How to lay lenolium. How to lay linoleum: the best step-by-step video and photo instructions

Of all the existing types of flooring, linoleum is the most affordable, and therefore the most popular. Laying linoleum with your own hands is within the power of any person, since this technology does not require special knowledge and skills. For more than a hundred years, this material has been used by man in the decoration of residential and industrial premises. It is too early for linoleum to leave the market of finishing materials, because another, equally functional and easy-to-care floor covering has not yet been invented. In addition, the decorative qualities of this material, which imitates any textures and colors, remain at their best and allow you to decorate the interior in different design styles.

Stage #1 - ground preparation

When preparing any base, concrete or wood, it is necessary to carefully level it. At the same time, visible cracks are sealed on the concrete with putty, after which the surface is sanded. If there are separate collapsed areas in the old concrete screed, then local repairs of these places are carried out. In the event of a large amount of damage, it makes sense to pour a new concrete screed, dismantling the old one. On top of the screed to create a perfectly flat floor surface, it is recommended to pour a thin layer of self-leveling compound.

Leveling wooden floors is carried out using plywood sheets, the thickness of which should be at least 6 mm. The seams between the plywood sheets are sealed with putty. When attaching plywood to the base, make sure that the heads of the screws are recessed into the sheet.

Many are interested in the question, is it possible to lay linoleum on old linoleum? Opinions differ. Some say that this can be done, but at the same time it is necessary to dismantle the skirting boards and stretch the old coating well. However, experts recommend cleaning the floor surface of all old coatings.

Stage # 2 - preparing materials and tools

In addition to linoleum, the following consumables may be needed in the work:

putty;
rails for joints;
Double-sided tape;
glue, in case of choosing the appropriate flooring method;
trailing edge;
screws;
cold welding;
nails, in the case of linoleum flooring on chipboard, plywood, boards, etc.

For high-quality laying of linoleum, you need a special tool that will facilitate and speed up the implementation of all operations. You will need:

flooring knife;
tape measure, ruler, felt-tip pen for marking;
scissors;
notched trowel;
special ice rink;
wall marker;
ordinary small spatula;
hammer;
hot welding equipment.

Stage # 3 - calculation and selection of linoleum

After completion of the preparatory work on leveling the base, they proceed to the measuring procedures. In this case, all sides of the room are measured in order to determine the maximum value of its length and width. To minimize the number of seams, they are determined with the width of the linoleum. If it is impossible to do without seams, then when calculating the footage, a margin for the selection of a pattern is taken into account. At the same time, one centimeter is added to each side to compensate for the possible curvature of the walls.

Having drawn a room plan for convenient calculation of the required amount of material, proceed to its selection. At the same time, attention is paid to the marking, which divides linoleum according to the purpose of use into household, commercial and semi-commercial material. In addition, there is a division of this flooring according to the intensity of operation.

Important! After the delivery of linoleum, you should not immediately start unpacking it, especially during the winter months. It is necessary to leave the coating in the room for temperature adaptation, which takes about two days.

Stage # 4 - directly laying

The cutting of linoleum is carried out, in which the direction of the pattern and the coincidence of its elements on the combined strips are taken into account.
The prepared canvases are laid out in a room and left, as mentioned above, for two days for complete straightening. During this time, all dents and wrinkles disappear. In this case, the temperature in the room should not be lower than 18 degrees. At the same temperature, it is desirable to carry out the rest of the work. In residential premises, linoleum is recommended to be glued.
First, a primer is applied to the surface.
Next, glue is applied to the prepared, well-cleaned and primed base with a notched trowel. Some time is given in accordance with the instructions for its absorption.
After that, linoleum is laid and carefully smoothed to the surface with a special trowel, which eliminates air from under the coating.

Also, double-sided tape is used for laying linoleum. This method requires great care, since wrinkles may appear if there is insufficient smoothing. In this case, the entire canvas is glued with double-sided tape around the perimeter, and then attached to the base. In order not to do the work again, you must try to prevent the appearance of bumps and wrinkles.

