How to cut linoleum in a non-standard room. Is it possible to lay new linoleum on the old one? Technology and styling methods

June 1, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction works (laying the foundation, erecting walls, constructing the roof, etc.). Internal construction works (laying of internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobbies: mobile communication, high technologies, computer equipment, programming.

A few months ago, my wife and I had to work as specialists from a home-grown cleaning company, washing off dirt and various stains from linoleum in our neighbor's apartment. And what would you think? Everything turned out to be in vain.

Baba Glasha, that is the name of my neighbor, did not stop there, and decided to change the flooring in her home. Her pension is not presidential, so the choice fell on the same linoleum.

She knows that I have been renovating apartments for many years and I am well versed in how linoleum is laid on the floor. Therefore, she turned to me with a corresponding request, because her son-in-law can do little with his own hands, since he “just presses the buttons on his computer.” In return, she promised to pay me a not very large fee and constantly treat me with pies throughout the year.

Types of linoleum

Before you spread linoleum, you must purchase this flooring. I will not talk for a long time about all the ups and downs of our trip to the building supermarket with my neighbor, since these adventures are worthy of a separate article.

I'll tell you about several types of linoleum that I had to lay in those apartments where I made repairs. The choice of a particular variety is a matter of taste and no instruction will help here. Moreover, in most cases, the determining factor is the price for the flooring.

But to make it easier to decide, I will give the pros and cons, which I consider important.

PVC linoleum. It is made from polymer raw materials, to which various chemical elements are added that change the properties of plastic. The result is an elastic linoleum, which is characterized by sufficient strength and attractive appearance.

The main advantages of PVC linoleum, I personally think:

the widest range of models and colors;
ease of laying the floor covering, regardless of the material of the subfloor (you can put it on fiberboard, and on plywood, and on, and even on old linoleum);
anti-static, that is, linoleum does not accumulate static electricity, which from time to time is consumed in the form of discharges that cause inconvenience to the inhabitants of the apartment, and especially to pets (I don’t mean cockroaches);
excellent hydrophobic properties.

But it was not without drawbacks, because of which it was not very widespread. First of all, this floor covering does not tolerate low temperatures well, so you can’t put it in a country house where it is not heated in winter.

In addition, PVC linoleum is damaged by the action of even weak chemical solutions. So it's better not to lay it in the garage.

The coating may not have a base at all or be produced with a fabric and non-woven backing. Naturally, the presence or absence of an additional layer affects the heat and sound insulation properties.

relin. Linoleum based on synthetic rubber. In the store, Baba Glasha and I saw two- and three-layer. However, I have only installed this type of linoleum in high humidity commercial areas, so I would not recommend it for an apartment.

As advantages of the coating, I can point out good elasticity, high strength, long service life and low thermal conductivity.

Cons - poor resistance to chemicals and low environmental friendliness. The coating releases chemicals harmful to humans into the air, therefore it is more often used for equipping commercial and industrial premises with a specific microclimate.

Linoleum from nitrocellulose. It is made from a special composition containing colloxylin, chemical stabilizers, dyes and fire retardants. It is made only single-layer without a substrate.

In this regard, the main advantages can be called hydrophobicity and flexibility. The disadvantages are the very high thermal conductivity. Before laying linoleum, you will have to lay a special substrate, which complicates installation and makes it more expensive.

Alkyd linoleum. This linoleum, despite the rather high cost, was chosen by my neighbor and I fully agree with her. For its production, a special resin mixed with a filler is used. It impregnates the fabric base.

Linoleum is ideal for living spaces, as it keeps heat well and protects against noise. The store we visited had a huge variety of models, so Baba Glasha's fantasy was where to roam.

The only thing you need to pay attention to when buying is poor tolerance for significant temperature fluctuations. But since each apartment in our house has independent heating, we do not expect emergency shutdowns of batteries in the winter.

Unless the price of gas rises and you have to switch to potbelly stoves.

General installation requirements

After the purchase, I had to think about how to deliver the linoleum. However, the perseverance of the neighbor, who ordered local bastards for this business, did its job and the linoleum was safely lifted from the truck to the dwelling of Baba Glasha.

Before laying linoleum, it is necessary that the purchased floor covering spend several days indoors.
Moreover, it is advisable not to put it on the floor, but to put it on the end of the roll.
This is necessary to equalize the temperature and humidity of the material.

While "the client comes to the condition", you can figure out how the seams of the flooring will be located. It is necessary to plan the installation so that they are located along the light flux from the window in the room. Then the seams will not be so noticeable.

My neighbor and I acted wiser and bought linoleum, the width of which slightly exceeded the dimensions of the room. Therefore, there was no need to carry out special design work. After all, the venerable woman decided on the pattern and coloring back in the store (this is important, otherwise the linoleum would have to be changed).

By the way, we also acted wisely with the substrate. That is bought a floor covering at once with it. We had a synthetic substrate, but linoleum with jute is found in stores.

And if you didn’t immediately think about it, then I can offer several options from personal experience:

Cork. Very environmentally friendly material, but very difficult to install and operate. The cork backing breaks when glued and is pressed through by furniture legs and thin female heels.

I consider the advantages of a low coefficient of thermal conductivity and excellent sound-absorbing properties. Be prepared right away that you won’t be able to save on buying a cork substrate.

Jute. Pleasure is even more expensive. But I don't see any other disadvantages. Jute is not subject to biocorrosion, does not ignite in case of fire, and has a long service life.

If jute for linoleum was not in your store, flax will serve as an alternative.
All characteristics, including cost, are almost identical.

Combined underlay. If perishing to buy, then its. It is made from flax, wool and jute, but is impregnated with special flame retardants and antiseptics, which makes it more convenient to use.

Sometimes I met options when penoizol is laid under linoleum. Personally, I would not advise this, since the material is fragile and “tracks” will soon appear on linoleum. It looks, to put it mildly, unattractive.

