Choosing a floor covering: which is better - laminate or linoleum

Repairing floors is a troublesome and costly business. For this reason, each owner chooses a floor covering that would last as long as possible and at the same time be easy to maintain. So a reasonable question arises: which is better - laminate or linoleum? In terms of cost and appearance, these coatings are in the budget segment, which means that you need to compare other characteristics of these materials. This is what we will do in our material.

A beautiful and practical floor is a guarantee of a successful renovation 

Everything you need to know about linoleum

For those who do not know anything about this popular coating, we inform you: linoleum is different. And it differs not only in color and thickness.

Linoleum varies in material composition

Linoleum from modern manufacturers is of five main types:

The most popular home coatings are natural and PVC linoleums.

Natural material is less widespread due to its relatively high cost, but PVC breaks records in sales due to democratic prices

Where is linoleum used

According to the area of ​​application, linoleum is divided into several subspecies:

Inexpensive material for household use is very popular with buyers

Long lasting and durable commercial linoleum can also be used in residential areas

A compromise between price and quality - semi-commercial linoleum

Durability and resistance to mechanical stress is determined by the thickness of the protective PVC layer. Depending on this indicator, the floor covering should be selected for different rooms: for children's 0.2 mm is enough, corridor and kitchen - 0.25 mm, offices - from 0.3 to 0.5 mm.

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Features of the base of linoleum

Linoleum has several layers:

The structure of linoleum layers

The main task of the base is to level the surface. In addition, the base performs heat and sound protection functions. Depending on the manufacturing technology, the base may consist of non-woven material - synthetic fibers arranged in a chaotic manner and resembling felt. Another option is synthetic or jute fabric. And the most common is polymer foam. It is good because it quickly returns to its original shape, that is, if someone walked through your apartment on high heels, the traces will disappear in a couple of minutes. Felt compares favorably with good thermal insulation, but it gives a slight shrinkage.

The fabric base is thin, such linoleum does not keep heat well

What to put on the floor in the apartment is up to you.But if you often walk barefoot on the floor, go for felt or foam.

What gives the coating thickness

The more layers a coating has, the thicker it is. Base materials are the thinnest. The thickness of linoleum depends on the class and scope. Here's a quick guide:

Classes of linoleum for wear resistance

Each coating must have a wear resistance class in its characteristics. It is indicated by a two-digit number. The first number in the designation is the recommended type of room. Number 2 means living rooms, 3 - office, 4 - premises with intensive use. The second number is the allowable surface load level. One means the minimum load, four means the maximum. Based on these data, we will divide the linoleum into classes:

Linoleum application table by class

Pros and cons of linoleum

Since our task is to decide which is better: linoleum or laminate floorall the pros and cons of the coating should be considered.

Laminate and its characteristics

Laminate is a covering for more than one year, and the choice of material is not an easy task. Not the last criterion is the manufacturer and country of origin.

The more famous the name, the more guarantee that your floor will delight you with its appearance for a long time.

And now more about other important criteria.

Board device

The shape and size of the laminate is similar to an ordinary board, but slightly thinner. The length of the element is up to 170 cm and the thickness is up to 14 mm. The width of the board is 20 cm. Recently, manufacturers have put on sale square-shaped boards resembling tiles.

Laminate device

The basis of the laminate is Fiberboard or Chipboard... The top layers are a decorative coating and a transparent protective layer. The bottom layer of the board consists of waxed paper, which does not allow water to pass through.For greater impact resistance, some models use an intermediate layer between the fiberboard and the decorative coating - a special film that increases the impact resistance of the product.

Laminate classes and strength criteria

The classification of the laminate is similar to the classification of linoleum. Here, as in the first case, the first digit - a two-digit number - indicates the scope. Two is for household use, three is for commercial. But in fact, now it is difficult to find laminate class 21-23. Most buyers prefer more wear-resistant classes - 31-34. In the technical specifications, you can find another indicator that speaks of the resistance of the laminate to mechanical stress. Typically, this is the AC mark and a number from 3 to 6. For example, the AC3 mark means that the laminate is suitable for low-traffic areas such as living rooms. AC4 can be used for corridor and kitchen.

AC5 can even be laid on the dance floor, it will withstand at least eight seasons of ballroom dancing

The most durable laminate is AC6. It can be laid in the gym. The price of such a coating is rather big - it starts from 2,000 rubles per 1 m². It is used in public places: airports, schools, clinics. Manufacturers give a quality guarantee of 10 years, and if you lay such material in the house, then it will serve for more than one generation.

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Board appearance: design options

The design of the laminate can be very diverse. It will not be difficult for you to choose a material that matches your interior design and color:

According to the picture:

Good laminate is hard to tell from parquet

Crocodile-like flooring is a fashionable trend in interior design

Such a floor only gives the impression of a stone

In addition to the listed types, there is also a special type - designer laminate. These are unusual products from well-known companies that will become a unique note in your interior.

Original colors and lettering will draw attention to your floor

Pros and cons of laminate

Continuing to solve the dilemma of what is better to lay in the apartment - laminate or linoleum, consider the positive and negative sides of the board as a floor covering:

If you decide to change the flooring to a laminate during the renovation process, please note that you need to take care of it accordingly.

For cleaning, you will need a special mop that does not leave water drips, and an antistatic agent should be added to the water for cleaning

Scratches on the laminate can be hidden with special colored putties. If you take proper care of your board, it will last a very long time.

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Linoleum and laminate: which is more expensive, which is stronger? Compare parameters

We examined in detail all the pros and cons of laminate and linoleum. Now is the time to compare both coatings for all important characteristics.

