Marmoleum is a floor covering that is used in decorating various rooms. Unfortunately, many consumers only learn about it in the store, although experts say that over time, this particular material will occupy a leading position among construction products. There are a number of reasons for this, firstly, marmoleum has many positive qualities, and secondly, its installation is so simple and familiar that it will not cause difficulties even for people without experience construction work. In our article we will talk about what advantages this coating has, what types there can be, and how can it be installed?
To consider what types of this material there are, you need to have a little idea about what kind of marmoleum coating it is, and why is it so valued? Its value lies in the fact that only natural ingredients are used in its production: flour, lime, jute fiber, linseed oil, wood flour, resin coniferous trees. Therefore, this material can easily be entrusted with the design of children's or other premises where people with a tendency to allergies will be. 
Construction stores will offer you several types of marmoleum:
- roll type material;
- in the form of tiles;
- in the form of panels.
In addition, marmoleum can be:
Flooring material can also be differentiated by size. For example, if we consider the rolled version of marmoleum, then its width varies up to 6 m, while the weight of the roll will be about 120 kg. 
Working with rolled material is quite difficult, in the sense that once the roll has been laid out, it cannot be rolled back, so you will need several people to load and unload the coating and transport it from the store.
The material in tiled form has more modest dimensions, 30x30 cm or 50x50 cm. Laying such a coating, as well as its transportation, is simpler, so you can handle everything yourself. 
If we talk about the panel version of marmoleum, then its dimensions are slightly more tiles, 90x30 cm, but the installation technology does not change. If you have once laid laminate, parquet, porcelain stoneware or tiles on the floor, then you will cope with laying marmoleum perfectly. 
Advantages and disadvantages
As mentioned above, most designers are inclined to believe that marmoleum will soon occupy a leading position among floor coverings. What are such statements based on? To answer the question posed, you need to understand what advantages and disadvantages this coating has.
The advantages of laying marmoleum include:
The disadvantages of the material include:
Laying such flooring material It won’t cause any difficulties even for a beginner, but you shouldn’t refuse expert advice. It is much easier to prevent an error than to correct it. 
What you need to know when laying marmoleum with your own hands:
- Installation of a new coating on the previous one is possible, but provided that it is in perfect condition: no depressions, large cracks or other changes.
- Marmoleum can be immediately laid on concrete base, without additional insulation.
- The base for marmoleum must be smooth, without roughness, otherwise the design result will be distorted.
If the previous base has minor flaws, then it is more advisable to correct this with the help of a special substrate for the laminate.
- Before laying the material, it is recommended to lay it out on the floor surface and accurately calculate where to cut it. But even the most accurate calculations may have errors, so it is recommended to stock up on material around the entire perimeter.
- It is better to use a jigsaw to cut marmoleum.
- To attach the material to the floor, it is recommended to use any tile adhesive, mastic or other compounds.
- After laying the material, let it rest until the glue dries completely. The recommended time can be found on the packaging of the adhesive.
- If delamination of the edges occurs when laying the material, this error is corrected using a special grout. But it is not recommended to purchase it in advance, as you may lose with its color.
Despite the excellent moisture-resistant properties of the material, it is not recommended to be placed in bathrooms or kitchens, where there is constant humidity or sudden temperature changes.
Do-it-yourself technology for installing marmoleum on the floor
If you have decided to lay marmoleum in one of your rooms, but still doubt your abilities, then our article will tell you about the installation technology and help you overcome all the difficulties during the work process.
Laying marmoleum using locks
The process of laying interlocking material is not much different from installing tiles or laminate; the technology for carrying out the work is similar, but with minor additions.
The laying technology is as follows:
- Bring the material into the room where you plan to install it. Leave it to lie for a day in this room.
- Prepare the base in advance so that before installation work it was clean, dry and smooth.
- The base, before using marmoleum, is covered with waterproofing material. If film is used as this material, then the joining of the film should be done overlapping and taped. Allowance for the walls must also be made.
- The first panel is laid in such a way that its ridge is turned towards the wall. I install subsequent covering elements in the same way.
To avoid strong compaction of all coating fragments, it is recommended to use wooden block as a gasket.
- The distance between the wall and the material should be such that it can subsequently be hidden with a plinth. To adjust this gap, it is recommended to use spacer wedges.
