How to lay linoleum on a wooden floor - it's not difficult at all! How to properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor. Which linoleum is best to lay on a wooden floor.

The question of the advisability of laying linoleum on wooden floors remains open for many owners, since wooden flooring has many advantages that linoleum is unlikely to beat. The article will discuss how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor in an old house so that the defective coating becomes beautiful and reliable.

Features of wooden floors

The specificity of wooden floors lies in the following features:

first of all, wooden floors are a multi-layer “pie” structure, where in addition to the flooring there is a base of logs, thermal insulation and waterproofing;
It is also worth considering that a certain microclimate is created under the wooden flooring with constant humidity and a small temperature range. Moisture entering such an environment dries quickly, since high-quality wooden floors have a good vapor barrier layer.

After laying linoleum on a wooden floor, the owner will disrupt this microclimate. This can lead to the most serious consequences: increased humidity, changes in thermal conductivity and deformation of base materials. To minimize the risk of such processes, it is necessary to create high-quality ventilation for the subfloor.

Even if you have already laid linoleum on a wooden floor with your own hands, it is not too late to create air ducts in the floor. Decorative grilles will help to harmoniously combine them with the interior of the room, which will look original in the photo and upon visual inspection. The result of creating such passages will be the absence of wood rotting, the formation of fungi and the proliferation of insects.

Preparation for installation of linoleum

By analogy with any work on laying floor coverings, linoleum can be installed only after preparing the rough surface (plank flooring). Before laying linoleum on a wooden floor, it is necessary to create a perfectly flat and strong base for it. Quite often, fiberboard is laid under linoleum on a wooden floor to level the surface.

Any changes in height or kinks in the flooring material can lead to the formation of cracks or burst areas during operation. It is impossible to restore linoleum, which means you will have to replace it, which entails new costs.

It is important to check wooden floors before laying linoleum for:

creaking in certain areas;
gaps between flooring elements and cracks in them;
poor quality boards;
mold, mildew, etc.

Any of the above defects, if detected, must be removed, but if there are many of them, then we are talking about a complete replacement of the coating. Before installing linoleum on a wood floor in an old home, it is worth considering the feasibility of completely replacing the flooring used as the base. It is quite possible that replacing it will solve all the problems and laying linoleum can be abandoned.

However, the article is not about alternatives to linoleum, but about how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor to get a radically new coating with excellent performance and visual characteristics. You can eliminate all the above defects yourself.

The procedure for restoring a wooden base consists of the following steps:

creaking and wobbly boards need to be secured better;
rotten and leaky ones - spot-replace with new ones;
cracks and cracks - seal using special mixtures for working with wood;
the final leveling is done by scraping.

However, even the steps described above will not help make the subfloor perfectly level, which means additional measures will be required. The easiest way is to use special materials to level the base, which will also have a wood structure.

We are talking about plywood and moisture-resistant fibreboards. If you are leveling a floor with a significant number of sagging boards, then it is better to use particle boards or gypsum fiber sheets.

Such materials are fixed to the base using an adhesive mixture and self-tapping screws. The combination of these two elements for installation will create a durable support for linoleum. In the photo and upon visual inspection, the base will give the owner a perfectly flat floor, which is very much appreciated by buyers.

When attaching a sheet leveler to a wooden floor, it is necessary to screw in the screws below the surface level (recess the caps) so that in the future, when sanding, you do not damage the equipment and then tear the linoleum on such elements.

It is necessary to lay sheet material in staggered intervals: laying is done end-to-end, but with some displacement (by analogy with the deck method of laying plank flooring). This will increase the stability of the base and distribute the load created by the residents evenly over the entire area of the room.

Choice of linoleum

Before studying the instructions on how to properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor, you should decide what type of material to purchase for installation.

It should be selected according to a number of criteria:

purpose by type of room: semi-commercial material - for kitchen units, corridors and hallways, household option - for bedrooms and other rooms with a small number of visitors;
the width of the linoleum sheets is very important, since it is much easier to lay one sheet than two end-to-end;
The thickness of linoleum must exceed 3 millimeters.

