Wear resistance, moisture resistance, aesthetics, safety and reliability are the properties that you need to pay attention to if you need to buy flooring material. Linoleum is a good option. But there are many types of this product on the construction market, so you should study its characteristics in more detail. If the question arises of how to choose linoleum, the classification of this coating is given in this article.
Technical properties
Before buying linoleum, you should pay attention to the following parameters: roll length, protective layer thickness, wear resistance and warranty period. The material retains an attractive appearance for 10-15 years, but this indicator depends on the type of building, since in industrial conditions it will deteriorate faster than a product laid in a residential building.
The main characteristics of the classification of linoleum include the following parameters:
- density;
- wear class;
- flammability and toxicity;
- heat and sound insulation properties;
- moisture resistance;
- resistance to harmful substances;
- protective layer thickness;
- presence of antiseptic coating;
- prone to burnout;
- abrasion.
Product marking
When buying a material, the seller must present certificates that confirm its quality. The document indicates the fire performance of linoleum, since manufacturers are required to label their products. The following conventions should be marked:
- for domestic products - these are GOSTs and TUs.
- foreign products are marked in accordance with European quality standards (EN).
Covering materials
Linoleum is produced under industrial conditions using modern technologies and mechanical devices. Reliable and harmless materials are used for its manufacture. In addition, manufacturers treat products with antifungal solutions.
The modern classification of linoleum by the type of film former includes five groups:
- Natural material is produced using sustainable ingredients such as pine resin, wood flour, linseed oil and limestone powder. Such a product does not fade and does not change color over time, in addition, it is resistant to alkalis, fats and acids. This is a safe material, so they cover the floors in children's rooms.
- PVC-linoleum (polyvinyl chloride) is made on fabric, foam and non-woven bases. Besidesthere are baseless, single or multi-layer options.
- Rubber two-layer coating (relin), the lower layer of which consists of crushed wood (sawdust, shavings, wood chips), and the upper layer of colored rubber. High moisture resistance, strength and elasticity are the advantages of this type of linoleum. However, over time, the material begins to release harmful substances, so it is not used in residential premises. But for industrial buildings - this is ideal, since relin is resistant to harmful reagents.
- Colloxylin linoleum is a thin material without a base, the main disadvantage of which is high flammability. For this reason, it is forbidden to cover them with wooden floors in rooms with explosive objects.
- Glyphthal coating is made on a woven basis with the addition of coloring pigments and alkyd resins. Please note when laying: material will shrink over time.
These are the main types of linoleum classification by composition. As a rule, coatings made from natural and PVC materials are used in construction, since the first product will be environmentally friendly, and the second one will be cheap and of high quality.
PVC Linoleum Structure
Depending on this characteristic, the coating can be of two types:
- homogeneous;
- heterogeneous.
Homogeneous product - a single-layer material 2 mm thick, in the manufacture of which dyes and PVC granules are used. The pattern on such a floor covering will remain for a long time.time as it permeates the entire layer. Such linoleum is restored by grinding, while removing about 10% of the thickness of the material.
Use a homogeneous roll coating in rooms with intensive loads and in buildings where wheelchairs or carts are used. The lower the specific gravity of the product, the more PVC it contains, and the wear resistance of the material already depends on this indicator. The floor covering will keep its attractive appearance for about 25 years.
Heterogeneous linoleum is a universal finishing material 6 mm thick. The top layer is made of pure PVC, which is supplemented with polyurethane in order to increase wear resistance. The substrate is a natural fabric, foamed polyvinyl chloride or non-woven fiber. The decorative layer is made in colors for every taste.
Scope of application
The classification of linoleum by application is as follows:
- Household look.
- Commercial (industrial).
- Specialized.
- Semi-commercial.
Household roll coating has a thickness of 1 to 4 mm. A variety of colors and styles, softness, easy installation and low price are the advantages due to which this type of material is very popular in construction. However, such a coating under heavy load will deteriorate in a few years.
Commercial linoleum is a durable material with a thick protective layer. They cover floors in school corridors, hospitals or dance halls. Product lifeis between 10 and 20 years old.
Classification of linoleum by special types is as follows:
- Coating with a protective layer for sports halls. Such material is better protected from contamination and has a high wear resistance class.
- Anti-slip linoleum with a corrugated face. The product is made with the addition of quartz chips.
- Roll sheeting, which has high soundproofing properties, is used for flooring in a recording studio.
- Product with a special antibacterial layer that is used in hospitals and pharmacies.
