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After years of being viewed as outdated, linoleum flooring is slowly regaining its renowned status in the renovation business. Nowadays, it’s a famous option in both residential and commercial properties, and for good reason. It’s highly durable, resistant to water, and can last for up to 40 years with proper care.
However, linoleum flooring doesn’t come without cons. To make an informed purchasing decision, you should be aware of its pros and shortcomings, and that’s why we’re here!
We’ll tell you everything you need to know about linoleum flooring, including what it is and what its pros and cons are.
Linoleum is made from a combination of natural materials, including pine resins, oxidised linseed oil, gums, wood, and more. After the materials are combined, they’re attached to a canvas backing and treated with pigments to create an attractive design.
Yes, linoleum is a popular choice in many properties because of its durability, especially residential ones. It stayed in the shadows for a while because of new synthetic flooring materials rising to fame, but it’s been making a comeback for a few years now.
Linoleum flooring comes in three types that you might come across while shopping. Here’s a brief roundup of them, along with the pros and cons of each one:
Sheet linoleum flooring comes in large rolls that are laid on the floor intricately. Installing it is a complex process that calls for professionals, but it’s worth the hassle. This is because linoleum sheets come in a myriad of patterns and colours, suitable for every room in your house.
Tile linoleum flooring highly resembles ceramic and porcelain, making it an ideal fit for bathrooms and kitchens. It’s easier to install than sheet flooring but costs more. Linoleum tiles’ selling point is their unprecedented durability, though, as they can outlive sheets by many years.
Floating linoleum tiles come in unique designs that click together like a puzzle, eliminating the need for adhesives. They have the easiest installation method out of the three types, but they require intricate preparation of the subfloor before they’re laid down.
| Pros of Linoleum Flooring | |
| Highly Durable | Linoleum floors have an average lifespan of 20-40 years because of their colourfast nature. Instead of having pigments on their surfaces only, they’re applied through the entire depth of the material. |
| Resistant to Water | Most of the natural materials that comprise linoleum are waterproof, boosting the floors’ resistance to water damage. |
| Versatile | Linoleum floors are available in endless patterns, colours, and designs, making them suitable for every room in your house. |
| Easy to Clean and Maintain | Regular sweeping and mopping are enough to make your linoleum floors last for years. |
| Cons of Linoleum Flooring | |
| Challenging to Install | You can’t DIY your way through linoleum flooring installation because it’s an intricate and complicated process that calls for professionals. |
| Susceptible to Dents | It’s recommended that you rotate your furniture over linoleum flooring every now and then because it’s prone to dents. |
| Susceptible to UV Damage | Linoleum flooring can turn yellowish if exposed to direct sunlight for long hours every day. |
Choosing the best flooring for your property can be a tall order, but linoleum should definitely be among your considerations. It’s most famous for its excellent performance in the following properties:
Linoleum is ideal for houses because of its versatility. It comes in a wide array of types, designs, and colours, making it suitable for almost all rooms inside your property. Here’s a list of rooms where you can install linoleum:
Linoleum flooring doesn’t come to many people’s minds when renovating commercial properties, but it’s a suitable fit for many places. Here’s a list of commercial places where you can install linoleum:
Linoleum flooring comes in a myriad of styles and effects to satisfy every taste. Whether you’re going for an elegant, minimalistic look or a chaotic, stylish one, you’ll find a design that suits your needs.
Linoleum floors come in both neutral and bright colours. Here’s a list of the most common ones you’ll come across while shopping:
Linoleum floors can be designed to resemble many natural materials, boosting their elegance and making them suitable for use in many settings. Here’s a list of the most common finishes linoleum comes in:
No matter what aesthetic you’re into, you’ll find a linoleum pattern that fits your imagination. Here’s a list of the most famous patterns of linoleum flooring:
It depends on what your needs are. If you want a stylish floor for your bedroom and living room, then sheets are the way to go. But if you’re looking for a waterproof and durable option, you should get tiles. It also depends on your budget and style preference.
If you want to give linoleum floors a try, here’s a list of the best brands in the United Kingdom that sell them:
Linoleum flooring can cost you anywhere from £10 to £30 per square metre, depending on the type you choose and the average labour costs in your area.
Yes, you can, and your best bet is to buy sheet linoleum flooring. Since it’s mass-manufactured and available in a myriad of patterns and colours, it’s the most affordable type in the market.
Yes, you can. Linoleum flooring is made from natural materials that aren’t as readily available as synthetic materials, so it can be quite expensive.
The average cost of fitting linoleum flooring is £14-17 per square metre, and the exact number will depend on the size of your rooms.