Rules to follow:

Strictly observe the temperature and humidity conditions when laying linoleum. The humidity level should not exceed 4%. Exceeding this indicator will cause peeling of the coating, as well as decay and subsequent destruction of the substrate.
It is not allowed to have drops and irregularities on the surface of the base, the presence of open seams in prefabricated screeds and at the joints of reinforced concrete panels.
Linoleum laying is carried out at the final stage of the repair of the premises.
In advance, they install wooden plugs in the walls, which are useful for attaching skirting boards. To do this, drill nests at a level of 1.5-2 cm from the floor, maintaining a distance between them of 80-120 cm.
The application of a primer layer is mandatory. In this case, use a dispersion adhesive (mastic), which is diluted with water. Gasoline and solvents are used when working with glue or mastic made on the basis of resins, bitumens and rubbers. Prime the surface with a brush, roller or sprayer.
The thickness of the adhesive application depends on the characteristics of its composition. Follow the instructions given by the manufacturer in the instructions.
At home, the joints of the panels are treated with cold welding, which provides a strong adhesive bond. It is possible to design joints with decorative plates - moldings.
To obtain an even joint, the canvas is overlapped, and then an incision is made along the construction line with a special knife that cuts both layers at the same time.

Features of laying antistatic linoleum

This coating is available in the form of tiles, which are attached with an adhesive that retains conductivity when dried. The technology of laying antistatic linoleum differs from the methods described above. The flooring is laid on copper strips that conduct static electricity, which are connected to each other and to the independent grounding system of the house. When performing these works, it is necessary to be guided by building codes and regulations, as well as the requirements of electrical safety regulations.

When laying a material with antistatic properties, one should strive to ensure that the coating is in close contact with the base. Therefore, a heavy roller is used to remove air bubbles, the weight of which reaches 68 kg. When trimming, trimming, cutting through the material, try not to damage the copper strips. The joints of the tiles are treated with hot welding. At the same time, it must be understood that hot welding requires professional skill, since the air temperature in this case reaches several hundred degrees.

Important! There is a choice of cord, which can be monochrome or multi-color. The choice is made in terms of the selected design. If desired, you can use fluorescent welding cords that have appeared on the market recently.

Stage #5 - Welding the Seams

For complete insulation of the seams, they resort, which can be cold or hot. In which case to choose one or another type of welding depends on the type of linoleum and the complexity of the butt weld. Hot welding provides a stronger mechanical joint, so it is a must when laying commercial coatings. It is also necessary to weld seams in this way on canvases that will be subjected to intense loads during operation.

During hot welding, a compressor is used to force air onto the heating elements, welding torch and filler rods, which act as a sticking element. Welding of the seams is carried out after the linoleum is securely fixed to the base, so after laying it is necessary to wait at least a day.

Cold welding does not require any additional equipment, so when laying linoleum with your own hands, it is most suitable. Adhesives used for cold welding are of two types:

for processing seams of freshly laid linoleum - glue type A;
for welding seams of a long-pasted coating - glue type C.

These types of glue differ from each other in consistency, which is much thicker in type C glue. After all, the gap between the old canvases of linoleum, as a rule, is larger. In this case, the principle of operation is the same. It consists in the following: the glue, getting into the space of the seam between the canvases, melts their edges. The result is a secure fixation.

Linoleum does not require special care, however, you still have to follow some rules. To prevent the surface of the floor covering from cracking and fading, active cleaning products should be avoided when cleaning. To refresh the color, try to give preference to special products designed for the care of linoleum. It is advisable to put on caps made of soft material on the legs of furniture, which will prevent the occurrence of punching and gusts of material.

We hope that this material will help you to lay linoleum on your own without any difficulties. After all, now many important things will not slip out of your field of vision. Perhaps you will share your experience with your friends and acquaintances more than once.

Thanks to modern technologies, the choice of floor coverings in the construction market is presented in a huge assortment, as they say for every taste. However, the most practical of them is most in demand - linoleum. In addition, it has a long service life and an easy installation method that even an inexperienced person can handle.

In addition, you can use options for beautiful laying of linoleum in the interior, as in the photo.

Preparation of tools and materials

Before starting laying linoleum, you should make the necessary measurements of the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, calculate the required number of sheets with certain sizes. This will help determine the amount of material needed.