Beginning of work

When asked about how to properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor, every specialist can say with confidence that the material must be adapted to the conditions of the room where the installation will take place.

For this purpose, linoleum is brought into the room and unfolded on the floor (for a couple of days) so that it acquires its optimal proportions under the temperature and humidity conditions of the room in which it will be used. Moreover, the material is deployed only indoors, and transportation occurs in its original state in the form of rolls.

The so-called compensation gap is necessary in case the sheets expand when the room temperature rises. When stuck against the wall, the linoleum will swell, and a centimeter margin is quite enough to avoid such problems. The gaps will be closed using skirting boards and there will be no visual discomfort in the room.

Installation algorithm

All further actions are performed in a certain sequence:

a sheet of linoleum should be folded in half lengthwise and placed on one half of the room;
the unoccupied area of the floor is coated with the adhesive mixture using a roller or brush;
after 10-15 minutes, when the glue gets a little stuck, you need to bend the top edge of the sheet and secure it to the coated area;
You must immediately take a clean roller and use it to smooth out any unevenness (without pressing too much) remaining after installation;
then the second part of the sheet is turned over onto the already laid half of the floor, and the glue squeezed out on the floor is removed with a rag or sponge. It is impossible for glue to get on the linoleum from the outside, as this will lead to the formation of stains that cannot be removed by anything;
for the second sheet the algorithm of actions is similar;
at the end, you need to let the floor dry for 24 hours and secure it around the perimeter of the baseboard to complete the finish.

In fact, there are only a few problems that may arise during installation:

difficulty leveling the wooden base;
the need to use two sheets of material.

If we have figured out how to level the base, then how to lay linoleum on a wooden floor in two stripes will be discussed further: without delving into the process, but with a description of its main stages.

Installation of linoleum on a wooden floor in two stripes

There are several options for laying linoleum in two stripes, but the simplest is overlapping and then trimming the top layer. When working, you must use a sharpened knife and a long wooden strip (rule).

The resulting sheets are laid by analogy with the previous section, written for single-strip installation. An additional measure is to pour an adhesive composition similar to a sealant into the joint.

There is a more complex method that requires the use of a welding machine and a polymer cord. Using the machine, this cord can be poured into the seam between the sheets. Beginners will never be able to cope with such a procedure on their own, and therefore they will need the help of specialists.

Less applicable is the method using double-sided self-adhesive tape, which is used to cover the perimeter of the room. This installation option is not the most reliable, and there is a risk that the tape will be of poor quality, which means that the linoleum will peel off within a minimum period of time after putting it into operation.

Bottom line

The article describes in detail how to properly lay linoleum on a wooden floor on your own, and it certainly becomes clear that this is not the easiest thing to do. To get the most durable and even floor covering, you should show maximum care, accuracy and patience.

It is best to contact specialists who will take responsibility for all stages of installation - from selecting the necessary materials (taking into account the wishes of the owner) to laying linoleum and putting it into operation.

This is due to the fact that wood was and remains a fairly cheap material, although it is more expensive than cement screed floors.

Is it possible to lay linoleum on a wooden floor?

There are a few things to think about. The first is whether the floor will be sufficiently ventilated. The second is whether the boards are well secured and whether creaking is possible. Third - how to make sure that the linoleum does not move. And also solve a number of other issues.

