the time frame increases significantly if you have to simultaneously nail all the nails and seal wide cracks. Floor preparation is carried out in the following order:

• Remove the baseboards, remove the debris, hammer in all the nails, pushing them into the wood 4-5 mm.
• Wide cracks are sealed using narrow planks, which are coated with wood glue and carefully hammered into the grooves with a hammer through a wooden block.
• Sanding is carried out using a special machine, after which all cracks and dents above the heads of the screws are covered with putty, and if necessary, the sanding procedure is repeated.
• After cleaning the floor surface, the linoleum is laid using double-sided tape, glue or without their help.

Preparation of linoleum

Polyvinyl chloride linoleum is sold in rolls tens of meters long and 1.5 to 5 m wide in 0.5 m increments; these sizes are suitable for installation without seams in most rooms of standard city apartments. Before purchasing, measure the size of the rooms and buy the closest standard size canvas, then lay it on the clean, tidy floor in the room, face up, and unroll it. Along one of the walls with the greatest length, the roll is laid end-to-end with the factory edge, the remaining edges are cut to the size of the room.

To perform accurate and high-quality trimming, you will need an aluminum construction rule, a painter's knife or a special knife for cutting linoleum. When carrying out work, use the sharp side of the rule to press the canvas into the corner and draw a line along its edge with the blade of a painting knife. In the absence of a long and strong strip with a narrow edge, you can use any straight and long object as a ruler to cut linoleum. In places where it is necessary to cut the canvas near the walls, it is strongly bent and squeezed until a clearly visible deformation line is obtained, after which an even strip is applied to the mark and the canvas is cut along it.

After cutting, the canvas is left alone for a day, giving it the opportunity to straighten and rest, taking into account the fact that the higher the wear resistance class and thickness, the more time it will take to level it.

Substrate

When deciding what to lay linoleum on, sometimes they use a backing in cases where it is necessary to provide additional insulation and sound insulation, vapor permeability to avoid mold, or to eliminate minor unevenness in the base when other methods are ineffective or economically unprofitable (scraping). It should be understood that usually the substrate is a soft material, and after installation, strong dents from heavy furniture, a refrigerator, or a washing machine may remain on the surface of the linoleum. The underlay for linoleum is similar to that used when laying laminate flooring; its main types are:

Cork. An environmentally friendly product with a thickness of 2 - 5 mm, made from pressed crushed oak bark, it is durable, strong and rigid, thanks to which it perfectly hides floor unevenness. In some cases, a cork underlay can replace plywood, which is laid on a floor that is too uneven; its disadvantages include high cost and low moisture resistance.

Polyethylene. Foamed polyethylene with a thickness of 2 - 3 mm is used more often than other materials when laying laminate flooring; its distinctive features are: low cost, biological and chemical resistance, low weight, high moisture resistance, ease of installation. Its other variety, Penolon, has similar properties, having greater thickness, density and a relief surface.

Since polyethylene is too soft a material and loses its shape when squeezed, it is not very suitable for leveling floors and can be used to level out minor defects or additional insulation of floors in wet rooms (kitchen, rooms on the ground floor).

Expanded polystyrene. Extruded polystyrene foam (foam) is perhaps the best choice for a consumer who does not know what to lay under linoleum. Unlike conventional foam plastic, it has higher strength and hardness, and the best thermal insulation properties among all types of insulation. In addition to insulation, the material is used to level the subfloor; it is laid with corrugated sheets 2-6 mm thick on the reverse side on the subfloor and glued with tape.

Hardboard. As a leveling and heat-insulating substrate, you can use thin pressed fibreboard (fibreboard) - hardboard with a thickness of 2.5 or 3.2 mm of various hardness classes. Hardboard is cheaper than plywood and is effective at covering small irregularities.

Methods for laying linoleum on wood floors

There are several ways to lay linoleum on a wooden floor; there is no one method that is equally suitable for different subfloor materials and types of linoleum. The installation method largely depends on the previous preparation of the surface of the wooden floor and the substrate used, therefore, before starting all work, it must be taken into account that all stages are interconnected and the problem is solved in a complex.

Glueless

It is easiest to lay linoleum on a wooden floor without glue; the technology is used in the following situations:

• Small room area, not exceeding 20 square meters.
• Poor-quality subfloor in the form of a loose screed, fragments of which, when glue is spread over the surface, will separate and fall under the linoleum.
• The old floor is painted, which is why a chemical reaction is likely to occur between the glue and the paint and over time the linoleum in this place will turn yellow.
• It is not recommended to glue linoleum onto fiberboard or chipboard slabs laid in damp rooms - in high dampness they will become deformed and swelling will lead to unevenness on the floor.
• In most cases, semi-commercial and commercial class linoleum, which has high strength and rigidity, is not glued in residential premises.

Since the tape has an adhesive surface on both sides, it must have good adhesion (adhesion) to the subfloor. It is clear that it is problematic to stick adhesive tape on a cement-sand screed or a concrete slab, so for this installation method, a flat and smooth surface of plywood boards, a modern unpainted or old-style recycled floor from the Soviet era is suitable.

Linoleum laid on double-sided tape can be of any wear resistance class; joining the sheets with adhesive tape is allowed; for insurance, the edges can be additionally coated with special glue and then joined.

On glue

Although the use of glue when laying linoleum is not always necessary, it is better to glue soft, cheap linoleum with a low class of abrasion and wear resistance, and also applying Tarkett linoleum to glue is an important part of the technological process.

