Which floor is warmer: laminate or linoleum? Laminate or linoleum which is better - comparison of characteristics. Resistance to mechanical damage and scratches

Have you thought about this too? This means that you and I are colleagues. It’s not for nothing that they say that the problem of choice makes a person unhappy. For several days I puzzled over this question, calculated, cut out, looked for where it was cheaper. As a result - bought laminate. To tell the truth, initially I was leaning towards linoleum. There were several reasons for this. But, after weighing all the pros and cons, counting all the costs, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages, I came to the conclusion that laminate is more suitable for me. In this review I am going to tell you why I came to this decision. I'll show you at the same time how to choose laminate flooring, what to pay attention to, what a home craftsman will generally need in order to lay the flooring himself. Believe me, unlike, which is best left to professionals, anyone with arms, legs and, naturally, a head can handle laminate flooring.

Frankly, at first I wanted to cover my floors with linoleum. At that time, it seemed to me that such a coating would be cheaper, would last longer, and was somewhat easier and faster to install than laminate. However, over time, I became more and more convinced that the latter has many advantages that linoleum does not have.

Let's try to compare these two coatings based on their main characteristics.

Thermal conductivity

If you put thin linoleum on concrete base, then it will not be very comfortable to walk on such a floor barefoot. Cold. Stone - even artificial - is stone. And playing while sitting on the floor with a child would also be very problematic. Look, not the cheapest linoleum has a thickness of only 2-3 millimeters:

If you place it directly on concrete screed, then walking on the floor barefoot will be cold even in summer, not to mention winter. Of course, even among inexpensive options There are specimens with a thicker backing. The thickest linoleum that we managed to find in the OBI store had a thickness of 4.2 mm

However, even such a layer will not be a panacea. In addition, the cost of this particular linoleum is 799 rubles per square meter:

Mentally multiplying it by 103 square meters that had to be covered, adding about 15% for scraps that inevitably remain during installation, I received a sum of about 95 thousand rubles.

But it wasn’t even these considerable expenses that stopped me from buying. In the end, coverage is not purchased for one year, and you can spend money. The matter was completely different.

I was not sure that if I laid such linoleum on a concrete base, it would be possible to walk on the floor barefoot - the way we are all used to. Of course, you can put the coating on a porous thermal insulation substrate, but in this case, when walking on the floor, you will feel as if you are walking through a swamp, slightly sinking at every step. This will be especially noticeable at first, until the substrate settles in. What will the floor look like in those places where furniture legs press on it? Can you imagine?

You can also first cover the floor with some kind of wood-plywood layer, and then put linoleum on it. But I had to immediately discard this option, because, on the one hand, I would have to reinstall the doors, and on the other hand, significant additional costs were somehow not included in my plans.

In addition, the store simply did not have suitable option linoleum with the roll width I need - 3.5 meters. I didn't like the ones that were available. Either too bright, or with a pronounced pattern, which should be selected when connecting individual pieces, for example, in doorways, This Long story and waste of material.

In a word, after wandering around in the linoleum department, I realized that nothing here suits me. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely don’t want to see such a drawing under my feet in the next 5-10 years:

Like in some district clinic :).

With laminate the situation is somewhat different. It is based on the so-called hardboard. To put it simply, it is wood dust bound with resin and compressed under high temperature. The thermal conductivity of the material is very low. Laminate itself is a good heat insulator and insulation material.

In addition, it is on average two to three times thicker than linoleum. The usual thickness of laminated boards is 8mm. There are slightly thinner ones (6-7 mm) and thicker ones (9-11 mm). But, as you can see for yourself, even the thinnest laminate is thicker than the thickest linoleum. In addition, the laminate is laid on a substrate with a thickness of 3 mm. Even if it shrinks over time and becomes thinner, we will still have a thicker coating with an additional thermal insulation layer.

Thus, the laminate looks more attractive in terms of thermal conductivity.

As for the price, on average, budget laminate options cost about 400-600 rubles per square. This is approximately comparable to linoleum with a thickness of about 3 - 3.5 mm. The benefits of laminate are obvious.

