Linoleum today can be called one of the available flooring, which is why it is so popular. Laying this material will be within the power of any person, because the technology does not require special skills and knowledge.
When finishing residential and industrial premises, the described material has been used for a very long time. Linoleum is in no hurry to leave the market, as no such easy-to-clean and functional flooring has yet been invented. The decorative qualities of this material remain on top. It can imitate any colors and textures, which allows you to design interiors in different styles. If you also decide to lay linoleum, then you need to familiarize yourself with the technology of the work.
Preparing the base
Whatever the base - wooden or concrete, at the first stage it is necessary to carry out its preparation. To do this, the surface is leveled. If there are cracks and irregularities on the concrete, they must be repaired with putty, and then the surface should be sanded. When the concrete screedhas collapsing sections, it is necessary to carry out local repairs of these places. It makes sense to pour a new concrete screed if there are a lot of damage to the floor. But first you need to dismantle the old coating.
It is recommended to pour a layer of self-levelling compound on top to create a perfectly flat surface. Before laying linoleum on a wooden floor, it is necessary to level it with plywood. The thickness of the sheets should be 6 mm or more. The seams between the canvases are sealed with putty. When fixing plywood to the base, make sure that the heads of the screws are slightly recessed into the material.
If you want to decide whether it is possible to lay a new linoleum on an old one, then you should read the opinions that often differ. Some believe that it is possible to use this technology, but first you need to dismantle the skirting boards and stretch the old coating well. But if you turn to specialists for help, you can hear that they recommend cleaning the surface of old coatings before starting to work with new ones.
Preparation of tools and materials
Laying will not be possible if you do not carry out preliminary preparation of tools and materials. Among them it is worth highlighting:
- putty;
- double sided tape;
- cold welding;
- slats;
- glue;
- screws;
- nails.
Glue is used if you decide to choose the appropriate way of laying the material. But when inboard, plywood or chipboard is used as the basis; nails should be purchased. For high-quality styling, you will need a special tool that allows you to speed up and facilitate the work. You must ensure availability:
- knife;
- hot welding equipment;
- roulettes;
- hammer.
In addition to the ruler, prepare a felt-tip pen.
Installation tips
Linoleum is laid after it has been cut. In this case, the direction of the pattern should be taken into account. The pattern must match the elements on adjacent strips. The canvases are laid out on the floor and left for 2 days until they are completely straightened. During this time, you will see that the creases and dents have disappeared. The temperature in the room must be above 18 ˚С. Under such conditions, it is desirable to carry out the rest of the work.
In residential premises, linoleum should be glued. A primer is first applied to the surface. The adhesive is applied to the prepared and cleaned coating with a notched trowel. It is left for some time to be absorbed. Then you can start styling. The surface of the covering material is well straightened with a trowel, with which it will be possible to eliminate air.
Linoleum laying technology may involve the use of double-sided tape. This method requires accuracy, because with insufficient smoothing, wrinkles may occur. The canvas is glued with double-sided tape around the perimeter, after which it is fixed tobasis. In order for the work not to have to be done again, it is necessary to exclude the appearance of tubercles and folds.
Technology Features
It is important to observe the humidity and temperature conditions when laying. The humidity level should not exceed 4%. If this indicator is exceeded, then the coating may peel off, decay will occur, followed by destruction of the substrate. Irregularities and drops on the surface must be excluded. There should be no open seams in precast screeds, as well as at the joints of reinforced concrete panels.
Installation is carried out at the final stage of repair. Linoleum laying technology involves the installation of wooden plugs in the walls. They will be required to fix the skirting boards. To do this, indented from the floor, drill nests, maintaining a distance between them of 120 cm. A primer layer is required. In this case, you can use a dispersion adhesive, which is diluted with water. Mastic will do too. Solvents and gasoline are used when working with mastic or glue, which are made on the basis of rubbers, bitumens and resins.
The surface is primed with a roller, brush or sprayer. When laying linoleum on a concrete floor, the thickness of the adhesive applied will depend on the characteristics of the composition. At home, the joints between the canvases are processed by cold welding, which guarantees a strong connection. Joints can be decorated with decorative plates called moldings. In order to achieve an even joint, the canvases are overlapped, and afteran incision is made with a special knife along the construction line. With it, you can cut both layers.
Work on the installation of anti-static linoleum
Laying linoleum on a concrete floor may involve the use of an anti-static type of coating. It is produced in the form of separate tiles, which are fixed with glue. When dried, it retains conductivity. The technique will differ from the methods described above. The material is laid on conductive copper strips that are connected to each other and to the grounding system of the house. During these works, it is necessary to be guided by building codes and regulations. It is important to follow the electrical safety regulations.
The coating should be in close contact with the base, which is dictated by the antistatic properties of the material. A heavy roller is used to remove air bubbles. His weight should be 68 kg. When cutting, trimming and cutting the material, it is necessary to ensure that the copper strips are not damaged. Joints between tiles are processed by hot welding. It provides for the need for professional skill, because the air temperature will reach several hundred degrees.