- After installing the first row, the cut piece of tile is laid at the beginning of the next row. It is installed in the groove with a tenon, but is not snapped into place, but left at an angle. Next you will need bars, with which you need to join the panels with the end parts to the end of the row, then remove the bars and snap the formed row along the entire longitudinal side.
- Every 4 rows you need to adjust the placement of the tiles to maintain the distance between them.
- As a rule, the last row cannot be laid in the standard way, so you need to cut the lock along the longitudinal side, and when laying the last tile under the obstacle, glue the rows together.
This type of material installation is called a “floating floor”, so the skirting boards need to be attached only to the wall.
Laying marmoleum on an adhesive composition
Preparing the base before laying such material is no different from the previous method, so let’s move on to the work right away.
- Installation begins from the short side of the room. A strip wrapped in film is applied to it, and a portion of the glue is applied, evenly distributing it over the surface. Then you need to apply the material to the adhesive composition.
In this way you can attach as roll material, and tiled.
For more details on how to lay marmoleum with your own hands, you can watch the video:
What material to use when decorating your premises is up to you. Linoleum, laminate or marmoleum have good performance characteristics, although the first two are noticeably inferior compared to the new coating. If you decide to give your preference to marmoleum, then no matter what type of this material you purchase, rolled fabric, tile or panel, its installation will not cause you much difficulty. The main thing is to prepare the base and choose the installation method.
What is marmoleum? This new material for floor coverings, the production of which is rapidly developing. In the future, marmoleum will most likely replace all types of floor coverings except wooden parquet made from precious wood that will remain as a luxury item.
This explosive spread of marmoleum is due to its truly outstanding advantages:
- Marmoleum is absolutely environmentally friendly, it is made only from natural ingredients, and they are so cheap that counterfeiting is not economically justified.
- Marmoleum is non-toxic, does not cause allergies, and in addition also has bactericidal properties.
- Marmoleum is cheap: a marmoleum floor is 15-30% cheaper than the cheapest current material - laminate.
- Marmoleum flooring does not require additional insulation or thermal insulation: the material itself has insulating properties.
- Marmoleum is durable and hygienic: it does not fade, does not swell when wet and does not warp, withstands enormous local loads, and even spilled paint does not stick to it. The guaranteed service life of marmoleum is 20 years, but judging by the structure and manufacturing technology, in the future it will be increased to 100 years.
- Marmoleum does not accumulate static electricity and is not flammable: a cigarette butt thrown on it will smolder without leaving a trace, and it is only possible to burn through marmoleum with an autogenous gun.
- Marmoleum is decorative: it can be painted in the most different colors, texture like wood, stone, etc. Currently, marmoleum is produced in 100 primary colors and more than 2000 shades.
- And finally, marmoleum is extremely easy to work with: literally a preschooler can do the laying of marmoleum with his own hands.
Video: marmoleum, its safety and basic installation points
A little history
How did this one come into being? wonderful material? This took several centuries.
Even in ancient times, fabrics were impregnated with oil to increase their durability. By the 17th century In Europe, jute came into use - a very coarse and durable burlap made from fibers of plants of the genus Corchorus linden family: Indian flax, Calcutta hemp, Tossa jute. At the same time, oiled jute fabric, coated with various hardening compounds, began to be used for flooring. The prehistory of marmoleum ended in 1863 with British Patent No. 209/1860 for linoleum, issued to Frederick Walton. In 1864, mass production of linoleum began.
Walton managed to develop a very cheap and fairly durable topcoat based on linseed oil, pine resin (resin), wood flour, natural dyes and chalk. After World War II natural linoleum replaced PVC-based linoleum, but the global oil crisis and increased environmental awareness revived the demand for natural linoleum, which contributed to the improvement of its manufacturing technology.
By the beginning of the 90s, even cheaper and higher-quality substitutes for linseed oil and resin, obtained from highly productive tropical crops, were found. At the same time, a third, intermediate layer of pressed cork chips was introduced into the linoleum structure. The finishing touch was the use of hot dry pressing technology, developed for the production of MDF, in the production of linoleum.
The coatings obtained in this way went on sale under common name marmoleum. In fact, marmoleum is natural linoleum taken to the limit of its perfection.
Marmoleum is especially good for children's rooms.