Mounting

Installation of any coating begins with the preparation of the subfloor

For laying laminate there is no need to align every small defect - they will all disappear backing and a flat board. But linoleum will surely crack in place of each tubercle. But there is another aspect: linoleum can be safely laid on a surface with a difference in height. It takes literally half an hour to lay it down - unrolled the roll, secured skirting boards, and you're done.

Laminate is a little more difficult, you have to adjust and cut the fragments, laying the mosaic from the boards

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Contact with water

Every house or apartment has rooms in which the floors are often in contact with water. Emergency situations often arise in the kitchen, and in bathroom - constant humidity due to frequent use of a shower or a hot tub. Practical owners choose linoleum for such premises. He is not only not afraid of water, but also does not let it through, so that accidentally spilled moisture will not seep to neighbors.

Linoleum will withstand even "deck" cleaning

But the laminate will inevitably deform, and in the event of an accident, you will have to completely change the coating. An exception may be a special moisture resistant laminate.

An expert's point of view

Yaroslava Galayko

Lead Designer and Head of Ecologica Interiors Studio

"Use a combined coating in the kitchen: in the work area - linoleum, and in the dining room - laminate."

Soundproofing

For private one-story houses, the problem of soundproofing floors is irrelevant. Even if you have small children, they can jump and run around the house for their own pleasure, it will not bother anyone.

But in high-rise buildings, in the absence of soundproofing of the floor, children's spontaneity is fraught with problems with neighbors from below

Linoleum on felt or foam backing will conscientiously absorb any shocks and absorb unnecessary noise. But the laminate, on the other hand, perfectly conducts every knock. The only way out is to use a special cork backing, but it does not guarantee such soundproofinglike soft linoleum.

Which is warmer: laminate or linoleum

In fact, the answer to this question is not easy. Whether the floor is warm or not depends not so much on the coating as on the substrate. If you put a heat-insulating layer under the laminate, for example, isolon, it will not be any worse to retain heat than linoleum on a thick felt base. And baseless linoleum on a concrete floor will not give you the pleasure of running barefoot.

Combination with underfloor heating

It is now very popular to use different floor heating systems.

Water or electric floors are a guarantee of a favorable indoor climate

But what kind of coverage should you choose?

In no case should you use a cheap laminate for "warm floors", when heated it can release toxic substances

To avoid this problem, it is imperative to install automatic temperature control in your system.

Safety

Supervisory authorities require manufacturers of building materials to pass mandatory certification, so, in principle, you are unlikely to be able to purchase goods harmful to health in a hardware store.

The only question can be raised by the lack of a certificate, in this case it is better to refuse to purchase goods of dubious quality

Otherwise, both coatings have phenolic compounds in their composition. Manufacturing technology makes them stable, and harmful vapors can occur only when the material is very hot or ignited. And if you take, for example, natural linoleum, consisting of natural components, then there are no complaints at all, it will not harm anyone even when burning.

Life time

The warranty period for linoleum is 10 years. Renowned manufacturers such as Tarkett claim three decades of coating lifespan. Inexpensive laminate flooring, even with careful maintenance, will not last longer than 5 years. if you love to make repairs and updating the interior every 4-5 years, then this is your option.

Expensive laminate models can last for 10 years, provided that you use your floor carefully.

Care

For lovers of frequent wet cleaning, it is better to saddle the choice in favor of linoleum. He is not afraid of water or chemicals for cleaning. But this coating is very afraid of burns.

Ashes from a cigarette, a dropped hot iron or a lighted match will leave an indelible mark on the floor.

Large furniture or sharp objects also leave traces. Laminate is not afraid of "sharp" approach. It will look flawless under all circumstances, as long as you do not deliberately scratch it and not filled with water.

Appearance: what to choose - laminate or linoleum

Here, we can say that the forces are equal. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish what is laid on the floor: laminate or linoleum very similar to it and vice versa.

An example of such visual deception: gray linoleum under a laminate

Both coatings successfully imitate stone, wood and can be done in a design manner. Modern manufacturers have long rehabilitated linoleum as a morally obsolete coating, and now it is "on a horse" again.

Which is cheaper: laminate or linoleum

High-quality linoleum with a powerful backing is not cheap. These materials also have inexpensive models, the most budgetary options for linoleum are about half the price of laminate. Expensive high quality laminate is about 2.5 times more expensive than linoleum of similar quality.

If we take the average quality, suitable for confident operation in residential premises, then 1 m2 of linoleum will cost about 300 rubles, laminate - 450-500 rubles. But the service life of these coatings will be different, this has already been said. So, with a slight stretch, you can award the victory in this battle to linoleum.

Video: which is better, according to an expert, linoleum or laminate

Before making the final choice, listen to the opinion of experts and people who have been using this or that type of coating in practice for many years.We offer you a short video with a review from an expert on the choice between laminate and linoleum:

Reviews from real users: which is better - linoleum or laminate

On numerous forums, a discussion is being held on the issue of interest to us. As part of today's review, we have prepared for you a selection of the most interesting reviews from various resources. They will help form an idea of ​​the advantages and disadvantages of a particular choice:

Photo in the interior: linoleum under the laminate and vice versa

Both of these materials look great in different designs.It is often difficult to understand what lies beneath your feet until you have checked the material by touch. Take a look at these two galleries.

Linoleum for laminate

Laminate for linoleum

Agree that in aesthetic terms, both the coating looks more than worthy.

Conclusion: which is better - laminate or linoleum

So, did we manage to answer the question which is better in the house: laminate or linoleum? Both the one and the other cover a lot of advantages, and it is very difficult to make a choice. But to be honest, perhaps linoleum wins a small but sure victory. It is cheaper, warmer, more durable and easier to install. But the choice, no doubt, is up to you, dear readers. What are you voting for and why? Write about it in the comments.

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