Linoleum vs. Vinyl

Up until the early 1970’s linoleum was the desired flooring for kitchens and bathrooms and even some living rooms. Linoleum floor covering is made from linseed oil, pine resins, wood powder, cork powder and lime. These materials are pressed onto a layer of jute, or rope material. It was discovered in the mid-1800’s when an Englishman named Fredrick Walton noticed the skin on a pail of paint based on linseed oil. Because of the ingredients linoleum is a completely natural material. In addition linoleum has a resistance to germs and all strains of bacteria which makes it suitable for bathrooms, kitchens and nurseries.

Vinyl flooring is made from a petroleum product, polyvinyl chloride in a rotogravure printing process. A printed image forms the pattern for the flooring and is administered by a cylinder that spins around while the vinyl’s core layer passes underneath. This cylinder prints various colored ink dyes to create the pattern. After the dyes dry a clear layer is applied to the finish to protect it from wear. The thickness of the wear-layer depends on the intended use. The thicker the wear layer the more expensive the flooring.

Unlike vinyl, the patterns in linoleum flooring go through the material which makes wearing not noticeable, even in high traffic areas. As well, the backing for most vinyl floors is paper. This means that the wear layer can easily come off the floor if pried whereas the canvas and jute backing of linoleum makes this more difficult.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

Laminate floor planks have taken the flooring industry by storm as they offer an attractive, durable and inexpensive way to get a beautiful floor. The most hard hit by this surge in the flooring industry were carpet and vinyl flooring because the cost was comparable or lower than these products and the look was that of a more expensive floor.

Vinyl flooring products have begun to regain some breathing room in the industry as people re-discover the new, life-like tile and stone patterns with a cushioned backing. Easy on the feet and impervious to water vinyl is still a great flooring for kitchens and bathrooms.

Another vinyl product that is becoming popular is luxury vinyl tiles, or LVT. This is not to be confused with the old self-adhesive vinyl tiles that used to discolor and crack over the years. LVT are made up of a vinyl backing, printed mid-layer and a thick, transparent top layer pressed together like laminate flooring, with high heat and pressure. They are made to look like hardwood, ceramic tile, marble and bamboo.The manufacturers state that this flooring withstand most household chemicals and heavy traffic. In addition, LVT requires no waxing.

The big news LVT’s bring is that they are also avaiable in plank form. This allows them to compete with laminate and hardwood, especially in areas where the moisture content is high. In addition LVT planks are available in a a click together format allowing them to be installed as a floating floor.

Many forms of LVT’s are self-adhesive but others require a vinyl flooring adhesive. The tiles are set in place and then rolled with a regular, kitchen rolling pin.

Linoleum Floors

Linoleum is one of the oldest “synthetic” flooring materials. It is made from linseed oil, a joining of the Latin terms “linum” – which means flax in old English – and “oleum” meaning “oil”. It has largely been overtaken by vinyl as a flooring but because of its durability and natural components it is making a comeback.

In the mid 1800’s a rubber manufacturer name Fredrick Walton noticed that a “skin” formed on the top of paint left exposed to air. This coating was elastic and could be made stronger by heating. Then Walton came up with the idea of using thinner layers and laminating them which meant that colors and patterns could be assembled and then covered with a clear sheet. Originally this was called “oil cloth” as the backing was burlap.

Linoleum became very popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as working people were able to afford homes and began building their own. In recent times linoleum was relegated to the kitchen and then was overtaken by vinyl.

Today, linoleum is making a comeback due to its environmentally-friendly labeling. Since the manufacturing of vinyl floors creates off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) many people with allergies are avoiding this product. Linoleum actually lasts longer because it is a stronger material with better backing. Many vinyl floor has paper as a backing while linoleum has jute, burlap or other earth-friendly products.

As far as installation goes linoleum goes down just like vinyl and can be glued with a “green” flooring adhesive. Flooring adhesives until now could advertise low- VOC ingredients but there were still emissions given off. Some new adhesives feature a mixing of 2 non-allergenic compounds on site to form an adhesive and this seems to be taking off.