When purchasing material in a store, a small margin (20-30 cm) should be added to the calculated amount of material received, suddenly in the process of work there will be a need to cut an edge or cut a piece in some places.

How to lay linoleum with your own hands? To do this, first of all, it is necessary to acquire faithful assistants in the form of tools, devices or means:

ordinary vacuum cleaner
a means for removing various types of stains,
sharp construction knives with a straight and hook-shaped blade,
wooden rail or ruler used in construction,
marking devices,
glue or double sided tape
construction spatula,
a mixture based on glue for puttying joints.

The main features of the coating

To properly lay linoleum with your own hands, you need to study the instructions, which describe in detail all its features. First of all, it should be said that linoleum belongs to the category of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) panels.

The most important feature is laying on top of almost flat bases, associated with a high elasticity of the material.

Various minor defects and damages can be transformed into significant damage to the flooring, which can be seen during visual inspection. This option is not suitable for owners of residential property who dream of presenting their home only from the best side.

Given all of the above, we can conclude that before laying linoleum, one should responsibly and qualitatively approach the preparation of the base. Defects must not be visible to the naked eye, the product must be clean, free of dust, debris and dirty spots.

The choice of foundation is not considered a simple and problem-free matter. On the contrary, sometimes these same problems arise.

But the most win-win option is the method of self-leveling screed, the simpler ones are wood flooring: chipboard, plywood or gypsum fiber.

But remember that laying a wooden base, and linoleum on top of it, is not recommended in rooms with high humidity. So not only the wooden layer will rot, but also the linoleum itself.

When laying the flooring from sheets under the linoleum, it is important to process the joints at the joints and fix them in such a way as to drown the self-tapping screws slightly in the thickness of the coating.

Then the butt joints are covered with putty and sanded from above. Thus, the base will be of high quality and you can safely lay linoleum on top of it. In this case, the places of voids and protrusions will not provoke the coating to deformation.

An equally important factor in laying various types of linoleum is the process of adapting it to the humidity and temperature of the room. Therefore, the acquired material is brought into the room and left for a couple of days.

In this case, the optimum temperature will be +18 degrees and humidity 60%. After that, the material must be spread to level the coating.

Linoleum laying options

Owners of houses or apartments often encounter problems when doing work on their own in cases of laying:

floor heating coverings,
ceramic tiles on linoleum,
linoleum on a special base (substrate).

Underfloor heating with linoleum

It consists of synthetics, which at elevated temperatures begins to release substances dangerous to human health. In addition, with temperature fluctuations, deformation of the surface may occur.

Linoleum floor tiles

This process includes a technology similar to laying tiles on a concrete base, as a reinforcing mesh is laid on top of the linoleum and a concrete screed is made, after which the tiles are laid.

But it is better to resort to this method in the case when it is impossible to remove the PVC flooring.

Laying linoleum on the substrate

How to lay linoleum correctly? The most correct way of laying is to use a special substrate, which will help to avoid contact of the floor material with linoleum.

In addition, it performs the following tasks:

the final leveling of the base, because even the screed will not give a perfect evenness of the surface. The substrate will eliminate the remaining small irregularities.
thermal insulation, as it provides protection for the floor from heat loss.
soundproofing, muffles sounds, which is especially important in multi-storey buildings.

The most popular are these types of substrates with a base:

jute,
cork,
from expanded polystyrene (foamed),
from flax.

A cork backing is considered the best option, but again, the final choice is yours. Can linoleum be laid over old linoleum? Of course yes. In this case, the old coating, which does not have any special defects, will play the role of a substrate.

cutting material

When the base has already been selected, you can begin to cut the material and align it between the walls. When planning a non-standard shape, the material should be leveled, taking into account the factory cut, and only on one side. Then the second corner is cut with a sharp knife under the ruler.

After processing the corner, move the linoleum away from the wall by 1 cm and go to the corner opposite (diagonally). Make the markup of the material in advance so as not to cut off the excess. An unstretched canvas can swell, so immediately apply the desired tension.

Installation instructions

Having adjusted the dimensions of the canvas correctly, securely fix it in any way:

without using fasteners
using double sided tape,
using glue.