Moisture insulation

If you lay out the linoleum correctly and avoid unnecessary joints, then such a floor will “hold water” perfectly. This means that it can be washed with a regular mop with water without fear that the liquid will penetrate into the substrate and some unpleasant processes will begin there. In addition, if you accidentally spill water from the kettle, it will also remain on the surface. You can assemble it without much difficulty.

Of course, all this works as long as we don't make holes in the linoleum. Not on purpose, of course. For example, we dropped a knife - there was a small hole, but it turned out. They moved a heavy cabinet unsuccessfully and tore a bigger hole. They tripped over the joint of two pieces with a slipper doorway- You understand what happened. There is no need to talk about moisture insulation here. Gradually, focal accumulations of mold may form in such places, and this is not very pleasant.

Photos from the Internet

If you “heat” the room according to all the rules, in the sense that there is plenty of water and slippers float on the surface at the level of the window sills, then the linoleum will have to be “lifted,” turned over and dried. In principle, there is nothing impossible about this, but working with a piece of flooring with an area of ​​20-30 square meters, and even alone it won’t be very convenient. Especially when you consider that you will have to temporarily put the furniture somewhere.

Thus, the convenience of linoleum in terms of retaining liquid is beyond doubt only when it is new. Over time, the coating loses its wonderful properties and at some point must be replaced.

If we are talking about laminate, then its waterproofness does not stand up to criticism at all. Spilled water quickly finds the cracks between the individual planks and penetrates downwards, where it meets the substrate. If the latter is laid correctly, then the water remains on its surface and then gradually dries out. If this happens once and the water is quickly removed at least from the surface of the coating, then nothing bad will happen. With regular exposure to moisture, the laminate begins to swell with all the ensuing consequences.

The problem is partly solved by a special gel that is used to impregnate the joints, but this is still not a panacea.

On the other hand, laminate has one undeniable advantage: the entire covering consists of individual planks. If any specific elements of the coating are swollen or scratched, you can easily replace them with new ones. The main thing is to have some kind of emergency reserve. In the case of linoleum, you will have to change the entire coating or arrange a beautiful patch.

Soundproofing

If we talk about inexpensive single-layer linoleum options, then their sound insulation is practically zero. In thicker multi-layer versions, especially if there is a fleecy or porous layer, sounds are partially muffled.

Laminate laid directly on a concrete floor has even worse performance. But usually it is laid on a substrate, which somewhat improves the situation. One way or another, laminate is a fairly noisy material. Try to spill something small on it, for example parts from children's construction set Lego, and you will immediately understand what I mean.

In other words, in terms of sound insulation, linoleum looks like a better choice.

How much does laminate cost?

This is an important question. We have already discussed it in part and found out that if you do not strive for super quality and do not rely on imported materials, then the cost of laminate flooring can fluctuate between 400-600 rubles (as of 2017).

Of course, there are more expensive, good and beautiful boards. For example, this German laminate, which imitates the structure of stone (in the middle in the picture). Its surface is cold and textured:

Or this creative option:

After all, if you have the money, why not buy real parquet?

At the other extreme is an inexpensive and fairly simple laminate, only 6 mm thick:

But the closest attention should be paid to those types of laminate that are sold at a discounted price. Their common price indicates that this is not the worst representative in its class, and a discount of up to 30-50% makes the purchase much more pleasant:

Of course, its thickness is 7 millimeters, but since the floor in my house is properly leveled, it will be quite enough. It would be possible to even put a “six”, but I’m not ready for such expensive experiments yet.

Based on the promotional price of the laminate, the total cost of covering an area of ​​103 meters was approximately 42 thousand rubles, taking into account a 10% reserve for trimmings.

In addition to the coating itself, you need to purchase a substrate. Depending on your taste and wallet, you can choose either a simple material - blue Porilex (a roll of 50 square meters costs 885 rubles), or denser expensive polymers (gray and pink, 15 square meters for 600 rubles and kopecks), or even cork (10 square meters, thickness 1.5 mm, cost 1055 rub.):

You will also need some tape to glue the backing together. You can use a special, metallized one, which prevents the penetration of water between the sheets of the substrate and supposedly has thermal insulation properties. But regular or even masking tape will do just fine. They are cheaper, and the result is almost the same.

You will also need files for. The OBI store offered two options for canvases. One was suitable, but the other was absolutely not suitable. Take a look at these paintings:

Their teeth are directed downwards. This is right.

