Linoleum has an undeserved bad rep. Mistakenly lumped in with vinyl, it’s seen as cheap and environmentally disastrous.
Deep green linoleum looks chic, not tacky, at Twentieth Century Cafe: Old Vienna Comes to San Francisco.
Photograph by Laurie Frankel.
What is linoleum?
The name “linoleum” is derived from the Latin Linum (flax) and Oleum (oil), and gives a clue to its makeup: Linoleum is a made of natural, renewable ingredients, including linseed oil, wood flour, cork dust, tree resins, jute, ground limestone, and natural pigments.
Two of the 100-plus colors of Forbo Marmoleum include the wood-grain-like Welsh Moor (L) and Yellow Moss (R).
The only thing that linoleum and vinyl flooring have in common is affordability and, to some extent, appearance.
What’s the difference between linoleum, Marmoleum, and vinyl flooring?
Photograph by Bruce Damante.
Architect E. B. Min of San Francisco firm Min|Day, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, installed an orange linoleum floor in the mudroom and office of a Sonoma ranch house.
What colors does linoleum come in?
This is not the linoleum of the past. In addition to a rainbow of solid and multicolor options, offerings include marbled, stone-look, flecked, and wood-grain patterns.
Brown-and-white marbled zigzag linoleum from Sinclair Till.
Forbo offers a subdued palette of 12 colors chosen by Dutch architect Piet Boon.
Another Piet Boon Marmoleum color (Piet Boon 04) has a stone-like look.
Does linoleum flooring need to be sealed?
Because linoleum is a porous material, it needs to be sealed before installation. The product is evolving, however, and most linoleum now comes with a nontoxic sealant that is applied during the manufacturing process.
What about cleaning and other maintenance?
Naturally antistatic and antibacterial, linoleum is easy to clean. Harsh chemical compounds are to be avoided.
At left, red linoleum in the kitchen of The New Homesteaders: Chelsea and James Minola’s Craftsman Quarters on Bainbridge Island.
At right, New York architects Russell Groves (a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory) and Neal Beckstedt elected seamless linoleum for the kitchen floor in their East Hampton home.
How is linoleum flooring installed?
Linoleum is available as tiles and sheets, each with its own requirements.
Easy to lay out and install, tiles and planks (akin to strips of wood flooring) can be fixed with an adhesive to the subfloor.
Modular tiles and planks:
Sheets:
Sheet linoleum is more complex in terms of installation: It requires cutting, fitting, and an adhesive “glue-down” to apply it to a flat subfloor–work that’s typically done by a professional.
How much does linoleum flooring cost?
While slightly more costly than vinyl, linoleum is a bargain compared to wood, ceramic tile, and natural stone. By comparison, hardwood flooring costs an average of $8 to $15 per square foot.
See the following Remodeling 101 posts.
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