Requirements for wooden floors for laying linoleum

All requirements can be listed in a separate list:

Strength and rigidity. The floor must be strong enough so that the linoleum does not have to be lifted to repair it. It should not be deformed when walking.
No extraneous squeaks. All floor boards and plywood must be laid so that the floor does not creak
No direct path for air from underneath the floor space. This is done for sanitary safety purposes - so that insects, mold or other microorganisms do not grow under the linoleum. This is especially true for private individuals.
The floor should not have deviations of more than 10 mm under the two-meter rule, and it is also advisable that it be laid level. Linoleum can work around curved floors; it is a fairly flexible material. But if there are micro-irregularities in the form of cracks and potholes, the linoleum will subsequently adhere tightly to the floor and they will become visible.
It is advisable to fasten boards and plywood to the floor with self-tapping screws. Is it possible to lay linoleum on a wooden floor in an apartment whose boards are nailed down? Theoretically, this is possible, but in practice, when walking, the nails often begin to protrude. If you lay linoleum directly on top, the heads of the nails will stick out and over time they can even rub through the linoleum.

Many floor problems can be solved with a preliminary layer of plywood about 4-5 mm thick.

This solves the problem of boards nailed on the front side, and not in the groove, as skilled carpenters do, warped boards and potholes in the floor, nail heads that can stick out and scratch the linoleum from below.

There will be no special problems with gaps in the floor leading directly to a cold basement - the plywood will block these gaps, there will be no drafts underneath.

In some cases, it will be necessary to lay a layer of plywood up to 10 mm thick on top of the floor - this should be done if the load-bearing capacity of the floor is in doubt. It is advisable to do this when the base is a parquet board.

And to provide additional protection from condensation, noise and cold, you can use a special synthetic underlay, which is laid under the linoleum. The most widely used substrates are made of foam; there is no point in using substrates with foam balls, as well as wavy ones - these are more suitable for laying laminate flooring.

Fastening linoleum to the floor - when and where required

There is no need to attach linoleum to the floor:

If it is laid on a special synthetic substrate, in this case it will simply be ineffective
If the linoleum sheet itself is heavy enough, and the room has a large area, it will not move when walking or other regular

You need to fix linoleum:

If the room is small and the linoleum sheet weighs a little
If you plan to use the room for sports, as a children's playground, in the kitchen, in the hallway, where loads running along the sheet cannot be excluded, for example, when a person slips.

You can often come across the opinion that you always need to fasten. Of course, it is always advisable to secure it. However, it is necessary to take into account the temperature deformations of the linoleum itself. It should rest well in the room, and only after that it should be secured with tape or glue.

How to prepare a wooden floor for laying linoleum - presented in the video:

Preparing floors for laying linoleum coverings

Linoleum should be laid exclusively on a flat horizontal surface. If the floor is uneven, with protrusions and bumps, then in these places it will begin to wear faster and break, forming cracks.

Rough floor leveling

Consider the situation with regular painted wood floors. What should be done:

Remove baseboards;
Remove the paint (this can be done with a regular spatula, heating the paint with a hair dryer);
Check the strength of the flooring from the boards (if some boards begin to rot, they need to be replaced with fresh ones);
Eliminate mobility and creaking of floorboards (the easiest way here is to attach the boards to the joists with self-tapping screws);
Deepen the heads of nails and screws into the boards, preferably to a depth of at least 5 mm;
Fill cracks and chips, lay patches in cracks wider than 5 mm;
Level the floor surface (it will be most convenient to use a parquet sander);
Thoroughly clean the floor of debris and dust (vacuum, wash the floors, dry well).

If the height differences are small (no more than 1-2 mm), then you can start laying. In the case of very old floors, when perfection has not been achieved, you can try a couple of the simplest options for leveling the surface to the desired state.

We use plywood (chipboard, OSB or MDF)

The choice of underlay depends on the unevenness of the subfloor. The greater the height difference, the thicker the substrate sheets we choose. For small differences, plywood from 5 mm thick is suitable. If we are leveling the floor in the kitchen or bathroom, then we need to use waterproof plywood. We select plywood sheets in such a way that they are laid in strips offset relative to each other by about half a sheet (brickwork). We leave a gap of about 10 mm near the walls, but there should not be one between the sheets.

We apply special glue or mastic to the pre-treated floor (add construction plaster to PVA glue until it becomes thick sour cream). This mastic should perfectly fill the unevenness. We lay the sheets, fix them with self-tapping screws in increments of 15-20 cm, deepening the head as much as possible. We fill the gaps between the plates and the heads of the screws with putty and sand them. And you can even walk along the joints with a plane.