Now let's look at this option:

The teeth are directed upwards. They will tear pieces out of the boards and spoil the surface. Of course, the sawn edges are usually placed against the wall under the baseboard, but it is still much more pleasant to work with blades with teeth pointing down.

Pay attention to the special gel for grouting the cracks between the boards. It is especially appropriate where there is a risk of water getting on the coating. For example, in the kitchen, in the hallway, at the entrance to the bathroom, etc. The cost of such packaging is 299 rubles. It is enough for about 5 square meters of surface. Add to cart required quantity tubes.

Finally, OBI stores offer a special French plank - a persistent strip for “tamping” the already laid parts of the covering. Such a bar is needed so as not to knock on wooden or rubber mallet along the edges of the laminate boards themselves. They can be easily deformed. But if you lay a French strip, the work becomes much more convenient and the risk of deformation of the coating elements is reduced.

This miracle costs nothing: 379 rubles. But because - France!

Well, of course! You simply cannot get such pieces of wood anywhere closer. You definitely have to bring it from abroad. On the other hand, you can buy it and then boast to your friends that the latest technologies according to European standards were used when laying the laminate flooring.

By the way, the same bar, but with a set of wedges, costs more than 500 rubles. But because - France!

The very last thing that may come in handy is a film with which you will cover the already laid laminate floor, so as not to immediately trample it with your dirty boots :)

Important feature: how to choose laminate

Without being a great specialist When working with these coatings, I first looked at several options based on thickness and pattern.

But a salesman I knew came and said that the samples I had chosen were “not very good.” I started to object, but with just one argument he won me over to his side.

Look at this photo. Here I tried, as best I could, to show such an important part of the tablet as the lock:

Do you see the side on the right? So there you go! On the other side of the board there is also a protrusion of the corresponding shape. If you connect adjacent planks correctly, they will hold tightly to each other. If you try to separate them using only horizontal force, you will most likely fail (unless you are strong).

Now let's look at this option:

Although this is a more expensive laminate option, there is almost no edge. It's not very good. Over time, if you move carelessly, you can easily create a gap in the floor covering. For example, they were walking somewhere on the floor and suddenly braked.

Locks on laminate flooring appeared relatively recently. Previously, they did not exist and the boards were attached to each other with glue. It is believed that a lock is a more convenient thing, since it allows you to quickly install the covering and, if necessary, just as quickly remove the damaged board, replacing it with a new one.

Yes, you guessed correctly - to do this you will have to dismantle half of the floor. However, this is not particularly difficult to do even for a person who has never touched laminate before. They simply disassembled it, replaced the problematic element, put it back together, and screwed the baseboards into place. ALL!

If the boards were glued together... I don’t even want to think what a long and “creative” process it would be.

So, when choosing laminate, pay attention to the locks. The more prominent they are, the calmer it will be for you to walk on the floor.

Conclusion

Following practical advice of my friend, a seller from OBI, I bought laminate flooring on sale. It had a good price, great locks, and was 7mm thick. in my specific case was quite appropriate.

In total, a 103-meter house required 40 packages weighing 600 kilograms. I had to order delivery - I feel sorry for my car.

In the next article I will show you the process of laying laminate flooring. You'll see, everything will be very simple... if you know how :)

Beauty, durability, reliability – these are the criteria by which flooring is chosen. The environmental component is no less important, especially in homes with small children. The last condition somewhat narrows the search suitable material, but the stumbling block is the price - parquet and solid wood are not a cheap pleasure. In this case, you should choose from two options - laminate or linoleum. What is better is described in this article

Beauty, durability, reliability – these are the criteria by which flooring is chosen. The environmental component is no less important, especially in homes with small children. The last condition somewhat narrows the search for a suitable material, but the stumbling block is the price - parquet and solid wood are not a cheap pleasure. In this case, you should choose from two options - laminate or linoleum. Which is better is described in this article.

What is laminate

A floor covering consisting of several layers that provides the board with the proper appearance and strength - this is laminate. Read more in this article. The coating has a classification, thanks to which the choice for a particular room will be accurate. The advantages of laminate include:

1. Durability.
2. Easy installation (even for amateurs).
3. Exceptional appearance. The board can imitate natural wood, stone, carpet, etc.
4. Easy care.

