What You Need to Know about Vinyl Plank Flooring
Bathroom and Kitchen Flooring - Vinyl, Cork and Linoleum
Resilient Bathroom and Kitchen Flooring: Vinyl, Cork and Linoleum
Resilient flooring for the bathroom and kitchen has come a long way since the vinyl asbestos containing floor tiles of the mid 1900’s or the thin, brittle sheet vinyl flooring of the 1970’s. Today you have many different choices of quality resilient vinyl floor materials for the bathroom, kitchen and other rooms with several other flooring options constructed from natural materials such as cork or linoleum.
What these new materials all have in common however, is their ability to provide a cleanable, comfortable and attractive floor for your bathrooms, kitchen, foyer, recreation room, mudroom or laundry or any other room where you need an easily cleanable floor. Some of the products can be installed by a home repair weekend warrior, but other flooring such as sheet vinyl are more difficult to install requiring more experienced DIYer and as with sheet linoleum, even professional installation.
Resilient flooring comes in three basic categories:
The resilient floors we will review, most of which are great picks for kitchen or bathroom flooring are as follows. I’ve listed them by type, generally from the easiest to most difficult to install.
Vinyl Tile Floor (self-stick)
RESILIENT VINYL TILE FLOORING (self-stick)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Vinyl tile is durable, affordable and is a good choice for bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring use. It comes in a vast array of styles such as geometric patterns and realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks. Vinyl is easy to clean and maintain if it has urethane wear layer. Lives of these floors may range from 5 to 20 years depending on the quality of the tile and quality of the installation.
Installation Difficulty: Easy.
Installation Method:
Self stick adhesive protected by removable plastic sheet.
Construction:
The construction of vinyl tile generally consists of these elements:
Vinyl Plank Flooring (floating, self-stick)
VINYL PLANK FLOORING (floating, self stick, e.g., Trafficmaster Allure)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Allure™ by TrafficMaster is a great floating plank vinyl flooring product for bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring when installed properly. However, failure of the adhesive strips may occur if the plank vinyl flooring is not properly acclimated before installation to room temperature above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unlike self-stick vinyl tile flooring which has 100% adhesive under the tile, floating plank vinyl flooring is adhered only at the edges, dependent upon on just 10% of plank area for adhesion. Plank vinyl flooring sold under the name Trafficmaster Allure is durable, very affordable and is easy to install as it floats over the sub-floor. It also comes in a broad variety of realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks for great bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring options. It is easy to clean and maintain and comes with a 25 year limited warranty (based on proper installation). Like any product, the life of the floor will depend on quality of the installation and in this case also depends on proper acclimation to an acceptable temperature range in the space before, during and after installation.
Installation Difficulty: Easy
Installation Method:
Self stick staggered and interlocking adhesive edges of 12 inch x 36 inch planks. Trafficmaster Allure is private labeled and sold at Home Depot. It is made by the manufacturer Metroflor out of Darien, CT and sold under a subsidiary called Halstead New England Industries LLC in Norwalk, CT.
The product is a variation of Metroflor's Konetco ® flooring product.
These planks are flexible, create a floating floor (i.e., not bonded to sub-floor) and may be installed over a variety of properly prepared subfloors such as plywood, OSB, chipboard, wafer board, gypsum underlayment and floor toppings.
I do not recommend this product be installed in basement applications. The promotional material states it can be used in basement applications but because this product is often installed by the DIYer, proper testing is not done to determine if the level of concrete slab vapor emissions / hydrostatic pressure is acceptable. Due to the common problems of moisture in the basement slab, there are many failures of the adhesive joints with this product. I only recommend its use in above ground applications.
In order for the adhesive strips to work properly, the product must be acclimated in the space where the tile is being installed so that the planks, room temperature and the sub-floor are at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 48 hours before, during and after installation. Do not open the packages but spread them out. Stack no more than 3 high with at least 4” of airflow around the boxes. Do not place next to heating or cooling ducts or direct sunlight. Do not remove paper from strips until use as it is critical the adhesive remain free from dirt or oil.