Linoleum flooring can increase the value of your property at reselling if it’s new and nailed to the floor. However, if it’s floating and old, it’ll have a negative effect on your property’s price.
Installing linoleum flooring is a challenging process that requires close care to avoid mistakes. If you want to get the gist of it, here’s a general idea about how it’s done.
The first step your contractor will do is to measure the room to know how many sheets or tiles are needed to cover the floor. They’ll take into account corners and doorways and cut the flooring to fit the area exactly using a utility knife.
Next, your contractor will remove all the baseboards in the room using a pry bar to leave room for the new floor. If you already have an underlay, they’ll proceed to laying the new tiles. But if you don’t, they’ll add a plywood layer to support the new linoleum flooring and protect it from damage as a result of contact with a tough subfloor.
After preparing the subfloor properly, your contractor will start laying the linoleum flooring. They’ll apply adhesives first to make sure the tiles stick to the subfloor, then fit it where it belongs.
Linoleum can be installed using adhesives or nails, which are favourable approaches for installing sheets and planks. Also, it can be installed by clicking the tiles together, which is an easier but less durable method.
Yes, you do. The underlay will make the floor softer and warmer underfoot. Also, it muffles footsteps, which is much appreciated in crowded spaces.
Yes, you need professional help to install linoleum floors properly, especially if you haven’t done it before. Fitting the floor and adhering it to the ground is an intricate process with no room for mistakes. If you try to DIY and make any mistake, you’ll drastically shorten the lifespan of your floors, as they’ll become more prone to damage.
Regular maintenance is key to extending the life of your linoleum flooring. Here are the best ways you can care for it.
Linoleum flooring is prone to scratching if you drag furniture across it. Also, it can dent after a while as a result of heavy furniture. To prevent these signs of wear, you can place protective pads under your furniture’s legs.
While linoleum floors are highly resistant to moisture, they’re not 100% waterproof. If you clean them using a wet mop and don’t dry them afterwards, they’ll be more likely to suffer water damage.
Linoleum floors can stain and show signs of wear if left dirty for a while. To keep your floors looking as good as new for the longest time possible, you should regularly sweep them to remove dust and mop them to clean any stains.
Here are the best ways you can clean your linoleum flooring without damaging them.
If you have high foot traffic in your house, you should use a mix of linoleum cleaner and warm water to mop the floor every couple of days. The cleaner will clean all the stuck dirt and grime efficiently without causing any discolouration or colour fading.
While sweeping your floors, don’t forget to clean beneath the rugs in your house. When dirt gets stuck under there for a long time, it starts eroding into the floor, which can cause signs of wear and tear.
After a while, linoleum floors can turn dull, even if properly cleaned. To restore their shine, use a linoleum floor polish every few months.
Yes, but it depends on the type of damage. Linoleum floors with small cracks or scratches can be repaired using a seam sealer. Meanwhile, tiles with water damage need to be replaced.
Linoleum flooring lasts an average of 20-40 years, depending on how well they’re cleaned and maintained, whether they’re exposed to sunlight or not, and how much traffic they withstand.
Linoleum flooring is partially efficient, as it’s made of natural materials that are sustainable. However, it doesn’t hold on to heat as much as other energy-efficient floors, like carpets.
Yes, it is. Unlike synthetic floors, linoleum biodegrades in nature and can be easily recycled, so you can renovate your house guilt-free.
Yes, linoleum flooring is a good choice for many people, considering its durability, versatility, and eco-friendliness.
Linoleum flooring might not be the best choice for pets because it’s not entirely scratch resistant. However, if your pets don’t scratch the floor with their nails, then yes, it can be an ideal choice.
Yes, linoleum flooring is good for kids because it’s highly resistant to stains and signs of wear, so it can take running and stomping all day long. Also, it’s softer underfoot than many hard flooring types.
Yes, linoleum flooring is reasonably durable and doesn’t show signs of wear easily, so it’s an ideal match for high-traffic rooms.
Yes, it is. Unlike natural materials, like wood, that absorb water and suffer from rot and mould growth, linoleum repels it. It’s a good fit for wet environments as long as you don’t soak it in water.
Yes, but not entirely. Linoleum resists water as long as it isn’t exposed to it for too long or too extensively. If soaked, it can suffer water damage signs like dulling and discolouration.
Linoleum flooring packs a lot of favourable qualities for property owners, like durability, elegance, and versatility. It comes in three types and endless patterns and designs, so no matter what place you’re renovating, you’ll find a lino floor that fits your needs.
With the help of our guide, you can make an informed purchasing decision and care for your new floors properly.
And if you need any more help with your flooring needs, contact us today. You can get a free quote and site survey!