Laminate cannot be considered completely environmentally friendly due to the adhesive between the layers and the melamine or acrylic resin on decorative paper. However, it is a product that is more related to wood processing than linoleum, which is most often produced from styrene.

What is linoleum

This is a type of flooring made from polymers or natural raw materials, produced in rolls - more details here.
The natural option is rare and expensive, so consumers mainly consider its styrene analogues - polyvinyl chloride, nitrocellulose, alkyd and others. The coating has the following advantages:

1. Durable. Service life is guaranteed by manufacturers up to 15 years.
2. Super easy to clean. Dirt does not stay on it. The surface tolerates any cleaning agents inertly.
3. Additional sound, heat and waterproofing - linoleum will not leak, it has a backing. A warm floor is laid under it.

The disadvantages include the possibility of damage to linoleum. He is powerless in the face of heels, falling sharp objects, and bending.

Comparison of materials by characteristics

Now, having some idea about the two types of flooring, let’s look at whether to choose laminate or linoleum, their advantages and disadvantages in relation to each other:

Appearance

Both coatings are distinguished by a variety of colors and textures. Most popular is laminate in the form of a wood board with a corresponding natural pattern that imitates expensive varieties - beech, oak, ash, maple and others.
Which, however, does not mean that it is impossible to purchase laminate flooring with a fancy pattern. Linoleum similarly imitates wood, parquet patterns, stone, even skin.
In this classification, both materials are good.

Practicality and applications

A house or apartment is a living space. Active activities take place there and the coating should not be of museum value so that you are afraid to step on it or inadvertently ruin it. What is more practical: laminate or linoleum? The first has advantages in the following cases:

It has a hard surface that is inert to impacts, walking in heels and scratches from pets' claws.
However, if damage does occur, the area will have to be replaced.
Maintainability. For laminate it is higher due to interlocking connections during installation. It is enough to simply replace one lamella with another. But if the damage occurred in the middle of the area, then a significant area will have to be dismantled.
The durability of laminate is greater - manufacturers give it up to 50 years, while linoleum, even with careful handling, can age, fade, and wear out after 15 years of service.

Laminate is considered impractical in the care sector.
It is afraid of water and requires only slightly damp cleaning - abrasives and chemicals are not allowed. For this reason, laminate flooring is not installed in bathrooms.

Now about linoleum:

It is laid everywhere - the film does not allow moisture and odors to penetrate into the structure of the coating.
Clean with anything big amount water (subject to seamless coating).
Due to the cost, the coating can be changed frequently.

Unfortunately, linoleum has more disadvantages in terms of practicality. It is irreparable - cigarette burns, holes from sharp objects and heels cannot be masked. It is customary to walk on linoleum in soft shoes or barefoot. To replace the covering, the entire floor area is dismantled.

Safety

It is difficult to decide which is better - linoleum or laminate in terms of safety. Both surfaces are smooth, which creates a movement hazard for small children and elderly household members. Both are made using polymer adhesives, which can cause allergies. But laminate is still related to wood, which cannot be said about linoleum if the polymer version is used - formaldehyde predominates in its composition. Before purchasing, it is important to read the instructions, which clearly indicate the installation location of linoleum or laminate - residential or Technical buildings. Important property – Fire safety. Laminate flooring is incapable of igniting from a match, cigarette butt or fallen candle - the danger arises later, when the fire ignites. Linoleum immediately begins to smolder, releasing poisonous gas- the misfortune will happen even before the fire occurs.

Possibility of self-installation

For both options it is important level base– neither laminate nor linoleum will lie flat and in the future they may break or tear at a plane difference of more than 0.3 cm. Further, the differences:

1. Laminate requires a backing (usually foamed polystyrene or felt).
For linoleum the condition is optional.
2. Laminate flooring is easy to install due to prefabricated units. Linoleum is inconvenient to install, and if you use a single piece over the entire area without seams, you will have to work hard during installation.
3. Laminate does not require glue.
To prevent bulging, it is recommended to lay linoleum with it or use special tape.