When installing plank vinyl flooring you should work out of a minimum of 3 boxes and mix planks as they are installed. When each plank is joined, utilize a hand roller directly on the joined seam to create the proper bond between the two strips. This is a mandatory part of the installation procedure! After completion roll the entire floor in both directions with a 100 lbs roller. Before starting an installation the manufacturer recommends that two planks should be joined and then rolled and pulled apart. A bond should be observed throughout the whole strip. Adhesive legs and/or transfer from one side to the other should be seen. This will confirm the material is properly acclimated. Not rolling may void the manufacturer’s warranty. Promotional material from TrafficMaster recommends but does not require rolling, but installation requirements for this product type by the manufacturer in their Konetco information does require rolling.
Construction:
4-mil (thin) urethane wear layer. Patterned vinyl upper layer and vinyl under-layer that is offset 1” creating an adhesive edge along 2 sides of each flexible plank.
Cork Plank Flooring (floating)
CORK PLANK FLOORING (floating, interlocking)
Recommended Uses: Kitchen, Bedrooms, Recreation Rooms
Characteristics:
Cork flooring is environmentally friendly and cork is considered a renewable and sustainable natural resource. These floors can be a little expensive and their installed cost per square foot can be close to a good quality ceramic tile floor. However they are definitely worth the cost when used in smaller areas such as for Kitchen flooring, Bedroom, Den or Dining Room flooring.
I do not recommend this for bathroom flooring or other mostly wet floor use because of the panel fiberboard material.
See Introduction to Cork Flooring
Installation Difficulty: Average
Installation Method:
Cork flooring comes either in glue-down or interlocking floating floor applications. Interlocking cork flooring is recommended since it is much easier, more versatile and less expensive as an installed system. The cork flooring planks come with a specially designed edge that interlocks with the adjacent panels. Some manufacturers' floating floor products can be installed over most hard surfaces such as vinyl floor coverings, wood flooring and ceramic tile, but carpets must be removed. The sub-floor will have to be even, flat, dry and level to within 0.1" in 6 feet and the substrate surface over which the floor will be installed will have to be completely dry.
Construction:
Although the actual construction of cork floors will vary slightly between manufacturers, it will generally consist of the following components.
Linoleum Plank Flooring (floating)
LINOLEUM PLANK FLOORING (interlocking planks)
Recommended Uses: Kitchen, Bedrooms, Recreation Rooms
Characteristics:
Linoleum flooring is natural and since it is made from natural raw materials you may see slight color and structural differences are possible between the production batches and samples. Linoleum flooring wear like iron and maintain a warm natural look and feel. I don't recommend plank versions of linoleum flooring for areas that can become very wet such as for bathroom flooring because of the plank's high density fiberboard (HDF) construction.
Installation Difficulty: Average
Installation Method:
For proper acclimation, boxes should be stored flat, and unopened, for approximately 2-3 days (6 days in winter) in the center of the room in which they are to be installed. Planks are easy to install using a simple tongue & groove mechanism. The linoleum flooring panels simply "click" into place requiring no adhesive and the floor can be walked on immediately after installation.
Construction:
I have used and recommend Marmoleum brand linoleum flooring as made by Forbo Flooring Systems in Hazleton, PA. The Marmoleum Click product is a linoleum laminate with a protective layer on HDF panels and cork. It incorporates Marmoleum and the sub-floor system in a single product, and can be installed on almost every type of floor. Since the product is linoleum, its main ingredient is natural linseed oil, mixed with wood flour, rosin and limestone. Marmoleum gets its color from "ecologically responsible pigments" according to the company. The linoleum is pressed onto a jute fabric under high pressure producing an extremely durable and environmentally friendly flooring.
