Installing a linoleum tile floor
How to install a linoleum floor the easy way—with linoleum tiles.
Getting started: About linoleum
Linoleum is a longer-lasting, all-natural alternative to vinyl flooring. But installing standard sheet linoleum is tricky. Homeowners get better results with linoleum tiles.
Our linoleum tiles are made by Forbo Industries, a Dutch company, and are just like sheet linoleum except:
· They come in squares.
· They have a polyester backing instead of the usual jute. Polyester solves expansion and contraction problems of tiles.
This guide will explain how to install and maintain linoleum tiles, list the tools and other supplies needed, and help calculate how much to buy.
Choosing the right material: Usage
These tiles can be used almost anywhere, even high-traffic rooms such as kitchens. However, don’t use linoleum in basements or other rooms where moisture is coming through concrete. You can’t tell by looking. Use a calcium chloride test kit. (Call us to order one.) Linoleum tiles won’t work if the results exceed 3.5 pounds per 1000 square feet in 24 hours. Also, people with chemical sensitivities should recognize that linoleum has a distinct—although not unpleasant—odor for at least several weeks as linseed oil in the material continues to cure. Sensitive individuals often do better with rigid-cure vinyl tiles. We do not carry rigid cure vinyl tiles as they are made with PVCs.
Settling on a design: Sizes and patterns
Tiles come in two metric sizes—approximately 20 by 20 inches and 13 by 13 inches. We offer all 31 available colors, plus all 13 styles of border and corner pieces. See all color options. To work out a design, draw a scale picture of the room on graph paper, make multiple copies, then sketch in patterns. Mix different colors to create traditional checkerboards. Lay out squares on a diagonal grid. Or go wild with a random design. On Bainbridge Island, where we had our first store, one bakery mixed greens, blues, yellows and maroon linoleum in several sizes and shapes. The effect is fresh and cheery. For subtle variation, stick with one color but rotate tiles in the outside row or two so they are at 90 degrees to tiles in the middle.
Calculating how much to buy
Assuming you want a single tile color:
· Multiply the length and width of the room, in inches. (Divide rooms with complicated floor shapes into rectangles, multiply the length and width of each one, and then add the answers.) · Multiply that number by .00634 if you’re using the small tiles or by .00276 for the large tiles. This is the number of pieces you need, including 7 percent extra to allow for mistakes and peace of mind. (For no fudge factor, the multipliers are .00592 for small tiles and .00258 for large ones.) Small tiles come 9 to a box. A box of large tiles has 20. We don’t break boxes, so round up.
For custom designs:
Make a scale drawing of the room so you can experiment with different ways to arrange the tiles. To take advantage of Forbo’s decorative borders, allow a strip 4 3/8 inches wide around the room. Call us to order a brochure that shows these designs.
You'll also need:
· Forbo T940 linoleum adhesive, a low-toxic, water-based product specifically formulated for linoleum. It doesn't require a primer. One gallon covers approximately 150 square feet. · (For chemically sensitive people, we also stock Safecoat 3 in 1 Adhesive. It has less odor. To use it on new plywood, first apply Safecoat SafeSeal. These products require slightly different procedures. One gallon covers approximately 100 to 120 square feet. See details on the product pages.) · A trowel with square notches—height, width and spacing of teeth all 1/16th of an inch. (A trowel is included in 4-gallon containers of the Forbo adhesive.) · Chalk line to mark straight lines. · Measuring tape. · Metal straight-edge at least 2 feet long. Even handier: a carpenter’s roofing square and an 8-foot straightedge. · Utility knife and package of blades. · Clean rags and a bucket of water for wiping away excess adhesive. · 100-pound floor roller. Rent one at our store if you’re in the Seattle area, or go to any tool rental company.
Preparing the surface over a wood subfloor
Regardless of the age of the concrete, test the pH. (Call us to order a calcium chloride test kit.) At any time, moisture can move alkali salts to the surface, where they wreck the adhesive. If the pH is greater than 10, neutralize by sanding and vacuuming up the residue. If the pH is still high, treat with 1 part muriatic acid to 4 parts water. Rinse and vacuum with a shop vac, then retest.