4. In terms of time, installation of the laminate will take longer - the boards need to be adjusted and joined. However, for linoleum, everything must be removed from the floor area. foreign objects, measure and trim the material, which is also not done quickly.

The unifying quality of the two materials - no installation skills required. It is enough to read and follow the instructions exactly.
Details in this and other articles.

Price

Main aspect wrong choice– owners want to get quality for little money. What is cheaper, laminate or linoleum - let's look at:

Natural linoleum will be more expensive than the average laminate, as it wins according to many criteria - environmental friendliness, safety.
PVC coating approximately 2.5 times cheaper than average quality laminate, which has better characteristics.

As a result, laminate flooring will cost owners more than linoleum, but based on the combination of quality features and durability in operation, the expense is justified. Linoleum at a low price will suit the owners of those apartments where it is intended redecorating or they are ready to change the coating every 3-5 years. Naturally, technical version unacceptable.

conclusions

So what laminate is better or linoleum in the house? It is impossible to draw unambiguous conclusions without determining your own situation: expectations of durability, features of an apartment or house, the possibility dangerous situations and other things. Betting only on appearance and cheapness means getting an unpredictable result.

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This material was developed to replace natural floor elements, which made it possible to significantly save when organizing flooring. Each lamella is made in the form of a multi-layer board, which makes this product durable, beautiful and reliable.

Laminate is used not only in ordinary apartments, but also for flooring equipment in office, retail and other premises with high traffic. For these purposes, lamellas with increased strength have been developed, which is determined by wear resistance class from 21 to 43.

The advantages of laminate include:

• relative cheapness compared to parquet boards or ceramic tiles;
• variety of colors and textures;
• Several degrees of wear resistance allow you to select the material for almost any operating conditions;
• ease of installation, all work can be done independently without the involvement of specialists.

Negative properties of the material:

• short service life (usually up to 5 years for cheap types);
• loss of appearance when water penetrates into the joints of the coating;
• insufficient sound insulation;
• the unnatural base of the material under certain conditions causes the evaporation of harmful substances;
• Laminate flooring becomes slippery after wet cleaning, which often leads to injuries.

Pros and cons of linoleum

Linoleum is a roll product used for organizing flooring in administrative and private buildings. Most often the base material is PVC.

TO positive characteristics linoleum include:

• low price;
• To keep linoleum floors clean, no special effort is required - just wipe the floor with a damp cloth;
• high degree of floor sound insulation;
• low thermal conductivity of the coating, which allows you to retain heat in the room;
• simple installation technology that can be done with your own hands;
• many options for patterns and colors;
• long term use - from 10 years.

TO negative properties include:

• at high temperatures, dangerous volatile substances evaporate from the coating, and at low temperatures the product loses its plasticity and cracks;
• the material does not resist static loads well; punching holes are found at the installation site of large objects;
• can't resist high temperatures(melted);
• releases formaldehyde during combustion.

Comparison of laminate and linoleum

To figure out which is better - laminate or linoleum in the house, you need to analyze these products in comparison.

Which is stronger

Laminate undoubtedly has higher strength characteristics compared to rolled material, but when planning the arrangement of furniture in a room with laminate flooring, you need to make sure that the legs of the sofa or cabinet do not fall on the same board, otherwise the docking lock will quickly become unusable. Otherwise, this material is equivalent in strength to parquet.

After static exposure to heavy furniture, dents remain on linoleum. When moving hard objects carelessly, linoleum often tears, leaving scratches on the surface.

Which material has higher moisture resistance?

Linoleum can withstand spilled water and even small floods, which is why it is often used as finishing material floor on kitchen space. Laminate boards are unable to resist excessive moisture, and water that gets into the joints of the lamellas leads to swelling of the product and the need to replace the coating.

Which is cheaper?

In the selection process, deciding on the question: linoleum or laminate - which is better and cheaper - is not easy. The price range for these materials is quite serious: cheap artificial boards are offered for 250 rubles. per sq.m., but high-quality and durable boards will be expensive: 1300 - 1500 rubles. per sq.m.

The same applies to prices for rolled products: the most simple samples will cost from 130 rubles. per sq.m., and expensive specimens can cost 600-800 rubles. It turns out that the prices for rolled products are lower, in addition, if you take into account that in order to lay the lamellas you need to purchase a substrate, it turns out that laying rolled products is more profitable.

