Which linoleum is better for the kitchen

Being puzzled by the question of which linoleum is better for the kitchen, first of all it is worth understanding what exactly your flooring expects during its operation in this room.

Kitchen "surprises"

• The first thing that usually comes to mind when it comes to the kitchen is the food and spilled drinks that accidentally fell on the floor. Therefore, for the kitchen it is better to take linoleum, which you can easily clean off any dirt. In other words:

• Linoleum should not be afraid of modern cleaning products.
• Its surface should not have grooves in which the smallest debris or liquid would accumulate.
• It should not absorb odor.

• The second “surprise” is the size of the kitchen. Sometimes, having found that the standard size of the linoleum you liked, is too small or too large relative to the width of the kitchen, I would like to advise designers to go to construction and finishing shops more often and to be interested in the size of the materials they offer. In the meantime, apartment owners will either have to purchase linoleum, which is larger than the size of the kitchen, or put two sheets of linoleum, joining them.

Note! Going to the store for linoleum, be sure to measure the width and length of the kitchen not only along one wall, but throughout the whole area of ​​the room. The fact is that it is almost impossible to find a kitchen in the modern apartment buildings, the floor of which is an absolutely flat rectangle. You can expect a "surprise" not only in the form of different lengths of "parallel" walls, but also not at all right angles. The basis for the purchase of linoleum in this case will have to take the maximum width of the room from the measured, plus a small margin of 3-4 centimeters. You should also do with the determination of the required length of the purchased piece of linoleum.

• The third “surprise” is the accidentally left water in a tap, “escaped” from the sink, or leaking pipes. In this case, it is desirable that the structure of linoleum was not components that absorb moisture, otherwise it will be difficult for you to dry it. And if the lower part of linoleum does not dry out completely, then a moisture-loving mold and fungus will settle in it, which not only adversely affect the health of the human lung, but also can significantly damage the nervous system, since it is rather difficult to get rid of them.

Note! Another option that is recommended if you plan to lay linoleum in the kitchen is to install a ceramic tile base under kitchen furniture, a stove and a refrigerator. Linoleum in this case will be located only in the central part of the kitchen, fixed in the place of junction to the ceramic tile with beautiful aluminum strips.

• The fourth "surprise" of the kitchen for flooring is constantly moving chairs and a periodically shifted table. Do not forget that sometimes you have to move the refrigerator, stove and kitchen furniture. Therefore, in consultation with the seller in the store, which linoleum is better, be sure to clarify whether deep sagging traces remain on it and whether they will disappear with time. In addition, the linoleum from the movement of furniture, tables and chairs should not be collected on the floor of blisters. Therefore, immediately be prepared for the fact that linoleum should not just be laid on the floor, but glued to the prepared surface of the base.

Linoleum is ... different

To have an idea of ​​a suitable linoleum for your kitchen, you should know how this flooring is.

All linoleum can be divided into natural and PVC. Of course, there are several varieties of linoleum, but you are unlikely to come across them in a regular store. Although in fact for the kitchen and natural linoleum is not very suitable. He, it is worth paying tribute, looks beautiful and, according to manufacturers, does not emit harmful substances, but is prone to rotting and destruction under the influence of microorganisms precisely because of its naturalness. It is made according to a complex “recipe” of linseed oil from wood flour, coniferous resin, lime powder and natural dyes, applied on the basis of woven or nonwoven natural materials (such as hemp, jute or flax fiber). And, of course, in ordinary stores natural linoleum is not for sale.

So the only candidate for the role of flooring for the kitchen will be PVC linoleum: it is not afraid of water, “friendly” with almost all detergents, does not absorb odors and is very diverse in design.

How to choose PVC linoleum

Going to the store, you should know that linoleum is of different widths, colors, thickness and, of course, cost.

Note! First of all, pay attention to which group the linoleum you like belongs to - household or semi-commercial options. Only the second type of linoleum (semi-commercial) is suitable for the kitchen due to the increased load on the floor in this room.

Next, you should be interested in the thickness of the protective layer of linoleum. The more this figure, the longer you will last linoleum in the kitchen. However, the thickness of the protective layer “by eye” you do not determine - ideally it is 0.3–0.5 mm - and you will have to look into the documents accompanying the goods (or just believe the seller for a word).

But the substrate (bottom layer) of linoleum from felt for the kitchen is not suitable - it does not tolerate exposure to water. Therefore, choosing linoleum, pay attention only to those copies, the lower layer of which will also be made of PVC.

The base for laying linoleum should be fairly even. But if there are still small and shallow flaws in the surface of the concrete screed, choose linoleum with a thicker substrate to hide their presence. But from the "knolls" on the surface of the base, you still need to get rid of them - not a single linoleum will mask them; moreover, in such prominent places it will be damaged faster and become unusable.

The substrate (bottom layer) of PVC can be not only of different thickness, but also density. More "loose" substrate is a guarantee of better thermal and sound insulation. However, this linoleum does not like women's heels, and walking on it is best only in slippers or barefoot. If you can not guarantee that no one will go to your kitchen in shoes, do not choose such linoleum for the kitchen.

Note! On the thick and soft linoleum, there are always traces of the chairs. Over time, they may partially disappear, but this does not always happen - this is another reason why thick linoleum with a loose substrate should not be laid in the kitchen.

Pay no less attention to the colors, as well as the availability of a certificate of conformity (it will be your only guarantee that the linoleum is made exactly according to the approved technology and does not emit an increased dose of harmful substances during operation).

Russian or imported: which is better

Do I need to pay attention to the manufacturer of linoleum, choosing a floor covering for your kitchen?

Just want to note that the Russian linoleum is not inferior in its qualities to foreign, while it costs a little cheaper due to the lack of costs for long-term transportation and customs duties, and also because of independence from euro jumps. At the same time, it must be remembered that cheap linoleum in a regular flooring shop will always be only Russian (it is economically unprofitable to carry such linoleum from other countries). As a consolation, we can say that almost all the production of linoleum in our country has long been working on imported technologies, and this, in principle, allows them to compete adequately in the flooring market, and you and I enjoy the durability, environmental friendliness and beautiful design of linoleum on kitchen, hallway or room.

To consolidate your knowledge, view the proposed video.

Video

This video will help you choose linoleum, evaluating its characteristics: