How to lay linoleum

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You don't need any special tools, and you can do it even without an assistant.

1. Stock up on tools and materials

When laying linoleum, you will have to measure, mark and cut with something. In certain cases, the coating will also need to be glued. Before proceeding, prepare everything you need:

• linoleum (Lifehacker already talked about how to choose it);
• tape measure and pencil;
• sharp knife or scissors;
• rule or long ruler;
• drill or hammer drill;
• screws or dowels;
• skirting boards and sills;
• double-sided tape or glue (if needed);
• paint roller (if necessary);
• cold welding for joints (if necessary).

2. Prepare the base

Since linoleum is a rather elastic material and repeats all the unevenness of the floor, it is worth approaching the preparation of the base with special care. Carelessness will not only turn into an unaesthetic look, but also accelerate the wear of the coating.

The surface for laying linoleum must be clean, dry and even. Differences in height are allowed no more than 2-3 mm per 1 meter. Otherwise, the base must be leveled beforehand.

How to prepare a wooden floor

• Check your parquet or plank for sags and squeaks. If necessary, reinforce the cover with screws and replace the bad areas.
• Make sure the base drops are within acceptable limits. If this is not the case, level the floor with a shredder or lay on top of a layer of plywood or DSP (cement particle board).

How to prepare a concrete floor

• Clean the surface of the old coating and remove all debris.
• Make sure the height differences are acceptable. If necessary, level irregularities with sanding and self-leveling floors. Small depressions and damaged areas can be repaired with tile adhesive.

3. Prepare linoleum

Bring the purchased roll into the room. Unfold and leave on the floor for about a day to flatten the material.

In the cold season, the acquired linoleum cannot be rolled out immediately. The frozen coating becomes brittle and may break at the folds. To avoid this, let the material sit for about 12 hours and warm up to room temperature.

4. Choose a styling method

Depending on the area of the room, linoleum spreads without any fasteners to the floor or is fixed with double-sided tape or special glue. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• No fixation is the simplest method. Suitable for rooms up to 12 m² with low traffic. The downside is the risk of waves and folds.
• On double-sided tape - a fast and reliable fastening method. It is used in rooms from 12 to 20 m² with average traffic. Reduces the likelihood of waves, makes it easy to remove old linoleum.
• On glue - the most time consuming, but also the most reliable option. It is used in large rooms from 20 m² with high traffic. Among the disadvantages is only the difficulty of dismantling.

At home, as a rule, linoleum laying without fixation is used, when it is held only by the baseboards around the perimeter, or the method with fastening to double-sided tape. Less commonly, special adhesives are used.

5. Lay linoleum

• Spread the floor covering and distribute in such a way as to align the canvas in one of the corners of the room, and leave a margin of 5-10 cm around the perimeter along the rest of the walls. It is better to lay out along the longest wall, so you will have to cut less.
• Consider the allowances for niches at windows and doorways. Measure linoleum from them, not from the edges of the walls.
• If there is a pattern, align the material so that the pattern runs along the walls without distortion.

6. Cut out the linoleum

Use a sharp clerical knife or large scissors to adjust the dimensions of the canvas in such a way that a gap of 5-10 mm remains at the walls along the perimeter. It will allow the linoleum to straighten out and at the same time hide with the baseboard.

In order not to be mistaken, make the fit in several passes, separating the material in small stripes. For a more accurate cut, mark and cut the fabric along the squares and lines on the back.

How to join an inner corner

• Fold the canvas, making a fold of linoleum, and trim it first at one and then at the second wall. Peel off a little and repeat until you get the desired gap.
• If the allowances are large, then cut a little in the corner to fold the loose ends and get a smoother fold.

How to attach an outer corner

• Spread out the linoleum by wrapping the loose piece on the wall. Step on the bottom with your foot, pressing the material as much as possible against the wall, and make a mark on the edge of the canvas opposite the protruding part of the corner.
• Fold over the flooring, bring the fold as close to the edge of the corner at floor level as possible, and mark with a pencil.
• Connect both marks by drawing a line between them and cut the linoleum along it.
• Fold the resulting flaps one by one on both sides and mark along the walls to create cutting lines.