Disadvantages of Marmoleum
There is no such thing as complete perfection, so marmoleum also has its drawbacks.
- Firstly, marmoleum is fragile, especially around the edges, and when working with it you need to be careful certain rules; see below. You can roll marmoleum into a roll once with the base facing out.
- Secondly, marmoleum spreads a little over time and hardens. This is good for the floor: you don’t need to carefully seal the seams, they will come together on their own. But when buying marmoleum, you need to carefully study the manufacturer’s instructions for that particular brand and check the shelf life. If boxes with tiles or rolls were subjected to careless handling during transportation, some of the material may end up with cracks, so you need to look for a seller with a guarantee.
- Thirdly, marmoleum is heavy and at the same time retains residual plasticity along the layers for a long time. For the floor, this is again good: there is no need for careful leveling of the base; Marmoleum will cover irregularities of a quarter or even a third of its thickness, and its surface will remain smooth. But you can’t use marmoleum to decorate walls and especially ceilings: the coating will “float” under its own weight. Marmoleum is exclusively a floor covering.
- Fourthly, marmoleum is difficult to cut and smooth smooth cut, as on laminate or MDF, it is impossible to achieve on it. Therefore, marmoleum is cut only along the walls to size, where the cut is covered by the baseboard. That is, the decorative possibilities of marmoleum when laying it independently are limited to laying out a pattern from standard tiles.
Characteristics, classification, standard sizes
The technical characteristics of marmoleum have actually already been described. It remains to add that it can withstand a load of 160 kg/sq.m. without residual deformation. see (!), it specific gravity is 2.6 – 3.4 kg/sq. m, and the total thickness is 2-4 mm depending on the class.
Marmoleum is available in the following classes:
- 41-43 – top decorative layer more than 3 mm thick. Withstands up to 100 thousand attacks per day for 5 years. Designed for public spaces with a large flow of visitors; for example, large international airports.
- 31-33 – industrial. The thickness of the decorative layer is up to 2.5 mm. It holds alternating loads worse than 41-43, but is more resistant to static loads.
- 21-23 – general purpose. It differs from industrial only in its thinner coating (up to 2 mm) and in price - it is cheaper.
Conclusion: do not buy the thickest and most expensive marmoleum for your home. From the legs of concentrated loads: cabinets, stands for an aquarium, holes can form in it over time. For yourself, buy the cheapest one.
The standard sizes of marmoleum are as follows:
- Rolls 2 m wide. Rolled marmoleum for self-installation not suitable - to handle it you need a forklift, a crane and a team of experienced riggers. Once you have rolled out the roll, you cannot roll it back. Due to the heaviness and fragility of the material, working with long strips in an apartment is extremely inconvenient.
- Tiles 50x50 cm and 30x30 cm. They are laid with glue, like PVC or ceramic tiles.
- Panels 90x30 cm. Lay like tiles.
Laying marmoleum
Tool
When laying marmolium, laminate tools must be used carefully: the edges of the tiles or panels are fragile. It is better to stock up on a wooden or rubber hammer (mallet) and a rule (clamp-hook) with a wide hook, at least 150 mm. The rest of the instruments are ordinary.
To the previous coating
Marmoleum can be laid directly on the existing floor covering using any installation adhesive. But, if the old floor is playing or it has been trampled to the point of depressions, then the previous covering must be removed and the marmoleum should be laid on bare concrete. There is no need to worry about heat/sound insulation - marmoleum itself is an excellent insulator.
Marmoleum tiles are laid end-to-end on the previous coating using glue. It is not advisable to use panels - on an old rough floor they can get stuck during adjustment.
Preparing the base
The concrete base or cement-sand screed for marmolium, if there are noticeable protrusions on it, needs to be leveled. It is imperative to remove sharp protrusions more than 1.5-2 mm high. This can be done with a drill or grinder using a bowl-shaped circle on the stone. If a cup accidentally crashes into concrete, it’s okay, the depression can be repaired cement mortar or starting putty. After leveling, the dust needs to be swept away, the remains collected with a vacuum cleaner, then sprinkled with water and swept again.
An option “for the lazy”, but more expensive: cover the base with a plastic pillow under the laminate. In any case, no pre-treatment of the base with bitumen primer, etc. not required.