Thus, the answer to the question of cost has been determined and it is definitely linoleum, but, nevertheless, a lot here depends on the operating conditions of the room.

Which is more harmful?

From an environmental safety point of view, both products are reliable and clean, but the absence of harm is limited by operating conditions. First of all, this applies to linoleum: with a significant increase in temperature (more than 35 o C), harmful volatile substances - formaldehyde - begin to be released from the surface of the material.

These substances, in high concentrations, are hazardous to health, especially for children. The same process occurs with cheap types of laminate, but to a lesser extent. Under normal operating conditions, both materials fully meet the environmental requirements for interior spaces, but it is not recommended to place linoleum in bedrooms and children’s rooms.

Which is easier to wash?

Both materials can be subjected wet cleaning, but when working with laminate it is necessary to wring out the cloth more thoroughly so that water does not penetrate into the joints between the slats. Heavy soiling It is recommended to remove it from the surface of linoleum using a cotton swab moistened with acetone.

Which is warmer

In order to figure out which is warmer - linoleum or laminate, you should remember the composition of these two products. The dense structure of the rolled material does not allow cold air to penetrate and retains heat indoors. Multilayer slats also protect the room well from the cold, but their degree of thermal protection is significantly lower than that of linoleum.

Despite the obvious differences, according to consumer reviews, to the touch roll material seems much cooler than laminate boards.

Which is quieter?

What is better - linoleum or laminate in an apartment in terms of sound insulation? Incredibly, linoleum has a higher ability to eliminate noise, unlike laminate flooring. The reason for the weaker sound insulation of laminate flooring is resonance.

If you lay a thin backing under the boards, the sounds of footsteps and falling objects will be heard throughout the apartment and also disturb the neighbors, so you should Special attention Pay attention to the material and thickness of the leveling pad.

Linoleum not only limits the propagation of sound waves indoors, but also prevents the penetration of extraneous noise from neighboring apartments, which is why this material is often placed in the kitchen and hallway, where higher sound insulation from neighbors is required.

Which coating is more wear-resistant?

It is quite difficult to determine the preferred option based on the degree of wear resistance. The opinion of experts boils down to the statement that for an apartment this parameter is not significant.

Both materials have excessive strength characteristics, especially if you use products high class, therefore, it is impossible to give preference to any one, but it should be taken into account that both rolled material and laminate boards irreversibly lose their original appearance when exposed to abrasives.

Having understood the comparative characteristics of both materials, you can determine what to choose, linoleum or laminate, for each specific situation.

The operating features of a particular room are the basis for choosing linoleum or laminate. The pros and cons of each material dictate the need for their use in various conditions:

• On the first floors high-rise buildings, especially in new buildings, it is recommended to lay linoleum. The premises on the ground floor of the house are a risk zone for penetration high humidity from the basement, and if you immediately lay laminate flooring in all rooms, a situation may arise when, within short term the joints of the lamellas will swell and the coating will become unusable. This problem can only be dealt with by organizing reliable waterproofing.
• In a private house the situation will be similar. You should not lay laminate flooring until you have received reliable information about the degree of humidity in each room. In this case, it is recommended to lay linoleum, parquet boards or arrange traditional plank floors.
• For one-room studios, it is best to use laminate, but in the kitchen area it is still advisable to put rolled material.
• It is advisable to use laminate flooring to furnish the living room. This material fits harmoniously into any interior main room and allows you to show the level of wealth of home owners.
• The corridor, hallway and kitchen are the areas with the highest traffic and pollution levels. Accordingly, it is recommended to lay only linoleum in these rooms.
• A balcony is a room where significant changes in temperature and humidity occur, so laminate cannot be used in this case; it is better to install durable and practical linoleum.
• For children's rooms and bedrooms, it is necessary to use laminate flooring that has higher environmental characteristics.

Video on the topic

Completing construction new house or completing major renovation, any happy owner of a renovated room wonders which flooring is best to choose.

The variety of materials can simply baffle, but the greatest popularity in last years use laminate and linoleum.

To figure out which one would be better suited for a certain room, you need to know at least a little more about them.