Vinyl Tile Flooring (glue-down)
VINYL TILE FLOORING (glue-down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Tile vinyl flooring is durable, affordable and comes in a vast array of styles such as geometric patterns and realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks. Vinyl flooring is easy to clean and maintain if it has urethane wear layer. It may be used as bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring. The lives of these floors may range from 5 to 20 years depending on the quality of the tile and quality of the installation.
Installation Difficulty: Intermediate
Installation Method:
Full glue spread. Requires a trowel applied full spread adhesive where adhesive is spread across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation. Not recommended for installation over old resilient flooring.
Construction:
The construction of tile vinyl flooring generally consists of these elements:
Linoleum Tile Flooring (glue-down)
LINOLEUM TILE FLOORING (glue-down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Linoleum flooring tile is very beautiful and durable providing flexible design possibilities through use of colors and patterns. A great choice for bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring. This material is natural and since it is made from natural raw materials you may see slight color and structural differences are possible between the production batches and samples.
Linoleum flooring wears like iron and maintains a warm natural look and feel. Lives of these floors may exceed 40+ years depending on the quality of the tile and quality of the installation.
Installation Difficulty: Intermediate
Installation Method:Linoleum flooring tile requires a trowel applied full spread adhesive where the adhesive is spread across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation. Not recommended for installation over old resilient flooring. Cartons of tiles should be installed in consecutive order, installing tile in alternating directions (quarter turned). Install tiles into wet adhesive and roll immediately with a 100 lb. roller. Always check for proper adhesive transfer. In order to achieve a secure bond there must be a complete wet transfer of adhesive to the tile backing. Do not allow heavy traffic or rolling loads for a minimum of 72 hours following the installation. Additional time may be necessary when installing over non-porous substrates.
In order to allow the adhesive to dry and cure properly, wait at least five days following the installation before conducting wet cleaning procedures or initial maintenance.
Construction:
Linoleum flooring tile like that manufactured by Marmoleum® is made primarily from natural ingredients which consist of oxidized linseed oil, rosins, cork and/or wood flour, all of which are embedded onto a carrier backing sheet. Depending on the embedding process used and the composition, various types of linoleum can be manufactured. Marmoleum linoleum flooring tile uses a dimensionally stable polyester backing.
SHEET VINYL FLOORING (loose lay or glue down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Sheet vinyl flooring has long been a favorite in homes for areas receiving heavy use such as the bathroom or kitchen. It is durable, affordable and comes in a large variety of styles such as geometric patterns and realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks. Vinyl is easy to clean and maintain if it has urethane wear layer and is a great choice for bathroom flooring.
Sheet vinyl flooring can also last much longer than vinyl tile flooring. The life of sheet vinyl flooring may range from 20 to 30 years depending on the quality of the vinyl flooring and quality of the installation, compared to 5 to 20 years for a vinyl tile floor.
Installation Difficulty: Advanced
Installation Method:
Depending on the sheet vinyl flooring backing, sheet vinyl flooring may be designed for use with either a modified loose lay installation method using acrylic double-faced tape under seams or installed by the full adhesive spread glue down method.
With felt backing use full-spread or perimeter adhesive; with fiberglass backing use loose-lay, modified loose-lay or full spread.
Full spread requires a trowel applied full spread adhesive where adhesive is spread across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation. Do not install over substrates such as OSB, Particleboard, or wafer-board panels, existing resilient tile floors that are below grade, existing cushion-backed vinyl flooring, carpet, hardwood flooring that has been installed directly over concrete.
Construction:
Sheet vinyl flooring typically comes in 6 foot and 12 foot rolls. The construction of sheet vinyl flooring generally consists of these elements:
SHEET LINOLEUM FLOORING / ROLLED FLOOR (glue down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Linoleum is very beautiful and durable providing flexible design abilities for bathroom flooring, kitchen flooring, mud room, bedrooms or other areas through use of colors and patterns. This material is natural and since it is made from natural raw materials you may see slight color and structural differences are possible between the production batches and samples.