We wait for the plywood to dry and treat it with hot drying oil (you can simply paint it with quick-drying floor paint). After drying, installation is carried out.

We use a self-leveling mixture

To level in a simpler way, a self-leveling mixture is used. Such mixtures can be purchased at construction stores. With their help, differences of up to 2 cm are leveled out. However, it should be remembered that the mixture is quite liquid, so during pre-treatment it is necessary to thoroughly putty all the cracks, ensuring tightness.

We impregnate the prepared dry surfaces with a special primer, which enhances the adhesion between the floor boards and the mixture. We cover the sides of the walls with insulating material, and glue the joint with expanded polystyrene, creating an expansion joint. In the doorway we place a wooden plank that limits the future floor.

We lay out a reinforcing mesh (with an overlap of 5 cm) and fasten it to the boards with a construction stapler. Mixing thoroughly, add the dry mixture to the water. Fill, distribute evenly with a rubber spiked roller or rubber mop. Dry according to the manufacturer's recommendations. After drying, lay the linoleum covering on the wooden floor.

We measure the dimensions according to the largest lengths and widths of the walls, taking into account doorways, ledges and niches, with a margin of 5 cm on all sides. If you choose linoleum with a pattern, then add to the dimensions a repeat of the pattern in each direction.

The temperature in the room where installation will be carried out must be at least 15°C (and the optimum is 18°C) and remain for 48 hours before installation and the same amount after it. Air humidity is 40-60%, floors are dried as much as possible.

The purchased material should be spread on the floor with the pattern facing up and left for a day or two so that it can spread out well and acclimatize. If you bought it in winter, then let it stand in the roll for 24 hours before rolling it out.

Floor coverings are laid in several ways. First, we lay it out on the floor (the plinths have an overlap of 4-5 cm - if the walls have ledges or niches; if at least one wall is flat, then we lay the linoleum along it with a gap of 1 cm, with an overlap on the opposite wall). We level the canvas from the center to the walls. It should lie flat, without bends or creases. The drawing should go along the longest wall. We make cuts in the corners for a better fit of the coating to the walls. All trimming is done in small sections along a metal ruler.

Free laying rules

Free installation on a wooden base

Suitable for rooms up to 20 square meters. m inclusive, where there will be no heavy load on the floor (for example, constant rearrangement of heavy furniture). Linoleum on a thick base, most often foam, is well suited for this layout. It should be selected as a whole piece, so as not to make unnecessary joints, which may move during this installation.

The straightened canvas is covered with aluminum nozzles under the baseboards, and secured in the doorway with metal slats.

Fastening with double-sided tape

We cut the stock to fit the baseboard

To fix it more firmly, the sheets are placed on double-sided tape. We glue the tape on one side along the perimeter of the floor. For better fixation (if there are sufficiently intense loads on it), the adhesive tape is glued in stripes over the entire surface, or crosswise in places of the highest load.

We glue the linoleum itself in parts. Having folded half of the canvas, remove the protection from the tape. We straighten this part, fixing it with tape. We bend the second half and repeat the operation. After it is laid evenly and glued, we trim the overlaps with 10 mm gaps at the walls. Next, we lay the baseboard and secure the linoleum in the doorway with a batten.

Bonding technology

Applying adhesive for installation

If the room is more than 20 sq. m or more than two strips will be laid, then it needs to be placed on glue. What glue to use is most often indicated in the instructions, and a salesperson at a hardware store can also give advice on this.

First, we cover the floor and the lower part of the canvas with a primer and only then proceed to gluing. Having folded back about a third, use a notched trowel to evenly distribute the glue or mastic. We lay linoleum on top of the adhesive layer, straightening it and pressing it well to the floor. It is best to press with a special heavy roller or wooden block. We carefully ensure that no air bubbles remain between the floor and the covering sheet. We move the roller or block in the direction from the center to the walls. We glue the remaining material in exactly the same way.