Marmoleum for offices, on which company symbols are applied, is gaining particular popularity.
Cutting material
- We measure how much solid tiles or panels will lie across the width of the room; then - how long the rows will be. We take into account a gap of 15-30 mm around the perimeter; it will be covered with a plinth. The gap is needed so that due to temperature and plastic deformations of the coating it does not swell over time.
- We cut the length of the remainder of the whole with a jigsaw or a hand-held circular saw, a number of tiles/panels equal to the number of transverse rows.
Example: room in plan 4x6 m; cover with panels. The remainder of the whole is 400 - (90x4 = 360) = 40 cm. The length is 600/30 = 20 rows. Cut 20 pieces 36 cm long (36x30 cm).
When laying with a comb, with offset transverse seams, the cutting ends there. If you want to lay out the rest of the whole evenly around the perimeter, each piece needs to be cut in half lengthwise. In the example, you will get 40 pieces of 18x30 cm.
Laying process
How to lay marmoleum on concrete? Very simple:
- Close to the far short wall we lay a 15-30 mm lath, wrapped in thin plastic film. The film will not allow the rail to stick from accidental glue drips. We lay the same rail along the long left wall; if you are left-handed, then along the right.
- We start laying from the far left corner (from the right - for left-handers). In place of the future tile, apply assembly adhesive, construction silicone or linoleum mastic using a snake. We lay the tiles and push them tightly into the corner. If necessary, we use a rule and a mallet.
- We lay out transverse rows, row by row, until the entire area is filled. We wait for the glue to set as indicated in the instructions for it. That's all.
Explanation: if you lay it with a comb, then start the rows alternately with a solid panel, then with a cut one. When laying out the remainder of the whole along the perimeter, each row begins and ends with a trim.
Good afternoon, Gal!
Marmoleum is a product made from balsa wood and jute. Natural resin from vegetable oils. The use of natural materials allows us to ultimately obtain an environmentally friendly product that does not have a harmful effect on humans and animals. The technology for making marmoleum is quite old; analogues of this material were used for finishing houses back in the 17th century. Since then, significant changes have been made to the technology, but its essence and the composition of the material (its basis) remain the same. Unlike linoleum, marmoleum is more rigid and does not press down in places where furniture and other heavy objects are installed. This allows the use of softer materials as a substrate for marmoleum. Marmoleum has the following requirements for the base - it must be dry, clean and even.
The technology for laying marmoleum is similar to laying linoleum, but there are some peculiarities. The main thing is that marmoleum does not tolerate moisture. Therefore, this material is not used for finishing the bathroom.
Due to intolerance to humidity, a clean concrete base for marmoleum is not used, since condensation may form on the concrete. To protect the material from condensation, polyethylene is placed between the concrete and marmoleum.
If marmoleum is laid on an old wooden floor that has many defects, for example, delamination of boards, protruding nails, gouges from furniture during long-term use, then plywood is used as a leveling substrate.
If the plank floor is relatively good condition, then its preparation is limited to careful puttying of cracks and various irregularities.
In addition, jute, linen and mixed substrates made from natural fibers.
In addition to leveling, they insulate the base well. Marmoleum coating with such a substrate gives the feeling of a “warm” floor. In linen, experts note good ventilation qualities, high strength, and resistance to mold. Jute fibers specially treated with an appropriate composition prevent burning.
The cork backing provides good heat and sound insulation. Cork - natural material and therefore environmentally friendly, odorless and does not cause allergic reactions body. Mold does not appear under it, fungus does not grow. It is impregnated with a fire-resistant composition and therefore guarantees fire safety. But cork is relatively expensive, but at the same time more durable than other types of substrates. When choosing cork, it is recommended to give preference to harder varieties. Many people believe that it is still better to use it under laminate.
Often, a porous polymer (isolon, penofizol), reminiscent of foam rubber, is used as a substrate. Its main advantages: low cost and ease of installation. The disadvantages, due to which many experts do not recommend using it, include its crushability under load, low strength and very low thermal insulation properties.
Marmoleum is an innovation in construction industry, or rather in the field of flooring. It is rapidly replacing the usual linoleum and laminate because it has a number of advantages:
- Thanks to the cheap materials used to produce marmoleum, its cost is low.
- The coating is absolutely environmentally friendly, non-toxic and safe for human health, therefore suitable for installation in residential areas.