Concrete sealers can also interfere with linoleum adhesives, so a bond test is essential:
· Trowel adhesive onto a tile-size part of the floor.
· Press on one tile.
· After 72 hours, pry it loose.
The adhesive should be the weakest link in the system—residue should remain on both the floor and the back of the linoleum. If adhesive sticks mostly to the tile, scrub the floor and let it dry. Repeat the test. If the adhesive still doesn't bond, sand the concrete to remove any sealer. |
Installation
As the day approaches:
· Move boxes of tiles into the room but don’t open them.
· Check that all boxes of the same color have a single batch number.
· Turn heat or air conditioning to 68 degrees and leave it there for 3 days.
Then give the subfloor one last check, and you’re ready to begin.
Step 1: It works best to set tiles from the center of the room. To do this, you need reference lines:
· Snap a chalk line down the center of the room.
· Dust off an old geometry lesson to lay out a second centerline exactly perpendicular to the first one. From the center point of the first line, measure down 4 feet and make a mark. Also from the center point, measure out 3 feet at an approximate right angle. Pivot the 3-foot line until its end is 5 feet from the 4-foot mark. The 3- and 4-foot lines will then be at 90 degrees.
· Determine how tiles will lie lengthwise and widthwise from the centerlines to the walls. Adjust so you have at least half a tile at borders.
Step 2. Spread adhesive and lay tile:
· Spread only as much adhesive as you can cover with tile in 10 or 15 minutes. Adhesive must be wet when tiles go on. If it begins to skim over, scrape it off and put on new adhesive.
· Begin laying tile at the center point. Make sure the first few tiles sit exactly along the centerlines or the entire installation will be crooked. As you finish one section, immediately roll tiles in both directions with the floor roller. Wipe away excess adhesive with a clean, damp cloth.
· Tiles have a directional pattern. Install them in alternating directions unless you want a special effect. Use tiles from several boxes and mix them, but do not take out more tiles than you can lay in an hour.
· Since it takes time to scribe and cut border tiles, spread adhesive only where full tiles will go. After the field is complete, cut the border tiles, then spread their adhesive. Place these tiles and roll.
Curious and curiouser
If your new linoleum has more yellow than you saw on a sample or if your light blue tiles look green, don’t worry. You'll get what you ordered.
At the factory, new sheets of linoleum hang in the dark in drying towers. There, linseed oil in the material continues to react with oxygen in the air. But when this reaction occurs in the dark, the surface sometimes yellows. In the industry, it’s called “drying room blush.” The color always disappears after exposure to light for a few days.
New linoleum can also develop yellowish “footprints” where carpets or furniture block light. These, too, will disappear a few days after the furniture is moved.
Cleanup
Inspect all seams and wipe away excess adhesive.
If you used the Forbo adhesive, people can walk on the floor at once, but wait two or three days before moving heavy furniture. This gives the adhesive time to "cure" and become more resistant to indentation.
With the Safecoat 3 in 1 Adhesive, wait 24 hours to use the room.
Maintenance
Do not wash floor for at least 72 hours so adhesive will bond and cure properly.
Sealing the linoleum will make it easier to clean. Use Forbo's Marmoleum Floor Finish or BioShield Floor Milk. Of the two, we prefer Floor Milk, a carnauba wax product that is easy and pleasant to use, especially when daily cleaning is done with BioShield Floor Soap. Forbo's formula is often chosen by those who prefer to use products recommended by the manufacturer. Note, however, that the finish contains phthalates, chemicals suspected of mimicking hormones and thus interfering with normal reproductive systems of people and wildlife.
Linoleum is naturally anti-static, so it repels dust and dirt and is easy to keep clean. Sweep, dust mop or vacuum regularly. Damp mop when necessary, using a very small amount of mildly soapy water. Do not flood the floor or use too much water. Especially avoid pushing water into the seams.
No need to wax, but to add extra shine, we recommend BioShield Floor Milk. Don’t use silicone products or alkali cleaners, such as ammonia. |