Step 1 - Preparing the Subfloor

In order for the linoleum to be laid evenly and beautifully, you need to properly prepare the subfloor, that is, the base on which the decorative coating will be glued. This stage is the longest and most laborious, but the final result depends on it by 80%.

Concrete

If you live in an urban apartment building that is not too old, then your floor is made of concrete. Just like me and my neighbor. Therefore, special measures for its alignment and preparation are not necessary.

If you find wide chips, cracks or other defects in the ceiling, they must be repaired. You can resort to spot repairs or pour a new concrete screed.

I didn’t have to do this in Baba Glasha’s apartment, but I did the screed more than once before laying the linoleum. Especially in cases where preliminary measurements revealed a significant difference in height at various points in the room.

If the surface is almost flat, but there are slight deviations, I recommend using self-leveling floor compounds. There's nothing complicated.

You buy a bag of dry powder or a ready-made solution, after which you carry out the entire procedure as indicated on the label. That's what I did to my neighbor. Naturally, it turned out a little more expensive, but, as they say, “the company does not knit brooms,” and I am used to doing my work with high quality.

After the screed has completely dried, the surface must be primed. This will remove dust from the floor, reduce adhesive consumption and improve adhesion. We bought the primer immediately with linoleum, so we didn’t have to go to the supermarket.

from wood

If your subfloor is made of wood, this does not mean that you do not need to carry out preparatory operations. Only the scheme of work in this case will be different.

I once laid linoleum on a wooden floor in the village, so I can give the sequence of actions that I followed in that case:

I checked how tightly the individual floor boards fit together. I found several nails, the heads of which protruded above the surface. Killed them. A few boards were generally rotten. Replaced them.
In another room, the top layer was completely dry. I had to rent a scraper and level everything. Several cracks were found. He plastered them.
I didn't, but I'll tell you. If, as a result of the inspection, it is found that the support logs (one or more bars) have become unusable, they must be replaced. In extreme cases, put thin wedges under the bottom to level the surface.

If the situation is completely deplorable, it is better to replace the boards with plywood or GVL.

The scheme of work here is simple:

dismantle old wooden elements;
install new support lags;
lay sheets of plywood so that the seams are scattered.

You can fasten the sheets with self-tapping screws, making sure that the hats do not protrude above the surface. Between the individual elements there should be a gap of 3-4 mm wide to avoid warping as a result of thermal expansion.

covered with old linoleum

I personally am not a fan of laying new flooring on old linoleum. Even at the dawn of our careers, we resorted to such a solution to the problem, but most often the result turned out to be deplorable. Therefore, I strongly advise all novice masters to get rid of the coating before laying a new one.

However, some craftsmen suggest buying a single-layer linoleum without a backing, and just use the old flooring as the latter. It is for this case that I will tell you about the technology of preparing the old linoleum for laying the new one in more detail.

It is important to consider several features:

Before laying the new floor covering, thoroughly wash and clean the old one. Get rid of paint stains, cement, dirt, grease and so on. If you have ever thoroughly washed linoleum on the floor, you will understand that it is easier to rip everything off and throw it away than to waste time on the washing procedure.
After that, you should get rid of irregularities and defects in the coating by making patches. Given that the new linoleum will be without a substrate, all the irregularities of the base will be visible on it, which will not add grace and beauty to the room.
At the last stage, you need to prime the linoleum. This will eliminate dust and improve surface adhesion.

Step 2 - Cutting the cover

Cutting flooring is usually entrusted only to experienced linoleum layers who have laid more than one square kilometer of this material. I do not consider myself such a specialist, so I get out of the situation simply: I buy linoleum, the width of which exceeds the dimensions of the room. In this case, only those parts that are adjacent to the walls will have to be cut off.

However, this does not mean that I have never cut linoleum, so I can quite tell about the nuances of the process. To do this, you need to buy a special knife for cutting and a metal ruler.

There are several different ways to proceed:

Fitting linoleum on site. It is necessary to press the edges of the linoleum to those areas where the wall connects to the floor. Then cut the material. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the edge of the linoleum should be 0.5-1 cm from the wall to compensate for thermal expansion.
Trimming the flooring according to the markup. To do this, lines are drawn on the spread material, after which the excess is cut off. This is necessary in cases where the coating is laid without gaps.
Cutting in a room with a complex configuration. In this case, the linoleum is first cut off in those places where there are additional architectural elements. Then the coating is cut in the manner described in paragraph 1.
Cut out the patterns. First, templates are made from cardboard or other similar material, after which the configuration is transferred to linoleum and cutting is performed. This method is used to process areas laid around utilities or permanently fixed devices.

If it is supposed to lay linoleum with seam joints, I would advise equipping them at the locations of pipes and other communications. So it will be much easier to perform cutting and laying.

After finishing cutting, it is necessary that the flooring lay again on the floor without gluing for 48 hours, so that it is leveled.

Step 3 - Gluing

Baba Glasha's apartment is not the largest, the living room occupies an area of only 17 square meters. meters. Therefore, I made a courageous decision not to glue linoleum at all, that is, to perform the so-called "floating" installation. Moreover, this method does not contradict building codes.

If you have linoleum with seams, you can use a special adhesive tape for installation. It allows you to quickly fix the linoleum, and in the future you do not have to spend a lot of time to dismantle it (after all, once a new floor covering has to be changed).

Well, for large rooms I offer two methods, tested at one time with my own hands:

Method one. Adhesive composition with a spatula with teeth on the prepared surface of the subfloor.
Moreover, the middle is processed first, and in places where the seams of the flooring will pass, glue does not need to be poured at all, leaving about 10-12 cm of dry space. Areas near the walls, on the contrary, need to be smeared with all care.
The thickness of the application of glue is always different. Look more precisely on the packaging with the material you purchased. I personally, to speed up gluing, additionally process the back side of linoleum with glue.
Once the surface treatment is completed, you can glue the coating, leveling it from the center to the edges.
Method two. It is necessary to roll the linoleum up to half into a roll. After that, spread the adhesive on the surface in front of it, and distribute the composition directly on the floor covering, swinging it back and forth.