We process the edge along the walls in the same way as in previous cases, install a plinth and a fixing strip.

The glue should dry from 7 to 10 days. During drying, make sure that there is no swelling of the linoleum. If a bubble does appear, you need to put a plywood sheet on it, and put something heavy on top, for example, a bag of sand.

Joining two or more strips of linoleum

If the room is too large or you are simply unlucky to find a covering of the required width and you have to lay two (or more) strips, then such joints also need to be glued. The overlap of the strips should be at least 10 cm. We carefully monitor the coincidence of the pattern. We cut both layers approximately in the middle of the overlap. We achieve a perfect combination of canvases, joint to joint.

Now these joints need to be glued. The most convenient way is cold welding. Apply masking tape along the seam. We guide the tip of the tube with cold welding glue along the joint of the strips. The fusion adhesive should penetrate 2-3 mm into the seam. We leave the excess to evaporate. Under no circumstances should you remove it yourself! Once the edges are completely welded, the masking tape can be removed.

These are all the main secrets of proper installation of linoleum fabric. The worse the condition of your floors, the more work you will have to do and vice versa.

Enjoy your renovation!

Linoleum is a popular material for finishing flooring. This finish is considered the easiest to install and is affordable. When working with a wooden surface, many people have a question about whether a backing is needed for linoleum, and what material to choose. This article describes in detail what to lay on a wooden floor under linoleum, and the technology for laying the underlay.

Benefits of the substrate

The underlay is a layer between the floor and the finishing coating. The material has many advantages.

High levels of sound insulation prevent noise from penetrating into neighboring apartments in multi-storey buildings.
Laying the underlay has good thermal insulation properties; it is used in rooms with a cold surface, especially if the room is not heated.
Thanks to the interlayer, linoleum does not adhere tightly to the floor surface, due to this, minor flaws are hidden, that is, the material hides minor defects and creates an ideal coating.

The layers can have a linen, jute, cork or wood fiber base. You can use multi-layer linoleum, which has high sound-proofing and heat-insulating properties, and does not require laying an additional layer.

Choosing a wood floor underlay

Wooden coatings are distinguished by high environmental friendliness and thermal insulation characteristics, while the surface can wear out and requires updating. You can lay linoleum on a wooden surface without removing the floorboards if they are in good condition.
The underlay will increase the level of thermal insulation; it retains heat even in the harshest weather. When laying multilayer linoleum, it is not necessary to use a backing.

If the floors squeak, or if there are minor defects, it is necessary to apply a layer; this will help compensate for all surface irregularities and get rid of unwanted sound.

Leveling the surface of a wooden floor

The preparatory stage is to level the wooden surface under the linoleum, since in any case, depressions, cracks, bumps or nail holes form on the old coating.

For leveling, plywood with a thickness of about 7 millimeters is laid, this allows you to bring the floor to almost ideal condition. In case of significant gaps and defects, all irregularities are smoothed out and covered with wood putty, creating complete insulation of the surface.
If the floors are smooth and have minor defects, you don’t need to use plywood; it’s enough to level the boards with a planer or a grinder, push the nails into the surface to the maximum depth, and cover them with putty; in the same way, close the joints between the floorboards or other holes.
After completing the preparatory work, remove all small debris using a broom or vacuum cleaner; the device will help to thoroughly remove debris.

Correct installation of underlayment on wood flooring

When the floor is completely prepared and cleared of debris, the main work begins. First, the floors are covered with plastic film, this allows you to create high-quality insulation of the surface from moisture penetration.
Then the roll-type backing is spread end-to-end, all seams are sealed with construction tape or treated with sealant.
Using plywood underlayment will take more time and additional steps.