How to make an abutment to pipes

• Attach the canvas to the pipe. Use a pencil stroke on the back to mark the cutting line, or immediately cut the linoleum vertically with a knife.
• Press the cut pieces against the pipe and gradually cut 5-10 mm along the contour until you have the desired hole diameter.
• Unscrew the blade if necessary and use scissors for a more precise fit.

How to make an abutment to a door frame

• Fold the free part of the canvas onto the wall and press it with your foot in the area of the baseboard.
• Mark the inside out for a cut line, or cut the linoleum right away with a knife from the edge of the canvas to the floor.
• Lower the cut piece towards the door and trim the second piece along the wall.
• Do not try to cut the canvas in one go. Leave small allowances and gradually adjust the covering to the contour of the wall to achieve a gap of 5-10 mm.

7. Pause

After the final trimming, you need to wait a couple of days for the folds and waves to straighten out. Just let the linoleum sit loosely on the floor before fixing it in any way.

8. Fix the linoleum

If you are installing the flooring without additional fixation, proceed to the next step.

How to fix linoleum with double-sided tape

• Roll one half of the linen to the middle of the room and vacuum the floor.
• Apply strips of double-sided tape in 70-100 cm increments. Smooth the tape well with your hands or a paint roller.
• Remove the protective film from the top.
• Lay out the linoleum carefully, returning it to the intended place.
• Repeat the procedure for the other half of the canvas.

How to fix linoleum with glue

• Fold over some of the fabric and fold in half.
• Degrease the floor and apply the appropriate adhesive for the type of surface.
• Spread the canvas and straighten it. Roll the linoleum well with a roller to remove any creases.

9. Weld the seams

If you are installing a whole piece of linoleum, proceed to the next step.

When the canvas consists of several pieces, they need to be connected together. This is done with a special soldering iron or with glue. The second option is simpler and does not require additional equipment, so we will consider it.

• To get a perfectly flat joint, place one piece of linoleum on top of the second with an overlap of 3-5 cm.
• Press down with a rule or a metal ruler in the middle and cut both pieces at the same time with a sharp knife in one go.
• Remove the separated flaps and apply double-sided tape to the floor exactly in the middle of the seam. Remove the protective film and connect the ends of the canvases, fixing them.
• Apply masking tape over the joint, and then carefully cut through it with a sharp knife.
• Insert the spout of the glue tube into the seam and slide along the seam. With one hand, hold the tube, and with the other, press on it so that a strip of glue about 5 mm wide forms on the tape.
• Wait 10 minutes for the glue to harden and carefully remove the masking tape.

10. Mount the sills

They are needed to fix the edge of the linoleum at the doorway. There are various thresholds, and in addition to their appearance, they differ only in the type of attachment. Some are held on through dowels, others on hidden ones. There are sills with a special insert, which is fixed with a latch, as well as self-adhesive options.

The nuances of installing one type or another of thresholds are always indicated on the packaging. In general, the procedure is as follows:

• Measure the required length of the threshold and cut off the excess.
• Spread the fasteners evenly over the entire width of the opening.
• Drill the holes along the marks with a punch or drill.
• Secure the nut - through and through by inserting the screws into the groove or through the mortgage.
• If the fasteners are not through, tap the threshold through the soft tip until it completely sits down in its place.

11. Install the skirting boards

The final touch is the skirting boards. They also come in different variations: plastic, MDF or wooden. The most common PVC skirting boards with a cable channel inside. This finish is practical, affordable and looks good.

Installation of all skirting boards is carried out approximately in the following way:

• Measure all sections of the wall and cut the required skirting boards.
• Using a hammer drill or a drill, drill holes in the wall straight through the skirting board at a distance of 50-60 cm. If using brackets, install them in the same way.
• Route the cables and fit the corners.
• If the length is long, join the strips with special connecting inserts.
• Install plugs, if provided by the design.