In both the first and second cases, the main task is to expel all the air from under the linoleum. To do this, you need to roll the entire surface with a special roller or wipe it with a rag, applying a fairly significant effort.

If this is not done, over time, waves and bubbles will appear on the surface of the floor, which will be almost impossible to get rid of.

Step 4 - Processing the seams

As I said, linoleum was laid in a neighbor's house in a seamless way. But, perhaps, your apartment is very large and it was not possible to choose a material suitable for the dimensions of the room.

Therefore, I will not be too lazy and will tell you a method using which you can perfectly mask the seam in the floor covering, making it completely invisible:

The joint of the two strips is glued with masking tape. It is glued to the front side and is necessary to protect the decorative layer from damage as a result of further manipulations.
Then, using a clerical knife, the tape must be cut exactly along the seam. Be careful not to damage the linoleum itself.
A special glue - “cold welding” should be injected into the incision through the needle. The composition should be dosed correctly so that the substance is only inside the seam, and its excess does not crawl out. But in extreme cases, pre-glued masking tape protects linoleum from damage.
After that, firmly and firmly press the edges of the floor covering.
Once the adhesive has hardened, the protective strip can be removed.

Finally, the seams of linoleum will weld together in about a day. Until this time, I recommend not to walk on the floor area treated with adhesive.

Step 5 - Installing skirting boards

Well, the final stage of the installation of any floor covering is.

It is impossible to do without them, since many tasks are assigned to this inconspicuous detail:

it masks the gap between the wall and the floor covering;
prevents the penetration of dust and the accumulation of debris in this part of the floor;
gives the room a finished look.

Also, in my case, when the laying was carried out without glue, the baseboard will firmly hold the flooring in place, preventing it from moving.

There are many options for skirting boards. If you have already chosen linoleum for the room, I advise you to buy plastic skirting boards. They are in perfect harmony with the installed flooring, are easy to install and are inexpensive.

Briefly give the installation diagram:

A decorative trim is removed from the purchased skirting board, which closes the cable channel, through which the skirting boards will be attached to the walls.
After that, the parts are applied to the wall (starting from the corner), after which a hole is drilled in the baseboard and wall. It is better to use a hammer drill for this, since you will have to drill monolithic concrete.
Then the parts are removed and plastic dowels are inserted into the holes.
After that, you can screw the skirting boards. Connections between individual elements are made using plastic corners. They need to be bought in advance along with skirting boards, which Baba Glasha and I did.

To date, the construction market has many materials for flooring, and linoleum is considered one of the most practical. Consider how to lay linoleum, since it is this coating that has an increased service life, practicality and ease of installation, which allows even beginners to use it.

Materials and tools for laying

Before laying linoleum, of course, it is necessary to determine the size of the sheets to be laid in the room in order to understand how much material should be purchased. This task is quite simple: the area of \u200b\u200bthe room is measured by multiplying the values \u200b\u200bof its length and width.

The store should not require material in an amount equal to the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. It is best to leave a margin of 20-30 cm in case you need to cut irregularly shaped flooring material.

To lay linoleum in the apartment on your own, you must first assemble the following tools that will come in handy for work:

industrial or just a powerful household vacuum cleaner;
detergent for removing paint, oil and grease stains;
sharpened construction knives: regular and with a blade in the form of a hook;
wooden lath (rule) or long construction ruler;
sharpened scissors;
drawing devices for marking;
adhesive mixture or double-sided adhesive tape;
putty knife;
adhesive mixture for sealing seams.

The main properties of linoleum

Before laying linoleum on your own, you should familiarize yourself with its features in detail. To begin with, linoleum is a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating. Its most important feature is that, due to the high elasticity of the material, its laying on top of an uneven base is unacceptable.

Any cracks, chips, dents and other defects can lead to the defectiveness of the flooring itself. In the photo and during visual inspection, such distortions will be very noticeable, which is unacceptable if the owner wants to present his house from the best side.

Based on the foregoing, it is necessary to carefully prepare the base before laying linoleum. The surface should be free of the above defects, and it should also be thoroughly cleaned of various dust, debris and stains.

When laying sheet flooring under linoleum, it is very important to process the joints between the sheets and the places where they are fixed, so that the self-tapping screws are recessed into the thickness of the coating. The seams are puttied and sanded. Only in this case, the coating will rest on a high-quality base over the entire area of the room, and will not deform in places where there are voids or protrusions under it.

The second important condition for working with linoleum is the need to adapt it to the temperature and humidity conditions of the room. To do this, the rolled material is brought into the room for 1-2 days. In conditions of temperature over 18 degrees Celsius and humidity less than 60 percent. After this period, it is necessary to deploy the material so that it aligns (more details: "").

The nuances of laying linoleum in various houses

There are several problems that arise for owners who are trying to figure out how to properly lay linoleum with their own hands:

Laying over underfloor heating system.
Laying tiles over linoleum.
Laying linoleum on the substrate.

Laying linoleum on a warm floor

Naturally, the decision always remains with the owner, but experts are categorically against the fact that linoleum was laid over heated floors.

This material is synthetic, and therefore, when heated, it can release various substances that are unsafe for the human body. Also, the material does not tolerate strong temperature changes and can be deformed when heated.

Laying tiles over old linoleum

Substrate varieties

If we are talking about how to properly lay linoleum, then do not forget about the mandatory use of the substrate. It is necessary in order to eliminate the possibility of a joint between the rough base and linoleum.

Other underlay tasks:

Alignment of residual defects base. It is worth noting that even leveling the base with a screed does not give a 100% result. The lining will help to eliminate the unevenness of 1-2 millimeters remaining after leveling, which will protect the flooring from the same differences.
The thermal insulation function of the substrate is also evident. The materials used perfectly protect the floors from thermal energy loss.
The soundproofing characteristics of the underlay are also very important when it comes to flooring in apartment buildings.

