TIPS FOR INSTALLING LINOLEUMPolymer Engineering Recommend The Following Installation Tips To Ensure Successful and Professional Installations
Linoleum can be perfectly fitted by expert installers, who take care to plan their work, prepare the sub floor correctly, locating seams and direction of materials. Linoleum is made of natural materials, cork, natural tree resins, linseed oil, jute and quarried limestone.
TOOLS
An expert installer will need a Lino Roller, 45-50kg approx, straight edge, lino edge trimmer, scribers, under and over and straight, trimming knives, soft smoothing board, welder, 2.4 x 2.4 x 2.4mm "V" notched adhesive trowel spreader, hand groover, small hand rollers, half moon knife and guide plate, tape measure, string line and moisture meter.SUB FLOOR PREPARATION
All floor preparation and installation should be carried out in accordance with the relevant Australian Standards including AS 1884-1985 "Floor Covering-Resilient Sheet & Tiles, Laying & Maintenance Practices".Timber Floors
Timber floors need to be dry, smooth, firmly fixed, and adequately ventilated. It is always best to install linoleum on masonite underlay in "dry areas" or on cement sheet in "wet areas" in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions.Concrete Slabs
Concrete Floors should always be clean, smooth, free of dust and concrete powder, cracks, wax, oil and paint etc. Concrete slabs should first be checked for moisture using either an Hygrometer or Electrical Resistance Test Meter. The floor is considered acceptable if its relative humidity does not exceed 70% or its moisture content does not exceed 5.5%. As a "Rule of Thumb" a 100mm thick slab will take 4 months to dry sufficiently for the installation of linoleum. Concrete slabs may need to have moisture barriers and cementitious leveling materials screeded on them to provide an acceptable surface. Polymer Engineering always recommend the use of Polymer Engineering’s 6000 Floor & Wall Primer at the rate of approx 10m_ per litre prior to the application of the linoleum adhesive.STORING & CONDITIONING LINOLEUM
Rolls should be stored in an upright position in a dry, moderately even temperature room. They should be rolled out, measured to room lengths, cut off, individually marked, rerolled and stood on end, preferably for 12 hours to allow them to acclimatise to room temperature and conditions.INSTALLATION
Roll out the lengths of linoleum in their predetermined places, trim the head ends to length and wall contours. Re roll the rolls to about half their length, sweep the floor, and remove any dust etc. Spread Polymer Engineering 130 Linoleum Adhesive at the rate of 2.5-3m_ per litre using a 2.4 x 2.4 x 2.4mm "V" notched adhesive trowel. The adhesive should cover 100% of the exposed floor area which is to be covered by the linoleum. Always follow the adhesive manufacturers instructions. Lay the linoleum into the wet adhesive pushing out any air bubbles ensuring a full bond of the adhesive between the linoleum and sub-floor with the soft smoothing board. Roll up the other half of the linoleum and spread Polymer Engineering 130 Linoleum Adhesive to 100% of the balance of the floor to be covered. Again push out any air bubbles ensuring a full bond of adhesive between lino and sub-floor. Trim the linoleum to length and wall contours using a scriber and knife. Trim the linoleum widths using an under and over scriber and hook blade knife. Roll the linoleum in both directions using the 45-50 kg linoleum roller and the seams with the small seam roller. The linoleum seams should be grooved using a hand grooving tool, linoleum dust and scraps blown away and the seams welded with a hot air welding gun and rod at approximately 2-3 meters per minute at 400-500°C. The excess weld rod should be removed using firstly a guide plate and half moon knife and when the seam has cooled use the half moon knife to trim any excess weld rod.Skirting/linoleum corners may be sealed with a mastic sealer similar in colour to the floor covering.
Linoleum may be installed with coving, boarders, motifs and inserts which greatly enhance the appearance and durability of the floor.
Linoleum may be installed with conductive adhesive and copper strips. For more information on this type of installation, contact your linoleum distributor.
Material Safety & Data sheets available upon request