Each installation method has its own characteristics, although in principle the process itself is identical:

The free way is the usual linoleum flooring. Suitable for small area. The material is fixed with the help of skirting boards, pieces of furniture or household appliances. But before that, he needs to rest.

The method using double-sided tape is more complicated. It is glued to the linoleum from below near the sheet joints, while the other side of the adhesive tape must be protected by a film that is removed during the laying of the canvas.

The method using glue is used in rooms with a large crowd of people. The prepared canvas is folded in half on one side, then the other is smeared with glue. After the canvas turns away and straightens. Do the same with the other part.

Summing up, we can say that laying linoleum is not at all a complicated process. Moreover, you can use step-by-step photos of how to lay linoleum. But if you doubt your own abilities, then it is better to entrust this matter to professional craftsmen.

The modern building materials market offers customers a variety of floor coverings that differ in price range and technical indicators. Among this variety, we note the material that appeared in the middle of the last century, the popularity of which has not changed for several decades. Linoleum has excellent characteristics, reasonable cost, simple installation. Owners of city apartments often have a question about laying this floor material with their own hands, we will consider this issue in detail.

Tools for the job

In order to properly lay linoleum, you will need the following tools:

pencil;
roulette;
metal ruler;
stationery knife.

The list of basic tools can also be supplemented with a screwdriver, nail puller, hammer, roller and brush.

Stages of work

Professionals distinguish two main stages of laying linoleum.

Carrying out preparatory work.
Direct laying of a covering.

At the preparation stage, it is necessary to remove all furniture from the room, to provide free access to the floor.

Floor preparation

This stage involves leveling the surface, since linoleum is laid on a smooth and even floor. All irregularities on the floor must be eliminated.

Wooden floor

In country houses, wooden floors are mainly used, the preparation of which must be taken with great responsibility.

When laying the coating on a wooden floor, proceed according to the following algorithm:

Dismantle all the old floor skirting boards around the perimeter of the room. Instead of them, then it is better to use new PVC skirting boards. Check the condition of the floor surface. Remove all construction debris accumulated under the skirting boards.
We raise the entire wooden floor, tightly shift the boards, eliminating the gaps between them. In case of detection of low-quality boards, we simultaneously carry out their replacement.
After all the gaps between the boards are eliminated, you will have to additionally process the surface. Armed with a grinder or hand planer, you need to walk around the entire perimeter of the floor. To simplify the floor leveling procedure, you can use plywood, laying it with a slight offset. To fix plywood, use parquet glue. All gaps between plywood sheets must be treated with mastic, dried with high quality, pierced with nails (if necessary).
If squeaks are found, they fix a similar problem. All rotten boards are removed, replaced with new ones. Protruding nail heads are carefully hammered with a hammer, all screws are screwed deeper.
If there are differences in height, the boards are leveled using stands or with the help of scraping. Large gaps are eliminated with putty, then primed, the floor is treated with a special antiseptic.

Concrete floor

Modern apartment buildings are characterized by concrete floors. For their alignment and hardening, it is important to use self-leveling floors created on a cement basis. It is quite possible to do this on your own, without involving qualified specialists.

If there is a bulk or concrete floor in the room, its preparation is carried out according to a certain algorithm:

First you need to conduct a visual inspection of the floor surface, remove debris. If sharp differences in height are detected, the problem is solved by using concrete or leveling mixtures. If the differences are too large, you can build a wooden frame, then lay chipboard sheets. All seams between sheets must be carefully puttied.
Next, the laying of the decorative coating itself is carried out.

Tiled flooring

When laying linoleum on a tile, first inspect the surface, assess the condition of the tile. If you find broken or chipped tiles, you need to change them. All seams between tiles are carefully overwritten, getting a flat surface.

Attention ! Laying linoleum on a floor that has not been pre-prepared will cause all tile joints to “show through” on the linoleum.

If it is not possible to level a floor covered with ceramic tiles, remove the tiles, or lay sheets of chipboard on top of the tiles. Minor irregularities can be eliminated by using a lining under the decorative material.