The following types of substrate for linoleum are popular:

on a jute basis;
cork;
expanded polystyrene foam;
linen based.

Cork is considered one of the most reliable materials, but the choice, of course, remains with the buyer, since the cost range for the listed materials is very wide. You can definitely purchase a substrate that corresponds to the class of purchased linoleum.

Cutting material to size

Having decided which base will be used when laying linoleum, you should proceed to cutting the material or fitting the existing sheet to the optimum size. Next, the stacking method will be discussed when a single sheet is used. The main task of the owner is to align the longitudinal sheet on two opposite walls.

In rooms with a non-standard layout (the walls are not parallel), it is necessary to align only one side, taking into account the factory cut made during production. The second corner is cut with a special sharpened knife. The most even cut can be made using a long ruler or rail (rule).

As soon as one corner is processed, it is necessary to put the canvas a centimeter away from the wall and move to the opposite corner diagonally. It is necessary to mark the material in advance so as not to cut off the material more than it should be. A poorly stretched canvas will not fit snugly to the floor and will swell. In the photo and during visual inspection, such areas will be too noticeable, and it will not be possible to eliminate them by tension. The material must be laid perfectly.

The process of laying linoleum

The most popular are the following methods:

without fasteners;
adhesive tape;
adhesive mixture.

The installation process is similar in all cases, but each method has distinctive features:

Loose styling involves a simple laying of linoleum. It is used only in rooms with a small area. Sheets are held exclusively by skirting boards, furniture and appliances. This is the same case when the material must rest for a couple of days in order to smooth out various irregularities (in more detail: "").
If adhesive tape is used, then the process becomes a bit more complicated. It must be glued to the linoleum from the inside at the very junction of the sheets. Moreover, the second part of the adhesive tape must be covered with a protective film. In the future, the films are removed gradually, and the canvas is laid and smoothed. See also: "".
Glue mixture it is advisable to use for laying linoleum in rooms with high traffic. The procedure begins with the fact that the canvas is folded in half in length and placed on one side of the base, and the second is smeared with an adhesive mixture. Then the canvas is turned away and smoothed out. Similarly, the second part of the sheet is turned away and pasted.

Outcome

Laying linoleum is a fairly simple procedure. If you follow all the instructions presented in the article, then as a result you can get a high-quality floor covering that will last for many years. You can also turn to specialists who will take responsibility for all stages of work - from the purchase of the necessary materials to the laying of linoleum and the commissioning of floors.

Although this flooring is universal, it is very important to properly prepare the subfloor for it, because over time the linoleum will take over, and all the irregularities of the base will become visible. It's impractical, and it looks messy.

Laying linoleum on a wooden floor. Often such a floor hides defects that will invariably come out after laying linoleum. To prevent this from happening, take a closer look at its surface.

Depending on the degree of wear, gaps form between the floorboards. They need to be carefully filled with acrylic putty. Did you notice the height difference? Using a planer, they should be leveled. One or more boards may need to be replaced.

Drown the protruding heads of self-tapping screws and nails, and then putty all visible recesses.

Remember that after the linoleum is laid, the wooden floor still continues to be used. And if there is a problem in it, it will be difficult to get to it. It is better to spend time preparing than dismantling the finished coating.

Linoleum is an artificial and non-breathable material, under which various kinds of bacteria can form. It is advisable to treat your wooden floor with an antifungal antiseptic, which will protect it from damage by mold and dampness.

For additional protection of the tree, it is worth treating it with drying oil, and then opening it with varnish. With such care, your wooden parquet will still serve you, even when you get tired of linoleum.

If the floor is excessively worn and there are irreparable defects on it (for example, missing floorboards, swelling), it would be right to cover it with sheets of moisture-resistant plywood. The panels are easily mounted on self-tapping screws, which must also be deepened and puttied.

Even thin linoleum is suitable for a well-prepared base, it is cheaper and easy to fit, but it also wears out just as easily.

Laying linoleum on a concrete floor. Use a level to check for unevenness. Pay attention to all the bumps, pits and cracks. If such defects exceed 20% of the total area, then you are out of luck: you will need a screed.

Then apply a self-levelling compound no more than 2 cm thick to make the surface perfectly smooth.

This is not a mandatory step, however, by doing it, you will understand how important attention to detail is. Make sure that all joints between the floor and ceiling are clean and clear.

Concrete is a cold material and this will affect the comfort of the new floor. Therefore, it is worth laying a heat-insulating substrate made of foam or isolon, where on one side there is a heat-reflecting foil.

On a well-prepared floor, the coating lays evenly, is easily trimmed, and such work turns into a pleasant pastime, and not a tedious procedure.

New linoleum flooring over old. Can it be done? Not always. Namely, only if the original coating retained its integrity. Knowing the tendency of linoleum to crack, if there are drops and irregularities of more than 2 mm on the old floor, even the substrate will not save the new coating from damage.

Old linoleum contributes little to thermal insulation, but it must be strong enough to provide a good foundation. Most often, a new linoleum is laid when the old one is already torn to shreds, bent and broken. Such a coating must be removed without regret, since the loss of time for its “preparation” is not worth the effort.

At the same time, if the draft layer is rubbed in places or has cracks, then this is not critical. The main thing is the absence of sharp drops.

If you decide to eliminate the detected defects, then it is better to do it like this:

Outline the damaged place with straight lines with a pencil
Use a clerical knife under an iron ruler to cut out the damage
Glue a whole piece of linoleum into the resulting hole, minimizing the joints
Remove the seams on the floor with silicone sealant and smooth the surface with a spatula, allowing the material to dry. Instead of sealant, you can use liquid nails glue. By pressing properly on the junction, let the glue spread over a large area.
When minor repairs are completed and the adhesive has dried, thoroughly clean the surface. Now it is ready for flooring.