Before laying linoleum, paint is removed from the wooden surface, then a primer is applied and left until completely dry.
The substrate in the form of slabs or plywood is laid offset, leaving a gap of about 5 millimeters from the wall to the material. When the temperature changes, the material can acquire different sizes; the gap prevents deformation of the sheets during expansion.
Self-tapping screws are reliable fasteners for the sheet substrate; they securely fix the plywood to the wooden floor surface.
The edges are processed with a plane, all snags are removed, the holes from the screws are covered with putty.
To fix sheet materials, you can use adhesives, but it is necessary to clean off the old paint or varnish.

Laying linoleum is not difficult; this material is convenient and easy to work with, which you can do yourself. Before final installation, the material must be leveled, the roll unrolled, and left for a day, after which it will take the desired shape.
The material is laid end-to-end, the edges are cut to the required size, lubricated with glue, and pressed to the surface, then the baseboards are installed.

Types of substrate and their characteristics

The jute backing consists of natural fiber; it is highly resistant to rotting and fire due to the addition of a fire retardant. The material absorbs and removes moisture without remaining wet.
For cork materials, chopped cork tree bark is used; the substrate has high environmental performance, since the composition does not contain synthetic inclusions. The layer has high levels of thermal insulation and sound insulation. There are also disadvantages of this insulation, a low degree of rigidity, which may leave marks on the furniture, and high cost.
The linen layer provides good ventilation between the finish coating and the floor, since the material is double pierced during manufacturing. Such ventilation prevents the appearance of fungi and mold.
The foam layer is a synthetic roll material, which is characterized by high heat and noise insulation, low cost, ease of installation, and practicality.

You can use combined materials of flax, jute, and wool; this layer is distinguished by its versatility, high wear resistance, and good insulation.

Cold floors in the room require laying an additional base under the linoleum in the form of a substrate. This will provide high thermal and sound insulation of the floor, protect the surface from the cold, so the underlay can be laid even in non-residential rooms. When laying linoleum, check the surface for strength, the wooden boards should not be rotten or rotten, in such cases the floorboards are replaced, all significant differences are leveled. Finishing material using a backing can hide small cracks or defects, but it is better to fill the holes to prevent the penetration of cold.

A backing for linoleum may not always be used; it is not required if a multilayer material is being laid. If the surface is cold or has minor flaws, laying a layer is mandatory; it serves as high-quality insulation for the floor. The work is quite simple; you can do it yourself, resulting in an ideal surface. The correct choice of material allows you to achieve the desired result, if linoleum has a high density and cost, and also in case of doubt about the performance of the work, you can resort to the help of specialists.

Linoleum can be considered one of the cheapest and most practical materials used for finishing floors in residential and industrial premises. It is characterized by a fairly high degree of wear resistance and moisture resistance, and modern coating models allow you to choose the desired pattern that is in harmony with the rest of the interior design. The ease of care of linoleum makes it the main option when choosing flooring for a hallway or kitchen - a room where there is always high humidity and a high degree of pollution. How is linoleum laid on a wooden floor?

Choosing linoleum for a wooden base

Before finishing the floor, you need to choose the linoleum itself. What should you pay attention to when going to the store? When you go shopping, first take measurements of the room where you are going to change the flooring. Linoleum is produced in rolls of different widths, usually 2.5 meters, 3.4 meters or 4 meters. If you can choose linoleum so as to cover the entire room at once without joints between parts of the material, then it is recommended to stick to this option. In order to determine what width of linoleum you need, add 7 cm to the width of the room as a reserve.

Rolls of linoleum have different widths.

The coating for laying linoleum on a wooden floor can be different. PVC linoleum is made on a foam or fabric base. Fabric linoleum is the simplest flooring option, with good ductility and a sufficient level of strength. If you are thinking about additional noise and heat insulation, then preference should be given to linoleum with a foam base. Some manufacturers offer linoleum with a thermal insulation base.

Material without a base.

In rooms where it is necessary to create a uniform floor structure, the best option would be to lay linoleum without a base; such material is characterized by increased resistance to mechanical stress.