The floor is extremely durable, easy to clean and maintains a warm natural look and feel. Lives of these floors may exceed 40+ years depending on the quality of the installation. I have Marmoleum brand linoleum flooring in my home's recreation room and mud rooms, and could not be happier with its performance.
Installation Difficulty: Requires professional installation
Installation Method:
Professional installation is required as sheet linoleum flooring installation requires very specialized expertise and techniques such as heat welded seams. This flooring uses full spread trowel applied adhesive applied across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation.
Construction:
Linoleum flooring such as manufactured by Marmoleum® is made primarily from natural ingredients which consist of oxidized linseed oil, rosins, cork and/or wood flour, all of which are embedded onto a carrier backing sheet. Depending on the embedding process used and the composition, various types of linoleum can be manufactured.
Marmoleum linoleum uses a dimensionally stable polyester backing.
Resilient Bathroom and Kitchen Flooring: Vinyl, Cork and Linoleum
Resilient flooring for the bathroom and kitchen has come a long way since the vinyl asbestos containing floor tiles of the mid 1900’s or the thin, brittle sheet vinyl flooring of the 1970’s. Today you have many different choices of quality resilient vinyl floor materials for the bathroom, kitchen and other rooms with several other flooring options constructed from natural materials such as cork or linoleum.
What these new materials all have in common however, is their ability to provide a cleanable, comfortable and attractive floor for your bathrooms, kitchen, foyer, recreation room, mudroom or laundry or any other room where you need an easily cleanable floor. Some of the products can be installed by a home repair weekend warrior, but other flooring such as sheet vinyl are more difficult to install requiring more experienced DIYer and as with sheet linoleum, even professional installation.
Resilient flooring comes in three basic categories:
- Sheet goods (requires difficult cutting and fitting)
- Tiles (provides easier cutting and fitting)
- Planks (provides easier cutting and fitting)
- Self-stick (adhesive backed flooring)
- Floating floor (interlocking planks)
- Loose-lay (taped at seams)
- Glue-down (adhesive applied to floor)
The resilient floors we will review, most of which are great picks for kitchen or bathroom flooring are as follows. I’ve listed them by type, generally from the easiest to most difficult to install.
- Tiled: Vinyl Tile Floors (self-stick)
- Planked: Vinyl Plank Flooring (self-stick)
- Planked: Cork Plank Flooring (interlocking)
- Planked: Linoleum Plank Floor (interlocking)
- Tiled: Vinyl Tile Flooring (glue-down)
- Tiled: Linoleum Tile Floor (glue-down)
- Rolled: Sheet Vinyl Flooring (loose lay or glue down)
- Rolled: Sheet Linoleum Floor (glue-down; professional installation)
Vinyl Tile Floor (self-stick)
RESILIENT VINYL TILE FLOORING (self-stick)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Vinyl tile is durable, affordable and is a good choice for bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring use. It comes in a vast array of styles such as geometric patterns and realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks. Vinyl is easy to clean and maintain if it has urethane wear layer. Lives of these floors may range from 5 to 20 years depending on the quality of the tile and quality of the installation.
Installation Difficulty: Easy.
Installation Method:
Self stick adhesive protected by removable plastic sheet.
Construction:
The construction of vinyl tile generally consists of these elements:
- Urethane or similar wear layer (used on premium tiles).
- Protective clear film layer for durability and protection from rips and tears.
- Printed and sometimes embossed design layer which can range from realistic looking natural materials to unique patterns.
- Vinyl tile backing layer providing tile structure, strength and durability.