To prepare the old linoleum, first remove the baseboard. Dismantle the connecting strips, if any.

Flooring - step by step instructions

An important aspect when choosing - try to select the width of the material so that it lies in one piece. If this is not possible, consider the joints in such a way that they can be hidden. To do this, on a piece of paper, sketch out the perimeter of your room with all the protrusions, pipes, etc. and take measurements. Add 5 cm allowances to the results, just in case, suddenly the walls are uneven.

Step by step instructions on how to lay linoleum:

The desired temperature in the installation room must be stable and exceed 18 degrees. Humidity - no more than 60%.
Before laying, it is good to let the linoleum “settle” for a day. The fact is that it is made of elastic material and reacts to temperature changes, narrowing and expanding, and if it is cold or hot outside, the roll needs to take the temperature in your home.
Stage of placing sheets. Place them with some overlap to the wall, which you will then cut off. You can also start cutting by attaching a flat factory edge to the corner (if you know for sure that the wall is straight), and leave a gap of 5-10mm, you will then attach it with tape. In this case, cutting is performed only on the remaining walls.
If the room is spacious and there are several sheets of flooring, first level the seam and position it where you think it should be. Dock the drawing and do not forget about the overlap.
Now place the material around the perimeter and in this form it should rest again. This time, a couple of days is better.
Fasten the factory edge near the edge of the wall.
Cut off large pieces of linoleum, leaving 3-5 cm in reserve.
It's time for a clean cut. In each corner, the material is brought as close as possible to the wall and the junction is marked with a pencil. Move along the perimeter, marking the cutting line every 25cm.
Connect the marks with a straight line and cut. Remember that over time, the coating is pulled out, so you should leave gaps of 5-10mm around the perimeter of the room. If this is not done, waves will appear on the floor.

If there are several strips, then before finishing trimming, take the first strip of material and secure it with tape along the end, which is closer to the center of the room. Now cut it with rough allowances. Attach the second to the first and connect them with adhesive tape in the place of overlap. Similarly, you need to cut this sheet. And only when the flooring is centered and docked, a fine trimming is carried out.

If the room has a protruding corner, then cutting should start from it. First, a rough fitting is done, and then it is cut clean.

Gluing methods

Do-it-yourself linoleum laying is free and with special glue. Free is suitable for small rooms with an area of 20-25m² and consists in fixing the cover with a plinth and thresholds in doorways. If the room is spacious, glue is required. Bonding provides greater reliability with increased loads on the floor covering.

An intermediate method of fastening is double-sided masking tape, which, although less reliable than glue, is easily removed if necessary.

In fact, there are several adhesives for linoleum and each has its own indications. The general requirement is that the subfloor surface must be primed. Apply adhesive to the floor under the neatly folded material. Distribute it better with a spatula. Then smoothly level the linoleum in the direction from the middle to the edges, releasing excess air with a soft roller. For the second sheet, the procedure is repeated.

Gluing joints is a very important point. It is necessary to make sure that they are tightly pressed against each other and do not bully. In 90% of cases, the cold welding method is used for this - gluing with colorless silicone glue:

The first goal is to make both edges perfectly even, since welding takes place butt to butt. If the edges are factory-made, there are no problems, otherwise you need to cut it manually. Join the two strips according to the drawing, marking the seam line on top of both pieces with a pencil.
Under the ruler, cut two layers of linoleum at once and remove the trimmings.
For welding, stick masking tape to the joint, which will not allow the glue to stain the rest of the surface, and cut it along with a knife.
Without applying too much pressure on the tube, apply glue to the weld. Glue should go inside the joint and go out.
Press both edges and after 20-25 minutes the masking tape can be removed.

When the work is finished, take care of changing the skirting boards. As a rule, they are installed a week after laying the floor, when it is thoroughly straightened. For uneven walls, it is better to use plastic skirting boards. To prevent linoleum from bending in doorways, fix it to the floor with a special flat threshold and self-tapping screws.

Every year, the assortment in construction stores pleases with its large selection, its novelty and, of course, quality. Repairs can be done using new technologies or using materials and methods that have been proven over the years.

As already known, linoleum is used to transform the floor and use it either as an independent finishing material or as a floor covering on an existing one.

Compared with a variety of finishing materials, it significantly saves money on repairs. Plus, it is not whimsical during operation and, of course, will give any room a noble appearance.

On the Internet or in specialized magazines, you can easily find information that will describe in detail the nuances of laying linoleum. Accordingly, with your own hands - on your own (without professional help), without putting much effort, it is quite possible to put this material of any size in any room.

So, before you buy, you need to thoroughly approach the choice of flooring: what color will be most in harmony with the room as a whole, and what qualities it should have.

Consider the advantages of linoleum, as one of the types of finishing materials:

due to its resistance to fats and moisture, linoleum can be laid in any room, on any surface (it is easy to clean, respectively, this is the best flooring option for the kitchen, hallway);
Due to its structure, this material is durable, while it has elasticity.

After we have decided on the room where the linoleum will be laid, we pay special attention to the preparatory work, because it depends on them how long it will last and retain its original appearance.

Preparatory work consists in preparing the working surface, in turn, the choice of linoleum depends on the working surface (given the purpose, it can be polyvinyl chloride, or glyptal (another name is alkyd), you can choose relin (rubber linoleum) or colloxylin).

Their differences are in the base, which affects the wear resistance of linoleum (commercial, semi-commercial and household ones have a significant difference in the base).

For example, a floor covering made of a polyvinyl chloride base should not have joints, since water can get under the linoleum through them, and this will lead to rotting of the fibrous base (as a result, linoleum will lose its advantageous properties more and more over time: heat and sound insulation ).

Having chosen alkyd linoleum, you need to prepare that, compared to polyvinyl chloride, it is prone to cracks / kinks.

If you take a room with a large area, as a rule, a coating is used that has a foam base (3.5 mm - the thickness of this coating), and you can lay linoleum with such a coating, regardless of the level of humidity in the selected room.