Today's market is filled various types laminate, which differ in color, pattern, quality and cost. It should be noted that different types materials may differ in price, but this does not mean that they have a big difference in quality.

Characteristics

Laminate is a panel 15-40 cm wide, its length is 1-1.5 m, and its thickness varies from 4 to 12 mm.

It consists of several layers, each of which plays its own role.

1. The bottommost layer consists of a waterproof material - tarred or unrefined paper. It helps preserve the floor covering on the main floor side. This layer can also have a soundproofing coating or a stand-alone backing.
2. The main dense layer of the laminate is made of wood fiber, pressed into a board with a thickness of 4 to 12 mm. Its rigidity holds the shape of the panel, and there are tongue-and-groove fastenings on it, with the help of which a monolithic floor covering is created.
3. The next layer is decorative. It consists of a laminated film which has various drawings imitating wood different breeds, stone, parquet, sand and other materials.
4. The top layer protects the laminate from mechanical stress such as scratches or abrasion. It consists of acrylic or melamine resins, which are applied in several layers. Their number varies from two or more - the more there are, the more reliable and durable the coating.

This top layer is used to determine the class of the laminate.

Coating properties

Laminate panels, like any building material, have their positive and negative qualities.

Advantages

Laminate is light in weight, but can withstand loads greater than wood coverings. It is moisture resistant and hygroscopic, it does not crack. Thanks to protective film, it is resistant to scratches and abrasions.

This also includes its resistance to ultraviolet radiation - it does not fade or change color over time.

Its practicality is obvious, since once you install it, you can forget about the problem of repairing the floor for decades.

Environmental friendliness

Laminate is based on natural materials and does not contain resins or formaldehydes harmful to the human body, unlike other floor coverings.

Its production is subject to high material safety requirements, so it can be safely installed in any room of the house or apartment.

Aesthetics

Laminated film perfectly imitates the pattern of any texture, be it wood or stone.

The laid laminate flooring is almost impossible to distinguish from natural parquet. Designers use this material for general design interior, using its aesthetic qualities.

Hygiene

Since laminate is moisture resistant, mold cannot grow on it. The material is easy to clean - just regular wet cleaning is enough.

The laminate panels fit so tightly against each other that dirt particles cannot get between them.

This can also be attributed to its positive properties.

Flaws

This flooring has significantly fewer negative qualities than positive ones, but they still exist:

• some types of laminate can attract dust and small debris due to the fact that they can accumulate static electricity;
• the material is not able to make the floor as warm as natural parquet can do.

These are almost minor negative points compared to all its advantages. But it should be noted that these shortcomings are completely correctable.

Linoleum is a rolled flooring material. It is available in several types and with a variety of patterns, has many colors and shades. It can be easily selected to suit every taste and any interior.

Characteristics

• Linoleum is produced different thicknesses- thin and insulated, 1.5 m, 2 m, 2.5 m, 3 and 4 m wide.
• The thickness of the baseless thin coating varies from 1.2 to 1.6 mm.
• Insulated has a foam backing from 2 to 4 mm, and linoleum with a warm thick base can have a thickness of 1.5 cm.

If thin linoleum is laid, the floors underneath will be leveled to perfect condition.

A coating on a thick base can easily hide small irregularities.

Types of linoleum

This flooring is available in several types and from different materials:

1. PVC linoleum is the most common type of this covering; it is produced without a base and on a heat-sound-insulating or fabric base.

This material is also divided into homogeneous (single-layer) and heterogeneous (multilayer) types:

• Heterogeneous linoleum consists of several layers. The first, lower one is a foamed or insulated substrate, then comes decorative layer with a pattern and the top transparent - protective film.
• Homogeneous linoleum is a material whose pattern runs throughout its entire thickness, so it is not afraid of abrasion. This type is good for laying in places with high traffic.

PVC linoleum does not tolerate temperature changes well; it deforms when it significantly increases or decreases.

1. Colloxyline linoleum - made from nitrocellulose without a base, it is elastic and waterproof, but it is almost never used in residential premises, as it is a fire hazard.
2. Alkyd or glyphthalic linoleum - made on the basis of alkyd resin, on a fabric backing. This type of linoleum has good heat and sound insulation properties compared to PVC.