We lay linoleum

After the base is ready, you can proceed to laying linoleum with your own hands. We offer step by step instructions.

Before you start laying linoleum, bring it into the room, lay it out at room temperature for 10-12 hours.

Advice ! To level the linoleum, you can put heavy objects on it.

Such a "trick" will help you eliminate all the waves, avoid mistakes when cutting the material. This decorative material can be fixed in two main ways: by welding or with double-sided tape. The choice of laying technology depends on the surface, room humidity, type of linoleum. Small rooms involve laying linoleum in the width of a roll, but for apartments with a modern layout, this width will not be enough.

Single lane option

We cut out the linoleum along the perimeter of the room, making an allowance of 10-15 cm on each side. During the operation of the linoleum, it may shrink, if you do not leave allowances, the linoleum will lose its aesthetic characteristics. The strip is spread around the room, checking compliance in size. Next, you need to fold the strip of material along in half. The open part of the base of the floor is treated with special glue, using a brush or roller.

Advice ! After applying glue to the floor surface, wait 10-15 minutes, then proceed with laying the linoleum.

Straighten the linoleum, carefully begin to lay it on the surface treated with glue. Take your time, use a clean roller to smooth the surface. Then follow the same steps with the second part of the coating.

Instead of glue to fix the decorative coating, you can use double-sided construction tape. The laying technique is similar to the case with glue, but first adhesive tape is applied to the floor, then the protective film is removed from it, and the coating is laid.

Laying the coating with a multi-strip method

You can lay the coating in two strips. In modern construction, two types of laying are used: hot and cold welding.

Cold welding

This method is considered simple, you can lay the coating on your own, without involving professionals. For cold welding, glue models "C" and "A" are required.

When choosing brand "A", you will additionally need adhesive tape. It is applied to the joints between the edges of the coating. Then it is cut with a sharp knife along the joint, glue is introduced into the resulting gap. Once the glue dries, the tape is removed.

When choosing glue grade "C", it is enough to simply apply it to the edges between the coating strips, at the moment of their junction.

Hot welding

This type of fastening of linoleum involves the use of special equipment. In addition, hot welding will require additional materials. A welding machine is indispensable in the work, into which a special polymeric cord will be inserted (a substance that fastens linoleum strips).

First you need to bring the temperature of the welding machine to +350 degrees Celsius. This temperature allows you to melt the polymer cord. Hot welding is performed in two stages:

At the first stage, the apparatus is placed at the end of one strip of linoleum, so that the bonding polymer substance falls directly between the strips of the coating. Next, move the apparatus to the center of the room. The polymer layer will be slightly above the coating, its excess can be removed with a sickle-shaped knife. Excess polymer must be removed until it hardens.
At the second stage, we perform similar actions, only with the second half of the decorative coating. At this stage, it is necessary to overlap the bonding material with the first part. Excess material is also removed with a knife.

How to lay linoleum on a concrete surface

Laying is allowed from any corner of the room. First you need to spread the coating over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room, align the strips so as to follow the pattern. All excess pieces are cut off, leaving 5-10 cm of overlap on the wall. Between the wall and the coating, you need to leave 0.5-1 cm gaps around the entire perimeter of the room.

When laying the coating in a room whose area does not exceed 20 m2, there is no need to additionally strengthen the strips, it is enough to use skirting boards. When carrying out work in a room with a larger area, after marking, it is necessary to bend the linoleum, smear the floor with special glue, then lay the coating back.

After laying the coating, pass over it with a heavy roller, moving towards the walls from the center, expelling all air bubbles from under the coating.

To fasten the joints between the strips of linoleum, use polymer welding, or double-sided tape. After 1-2 days, you can proceed with the installation of decorative skirting boards on self-tapping screws or dowels - nails.

Conclusion

If you don't install skirting boards, the decorative flooring will look unfinished. In hardware stores there is PVC skirting boards of any color, you can pick up corners, connecting elements for them. If you install plastic skirting boards around the perimeter of the room, you will turn your floor into a real work of art.

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. Does not absorb water, does not collapse under the influence of moisture, does not deform under temperature changes, 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, and 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.

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 linen, 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 caps 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 scheme:

A decorative overlay 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.