For rooms with low traffic of people, for example, a pantry - in such cases, you can safely use linoleum, where the thickness of the base will reach 5 mm (fabric base).

For rooms with constant high humidity - baseless linoleum is used - multilayer (manufactured in several layers).

Proper installation of linoleum

How to properly lay linoleum after its acquisition? Is it possible to put it, for example, on a wooden floor? Knowing the features of all the listed types of flooring (types of linoleum) - you can easily lay it yourself in several stages without the involvement of professionals.

Firstly, we will prepare the floor and, of course, the linoleum itself, however, the laying of the linoleum itself takes place at the final stage, when the main construction work is completed (the construction of plasterboard walls, wallpapering, etc.)

Regarding the preparation of the premises:

it is necessary to dismantle the previous coating,
wash the floor thoroughly
dry it out
free it from unnecessary piles (tools, building materials),
exclude drafts (do not leave windows and doors open),
try to maintain a constant temperature (14-20 degrees) in the room for several days in a row.

Before laying on the floor to linoleum, as well as to other finishing materials, one of the main requirements is that before installation work it must correspond to the room temperature, i.e. it is necessary that it rest for several days in the room in which it will be laid. Important - do not level the floor (or eliminate cracks and defects) with varnish, paints, various solutions, putties.

If there are irregularities on the floor where it is planned to put linoleum (bumps, bulges, cracks, depressions) - we dilute the cement mortar (you can also repair all the irregularities with tile adhesive, passing 45 or 60 with a spatula) if the differences are large, then fill the floor with self-levelling.

Often the floor is leveled with fiberboard or plywood sheets.

After the floor has been leveled, we cover it with a special primer. If at the preparatory stage (preparation of the floor surface) everything was done correctly, then there will be no problems when laying the material.

If the floor is not leveled, then it may not be right away, but over time, the linoleum will definitely acquire the contour of the floor (i.e., all irregularities will be visible).

Cutting linoleum

Before cutting linoleum, as they say, "measure seven times, cut once."

Installation steps:

we spread the linoleum on the floor (do not cut it), it is desirable that it lie down in this state for several days (thus reducing its waviness - it will fit more evenly to the floor). This moment is very important, and if it is neglected, the result of laying linoleum can be sad (irregularities, swelling, which will no longer be possible to remove).
If laying takes place on a concrete floor, then in this case it is also very important that the linoleum "rests" - leveled.
If linoleum is selected without insulation, then before cutting, a substrate is laid on the floor (functions: insulates and soundproofs).

It is important to decide how the substrate will fit. Difference: with parallel laying, there is much less waste (offcuts) than with diagonal laying. If necessary, it is easiest to glue the seams at the junction of the substrate with masking tape. And it is not forbidden to lay it in two layers.

Professionals do not advise laying linoleum close to the walls. Ideally, you need to cut off the linoleum so that 2 cm does not reach the wall. Thus, shrinkage will be taken into account, which often reaches 2 percent.

What to do if there is a ledge on the wall?

It's simple - first, the contour is released and already further subject to cutting.

A few more tips for cutting linoleum:

If we lay linoleum with elements of the pattern on our own, it is very important to adjust the pattern on the cut line (combine, connect parts) so that an abstraction does not result.
In order to make cutting linoleum only pleasing (the material was cut with high quality and beautifully), it is necessary to use the following tools in cutting: sharp knives (trapezoidal and hook-shaped), liquid glue (for joining joints), spatula (if necessary, apply mastic or glue).
The location of the light in the room is very important. The light should slide along the canvases, if they are monophonic, then the joints will be less noticeable.
It is desirable after cutting the linoleum, before its final fixation, let it lie down (from 1 to 10 days).
Then you can attach it to the base (wooden or concrete).

Linoleum is nailed to the wooden floor. If you nail it to a concrete floor, then first holes are made in the concrete floor (with a puncher), wooden plugs are driven into them. It is important that the plugs are the same length, given the length of the dowel used.

If the room is mostly low traffic of the people and, for example, there is equipment or shelving of books in it, then in such rooms it is not necessary to nail linoleum - it can be glued.

Before gluing, the surface must be cleaned and primed (and the linoleum itself is also primed). After the primer, when it dries, you can start gluing linoleum. To do this, mastic is applied to the floor (thick layer), it must be leveled (for example, with a 3 mm notched trowel).

We apply glue (thin layer) on the linoleum itself. We leave the joints untouched (we do not coat with glue by 8-10 cm). Then we lay the canvas on the floor and smooth it not from the edge to the middle, but vice versa (we remove the accumulated air, excess mastic).

If it is not possible to remove excess air in some places, you can put a load on this place (for example, a sheet of plywood). If this does not help, we make a cut, squeeze out the air, coat it again with glue, lean the linoleum against the floor and put some kind of load.

Docking seams

Docking of seams can be safely distinguished as a separate process in laying linoleum. From the practice of professionals, two methods can be distinguished that are applicable, regardless of the preparatory work, from the initial stage of laying and cutting.

So, the first method of docking is hot welding, the second is cold.

The first way: at the junction points (where there are no missed grooves), we lay the cord (of high temperature), thereby ensuring the joining of the canvases. The whole difficulty lies in the fact that it is necessary to responsibly prepare the surface (this is required by the high temperature of the material used), where the cord is laid in the future.

If the first method, as a rule, is only possible for a professional, since the use of special equipment is necessary for this process, then everyone can master the cold welding method.

You just need to take into account with this method that a special tape (adhesive) is applied to the floor (under the linoleum, where the joints are), this is done in order to ensure that the joint is even. Then, using mastic, we apply it on one sheet of linoleum, and on the end of the second, which we have already glued, we apply a solution for cold welding.

You need to apply a little force to tightly press the canvases against each other (you can still put some kind of load in order to increase the force effect on the fastening of the canvases).