In the construction industry, for high-quality installation of floor coverings, two-component reaction adhesives are used, which have high water resistance, resistance to mechanical loads, temperature changes and other difficult operating conditions. For household use, it is cheaper to use water-based glue; the most popular and widespread option is PVA in its pure form and adhesive compositions where it is the main component (Bustilat). To glue linoleum, you can use inexpensive construction adhesive (KS) based on liquid glass and the following types of adhesive compositions:

• Homakol- dispersion polymer with resins, intended for laying vinyl and polyvinyl chloride linoleum on any substrate.
• Arlok— acrylate adhesive for installation of Forbo and Thomsit series coverings, suitable for gluing heterogeneous and homogeneous linoleum on waterproof substrates in high-traffic areas.
• Gumilax- latex-rubber mixture, does not interact with water and is used for laying natural marmoleum on any type of subfloor.

How to lay linoleum on a wooden floor

Laying linoleum on a wooden floor after high-quality and correct preparation of the base is not a difficult task for most consumers; the task is even simpler after learning a few simple rules and techniques. Basic tools for decking: a sharp painting knife with replaceable blades or a special one for cutting linoleum, a long metal ruler with which to draw a straight line on the joined sheets, a notched trowel (comb), a manual pressure roller or a rule (flat board, platband, timber) .

To make a pressure roller, which must have a large weight and length, a device in the form of a household mop is assembled independently from a wooden round handle and a perpendicular strip. Scraps of linoleum are wound around the edges of the mop and secured with tape; to increase sliding, use its insulated side from the outside when winding, or take any woven fabric, polyethylene backing, which is used to cover the wound linoleum.

No glue

Laying linoleum on a wooden base without using glue is a fairly simple task and consists of several operations:

• The purchased canvas of standard size is placed in the room, cut with a knife along the perimeter of the walls with a gap of several millimeters, using even guides. In places where an exact connection to the door frame is necessary, make cuts in the corners and wrap the excess pieces onto the wall.
• After curing the linoleum for 24 hours, they begin laying it; to do this, from the middle of it, using a long strip covered with sliding material and not quite reaching the walls, they roll out the canvas in several passes, after which they press it with a plinth near the wall.
• Then the rolling is carried out in the opposite direction from the pressed edge to the end of the web, trying to press the pressure bar with maximum force, the penetration is repeated several times.
• After leveling the canvas, screw the baseboards on the opposite side, then along all the walls, where possible.
• Then the excess pieces near the door frame are cut off with a paint knife, to connect the panels, they are laid on top of each other and cut through using a metal ruler.
• To prevent the joint from lifting up when walking, double-sided tape is placed underneath to connect both pieces, masking tape is pasted on top along the seam on both sides, and a special adhesive composition for joining this type of linoleum is applied to the joint; after the glue has dried, the paint is removed.

In many cases, you can lay linoleum on a wooden floor using double-sided adhesive tape, installation is carried out in the following way:

• Sweep the wooden flooring very carefully, using wet cleaning if necessary.
• After drying, double-sided tape is glued to the floor on one side in longitudinal strips at a distance of 50 - 100 cm from each other (does not matter much).
• Lay out and cut the canvas to the size of the room, let it rest for at least 24 hours.
• Roll the linoleum into a roll to the middle of the room, remove the protective paper from the adhesive tape.
• Roll out the linoleum to the wall, pressing it firmly against the floor with a strip, after fixing, roll up the other half, remove the protective film from the adhesive layer of tape and straighten the canvas to the opposite wall.
• Upon completion of installation, trim off excess areas in difficult places near the door frame.

On glue

In order for the linoleum to rest well before the flooring, it should not be deformed when resting against the walls, so before laying it is cut around the perimeter, not reaching a few millimeters from the wall covering. To fix it with glue, you will need a notched spatula with a tooth of about 2 mm (you can buy it or make it yourself, cutting off the tooth of a 5 mm metal product with a grinder) and a heavy roller, which will ensure tight contact of the canvas with the glue (an even pressure bar in this case is less effective). Installation of linoleum with glue is carried out in the following sequence:

• The resting and pre-cut canvas is rolled into a roll to the middle of the room, simultaneously sweeping away debris from its surface while rolling to prevent small solid particles from getting into the glue, after which the area of ​​the cleared floor is swept.
• Apply the adhesive to the subfloor using a toothed comb to ensure even coverage. In the construction industry, adhesive is usually applied with a plastic spatula, resulting in an uneven, quickly absorbed film and thus saving on adhesive materials. Considering that linoleum lays perfectly even without the use of glue, there is nothing to worry about if certain sections will not be glued if semi-commercial and commercial types are used. In individual house construction, linoleum for household use has low physical characteristics and requires careful gluing over the entire surface, so the use of a notched trowel is more rational.

Note: It is also important that water-based glue, when applied in a thin layer, quickly absorbs the wood and the connection may not occur, while a high glue tooth, when spread with a comb, will be absorbed into the wood over a longer period of time.

• After applying the adhesive composition, the roll is gradually rolled out, pressing it firmly to the floor with a roller, and the rolling operation is repeated several times along and across the strip.
• Then the second half of the roll is glued in a similar way, rolling it into the middle of the room and rolling it out with a roller after applying the adhesive to the subfloor.
• Trimming in hard-to-reach places and where high precision is required is carried out after gluing the entire canvas.

To properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor, careful preparation of its surface is necessary, because any protrusion, bump, or small pebble will appear over time. In everyday life, when laying hard and durable semi-commercial linoleum with a high wear resistance class, in many cases it is possible to do without the use of glue; if laying the canvas for domestic use in a large area, it is advisable to use special glue for linoleum or water-soluble PVA-based compounds.