Abrasion of linoleum
This technical parameter is an excellent indicator of how long the top layer of the coating will lose its original appearance. When buying, you should consider the classification of linoleum by the degree of abrasion, which is divided into 4 key types:
- Group T is the most durable category.
- P - slightly abraded linoleum.
- M - materials that are subject to moderate abrasion.
- F - coatings that deteriorate the fastest.
It is important to know: the level of abrasion depends on the thickness and quality of the top layer of linoleum, and wear resistance - on the size of the entire coating. The second parameter will be discussed in more detail.
Classification of linoleum by wear resistance
The material must be purchased taking into account the type of room in which it will be used as a floor covering. The product is subjected to mechanical stress during operation.activities such as moving furniture and simply walking.
The wear resistance of the coating is determined using the European system EN 685. The classification of linoleum types in this case consists of a two-digit number, the first digit in which indicates the type of room, or rather:
- 2 - residential buildings (apartments, private houses, hostels, cottages);
- 3 - office and public premises (schools, institutes, hospitals, etc.);
- 4 - industrial facilities, as well as train stations, airports, subways and other places where a large number of people gather at the same time.
The second digit is responsible for the load:
- 1 - low;
- 2 - medium load;
- 3 - intense;
- 4 - extremely high.
The main thing is to know the meaning of these numbers in order to understand what classification of linoleum for wear resistance. In addition, using this data, you can select the required material, taking into account the type of room and the degree of load on the floor.
Linoleum fire safety performance
If the floor covering in an industrial building is made of this material, then the owner of the premises must have a certificate of goods confirming its quality. Fire safety classification of linoleum includes the following parameters:
- The combustibility of the material (G) is an important characteristic, since a product with an indicator of G1 can be laid in industrial premises and places that are designed to evacuate people during a fire. But highly combustible linoleum(D4) is forbidden to use in the construction of public buildings.
- Toxicity (T) - a parameter with which you can determine how many harmful substances a burning material emits. This characteristic ranges from low toxicity (T1) to high toxicity (T4) linoleum. On evacuation stairs and platforms, a coating with a characteristic of not more than T2 is laid.
- Ignition (B) - an indicator of what the material's ability to burn. The lower it is, the safer the linoleum.
- Smoke generation (D) - a characteristic that determines how much smoke will be in a fire. There are three options here, so the small number in this case is an indicator of a safe material.
- Flame spread rate (RP) is an important parameter that should not be higher than RP2 when installing flooring in a public building.
Linoleum is recommended to be mounted on a reaction adhesive, since it contains no solvents. In addition, some manufacturers make a special fire-resistant material that has enhanced fire-fighting properties.
Linoleum thickness
This parameter depends on the quality and structure of the material. The thickness of the modern coating is usually 2-3.5 mm. Thicker options have low strength, so such products are practically not produced.
The quality of the coating depends on the thickness of the technological layers, but the size of the protective layer should also be taken into account.
Classification of linoleum by thickness has suchvariations:
- Thin roll coating - material 1-2 mm thick with a protective layer, the dimensions of which are from 0.15 to 0.2 mm. Heavy furniture should not be placed on such a product.
- Middle type coating is 2-3mm thick with a top layer over 0.3mm. Floors in the corridor or hallway are laid with this material.
- Thick linoleum - durable roll coating, the thickness of which is about 3.5 mm. The product withstands long-term loads, while its front layer is not deformed.
It is recommended to lay 3mm flooring in houses.
Linoleum Width
In order not to have to connect separate pieces, you should buy material whose dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the room. Depending on the width, the classification of linoleum is as follows:
- Alkyd single color or decorative material is sold in rolls with a width of 2 to 4 m.
- Multilayer PVC linoleum is produced in 1.5-4 meters.
- Relin can be plain and multi-colored, and the hardware store sells rolls from 1 to 1.6 m.
Antistatic linoleum
This material is the best solution for rooms where a lot of working electrical equipment is installed. Appliances sometimes ignite due to dust buildup, which is why linoleum has a special anti-static protective coating.
The key advantage is the ability to lay floors in rooms where high-precision equipment is located. Such material is reliable, butits cost is much higher than other types of product.
In closing
The article presents the main criteria and properties by which you can determine the required type of roll coating according to the classification of linoleum. The main thing is to carefully study the requirements and recommendations so as not to waste money, since a certain type of linoleum should be purchased for each type of building. This is a popular material, so choosing the right product should not be a problem.
