UKC

I'm thinking of laying lino in a small room 3m30 x 2m70 with an ugly cracked concrete floor. It just isn't worth the expense of putting the floor right and laying tiles. Just basically a tarting-up job. None of the walls are straight or anywhere near parallel or at right angles to each other. Any tips on how to go about laying/trimming this would be gratefully received. Is lino generally glued down?
Thanks.

In reply to jon:

I've just put a bit of lino down in a similar sized room, with similar wall issues. Get an old newspaper, and lay the sheets on the floor, sticking them together with tape until you have a template of the floor. Then lay this on your lino (with the surface you walk on facing up!), and draw round it, adding a few centimetres all the way round so that you have a slightly oversized version of your template.. Cut around this border, then you will be able to trim bits off as you lay it to get the correct fit. Use a very sharp Stanley knife.


No need to glue it down if the lino is of decent quality (i.e. heavy).

In reply to jon:

I would take the skirting off, or undercutting the bottom 2mm using a multitool while in situ. Then it will be a case off getting the approximate shape, starting in one corner with the edges rolled up the wall on the other three sides and shaving bits here and there to fit.

That way, if your lino doesn't quite meet it is hidden. It also has the benefit that it will stop it curling at the edges and give it room to expand in summer.

Glue is used for lino, but dependent on where its going alters what glue to use; ie in a sunroom/conservatory a heat resistant glue.

In reply to jon:

I recently put lino down in the small bathroom, it's a very odd shape and awkward to cut. As I was laying it over uneven floorboards I put some 3mm hardboard down first. I started off using some old rolls of wall paper to make a paper template and then I transferred this onto the hardboard, aftr fitting and trimming the hardboard to fit I used this to mark up and fit cut the lino. The lino went in beautifully, rather more precisely than really required as I have skirting board to fit now anyway.

In reply to jon:
Others have covered it with the newspaper template which works.

Glue, I just lay it, peel it Back on the diagonals , and use a can of spray glue, it comes up when pulled, but holds well enough , pay particular attention to corners /edges.

In reply to gethin_allen:
The lino went in beautifully, rather more precisely than really required as I have skirting board to fit now anyway.

Good point Gethin, it is a good idea to take the skirtings off if possible, then you can cut the lino it right to the wall with no need to trim. If the skirtings are badly bashed, might be a good time to renew them too , sometimes easier than preping old ones, and the job looks perfect.
(until the wife says it makes the rest of the room looks shabby !)

In reply to jon:


I am pretty handy. I had a go at laying lino. I now pay someone else to do it. It is very unforgiving. One wrong cut and it is game over.

No skirtings in the house unfortunately - the old stone walls are too irregular to fit them anyway.

I've made templates when tiling the other floors but hadn't considered making one for this, so good point. Doesn't sound very easy to make a template that big though and the cutting would have to be done in another (bigger) room?

I think the lino will be cheapo stuff so going on what you say I'll probably glue it.

In reply to ByEek:

Hmmm, that's the reason I posted the question!

In reply to jon:

Is it lino or is it vinyl?

Personally, I'd not glue it, but allow for expansion and contraction below the skirting, unless of course you're having a coved skirting detail. You'd be surprised how much vinyl in particular can shift and ripple with thermal variation.

In reply to Fraser:

The OP says there are no skirtings.

I must say, as I am reasonably handy/confident with an angle grinder, I might be tempted to cut a little groove allround the very bottom of the wall to push in a small overlap of lino in lieu of skirting, but it would be a dusty job.
I did a similar groove for some outside lead work, and it was straightforward if you have a steady hand.

In reply to Fraser:



I didn't know they still made lino. Is it a 'new' expression for vinyl?

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Not new, no, it's still the same, (very) old stuff.

We've specified it in a lot of healthcare developments due to various benefits, including its anti-bacterial and 'self-healing' properties.

In reply to jon:

I suppose it depends how expensive the flooring you are laying is. I tried with a cheapo £20 piece for the bathroom and made a right pigs ear of it. In fact I was pretty ashamed of myself, having just fitted a new bathroom including plastering and tiling for the first time. That said, if you have some form of template (previous piece of lino or paper template as mentioned above) you stand a fighting chance.

Good luck and if in doubt, cut bigger than you think.

In reply to Fraser et al:

No idea if it's lino or vinyl - I was just using it as a generic term.

Old Provençal village houses look sort of idyllic don't they? However the floor is often a thin layer of concrete or just cement poured over earth and rubble that has been packed around the vaulted ceiling of the cellar below. Over time it all settles and of course becomes uneven - typically the middle of the floor over the apex (for want of a better word) of the vault staying where it is and the sides sinking down a bit. The concrete of course cracks and any tiles layed directly on top would inevitably crack too. The only real way around this is to dig out the old concrete and as much of the earth and rubble as possible and pour a new slab. Which is exactly what we've done in the living room, adding under floor heating at the same time. However for various reasons we don't want the expense of doing that in this little room. We could leave it like it is, but it's ugly. 'Lino' (or indeed any floor covering) would look a bit better.

Fraser, I'm sort of interested in your suggestion the other day on another thread of cork tiles. They'd be easier to lay and give a bit of insulation but they may be too thick - doors to think of. Any other suggestions?

In reply to jon:

You can get self adhesive Vinyl tiles ( 305 mm * 305 mm ).

A lot easier to DIY than one sheet.

Or what about floor paint?

In reply to Rick Graham:

Vinyl tiles - what a good idea. Thanks Rick!