Linoleum is a widely available building material that is used to cover floors. This material has been used in practice for two hundred years. Despite the presence on the construction market of a large number of floor coverings, linoleum has not lost its relevance. This is not surprising, now they are releasing this material in a wide variety of colors. It is distinguished by ease of installation and fairly low cost. In addition, the material has a certain share of springiness and strength. The consumer is given a large selection of products, and he often finds it difficult to choose products. Consider what you need to consider when selecting this building material.
How to choose linoleum for an apartment - the main criteria
In order to choose a good linoleum in an apartment, one should take into account a number of factors. When selecting a flooring, a homeowner should be guided by the following criteria:
- Destination, that is, in what place it will be laid.
- Quality.
- Cost.
Which linoleum is better for an apartment
Before choosing a natural flooring for urban housing, the consumer must understand what type of material is suitable for him and in the room, what type of material is to be laid.
The quality of the coating can be determined by the following criteria: the absence of any smell, its presence suggests that low quality materials were used in the manufacture of this product.
In addition, the material should not be delaminated; there should be no defects on its plane, including cracks and other damages. The colors and patterns printed on the front side should be bright and not have stains. The presence of defects also indicates unsatisfactory quality of products, which are unsafe to buy.
REFERENCE. The seller of this product must, upon request, produce documents confirming quality, hygiene and environmental safety.
We will understand what types of flooring are on the market.
Natural linoleum
This type includes in its composition - wood flour, squeezed oil from flax, flour from cork tree bark, natural resins and dyes. At the base of this building floor is jute fabric.
For the production of natural linoleum, only natural raw materials are used, it can be laid for placement in rooms where allergies or asthmatics are located. This type of material is used to create coverage in children's rooms. The obvious advantages of natural flooring include:
- resistance to abrasion;
- environmental safety;
- not exposed to direct sunlight;
- ease of care;
- does not support combustion.
The obvious disadvantages include:
- fragility, it is undesirable to bend it;
- it cannot be used to create flooring in rooms with high humidity;
- relatively high cost.
Polyvinylchloride (PVC) linoleum
PVC flooring is made on the basis of raw materials used for thermal insulation, and made of woven or non-woven materials. Russian linoleum manufacturers use technologies developed in the EU countries. Accordingly, the price is available to a wide range of consumers. This linoleum has the following advantages:
- low thermal conductivity;
- electrical conductivity;
- not rotting.
Manufacturers offer products with a wide range of colors. Meanwhile, linoleum of this type has a number of disadvantages:
- reacts to high temperatures;
- unstable solvents;
- at low temperatures, ductility is lost.
Manufacturers offer two versions of these products on the market - domestic and commercial. The first is characterized by a small thickness, short duration of operation, up to 5 years. Commercial design is characterized by increased resistance to wear, and a long period of use - up to 20 years. Manufacturers release some modifications, for example, antistatic.
Gliftal (alkyd) linoleum
This type of flooring is produced by applying alkyd resin to a specially treated fabric. The advantages of this type of material are high heat and noise insulation characteristics. But, when using this linoleum, you need to remember about its fragility, which leads to certain difficulties in the laying process. Before it, the laying material must be kept in a room with warm air, otherwise deformation may occur, leading to a change in geometric dimensions.
Colloxin linoleum
The foundation for the production of this material is nitrocellulose. Usually it is produced without any reason. At the same time, this material is resistant to moisture, fire and decorative appearance. But when choosing it for styling, you need to remember that it is susceptible to temperature jumps.
Linoleum relin
Flooring of this type has two layers. Lining is made of crushed rubber mixed with bitumen. Facial is made by mixing rubber, dyes and fillers. Advantages: flexibility and resistance to moisture.
Cons: the composition of this flooring includes harmful substances that gradually evaporate, and it is advised not to put it in living rooms.
How to choose natural linoleum for various rooms in the house
This flooring can be classified according to the purpose of the room where it will be laid. This is reflected in its designation. It has two numbers. The first indicates a number from 1 to 4, where:
- 1 - rooms with a low level of congestion.
- 2 - housing.
- 3 - offices.
- 4 - industrial production.
The second shows the level of design loads, where 1 is light load, 4 is extremely large. For example, for laying in the passage corridor it is advisable to use flooring of brand 23 or 24, for bedroom 21.
Kitchen, hallway, hallway
In these parts of the apartment, experts advise laying flooring of at least 3 mm. For them, it is permissible to lay a household flooring on a PVC base, using a semi-commercial flooring will be a more efficient way. Practice shows that for these rooms often used flooring, made under the tile.
Living room
In the living room, a fairly large number of people pass by, these are the owners themselves and their guests, therefore they consider that it has passability of an average level. Therefore, 1.5 mm thick material can be used. The chance of mechanical damage in this room is relatively small. Use for this room flooring on the basis of PVC or on the basis of polyester. Laying can be done directly on the floor from wooden boards.
Bedroom
For the bedroom, where the traffic is rather low, material from 1.2 to 1.5 mm is used. A reasonable option can be considered household flooring, made on the basis of foamed polyvinyl chloride.
Children's room
Not many people enter the nurseries, and therefore it is generally accepted that they have cross-country ability at an average level. But with a high probability of obtaining defects caused by a mechanical method. A flooring based on foamed PVC can be called the optimal solution for laying in this room, but if financial resources allow, you can lay a semi-commercial material with a protective layer of 0.25 mm applied.
Balcony
On an unheated room in a balcony or loggia, on a summer terrace or gazebo, the material will lose its operational parameters. Since, almost all types of linoleum coating do not resist the action of natural UV radiation and jumps in street temperatures are destructive for them.
The choice of decor and colors
This flooring is interesting in that it has a wide palette of design and colors. Manufacturers have learned to give this type of flooring a rich color that does not fade over time. The appearance of the synthetic coating is even higher. It successfully imitates such natural materials as ceramics, stone, wood, etc.
Among consumers, coatings imitating high-class parquet made of cherry or oak are in high demand. In this case, the coating erects the details of the coating in full volume of the wood texture.
No less in demand is a material that imitates a mosaic on the surface of wood or solid wood planks. For fans of experiments with the interior, the manufacturers of this material offer linoleum with an original pattern or drawings that are made in different genres.
An interesting look is a coating that mimics marble or granite, etc. Often, manufacturers make this coating, made for aged materials, such as stone.
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