Vinyl Plank Flooring (floating, self-stick)
VINYL PLANK FLOORING (floating, self stick, e.g., Trafficmaster Allure)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Allure™ by TrafficMaster is a great floating plank vinyl flooring product for bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring when installed properly. However, failure of the adhesive strips may occur if the plank vinyl flooring is not properly acclimated before installation to room temperature above 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unlike self-stick vinyl tile flooring which has 100% adhesive under the tile, floating plank vinyl flooring is adhered only at the edges, dependent upon on just 10% of plank area for adhesion. Plank vinyl flooring sold under the name Trafficmaster Allure is durable, very affordable and is easy to install as it floats over the sub-floor. It also comes in a broad variety of realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks for great bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring options. It is easy to clean and maintain and comes with a 25 year limited warranty (based on proper installation). Like any product, the life of the floor will depend on quality of the installation and in this case also depends on proper acclimation to an acceptable temperature range in the space before, during and after installation.
Installation Difficulty: Easy
Installation Method:
Self stick staggered and interlocking adhesive edges of 12 inch x 36 inch planks. Trafficmaster Allure is private labeled and sold at Home Depot. It is made by the manufacturer Metroflor out of Darien, CT and sold under a subsidiary called Halstead New England Industries LLC in Norwalk, CT.
The product is a variation of Metroflor's Konetco ® flooring product.
These planks are flexible, create a floating floor (i.e., not bonded to sub-floor) and may be installed over a variety of properly prepared subfloors such as plywood, OSB, chipboard, wafer board, gypsum underlayment and floor toppings.
I do not recommend this product be installed in basement applications. The promotional material states it can be used in basement applications but because this product is often installed by the DIYer, proper testing is not done to determine if the level of concrete slab vapor emissions / hydrostatic pressure is acceptable. Due to the common problems of moisture in the basement slab, there are many failures of the adhesive joints with this product. I only recommend its use in above ground applications.
In order for the adhesive strips to work properly, the product must be acclimated in the space where the tile is being installed so that the planks, room temperature and the sub-floor are at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 48 hours before, during and after installation. Do not open the packages but spread them out. Stack no more than 3 high with at least 4” of airflow around the boxes. Do not place next to heating or cooling ducts or direct sunlight. Do not remove paper from strips until use as it is critical the adhesive remain free from dirt or oil.
When installing plank vinyl flooring you should work out of a minimum of 3 boxes and mix planks as they are installed. When each plank is joined, utilize a hand roller directly on the joined seam to create the proper bond between the two strips. This is a mandatory part of the installation procedure! After completion roll the entire floor in both directions with a 100 lbs roller. Before starting an installation the manufacturer recommends that two planks should be joined and then rolled and pulled apart. A bond should be observed throughout the whole strip. Adhesive legs and/or transfer from one side to the other should be seen. This will confirm the material is properly acclimated. Not rolling may void the manufacturer’s warranty. Promotional material from TrafficMaster recommends but does not require rolling, but installation requirements for this product type by the manufacturer in their Konetco information does require rolling.
Construction:
4-mil (thin) urethane wear layer. Patterned vinyl upper layer and vinyl under-layer that is offset 1” creating an adhesive edge along 2 sides of each flexible plank.
Cork Plank Flooring (floating)
CORK PLANK FLOORING (floating, interlocking)
Recommended Uses: Kitchen, Bedrooms, Recreation Rooms
Characteristics:
Cork flooring is environmentally friendly and cork is considered a renewable and sustainable natural resource. These floors can be a little expensive and their installed cost per square foot can be close to a good quality ceramic tile floor. However they are definitely worth the cost when used in smaller areas such as for Kitchen flooring, Bedroom, Den or Dining Room flooring.
I do not recommend this for bathroom flooring or other mostly wet floor use because of the panel fiberboard material.
See Introduction to Cork Flooring
Installation Difficulty: Average
Installation Method:
Cork flooring comes either in glue-down or interlocking floating floor applications. Interlocking cork flooring is recommended since it is much easier, more versatile and less expensive as an installed system. The cork flooring planks come with a specially designed edge that interlocks with the adjacent panels. Some manufacturers' floating floor products can be installed over most hard surfaces such as vinyl floor coverings, wood flooring and ceramic tile, but carpets must be removed. The sub-floor will have to be even, flat, dry and level to within 0.1" in 6 feet and the substrate surface over which the floor will be installed will have to be completely dry.