- The material has good thermal insulation properties, is resistant to heavy loads and cannot be deformed.
- A variety of colors and textures to choose from best option just for you, and the service life reaches 20 years.
- Easy to install.
All materials have not only pros, but also cons. Marmoleum is no exception:
- Marmoleum, produced in rolls, cannot be rolled more than once, but always with the base to the top, and it is also necessary to be careful during the installation process, since the material has fragile edges.
- After a certain time, the material hardens a little and blurs, in addition, after long-term storage In improper conditions or careless transportation, marmoleum deteriorates its quality indicators.
- Since marmoleum is a rather elastic and heavy material, it cannot be used for finishing walls and ceilings.
- When slicing, an uneven cut is formed on it, which can ruin the entire look. Therefore, the material should be cut only in those places that will later be hidden by furniture or baseboards.
Release form
Marmoleum is produced in several variations:
- In the form of a roll with a width of 200 cm. It is quite difficult to lay it in an apartment, since it can only be rolled once, so the help of several professionals and special tools will be required.
- In the form of square tiles with dimensions of 50*50 and 30*30 cm, special glue is used for their installation.
- In the form of rectangular slabs 90*30 cm, the installation process is similar to the previous version.
Installation process
If you have chosen this material as flooring, you need to understand how to lay marmoleum to avoid mistakes. When choosing tools for work that are used when installing laminate, you should be careful, since marmoleum is more fragile. Also keep in mind that the process of cutting the material is quite complicated, and after it there are unsightly edges, which will require rubber hammer and a hook clamp.
Due to the characteristics of the material, it can be laid directly on the old floor. However, this is allowed only if there are no defects on the old coating, otherwise it must be deformed and work carried out on the concrete base. Marmoleum does not require any substrate, since it copes with this function itself.
For home use should be given preference square tiles, mounted on glue, since joining problems may arise with the panels.
Base
When preparing the base, try to level it, or rather, get rid of strong differences in the surface, with further puttying of deep potholes. After all work, dust the floor with a vacuum cleaner.
Material adjustment
Lay the material on the floor of the room in such a way that there is a distance of 1.5 cm between the wall and the marmoleum along the entire perimeter. This must be done so that in the future the floor covering does not deform under the influence of temperature changes and moisture. These gaps will be hidden under the baseboards. If necessary, adjust the outer row of slabs to required sizes using a jigsaw.
Installation on concrete base
If you work in rectangular room, work should begin from the wall with a shorter length. Before the process, place a strip (1.5 cm) against the wall, which must be wrapped in film to prevent sticking. Next, take the glue and apply it in a zigzag pattern directly under the tile, and then lay down the covering and press it tightly against the plank. Silicone or special glue is used for fixation.
After this, place the next element on the side and thus move to the opposite wall, laying transverse rows. If necessary, use a hammer and clamp.
After completing the work, you must leave the flooring alone until the glue has completely dried ( given time specified in the instructions).
Seam processing
You can add originality to your flooring by inserting matches between the slabs during the installation process. After finishing the match, pull it out and treat the seams with grout.
Remember that before installation you should treat the material with extreme care, otherwise cracks and defects will appear on its surface.
The content of the article:
Marmoleum is a floor covering of natural origin. Its production technology is quite old, dating back to the 17th century. But, despite its modern improvements, the material has remained one of the most environmentally friendly to this day. This flooring can have about a hundred colors and a thousand various shades, with their help it will be possible to realize many artistic solutions. How to lay marmoleum to create a beautiful and cozy interior in your home, you will find out by reading this article.
Technical characteristics of marmoleum for floors
This material is made from natural ingredients: plant resin, jute and cork. During the production process, its composition may change slightly by adding wood flour, chalk and linseed oil. All components are mixed into a homogeneous mass, which is infused for a week, and then dyes are added to it. Subsequently, the mass is pressed, cut into tiles, boards, and canvas, which are then dried.
Approximately 80% of products are produced in the form of sheets rolled into rolls. They have a width from 1.5 to 6 m and a thickness of 2-4 mm, which depends on the class of coating. The weight of one roll can be up to 120 kg, so it is not advisable to work with it yourself. In addition to being heavy, the material is also fragile. Once the roll has been rolled out, it can no longer be rolled up. And work in small apartment with long canvases it is extremely inconvenient.