Welding seams
When laying linoleum with your own hands, you can ensure the insulation of the seams by applying the method of welding the joints. The technique can be cold or hot. The type of linoleum will influence the choice of the type of welding. Hot welding produces a stronger mechanical joint and is therefore used in commercial pavement applications. In this wayit is necessary to weld seams on canvases that will be subjected to intense loads during operation.
When hot welding uses a compressor that pumps air onto the heating elements. Care should be taken to have filler rods and a welding torch. As soon as the linoleum is well fixed to the base, the seams are welded. After laying, you need to wait about a day. Cold welding does not require additional equipment, so it is best suited for do-it-yourself styling.
What kind of glue to use
Do-it-yourself linoleum laying can be done with cold welding glue. It comes in two types. The first is indicated by the letter "A" and is intended for processing the seams of a newly laid coating. If the material has been laid for a long time, then glue type C should be used to weld the seams between the sheets.
These varieties differ from each other in consistency. In the latter composition, it is thicker. This is due to the fact that the gap between the old sheets is usually larger. The principle of operation, however, remains the same. Glue gets into the space of the seam and melts the edges. As a result, it is possible to achieve a secure fixation.
Using plywood
Laying linoleum on plywood begins with the release of space from foreign objects and furniture. It is much easier to work in an empty room. Skirting boards are dismantled, and the old coating is inspected. If the linoleum and its base are even, then you can cover the new coating withoutpreliminary preparation. This will provide additional thermal insulation and make the surface softer.
If you want to use a wooden base in the form of plywood, then first you need to make measurements of the room, and then roll out the linoleum and cut off the extra pieces. In this form, the material is left for acclimatization. Between the linoleum and the wall, it is necessary to leave a centimeter gap so that there are no waves. When the covering material has settled down, which will take about a day, it must be glued.
Laying linoleum on plywood can be done without the use of glue if the room is small. At the final stage, the material is pressed with skirting boards. Additionally, thresholds and the most passing places are glued. When the area increases to 20m2, glue must be used. The material is rolled into a roll, and then the composition is smeared with a special comb on plywood. The floor covering is rolled out and pressed well. It is better to work in a large room with the help of another person.
The seams between the sheets are closed by cold welding. When the material is completely glued to the plywood, it is necessary to install the skirting boards and place the pieces of furniture.
Use wood floor
Laying linoleum on a wooden floor is carried out after preliminary preparation. Skirting boards are removed, and old paint is removed from the floor. This can be done with an ordinary spatula. The paint is preheatedbuilding hair dryer. It is necessary to check the strength of the flooring in the next step.
If the floorboards creak or remain movable, they need to be reinforced. It works best with the help of self-tapping screws that strengthen the boards to the joists. Hats deepen by 5 mm. Chips and cracks are puttied. If the holes are larger than 5 mm, patches are placed there.
The floor is cleared of debris and dust. If the height differences do not exceed 2 mm, then you can proceed with the further laying of linoleum on a wooden floor. If it was not possible to correct the situation, then you can lay plywood, MDF, chipboard or chipboard. With small differences, plywood from 5 mm is suitable. Putty or glue is applied to the pre-treated surface. Next, the sheets are laid on the floor and fixed with screws. The gaps between the plates are puttied and polished. You can walk along the joints with a planer.
As soon as the plywood dries, you can process it with hot drying oil. The instructions for laying linoleum at the next stage provide for marking. The material is spread on the floor and left to acclimatize. In rooms whose area does not exceed 20 m2, free laying can be used. Thick linoleum is excellent for this, most often it is performed on a foam basis. It is usually mounted in one piece so that there are no extra joints that can move when laying.
The canvas is closed with aluminum nozzles for skirting boards. In the doorway, the material is fastened with metal rails. Laying linoleum on a wooden floor may involve the use of double-sided tape. The material is gluedparts. First you need to move half of the canvas and remove the protection from the adhesive tape. This part of the material is fixed on the tape. The second half is bent, and after the operation must be repeated. As soon as the material is evenly laid and glued, it is necessary to trim the overlaps with gaps near the walls.
Using a concrete base
If there is a concrete floor in the room, then it will be possible to glue linoleum on it in several ways. One option is mastic. It is suitable for laying canvases on a fabric basis. The compositions can be represented by dispersion adhesives or concrete synthetic mastics. They are applied to the surface with a layer up to 0.5 mm.
If warm linoleum is being laid, it is better to use dispersion adhesive. The layer thickness increases to 0.7 mm. Rubber and resin-based mastics are used for baseless linoleum. They are applied in a layer up to 0.4 mm. You can make your own glue at home, but store-bought one is more reliable.
After reviewing the range, you can find a special adhesive that is highly elastic. Under high loads, the material does not peel off. According to the method of gluing, such mixtures are classified into two types. Some are designed for fixation, while others are for continuous gluing.
Laying linoleum on a concrete floor can be carried out using environmentally friendly mixtures, which are represented by water-dispersion compositions. They providequality fixation. A more economical option would be glue, which has a permanent stickiness.
In conclusion
The linoleum laying procedure becomes more complicated if you want to use glue. Double-sided tape makes the job easier. If you want to achieve a higher fixation reliability, then you should still use the first technology. In the process of such installation, you will need a notched trowel, with which you can distribute the mixture over the surface. Laying linoleum on the floor in this case also involves the use of a roller or brush.