Construction:
Although the actual construction of cork floors will vary slightly between manufacturers, it will generally consist of the following components.
- Wear Surface: Factory or field applied and will usually be a UV hardened varnish, oil or other sealer.
- Cork Bark Veneer or Top Layer: The visible cork veneer.
- Cork Core: Provides additional insulation and impact absorption comfort for walking and standing.
- Stabilizing Core: This is the structure of the floor panel and is made from either HDF (High Density Fiberboard) or MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). The edges of the core will be milled in such a way as to allow the interlocking of the panel to adjoining pieces.
- Cork Underlayment: Flexible low-density cork material used to provide acoustic insulation.
Linoleum Plank Flooring (floating)
LINOLEUM PLANK FLOORING (interlocking planks)
Recommended Uses: Kitchen, Bedrooms, Recreation Rooms
Characteristics:
Linoleum flooring is natural and since it is made from natural raw materials you may see slight color and structural differences are possible between the production batches and samples. Linoleum flooring wear like iron and maintain a warm natural look and feel. I don't recommend plank versions of linoleum flooring for areas that can become very wet such as for bathroom flooring because of the plank's high density fiberboard (HDF) construction.
Installation Difficulty: Average
Installation Method:
For proper acclimation, boxes should be stored flat, and unopened, for approximately 2-3 days (6 days in winter) in the center of the room in which they are to be installed. Planks are easy to install using a simple tongue & groove mechanism. The linoleum flooring panels simply "click" into place requiring no adhesive and the floor can be walked on immediately after installation.
Construction:
I have used and recommend Marmoleum brand linoleum flooring as made by Forbo Flooring Systems in Hazleton, PA. The Marmoleum Click product is a linoleum laminate with a protective layer on HDF panels and cork. It incorporates Marmoleum and the sub-floor system in a single product, and can be installed on almost every type of floor. Since the product is linoleum, its main ingredient is natural linseed oil, mixed with wood flour, rosin and limestone. Marmoleum gets its color from "ecologically responsible pigments" according to the company. The linoleum is pressed onto a jute fabric under high pressure producing an extremely durable and environmentally friendly flooring.
Vinyl Tile Flooring (glue-down)
VINYL TILE FLOORING (glue-down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Tile vinyl flooring is durable, affordable and comes in a vast array of styles such as geometric patterns and realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks. Vinyl flooring is easy to clean and maintain if it has urethane wear layer. It may be used as bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring. The lives of these floors may range from 5 to 20 years depending on the quality of the tile and quality of the installation.
Installation Difficulty: Intermediate
Installation Method:
Full glue spread. Requires a trowel applied full spread adhesive where adhesive is spread across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation. Not recommended for installation over old resilient flooring.
Construction:
The construction of tile vinyl flooring generally consists of these elements:
- Urethane or similar wear layer (used on premium tiles).
- Protective clear film layer for durability and protection from rips and tears.
- Printed and sometimes embossed design layer which can range from realistic looking natural materials to unique patterns.
- The vinyl tile flooring backing layer providing tile structure, strength and durability.
Linoleum Tile Flooring (glue-down)
LINOLEUM TILE FLOORING (glue-down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Linoleum flooring tile is very beautiful and durable providing flexible design possibilities through use of colors and patterns. A great choice for bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring. This material is natural and since it is made from natural raw materials you may see slight color and structural differences are possible between the production batches and samples.
Linoleum flooring wears like iron and maintains a warm natural look and feel. Lives of these floors may exceed 40+ years depending on the quality of the tile and quality of the installation.