When choosing linoleum for a wooden floor, focus on the environmental friendliness of the material. The coating, which is made from natural ingredients, including wood flour, cork, jute and linseed oil, will not emit any harmful substances. The only disadvantage of natural linoleum is its shorter service life.

In terms of thickness, it is best to choose 4 mm linoleum for a wooden floor. It can serve you as a floor covering for a long time and will not tear during installation.

When purchasing linoleum, pay attention to all its main parameters: material, design, size, heat and sound insulation qualities, abrasion resistance. To avoid unpleasant problems when laying it on the floor, it is recommended to inspect the roll for external defects in the store. If you buy several rolls, make sure they are all labeled as the same batch, otherwise you may find two rolls are a different color at home.

Preparing the floor before laying the covering

How to properly lay new linoleum on an old wooden floor? Before starting installation, you should thoroughly prepare the floor surface itself. The quality of the future floor covering depends half on the evenness of the working surface and another half on the correct installation of the linoleum itself.

What can affect the new coating? Significant defects of a wooden floor include:

Presence of gaps between boards, cracks and chips;
Rotten boards and supports, creaking boards;
Remains of old floor paint;
Other defects that can deform the new coating.

Before laying linoleum on a wooden floor, all this needs to be corrected. The old paint is heated with a construction hairdryer, after which it is easily removed with a regular spatula. All cracks, chips, and small holes must be covered with mastic or sealant.

Photo of the result of surface preparation.

Eliminating gaps between boards will take much longer. To do this, you will either have to lift the boards one by one and press them against each other, or clear each gap by installing a wooden trapezoidal strip into it. If available, you will have to look through all the boards and those that creak, fasten them all the way through with a long self-tapping screw to the joists and the floor base.

The biggest problem is rotten boards and joists. It is not recommended to lay linoleum on a wooden floor that has rotten parts. All these parts will have to be replaced with new ones, and in some particularly severe cases the entire floor will need to be redone.

After removing all defects of the old floor, it is necessary to level it. This can be done either with special tools or using plywood flooring. In the first case, layers of wood are removed with a plane in those places where there are protrusions above the general level of the original surface.

Working with a plane is quite labor-intensive and requires some experience with this tool. To facilitate the task of leveling the floor, you can use a grinding machine, which will cope with the work assigned to it much faster.

These methods are used quite rarely, since after such treatment the floor will still not be perfectly smooth. Before laying linoleum on a wooden floor, specialists level the surface with plywood.

This method involves additional costs for the purchase of plywood and takes more time, but as a result of the work carried out, you will have a smooth, high-quality coating on which you can lay the linoleum itself without fear.

The floor is treated with a sanding machine, then plywood sheets are laid on the principle of brickwork. The gaps between the sheets are filled with mastic, and the plywood itself is necessarily covered with drying oil.

How to prepare linoleum?

In order for the installation of linoleum on a wooden floor to be successful, it is necessary to prepare not only the surface of the old floor, but also the material itself. To do this, lay out the linoleum roll and leave it in the room until it is completely straightened. It is best if this procedure is carried out at an air temperature of at least 16 ° C, the optimal humidity level is 40-70%.

How to understand that linoleum is ready for installation? Inspect the surface of the material: there should be no folds on it. If in some places there are defects that have not been smoothed out on their own, then try to force them out by placing heavy objects. If the kinks still remain, you will have to return the roll to the store - the defects will ruin the entire appearance of the new floor covering after it is laid.

Preparing linoleum before laying.

Before you lay linoleum on a wooden floor and start gluing it, calculate the dimensions of the material cut: the width of the room plus 7-10 cm at the edges. If you are using material with a pattern that will have to be adjusted, in the store, make sure that they cut you a piece of linoleum with 1 span of the pattern in reserve.

Laying methods

There are three ways to lay linoleum on a wooden floor. The simplest option, which is used for laying linoleum in small rooms (up to 14 m2), is the method without gluing.

