Do-it-yourself linoleum laying technology: all methods

Do-it-yourself linoleum laying technology

Laying linoleum is a responsible process that requires knowledge of a number of technological nuances and the presence of at least elementary building skills. The appearance and durability of this floor covering will depend on how well you can make the flooring. Therefore, it is worth approaching the issue “fully armed”, having previously become acquainted in detail with the technology of laying linoleum. It is important to be aware of existing flooring methods in order to choose the most preferred.

Content

• We will prepare materials and tools
• Prepare for work
• Linoleum laying technology

• Laying linoleum without fixing
• Adhesive tape linoleum flooring
• How to glue linoleum

 

We will prepare materials and tools

1. Directly linoleum of the right size (it will be great if the width of the roll is sufficient to put the material on one canvas). Do not forget to provide a margin of 10 cm from all sides
2. Stain remover
3. Vacuum cleaner
4. Construction knife equipped with hook and straight interchangeable blades
5. Ruler (preferably metal)
6. Scissors (large)
7. Putty knife
8. Glue for joints
9. Special adhesive in the form of water-based mastic
10. Double sided vinyl tape

Prepare for work

1. Create the right working environment. Clean up the room, clean and wash it, make sure that there are no drafts. It is necessary to maintain a stable temperature (not < 18 gr.) And humidity (not > 60%) indoors 2 days before and 2 days after flooring.

2. Prepare surface. Remove the skirting boards first. Then remove all debris, dust, crumbs, grease stains from the floor. It must be completely dry, clean and smooth. It is not recommended to lay linoleum on top of the previous floor covering..

If you plan to lay linoleum on concrete floor, it’s enough to close all the cracks and just vacuum it. You can pre-insulate. To do this, wood-fiber sheets (fiberboard) must be glued to a concrete or cement base. If desired, these sheets can be applied in 2 layers – one of the soft plates, and the second – of semi-solid.

If you have to lay linoleum on a wooden floor, then first make sure that all the floorboards are secure, hammer in all the sticking nails. On top of the boards, it is not superfluous to lay plywood, and then fix it with nails (each nail – after 10 cm). Joints – putty and sand.

If there is an old dilapidated floor covering, then dismantle it, having smeared roughnesses and cracks with a leveling compound. Then grind.

3. Prepare cover. Linoleum must stand for 2 days in the room where it is planned to be laid. Rolls should be placed vertically.

Important! If linoleum was bought in winter, on frosty days, then it can not be laid immediately, without preparation. A roll brought in from the cold cannot even be unrolled. The fact is that when exposed to subzero temperatures, linoleum becomes brittle. It is intended exclusively for heated rooms. Therefore, be sure to allow the rolls to warm up naturally at room temperature.

About a day before laying, the rolls should be rolled out, cut and laid out on the floor so that they straighten. Cut canvases taking into account bends (10 cm) on the walls and taking into account various niches and doorways. Lay them along the longest wall. It is important that the linoleum rests and evens out under its own weight. Large canvases can accommodate smaller ones to enhance the leveling effect..

It may happen that it is not possible to cover the floor with one canvas, and you will have to compose it from different pieces. It is important to ensure that the pattern matches. Consider the following features:

• Marble-like and one-color linoleum canvases are laid perpendicularly in the direction of light to the outer walls so that the seams are not visible.
• the canvases of the patterned linoleum are arranged longitudinally, carefully combining the pattern. They are also laid along the corridors, and regardless of the figure.

In rooms of complex shape (with columns, curly walls, pipes, etc.), linoleum is laid out on the floor, the contours of the walls are marked with a ruler and cut out, taking into account the allowances. The final cutting is done already after gluing, additionally having missed and glued the edges with mastic.

If you plan to fix linoleum with double-sided adhesive tape, it is recommended to stick it to the base around the entire perimeter, leaving the top protective coating.

Linoleum laying technology

Linoleum flooring can be done in three ways:

• without fixing, i.e. free laying;
• on adhesive tape;
• on glue (water-based mastic).

The choice of a specific method depends on the floor area and the planned conditions for its operation.

If the room is small (up to 20 sq. M) and the floor is not used intensively, then the method of free laying is quite suitable. The normal movement of a person over a coating does not cause serious deformation..

If we are talking about places with an area of ​​more than 20 square meters, where it is supposed to move heavy objects (furniture, equipment, etc.), then linoleum sizing – required condition. Otherwise, its expansion, stretching and tearing cannot be avoided. Even a simple movement of furniture can trigger the movement of linoleum. In a large room with low traffic, linoleum can be attached with adhesive tape. If patency is large, then only on special glue.

Laying linoleum without fixing

1. To achieve linoleum flexibility, keep it indoors for 24 hours at a temperature of.
2. It is good if the width of the canvas is enough to cover the entire floor. It is only necessary to cut out the canvas, corresponding in shape to the room (including doorways, all kinds of niches). Remember to leave an allowance on each side of it < 8-10 cm.
3. Tuck up allowances, let the coating lie down for a day or two.
4. You may have to join several bands, and then you need to especially carefully make sure that the pattern matches on them. Typically, the pattern matches when joining strips along a flat line of the factory cut.
5. It happens that the pattern along the line of the factory cut does not match. In this case, you have to cut the strip. The sequence of actions will be as follows: overlap the canvases in such a way that the pattern on the lower and upper canvas coincides. A metal ruler should be placed on top of the canvases and held with a cutter (can be a construction knife) so that both canvases cut through. Remove the cuttings, the strips should be docked clearly. The joint must be glued with mastic or duct tape.
6. Internal corners need to be cut diagonally. So linoleum will be easier to smooth and wrap on the walls exactly.
7. Attach the ruler closely to the wall and carefully trim all excess with a knife with a special hook-shaped blade.
8. When installing the skirting board, it is better to screw the screws into the floor, not into the wall, so linoleum will be fixed around.

 

Adhesive tape linoleum flooring

1. Pre-stick the adhesive tape on the base without removing the upper protective layer. Glue the tape around the perimeter, as well as at the joints and throughout the coating in random order.
2. Spread, cut linoleum, let the canvas mature.
3. Cut allowances.
4. Glue one canvas along the wall.
5. Lift the canvas to the wall to which it is glued, then, sequentially remove the protective layer from the attached tapes and glue linoleum over the entire area.
6. Do the same with the rest of the canvases..

How to glue linoleum

1. Roll back the edge of the canvas, carefully cover the base with glue (mastic). Put the canvas on the floor, then roll the opposite edge of linoleum to the place of application of the mastic. Glue the next part of the base with glue. Put linoleum in place.
2. Smooth the canvas from the center to the edges, while driving all the air out from under the canvas. To do this, use the roller.
3. With a spatula, smooth the linoleum near the walls..
4. Attach the metal ruler close to the wall and cut off the excess using a construction knife with a hook-shaped blade. Change blades more often.
5. Do not rush to bring furniture, let the mastic dry. The setting time can be read on the packaging of glue.
6. If desired, you can process the joints. On sale there are special transparent adhesives for processing joints of linoleum. Sometimes they are called joint sealing fluids. However, fill the joints with this glue on the day after linoleum flooring.

As you can see, laying linoleum with your own hands is not the easiest event, as it might seem at first glance. To produce flooring efficiently, you can’t do without knowledge of technology.