Marmoleum panels are made in sizes 90x30 cm, and tiles - 30x30 or 50x50 cm. In this case, the design of the tiles can include installation with or without glue, using special locking connections.
The finished material has a specific gravity of 2.6-3.4 kg/m2 and is capable of withstanding a load of 160 kg/cm2 in the absence of residual deformation.
To make it easier for customers to choose the type of marmoleum for each individual case, the material is divided into classes:
- 21-23 grades. This includes inexpensive materials with a decorative layer of up to 2 mm, which have a general purpose.
- 31-33 grades. These are industrial floor coverings. The thickness of their decorative layer is up to 2.5 mm. The material tolerates static loads well, but alternating loads - somewhat worse.
- 41-43 grades. These include coatings specially designed for areas with heavy traffic and large flows of people. Typically these are large airports, train stations, hotels and hospitals. Upper layer This material is quite powerful; the thickness of the marmoleum here is more than 3 mm. Thanks to it, coatings of these classes can withstand up to 100,000 daily short-term foot loads for 5 years.
A good covering option for home use are panels and tiles with lock connection. Their strength and durability are ensured by a special HDF board, supplemented with a layer of cork underneath, which helps reduce noise in the room. The top of the slab is covered with a jute cloth with plastic marmoleum. If necessary, such flooring can be restored, sanded and topcoated protective film. In any case, its pattern will remain unharmed, since it occupies the entire thickness of the outer layer.
Advantages and disadvantages of marmoleum
When choosing a marmoleum floor covering, it is useful to know that it is extremely interesting not only for its composition, but also for its capabilities, which are due to a number of significant advantages of this material. These include:
- Harmlessness. The material is created exclusively from natural ingredients, so it is non-toxic and even has some bactericidal effect.
- Low cost. Among all the floor coverings existing on the market finishing materials, natural linoleum is one of the cheapest products. Its average price is almost 30% lower than the cost of the most inexpensive laminate.
- Thermal insulating properties. Thanks to their presence, a floor covered with marmoleum does not need insulation.
- Durability. The floor covering can withstand significant loads, it does not get wet, does not warp or fade. Even paint spilled on marmoleum is not absorbed into it and does not stick to the surface. The guaranteed service life of the material is 20 years, but in fact it can be used twice as long.
- Fire resistance. It is almost absolute; it is possible to burn through the coating only with the help of an autogen.
- Decorativeness. Marmoleum can be given various colors and thousands of shades, change its texture, imitating wood, stone, metal and bring even the most unusual design solutions into reality.
- Easy installation. This mainly applies to panels and tiles. To lay piece materials, it is not at all necessary to be an experienced specialist.
In addition to its heavy weight and fragility, the material has a couple more disadvantages that are worth mentioning:
- Over time, marmoleum spreads and hardens. To some extent, this is its advantage: if the fragments of material have small gaps between each other, there is no need to seal them, they will fit together on their own. But on the other hand, there is a risk of buying defective material if its shelf life is exceeded. Therefore, this information should be clarified when purchasing flooring.
- The decorative capabilities of the material are sometimes limited by the fact that it is difficult to cut. The resulting cut of natural marmoleum is not smooth or as even as, for example, a laminated board or MDF. Therefore, the flooring is cut only along the walls.
Manufacturers and prices of natural linoleum
Today, only 3 companies produce natural linoleum in the world: ARMSTRONG-DLW, FORBO and TARKETT-SOMMER.
Special attention It is worth paying attention to the products of the Dutch company FORBO. Its patented MARMOLEUM brand has unique parameters that turn this material into a completely special kind floor coverings. Thanks to the inclusion of wood flour in the coating composition, rather than cork, which can reject dyes, the company has learned to give its products rich and bright shades.
The protective layer, which is applied to the front side of natural linoleum after its installation, for the FORBO brand is a two-layer Topshield coating, which protects the material from wear and scratches. For ARMSTRONG-DLW products, this function is performed by Pur Eco System and LPX coatings, which were developed not so long ago.
High-quality protection of marmoleum solves a lot of problems. Thanks to it, the coating gets dirty less and is faster to clean, and becomes resistant to chemical and mechanical influences. It does not need to be rubbed with mastic before use. IN living conditions updating the protective layer will not be necessary for many years.