The operating procedure in this case is as follows. A piece of linoleum is spread on the prepared floor and leveled. After leveling, all excess material is carefully trimmed. When cutting linoleum, leave additional gaps at the walls 1.5 cm wide. The linoleum itself is secured with baseboards. The gap near the walls is left on purpose, since linoleum at room temperature changes its density and stretches slightly. If this 1.% cm is not left, then the material will simply swell near the walls after expansion - it will be very difficult to eliminate this defect later.

Sorry, nothing found.

If you want to secure the coating more securely, then lay the linoleum on a wooden floor using double-sided tape. To lay linoleum in this way, tape is first glued around the perimeter of the room in the form of a grid of about 50 cm. Then the protective strip is gradually removed from the tape and the linoleum is also gradually glued.

When using tape, you need to stick the material slowly, meter by meter, constantly monitoring its smoothness to prevent the appearance of blisters.

The big advantage of this method of laying linoleum is simply dismantling the coating if it needs to be replaced. Linoleum on a wooden floor, the area of which exceeds 22 m2, is laid only with glue.

Gluing to the floor

In order to glue linoleum to the boards, you will need special glue, which can be bought at a building materials store. In addition to this, also have a pencil, a roller, a painting knife, a spatula, silicone glue, a ruler, and masking tape. Prepare the linoleum itself, as well as baseboards, screws and a screwdriver.

The sequence of gluing linoleum covering includes several steps. First you need to lay linoleum on a wooden floor and mark it according to the size of the room. All resulting excess must be cut off and removed, leaving reserves on the sides.

Now you can start gluing the linoleum with your own hands. The material needs to be lifted upside down, freeing up part of the room. The free surface of the floor is coated with glue, which is applied with a wide spatula. Use glue according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pay special attention to the curing time of the glue before gluing the linoleum.

If it is written that after applying the glue to the floor, it must be kept for 30 minutes, then you need to wait exactly half an hour. Strict adherence to the instructions on the label guarantees good results and excellent quality of the floor covering.

Laying linoleum on a wooden floor is accompanied by constant smoothing of the material on the surface. First, it is recommended to smooth out the glued part of the linoleum with your hand, and then go over it with a roller to finally get rid of the air trapped inside.

Seam welding allows you to increase the service life of the material.

The entire piece of linoleum is glued in the same way. At the joints, it is most convenient to use masking tape and silicone glue, which remains colorless after drying. First, tape is glued to the sides of the joint, then the glue itself is applied. After the joints are well glued, the masking tape is removed. To make the joining of seams more reliable, you can use welding for the seams.

After the linoleum is glued to the wooden floor and the glue itself has dried well, you can begin. The choice of plinth is chosen based on the preferences of the owner of the house. It can be a solid plinth made of wood or its analogue made of plastic, which will hide uneven walls and, if necessary, hide the wiring.

The color scheme of plinth and linoleum may be different. You can choose a baseboard to match the main floor covering, or you can choose a lighter or darker option. The final decision will depend on the idea of the interior of the room.

Wooden plinths are attached to the wall with screws or nails; for plastic, liquid nails are used. It is not recommended to attach the plinth to the linoleum itself, since when the coating shrinks, the plinth may move away from the wall, which will not look very nice.

It is necessary to lay linoleum on wooden floors very carefully, since all defects discovered later will be problematic to correct. Blisters on the floor usually form if the floor was poorly cleaned before installation or the adhesive was applied unevenly. When gluing the material, the glue must be applied in a continuous manner, and the linoleum itself must be smoothed and pressed with a weight.

To remove the bubble formed after gluing the coating, you need to pierce the linoleum in this place with an awl and release all the remaining air from it. Then you need to put the glue inside through the hole with a syringe and press this place for a couple of days with a sandbag. The linoleum should straighten out and stick.

In damp rooms, linoleum may peel off. This can also happen due to poorly glued joints and water getting under the coating. The peeled part of the linoleum sheet is folded back, cleaned and dried. Then glue is applied to the floor again, and the linoleum is carefully smoothed and left under the load for several days.