Linoleum or laminate: what to choose?

A huge variety of modern flooring gives us freedom of choice, but at the same time leads to some confusion. What to choose for the floor in the apartment? Traditional linoleum or stylish laminate? Exclusive cork or a cozy carpet? Each of these materials has a right to exist and is good in its own way. We will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of four types of flooring - linoleum, laminate, carpet, adhesive cork - and find out what is best to choose in a particular situation.

Laminate

Laminate is an artificial coating, presented in the form of separate panels having a multilayer structure. The basis of the laminate is an MDF board, protected from the bottom by a layer of polymer, and with a face decorated with a film with an image printed on it. The “cake” is protected from above with a strong layer of melamine resin.

Laminate advantages

• strength and wear resistance - tolerates loads well, is not subject to scratches;
• thermal stability, resistance to ultraviolet radiation;
• ease of installation, the possibility of dismantling and reuse;
• the ability to install on any type of foundation - from concrete to old tiles;
• undemanding care;
• a wide variety of textures that realistically imitate wood and other natural materials;
• environmental Safety;
• affordable cost.

Minuses

• artificial material;
• short service life - 5–7 years for a laminate of a class below 32;
• poor tightness of the joints, due to which moisture can penetrate to the inner layer and swell;
• exactingness to the base and quality of the substrate - with any irregularities, the floor will diverge and creak;
• the accumulation of static electricity (refers to the budget laminate);
• "Noise" of the material.

Linoleum

Linoleum is a universal rolled finishing material made of polyvinyl chloride. It can be domestic and commercial, it differs in terms of wear resistance. Each of these types of linoleum also has its own varieties, which vary in thickness, number of layers and method of coloring. Linoleum can have a very different color, pattern and texture, imitate various materials.

The benefits of linoleum

• attractive price;
• wear resistance and unpretentiousness in leaving;
• moisture resistance is better than other materials;
• antistatic;
• low thermal conductivity;
• noiselessness;
• exceptional simplicity stylingundemanding in the evenness of the base;
• different roll width options minimize the number of joints;
• variety of colors and decor.

Minuses

• the naturalness of the material;
• the presence of seams;
• the possibility of the formation of air voids in violation of the installation technology;
• a gradual decrease in elasticity during operation, leading to deformations and cracks;
• sensitivity to temperature extremes;
• instability to mechanical damage, the appearance of dents;
• Some coloring substances may leave stains on the screen.

Carpet

Carpet is a dense and soft carpet, consisting of pile, warp and fixing layer. The carpet can be natural, artificial and mixed, have a different type and length of pile.

Pros of carpet

• softness, warmth and comfort;
• excellent sound and heat insulation, absolute noiselessness;
• variety of textures, color and design solutions;
• strength and crease resistance;
• simplicity of laying;
• color fastness.

Minuses

• a synthetic kind of carpet accumulates static electricity;
• difficult to clean, stains from detergents may remain;
• instability to ultraviolet rays;
• low moisture resistance;
• dust accumulation.

Cork

Glue cork flooring is a natural coating of cork oak bark, having the form of slabs of different sizes with varnish or wax coating. With their help, you can lay out various patterns on the floor. Cork floor It has pleasant warm shades and looks very unusual. The main difference between cork and other types of coatings is one hundred percent environmental friendliness.

pros

• naturalness and hypoallergenicity;
• a feeling of warmth and softness of the floor;
• elasticity, providing restoration of shape under mechanical stress;
• elasticity, cushioning properties;
• resistance to temperature extremes and exposure to sunlight;
• excellent moisture resistance;
• does not accumulate static electricity;
• non-slip material;
• excellent indicators of heat and sound insulation;
• simplicity in leaving;
• normal tolerance to aggressive chemical compounds.

Minuses

• high price;
• instability to point damage "tearing";
• incompatibility with a floor heating system due to low thermal conductivity;
• tendency to swell from water;
• flammability;
• the presence of a specific smell.

Coating Comparison

Now let's compare the materials according to the most important parameters and find out which coating is better to choose depending on the situation.

Coating

Sub floor requirements:

1. Laminate has high demands on the surface of the base - the height difference should not exceed 3 mm per 2 linear meters. Under the laminate, you need a high-quality, rigid, sound- and year-insulated screed. You can lay the cover on a lined old wooden floor.
2. Linoleum is not so demanding on the basis, but irregularities will affect its appearance, since the coating will repeat all the flaws. It can be placed both on the screed and on the old floor covering, the surface of the base must be smooth, clean and dry.
3. The carpet does not require special floor preparation and small irregularities will not be as critical as with other coatings.
4. Glue cork coating must be placed on a concrete or wooden base, it must be dry and even, deviations - no more than 2 mm per 2 linear meters. The screed must have a finish alignment.

Preparatory work:

1. Before laying the laminate on concrete, it is necessary to lay a vapor barrier film, with plywood laying, wood and chipboard is not necessary. A required cork or foam polymer backing is required.
2. For linoleum and carpet does not require special training, but to improve thermal insulation, it is better to use a substrate.
3. Cork when laying on concrete or a bulk floor requires the use of a moisture insulating coating.

Installation:

1. The process of laminate flooring is simple, but requires certain skills and the availability of a tool. Elements should be well adjusted to each other.
2. Flooring and fixing linoleum and carpet is a simple manipulation, under the force of any novice master.
3. Cork boards require preliminary marking of the floor. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the gluing technology. After flooring, surface varnishing may be required. In this regard, independent installation is possible, but it is better to choose the help of qualified specialists.

Durability

The service life of different floor coverings may vary depending on the quality of the material.

Estimated life span of materials:

• laminate - from 3 to 7 for products up to grade 31, from 10 to 20 years for high grade material;
• linoleum - up to 15 years for household, up to 30–40 - for commercial;
• carpet - from 5 to 15 years;
• traffic jams - 10-30 years.

Practicality and usability

Practicality is a conditional category, convenience is subjective. We will try to highlight a few points by which you can compare different coatings.

Cost

The cost of materials for the floor can vary greatly from budget options to exclusive ones. A wide range of prices allows you to choose coverage in accordance with their financial capabilities.

1. Laminate of different quality and level of wear resistance can vary significantly in cost, which ranges from 300 to 2000 rubles / m2.
2. On average, linoleum is cheaper than laminate; the most inexpensive linoleum models are one and a half times lower than the most inexpensive laminate options. The price gap for expensive models of these coatings is even greater - from two to two and a half times.
3. The average carpet is a little more expensive than linoleum, but cheaper than a laminate.
4. Cork is a rather expensive material, several times higher than the cost of the above materials, its cost starts from 1000 rubles / m2.

Floor coverings for different rooms

We found that flooring is significantly different from each other in its characteristics, therefore, choosing one universal material that is suitable for each room in the apartment is enough complicated. In separate rooms, different types of coverings can be laid using special connecting thresholds at the joints. The table below will help you choose the most suitable materials for a particular room.