The disadvantage of this type of flooring is that it does not tolerate low temperatures, it becomes brittle and can break.

1. "Relin" is linoleum made on a rubber base.

Its bottom layer consists of recycled rubber mixed with bitumen, which is covered on top with rubber, to which fillers and pigments have been added.

Positive and negative qualities of linoleum

Advantages

Linoleum has a large number of positive qualities, which is why it is very popular:

• Affordability makes it possible for even a family with an average income to purchase the most expensive option;
• Easy to maintain - linoleum does not require much effort when cleaning, It is enough to wipe it with a damp cloth or walk over it with a vacuum cleaner;
• The material makes it possible to move around it silently, which contributes to the creation of comfort;
• Coverage on warm substrate, having a thickness of 1.5 cm, can create a good one;
• Linoleum has a fairly low thermal conductivity, so the floor will not be cold, even if.

  Naturally, in this case it is better to choose thick linoleum on a warm backing;

• The form of the material and its width basically always allows you to lay it yourself in an apartment or house, without using joints of the canvases. If you still had to connect two pieces, you can use ;
• The abundance of colors, shades and patterns allows you to make necessary choice for any room;
• Long service life, which ranges from 10 to 15 years.

Flaws

The flooring also has its disadvantages, which you also need to know about:

• The material is not made on a natural basis and is an artificial product. The exception is natural linoleum, but it has not yet become widespread;
• Not resistant to chemical influences (solvents, dyes);
• reacts to changes temperature conditions, at the same time it becomes brittle and can be deformed;
• Vulnerability when coming into contact with hot objects;
• Traces from furniture placed on it remain on the linoleum, which are not subsequently removed;

Moving furniture on this flooring is strictly prohibited, as it can be easily fatally damaged, it may become deformed or, at best, scratches will remain on it.

Material comparison criteria

If you are faced with the question of choosing between these materials, you need to make a comparison and identify all the pros and cons of linoleum and laminate.

Floor coverings have not only fundamental differences, but also similarities, so if you rely on them, the materials can sometimes become interchangeable.

comparison table

Based on this data, you can decide which material is most suitable for your room.

Material prices

Prices for laying flooring per 1 m2 vary: for laminate from 120 to 550 rubles, for linoleum from 80 to 300 rubles.

What will cost more: laminate or linoleum? Let's compare prices.

Price table for linoleum

Laminate price table

What rooms are the materials suitable for?

Laminate and linoleum are divided according to strength by the criteria of cross-country ability, i.e. wear resistance. Public organizations and buildings need a coating that can withstand long periods of passage. large quantity people, office premises also need to be covered with reliable, durable material. Therefore, floor coverings are available in several classes.

Laminate classification

It is indicated on each package with two numbers, the first of which means intended for residential or non-residential premises, and the second indicates the degree of coating strength:

• material for living rooms are designated by numbers from 21 to 23,
• for non-residential and work premises from 31 to 33.

But it should be noted that recently many manufacturers are refusing to produce laminates of class 21-23, since materials of class 31-33 are more popular, since in terms of their environmental friendliness they are no different from coatings for residential premises.

• 31 - laminate for offices where there is no heavy load on the coating, also good for bedroom;
• 32 - material for public organizations with more intensive traffic, for the home, it good for living room, balcony and bathroom;
• 33 - laminate for rooms with heavy traffic, where it bears heavy loads, for example, shops and hotels. In residential premises, this class of coating is installed in the hallway or kitchen.

Classification of linoleum

Linoleum is also divided according to wear resistance; there are three classes:

• Household - this material is used in residential premises.

It has high wear resistance, environmental safety, and this is one of the the most important requirements for this flooring.

It can be placed in any room of the apartment, it will last quite a long time.

• Semi-commercial - this class is intended for office premises and catering organizations, it has wear resistance of medium traffic.

This class of linoleum is rarely installed in residential premises, since it is not necessary.

• Commercial is the most wear-resistant and durable class of linoleum.

Therefore it is laid in public buildings such as shops, schools, hotels, etc.

When choosing a floor covering, you need to take care not only of its aesthetic value, but also about environmental cleanliness.

Choosing the right wear resistance class will help you save money family budget. Based on all the data received, it will not be difficult to choose the right option.