Size of linoleum: width, thickness. How to choose linoleum?

Apartment renovation is always a troublesome and nervous occupation. On a huge market of building materials, you can choose any floor covering, including linoleum. This material is used for finishing urban apartments. The size of the linoleum, manufactured by modern industry, is able to satisfy almost any consumer requests.

History of appearance

This material has its progenitor - oiled canvas sails Viking. Europeans have somewhat improved the idea and created a fairly durable floor covering. A little later they came up with a hot mixture of resin, beeswax, gum, linseed oil and a brown dye.

On an industrial basis, the production of the material was supplied by the British company Walton, Taylor and Co.. By the end of the 19th century, linoleum was known and popular far beyond England. The only drawback was the color of the product - only brown. Modern technologies make it possible to use the entire range of colors known to mankind.

Characteristics

Like any product, the material has its own characteristics:

• Width of linoleum. Industry offers options from 1.5 meters to 6, the difference in footage (pitch) is 50 centimeters. The most common width is 1,5-3 m. Wider products (5-6 m), as a rule, are made to order. The enormous weight and laboriousness during laying are justified when flooring in large industrial premises.
• The length of the roll. Standard, as a rule, within 50 meters. There are rolls of 12-30 meters in length, there are also industrial variants up to 100 meters.
• The thickness of linoleum. Can range from 1.35 millimeters to 4 millimeters. The thinnest - only 0.7 mm - is practically not used.
• Life time. Depending on the quality and purpose of the coating, it can serve from 5 to 20 years. This is affected by the operating conditions of the material.
• The upper protective layer. In household coating it is 0.1-0.3 mm, for semi-commercial - 0.4-0.5 mm, for commercial - up to 0.7 mm.

Physical and mechanical properties include:

• Soundproofing;
• Thermal insulation;
• Antistatic;
• Wear resistance;
• Absolute residual deformation;
• Deformation of linear dimensions (in percentage terms).

Classification

The material is divided into three main classes:

• Domestic. From the title it can be seen that its main use is in residential buildings. The main requirement is the safety of the coating. It does not have high wear resistance. Consumers often choose a product where the width of the linoleum is 1.5-3.5 meters. This width is quite enough for an average apartment, and it is convenient to work with it.
• Semi-commercial. In its characteristics is similar to the household, the difference is the thickness of the linoleum. Its increased size (at least 2 mm) compensates for the increased load and intensive wear. Used in public places such as offices, restaurants and so on.
• Commercial. The most durable. It is used in places of high terrain: shopping centers, schools, airports, hotels.
• Special. He has increased wear resistance. Usually produced a specific size of linoleum (width, length, thickness). For example, for flooring in public transport (subway cars, buses).

Benefits

This flooring has a number of qualities that provide it with a steady demand:

• Long service life;
• Resistance to unfavorable conditions;
• Softness and elasticity;
• Simplicity of laying;
• The size of linoleum can be selected for any area;
• Strength (does not crumble and does not crack);
• Ease of maintenance;
• The choice of material for physical and mechanical properties;
• The richest choice of colors.

Selection

The main parameters of choice when buying this floor cover include:

• Width;
• Thickness;
• Length.

Usually they try to buy material with one sheet, this will facilitate its laying. Choosing a natural or artificial coating, it is worth remembering that the natural can not be wider than 2.5 meters. It is better to take a linoleum with a margin of 10 cm. It's easier to cut a narrow strip than to watch the edge of the cover creep out from under the skirting.

From specific conditions and financial opportunities will depend on what kind of purchase linoleum. The price per m2 is determined depending on the quality. Sometimes it is measured and measured by meters: the wider, the more expensive it becomes. For example, household linoleum with a width of 2 meters costs within 200 rubles. For the meter, the same in quality, but the width of 3 meters will cost almost 310 rubles.

They say that…

About linoleum there are many myths:

• An artificial PVC coating is dangerous to exploit. The safety of the product for a person is confirmed by hygienic certificates. The field of application is food industry, medicine, children's institutions.
• Floor linoleum out of fashion. Absolutely wrong statement. Despite the huge amount of modern materials, it adequately withstand competition. Moreover, despite the high cost, natural linoleum is again in the trend.
• It is subject to wiping. Modern technology allows you to protect the upper patterned layer with a special coating. It can withstand intensive operation for up to 20 years. Homogeneous linoleum (single-layer, up to 3 mm thick) can be updated by removing the top layer (similar to the parquet flooring). This technology is applicable only to simple monochromatic drawings or marble (granulated).
• Cold. Heat build-up (sensation of cold from touching the surface) depends directly on the composition of the material. The thickness of linoleum, more precisely its base (foam PVC or polyester), guarantees comfort during operation. Thermal insulating qualities of artificial materials practically do not concede to their natural counterparts.
• Friability. The modern coating has in its multi-layered composition a fiberglass - a kind of "skeleton" of the material. It several times increases its strength. In addition, it guarantees the linen unchanged linear dimensions. Correct laying will ensure long-term operation of the floor covering.
• When gluing pieces are visible seams. The size of the linoleum may not be sufficient for a particular room. In this case, resort to "welding". The technology is designed in such a way that when combining the edges, the glue does not simply firmly fasten the linen, but dissolves and melts the linoleum, leaving practically no seam.