From the foregoing, it is clear that you can completely spread and fix linoleum on your own. And at the same time, if all the canons and features of linoleum laying are observed, then the result will be positive (construction work will be completed on time and rated for a solid five).

How to glue linoleum video

Laying linoleum on the floor - from the choice of material to the technology and methods of installation on different types of base.

The content of the article:

Laying linoleum on the floor is a simple process that even a non-professional can handle. This finish imitates everything, even marble and river pebbles, so it fits perfectly into any style of interior. To lay linoleum on the floor, you need to know how to choose the finishing material and substrate, and understand how to lay them on different types of substrates.

The main types of linoleum for the floor

There are many varieties of such a finishing floor covering. Moreover, the models differ not only in appearance, but also in quality and composition. How to choose linoleum for the floor and not make a mistake, consider below.

Floor coverings based on oiled fabric and resin appeared in the 18th century. The next 2 centuries, linoleum was completely natural. By the middle of the 20th century, it was replaced by synthetic - it cost less, and it was much easier to produce it.

Modern linoleum is divided into several groups:

By area of application - for residential premises (household), for offices and warehouses (semi-commercial and commercial).
According to the material - alkyd (glyphthalic), polyvinyl chloride, nitrocellulose (colloxin), rubber, natural.
By the presence of a basis - basic / baseless.
By structure (by the number of layers) - homogeneous and heterogeneous.

When choosing a material, determine the load on the floor. Based on this factor, it is obvious that semi-commercial linoleum is the best option for the hallway, kitchen and living room, and less durable household linoleum is quite suitable for the bedroom and children's room.

Synthetic and natural linoleum differ significantly in cost. Finding a material without artificial impurities is quite difficult. When choosing cheaper linoleum, pay attention to its smell. High-quality PVC material is almost odorless. Additionally, ask the seller for a certificate. If he finds it difficult to provide it, refuse the purchase.

The main linoleum does not require laying the substrate, which greatly simplifies its installation. For baseless material, an interlayer between it and the rough base is required. The substrate, like linoleum, must be chosen correctly.

Criteria for choosing linoleum on the floor

Pay attention to how rolls of material are stored in the store. They must stand vertically or be wound on special reels and hung horizontally.

Before buying, bend the tip of the linoleum, if after that a white stripe forms, refuse to buy. Such material will quickly begin to deteriorate, as it is fragile, moreover, spots will appear on it over time.

Examine the surface of the linoleum. It should not have any delaminations, tubercles, bubbles, color deviations. Their presence indicates the low quality of the material.

When buying linoleum, pay attention to:

Protective layer thickness. Minimum - 0.15 mm. Such protection is erased quickly, leaving stains and stains on the coating. Linoleum in these places will quickly become unusable. The maximum thickness of the protective coating is 0.6 mm.
Linoleum thickness. For a children's room, choose a thicker one so that the floor is softer. However, remember that the thicker the linoleum, the worse it reacts to furniture legs and sharp objects - it is pressed through and torn.
The presence of a foundation. If it is, the installation will be faster and easier.
Marking. Linoleum is divided into classes: 21-24 refers to household, 31-34 to semi-commercial, 41-44 to commercial. Also consider the spread of operating temperatures, moisture resistance, fire safety, abrasion.
Design. Modern linoleums imitate anything - from river pebbles to granite, marble and laminate. For a small room, choose light cold colors, for a large room - warm.

Choose high-quality PVC linoleum for residential premises. For children's rooms, as well as for people with allergies and asthmatics, natural material will be a successful, but expensive option. Products based on rubber and bitumen (linoleum-relin) emit harmful substances, therefore they are not recommended for use in apartments and residential buildings.

Colloxin linoleum has an attractive appearance, but significantly changes in size with temperature changes. Glyptal flooring is difficult to install and requires a professional approach.

Rules for laying linoleum

Despite the fact that laying linoleum on the floor is much easier than finishing the floor with parquet or laminate, you need to remember a number of rules, without which the end result may be far from ideal:

Be sure to prepare the base and use the substrate. This will extend the life of the linoleum.
The purchased material should “lie down” for a couple of days. Stand it upright, and after "acclimatization" turn it around so that it straightens out.
Try to use large pieces and minimize the number of joints.
Linoleum is laid in three ways - on glue / mastic, dry and on double-sided tape. The first option is suitable for large areas, the second for small ones - up to 12 m 2. The third method is relevant for rooms of any area.
Fixing skirting boards when finishing the floor is made only to the walls. This allows the linoleum to shrink / expand with temperature changes and not wrinkle.
The edge of the linoleum, located in the doorway, must be fixed to the floor with metal strips and self-tapping screws.

Now you have some idea how to lay linoleum on the floor. It's time to go to the construction supermarket for the material and tools necessary for the job.

Technology for installing linoleum on the floor

Having bought the material, you need to figure out how to lay linoleum on the floor so that the result pleases for a long time. To work, you will need a certain set of tools, as well as a set of preparatory work with a subfloor.

Tools and materials for laying linoleum

Linoleum is an easy-to-use material. For its installation, a minimum set of tools is required:

Sharp knife for cutting material;
Notched trowel, if laying is carried out on glue;
Heavy roller or small roller for rolling linoleum;
Long ruler (reisshin) or tape measure;
Glue / double-sided tape for hard installation;
Plastic plinth;
Metal nut (if required);
The required amount of linoleum.

Additionally, if preparatory work with a rough base is required, you need to have a self-leveling concrete mix for putting the concrete slab in order, cement mortar for redecorating the concrete floor, plywood if the linoleum will be laid on a wooden floor, a drill with a mixing nozzle for mixing the leveling mortar, for filling joints, a grinder with a grinding wheel for working with a wooden floor, a nail puller, a needle roller.

Preparatory work before installing linoleum

Installation of linoleum on the floor begins with the preparation of the base. Such a topcoat can be laid on any surface - wood, concrete, tile. The main condition is evenness, the absence of obvious bumps and pits. On an uneven surface, with a large difference in height, laying high-quality linoleum will not work.