So, with the new non-VOC adhesives homeowners can be confident in knowing that they can be completely green in their flooring choice.

Vinyl Floor Tiles

With the popularity of tile and wood flooring the old linoleum and vinyl floors have taken a back seat in many areas of the home. A trip to the flooring shop will show just how many different varieties of linoleum and vinyl there are.

Linoleum and vinyl flooring are often spoken as being the same material when, in actuality linoleum is mostly a natural product made from linseed oil whereas vinyl is synthetic. Naturally speaking, linoleum is the way to go but vinyls are cheaper and can last as long. In addition, old vinyl floor can be recycled into other products.

The problem with sheet flooring like vinyl and linoleum is, in most cases, it has to be installed by a professional. Very few amateurs have the skills to do proper seams on a large floor. Vinyl tiles, on the other hand, can be installed by anyone who can draw a straight line. There are two basic types, one with the pattern right through to the backing and the other where the pattern is printed on the surface and coated. They usually come in 12″ squares and thicknesses from to 1.0mm to 1.5mm.

The best type of vinyl tile is the self-adhesive tile because there is no mastic required. They can be glued down on almost any clean surface, even other flooring. But the flooring has to be smooth and free of bumps and nail holes. In addition, any patterns on the vinyl flooring below may show through after time do this has to be taken out or smoothed with a floor leveler. A seam in the floor will also cause the tile to crack after a while.

The best recourse is to lay down a marante board or 1/4″ plywood sheet. Gluing will assure the smooth finish but the seams between the sheets have to be filled. Any screws or nail holes should be filled as well.

Repair Vinyl Flooring

The key to any vinyl flooring repair is to have an extra piece of the original material. If not, you are still in luck as you can take a piece from another area of the flooring like a closet or area not in plain sight.

Before you take a piece from there first concentrate on the damaged area. Mark this out. It is best to follow the pattern, and if it is a square pattern then this makes your job easier.

Measure the size of piece you will need and cut a piece, either from the additional piece or from the closet (or other area), and then tape it over the damaged area. Make sure you match the pattern perfectly. Tape the outside edges so the piece won’t move.

Change the blade on your utility knife so you have the sharpest edge. Using a steel straight edge cut through both layers on vinyl to the subfloor and remove both pieces. With a putty knife loosen and get rid of all old glue and debris then vacuum the area.

When you place your new piece of vinyl down it should fit the hole perfectly but, just in case, try it out. if the are is big enough use a notched trowel to apply the flooring glue. If it is just a small area then apply the glue with a putty knife. Press the piece down and push toward the outer edges to get rid of the air. Wipe up the excess glue immediately with a towel.

Linoleum and Vinyl

Linoleum was the gold standard of non-carpet flooring before the advent of prefinished hardwood and lamonate. People who were fed up with have to constantly care for the old hardwood floors simply put linoleum over the surface and forgot about it. In kitchens it became the optimum floor covering for almost a hundred years.

Traditional linoleum was made from the film of linseed oil mixed with wheat flour and/or cork particles. This emulsion was pressed into a burlap backing. This has been largely replace by PVC (poly vinyl chloride) in recent years but enronmentalists and those who want a healthier home are beginning to put the original back in.

Linoleum is returning in homes in North America in steadily increasing amounts. Why? because of the off-gassing of vinyl products people are switching more to natural. It has a natural appearance, biodegradable, hypoallergenic and resists mold and bacteria.

Vinyl still has the lion’s share of the market because it’s easier to buy than linoleum and cheaper to put in.  because it has a moderate durability it’s mainly for residential use. However, it’s not affected by humidity so can be installed in bathrooms and basements. For small jobs vinyl can be installed by a good do-it-yourself but get an experienced flooring person to do bigger jobs.

Linoleum, on the other hand, is not as flexible as vinyl. However it’s durability makes it the choice of commercial operations where traffic is high.