Installation Difficulty: Intermediate
Installation Method:Linoleum flooring tile requires a trowel applied full spread adhesive where the adhesive is spread across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation. Not recommended for installation over old resilient flooring. Cartons of tiles should be installed in consecutive order, installing tile in alternating directions (quarter turned). Install tiles into wet adhesive and roll immediately with a 100 lb. roller. Always check for proper adhesive transfer. In order to achieve a secure bond there must be a complete wet transfer of adhesive to the tile backing. Do not allow heavy traffic or rolling loads for a minimum of 72 hours following the installation. Additional time may be necessary when installing over non-porous substrates.
In order to allow the adhesive to dry and cure properly, wait at least five days following the installation before conducting wet cleaning procedures or initial maintenance.
Construction:
Linoleum flooring tile like that manufactured by Marmoleum® is made primarily from natural ingredients which consist of oxidized linseed oil, rosins, cork and/or wood flour, all of which are embedded onto a carrier backing sheet. Depending on the embedding process used and the composition, various types of linoleum can be manufactured. Marmoleum linoleum flooring tile uses a dimensionally stable polyester backing.
SHEET VINYL FLOORING (loose lay or glue down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Sheet vinyl flooring has long been a favorite in homes for areas receiving heavy use such as the bathroom or kitchen. It is durable, affordable and comes in a large variety of styles such as geometric patterns and realistic wood, stone and ceramic looks. Vinyl is easy to clean and maintain if it has urethane wear layer and is a great choice for bathroom flooring.
Sheet vinyl flooring can also last much longer than vinyl tile flooring. The life of sheet vinyl flooring may range from 20 to 30 years depending on the quality of the vinyl flooring and quality of the installation, compared to 5 to 20 years for a vinyl tile floor.
Installation Difficulty: Advanced
Installation Method:
Depending on the sheet vinyl flooring backing, sheet vinyl flooring may be designed for use with either a modified loose lay installation method using acrylic double-faced tape under seams or installed by the full adhesive spread glue down method.
With felt backing use full-spread or perimeter adhesive; with fiberglass backing use loose-lay, modified loose-lay or full spread.
Full spread requires a trowel applied full spread adhesive where adhesive is spread across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation. Do not install over substrates such as OSB, Particleboard, or wafer-board panels, existing resilient tile floors that are below grade, existing cushion-backed vinyl flooring, carpet, hardwood flooring that has been installed directly over concrete.
Construction:
Sheet vinyl flooring typically comes in 6 foot and 12 foot rolls. The construction of sheet vinyl flooring generally consists of these elements:
- Urethane or similar wear layer.
- Protective clear film layer for durability and protection from rips and tears.
- Printed and sometimes embossed design layer which can range from realistic looking natural materials to unique patterns.
- Felt or fiberglass backing layer providing structure, strength and durability.
SHEET LINOLEUM FLOORING / ROLLED FLOOR (glue down)
Recommended Uses: Bathroom, Kitchen, Laundry
Characteristics:
Linoleum is very beautiful and durable providing flexible design abilities for bathroom flooring, kitchen flooring, mud room, bedrooms or other areas through use of colors and patterns. This material is natural and since it is made from natural raw materials you may see slight color and structural differences are possible between the production batches and samples.
The floor is extremely durable, easy to clean and maintains a warm natural look and feel. Lives of these floors may exceed 40+ years depending on the quality of the installation. I have Marmoleum brand linoleum flooring in my home's recreation room and mud rooms, and could not be happier with its performance.
Installation Difficulty: Requires professional installation
Installation Method:
Professional installation is required as sheet linoleum flooring installation requires very specialized expertise and techniques such as heat welded seams. This flooring uses full spread trowel applied adhesive applied across the entire underside of the floor before it is placed down for installation.
Construction:
Linoleum flooring such as manufactured by Marmoleum® is made primarily from natural ingredients which consist of oxidized linseed oil, rosins, cork and/or wood flour, all of which are embedded onto a carrier backing sheet. Depending on the embedding process used and the composition, various types of linoleum can be manufactured.
Marmoleum linoleum uses a dimensionally stable polyester backing.