The order of preparatory work, if the subfloor is concrete:

Examine the stove. Knock down obvious bumps, seal the holes with mortar.
Check the surface with a level. With a height difference of more than 2 cm per 1 meter, a self-leveling thin screed will be required.
Close the dry mixture with water according to the instructions, stir with a drill with a mixing nozzle, let stand for 5-7 minutes and mix again.
If the area of \u200b\u200bthe room to be finished is small, divide it into two equal parts. If the room is large, divide it into equal squares.
First, pour the mixture into one part, go over the spiked roller to expel the bubbles. When the surface hardens, repeat the work with the remaining floor.
Let the surface gain working strength and dry well (at least a month!).

If the base is wooden, the order of work is slightly different. First you need to carefully examine the surface and analyze the condition of the floorboards. To do this, they are tapped with a hammer. If the tree "sounds", then there is no rot and wood-boring bugs. Such a floor can be left by leveling under the laying of linoleum with plywood.

If rot is found, proceed as follows:

Dismantle the wood floor. Discard rotten floorboards and replace with new ones. Remove paint from old ones, inspect, sand. Treat all boards with antiseptics and leave to dry.
Check out the logs. If there is a hint of rot, then it is better to replace them.
Reinstall wood floor. If the floorboards lie tightly to each other, do not creak, you can do without a plywood leveling layer. Walk on the surface with a grinder with a grinding wheel.
Check for evenness. If everything is in order, you can start laying the substrate (if linoleum is chosen without a base).

Leveling a wooden floor with plywood is not difficult. It is better to lay two layers, fixing each with nails, observing the dressing between the sheets like brickwork. The second layer must be laid with the obligatory overlapping of the joints in the lower layer with a solid slab in the upper one. Fixation is similar.

Flooring substrate under linoleum on the floor

Covering the floor with linoleum begins with the choice of substrate, if preference is given to a baseless sample of this finishing material. The layer between the rough base and the finish coat will create an additional heat-insulating layer, hide small irregularities, and make the floor softer.

There are several types of substrates:

Linen. The linen substrate under linoleum has a small thickness, is quite rigid, consists of 100% linen. A good option for the middle price category for polyvinyl chloride baseless linoleum on a wooden base.
Cork. Cork underlay is the best on the market, but also the most expensive. Suitable for any baseless linoleum and on any subfloor. It does not absorb water, does not collapse under the influence of moisture, does not deform during temperature changes, and has high shock-absorbing properties. Additionally, it provides high-quality sound and heat insulation. To prevent the cork substrate from creasing, choose a material with maximum density.
Jute. Jute is a natural material. The substrate made of it has high heat and sound insulation qualities. It has a low density, so it will slip under heavy furniture. Choose a jute backing under baseless linoleum if you are going to lay it on a wooden base.
Combined. The combined lining under linoleum consists of flax, jute and wool. Such a substrate has high heat-insulating properties, is quite dense, therefore it does not slip under furniture much, it absorbs noise well.

In addition, artificial substrates are produced from foamed polyethylene and polypropylene. They are often chosen because of their cheapness and availability (you can buy at any building market). They are short-lived, do not withstand the weight of furniture, quickly collapse in the most loaded places (corridor, kitchen). The positive qualities of the above natural materials outweigh their high cost compared to synthetics.

The underlying concrete floor must be thoroughly swept and dust-free before laying the underlay. After that, lay the vapor barrier film, dense polyethylene is suitable. Be sure to put it on the walls. After installing the skirting boards, cut off the excess.

Roll out the underlayment on the floor. Fix the joints with construction tape. Leave a technical gap of 3-5 mm between the wall and the substrate.

The vapor barrier does not fit on wooden floors, all other points are relevant and are performed in the same sequence.

Laying linoleum on the floor with a floating method

The easiest option to put linoleum on a wooden or concrete floor is to roll out the roll and let it rest for a few days, then install the baseboards, and that's it. This arrangement is called floating.

If you choose it, observe some subtleties:

Leave a technological gap between the linoleum and the walls (about half a centimeter).
Use this styling only in small rooms.
Do not fasten skirting boards tightly to the floor. When the temperature rises, linoleum slightly expands, and when it decreases, it contracts. If you strongly press it with a plinth to the floor, bumps may appear.
Be sure to secure the edge of the linoleum in the doorway with a metal threshold so as not to tear it by accidentally catching it.

Fixing linoleum with glue

Suitable for large rooms and used for concrete floors or tiles. Such laying is more time-consuming than floating.

Operating procedure:

Lay out the linoleum rolls. When they straighten out, proceed with the installation.
Close the adhesive mixture according to the instructions.
Bend back half of the prepared linoleum and apply the composition to the floor with a notched trowel.
Lay the linoleum on top and gently press it into the glue with your hands. To improve traction, use a heavy roller or small roller - roll the floor.
Do the same with the second half of the linoleum.
Let the glue dry (maximum a week).
Wipe dust off linoleum. Glue masking tape on each side of the joint and seal the gap with cold welding. After it hardens, remove the tape.
Install the skirting boards, securing them to the walls.

Mounting linoleum on double-sided tape

Pretty simple way. Suitable for large, medium and small spaces.

Operating procedure:

Remove all dust.
Remove the protective tape from one side of the tape and stick it around the perimeter of the room.
Create a grid of tape on the floor.
Cover the tape with linoleum.
Bend back half, remove the protective coating from the adhesive tape, lay the linoleum and press it to the floor.
Do the same with the other half.
Fasten the skirting boards to the walls without pressing them hard to the floor.

How to lay linoleum on the floor - look at the video:

Linoleum as a floor finish is a convenient and practical material. Laying it yourself is not difficult if you follow all the nuances. The result will be a stylish coating that can imitate both tiles and expensive parquet flooring, which fits perfectly into any interior.