Linoleum: whether to give up?

The choice of flooring - a serious matter. After all, home comfort depends largely on what the house floor

Today, popular materials such as laminates and flooring, and linoleum as an alternative to almost not considered. Although it may write off the linoleum from the accounts yet.


More natural than others

Of course, today 80% of the proposed market linoleum - PVC-coated (polyvinyl chloride). This material has a very distant relationship to real linoleum. However, there are natural linoleum (although it takes only 1 / 5 of today's market), which is produced, as in former times, the most that neither is on natural products - jute fabrics, wood resin, cork or wood flour, linseed oil (!), limestone powder and is characterized by unique properties.

Linoleum years does not lose its bactericidal properties and different fire resistance - a burning cigarette does not leave its trace on it. Not afraid Linoleum or aggressive household chemicals, no modern underfloor heating, and also has antistatic properties.
The disadvantage of this linoleum - in its fragility, so if we want it to be a long time to serve us, a necessary condition - it is correct styling.

PVC - pluses and minuses

Of course, PVC-coating can not boast of environmental performance - a product of chemical industry, and its production process is completely different than the linoleum. For example, the structure of domestic PVC linoleum like a sandwich: two layers of transparent and foamed PVC sheet of glass is placed. Top facial layer of PVC linoleum applied another layer consisting of tiny colored plastic pellets, which is filled with a transparent polyvinyl chloride.

In addition, the front layer can be poured metal dust and rock dust, to obtain new material properties and pronounced decorative effect (this may be the volume figure).

Of course, PVC vinyl has many advantages. Thus, the acoustic linoleum on the basis of different special foam soundproofing - the neighbors do not hear from the bottom of your stamping, rough and non-slip linoleum with corundum grit is perfect for moist areas, anti-static and conductive linoleum used in areas where there is a lot of electronics, to protect it from static electricity .

Another undoubted advantage of PVC is its low price compared to other finishing materials. PVC vinyl, the cheaper, less its thickness. The bedroom and living room rather thick top layer of 0.15 mm in children - 0,2 mm, in the hallway, the kitchen in the corridor - 0,25-3 mm. If the apartment is a place where very busy traffic (high throughput) can come up with a linoleum top layer 0,5 mm.

The thickness of the top layer of linoleum may not be listed on the price list of the goods, then why not apply to sales consultants. If the seller does not know this, and this is nothing in the documents, you may want to go to another store.

Materials that mimic the linoleum

These modern materials are increasingly surprise us variety and effectiveness of the decor. Some of them may look like wood or stone, ceramic tile, and thus replicate the texture of these popular materials today.

Today, thanks to the creativity of designers from linoleum and different in color and texture of PVC coatings are extraordinary pictures, give the room a truly unique style.