The most popular natural linoleum is FORBO Click, equipped with a lock made using Aquaprotect technology. This coating is sold in the form of a panel or tile with a cork base and a moisture-resistant NDF board coated with Topshield protection. The material is not afraid of the heels of women's shoes and the claws of pets; it is not difficult to wipe off paint stains from the coating or remove chewing gum from it.
FORBO's enterprises are scattered across forty countries of the European Union, its products are revered and recognizable due to their exceptional quality, which is confirmed by certificates.
As for the cost of natural linoleum, it is located in the price range between wooden coverings such as parquet and ordinary linoleum. Today the price of rolled marmoleum is 600-2300 rubles/m2, material in the form of tiles 300x300x9.8 mm is about 1500 rubles. for one package, which contains 7 products, in the form of panels measuring 900x300x9.8 mm - about 4,000 rubles. per pack of seven products. That is, this material is difficult to classify as a budget category. Therefore, in order to avoid counterfeits, it is better to purchase it from trusted dealers.
Technology for installing marmoleum on the floor
As already noted, laying marmoleum is not particularly difficult. However, some technological nuances still take place. This is mainly due to the characteristics of the material. Let's look at the main methods of installing natural linoleum coverings.
Laying castle marmoleum
Before starting work, natural linoleum must rest for 24 hours in the room where the flooring is planned to be installed. At the end of this time, the packaging with the material must be opened, its contents checked for completeness, the presence or absence of defects and, if necessary, the defective material must be replaced.
There is nothing special about preparing the base for the coating. In any case, it should be smooth, intact, clean and dry. There are many ways to achieve this, use any of them.
Finished surface The floor must be covered with waterproofing film before laying marmoleum. It can be polyethylene or polyester material. Waterproofing is needed to protect the coating from the possible appearance of condensation when the temperature of the ceiling changes. The film should be laid with an overlap of 200 mm and placed on the walls by 5 cm. The insulation joints should be taped.
The first cladding panel must be laid with a ridge against the wall, and the remaining elements of the first row are mounted in the same way, connecting at the ends. To avoid damaging the material when compacting a row of panels with a hammer, a wooden block should be used as a spacer. You should leave a gap of at least 1 cm between the wall and the covering, but no more than the width of the plinth. The gap is adjusted using special wedges.
After completing the laying of the first row, the cut piece of its last slab must be laid at the beginning of the next row. It is installed in the groove with its tenon, but the lock does not need to be snapped into place, but left at an angle. In this case, you should use bars: first connect all the panels with their ends to the end of the row, and then you need to remove the bars and gently press the next row onto the previous one along the longitudinal connection.
After laying every 3-4 rows, the position of the covering must be adjusted to maintain the size of the gaps. If the last row in the usual way it is not possible to mount, for example, if there is a threshold, then the lock of the longitudinal part of the product needs to be cut, and when the last slab is placed under the obstacle, the rows should simply be glued together.
Marmoleum in this case is installed using a “floating floor” system, so the baseboards of the covering should be attached only to the wall so that they do not interfere with the linear movements of the covering when the moisture and temperature in the room changes.
Laying adhesive marmoleum
All preparatory work in this case are similar to the previous description. Before laying, the sheets or tiles of the covering must be laid out dry on the floor, taking into account the deformation gap at the junction of the marmoleum with the walls. The last row of slabs must be cut to size using an electric jigsaw.
It is recommended to start installing marmoleum from short wall premises. You should first attach a strip wrapped in film to it to form a gap, and then apply special glue to the floor area, distributing it like a “snake”. After this, you need to attach the tile to the treated surface and push it tightly against the rail.
Then other covering elements are installed in the same way on the right or left side. Laying is carried out in transverse rows towards the opposite wall. If necessary, you can use a clamp or hammer to press the tiles.
As for the installation of rolled marmoleum, its technology is no different from laying ordinary commercial linoleum. It is recommended to lay flooring of such material in large rooms, and to obtain a beautiful and durable floor, only two conditions must be met: a flat, clean base and the use of special glue.
How to lay marmoleum - watch the video:
This is all. We hope that our article will help you choose the right material for this wonderful material and decorate the floor of your house or apartment with it yourself. Good luck!
