Lino flooring has lots of great qualities, being tough, waterproof, available in many colours and designs and, not least, inexpensive. But once it has been chosen and bought, there is the obvious issue of installation. Knowing exactly how to lay lino flooring is important before starting on the task.
The first thing to do is clear the room to get it ready. Obviously this means taking out existing furniture, but may also mean the existing floor has to go as well. Many types of lino can be laid upon existing floors, but one reason the surface below may need to be cleared is that anything left there could cause damage. In particular, lumps, dirt and nails can all cause a problem, so clear the space first. Then, make sure the sub-floor is even and in good condition.
Cheap lino flooring can come as rolls or tiles, with different ways of installing each. In either case, you must first establish the size of the room. With a roll, cut out the equivalent sized piece from the roll, with a little extra at the edges for leeway (this can always be trimmed afterwards). Lay down the adhesive as you go and once it is down go over it with a roller, smoothing out any little bubbles as you go.
For tiled lino flooring, the key is to find the centre of the room. This can be done by measuring the length of every wall and marking the halfway point along each. Two wall-to-wall lines can be drawn, which will cross in the centre to mark the exact middle of the room. This will then divide the floor space into four.
With tiles, of course, each one can be laid down separately and this may be less tricky than using a roll because each piece is a lot smaller. But care should be taken to ensure each join is virtually seamless, otherwise the different pieces may end up slightly crooked or out of alignment with each other.
But with good preparation and care, the laminate flooring should look great once in place and then proceed to provide many years of fine service.