Modular tiles make it easy to put a pattern underfoot. The tongue-and-groove pieces fit together without glue and can be laid over subfloors that aren't totally level furniture can be replaced immediately. Linoleum Click-Together Tiles Photo by Andrew McCaulįor this DIY-friendly option, linoleum is glued to water-repellent, high-density wax-sealed fiberboard with a cork backing in 12-by-12-inch squares and 12-by-36-inch panels. Installation is the same as for sheet linoleum. The edges are slightly beveled, so the pieces fit together tightly, making seams all but invisible. The backing is polyester instead of jute, for dimensional stability. Tiles generally come in 10-by-10-inch and 20-by-20-inch squares, as well as 10-by-20-inch rectangles. Linoleum Modular Tiles Photo by Andrew McCaul Keep the floor clear of heavy furniture for three days to avoid creating dents. After being glued down with a water-based adhesive, sheets are flattened with a 100-pound roller. Sheets 6½ feet wide and backed with jute can be laid over any properly prepared level subfloor, above or below grade, as long as no moisture can penetrate. Backings and installation techniques differ, depending on the type. Three major manufacturers- Forbo, Armstrong, and Tarkett-produce the lion's share of lino. Linoleum Three Ways Photo by Andrew McCaul Where to buy it: Flooring retailers and green-building suppliers. The finish is not covered under warranty you can expect about five to eight years of normal wear before it needs to be refreshed with a buffer or a liquid polish. Because it's porous, linoleum now comes sealed with a UV-cured factory finish that also makes it water resistant. How much care? Moderate-damp-mop with a pH-neutral cleanser recommended by the manufacturer. Will it last? Linoleum can wear for decades when properly installed and maintained. For a pro installation of sheets and tile, add an extra $2 to $4 per square foot. How much does it cost? Sheets and tiles run about $4 to $6 per square foot and click-together pieces, and about $7 to $9. Other components are cork dust (2), wood flour (3), pine resin (4), ground limestone (5), and pigments (6) pressed onto a jute backing (7). Linseed oil (1) gives linoleum its name: a Latin mash-up of linum (flax) and oleum (oil). Forbo Click in Van Gogh, Sky Blue, and Silver Shadow, starting at about $7 per square foot Recipe for a "GREEN" Floor Photo by Joe Yutkins Shown: A third color adds a twist to the classic two-tone checkerboard pattern in this kitchen. Here's the lowdown on lino and how to put this hardworking surface to use in your home's most demanding rooms. All that in an easy-to-clean, budget-friendly package that's priced comparably with higher-end vinyl but has green cred that newer material can't match. Linoleum's smooth, water-resistant surface is comfortable underfoot, and its natural ingredients shrug off dirt and bacteria, making it the floor of choice for hospitals, schools, and libraries. Pigments have improved too, allowing for a broader palette of some 170 stay-true tints. "The material itself hasn't really changed, but it now comes with a durable factory finish, so there's a lot less maintenance," says Joel Hirshberg, president of Green Building Supply, in Fairfield, Iowa. Patented by Frederick Walton in 1863, linoleum remains one of the longest-wearing and most versatile flooring materials a homeowner can choose. When the RMS Titanic set sail in 1912, many of its public spaces featured linoleum flooring, and nearly 100 years later, an expedition to the famed wreck discovered those tiles-still intact. Hardworking Floors Photo by Stacey Brandford
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