Linoleum is a popular coating that is often used for flooring in a variety of rooms. Often the owners of houses and apartments stack this material on their own. Having made some mistakes, one can observe how ugly waves appear on the surface of linoleum. This problem is solved in various ways. How to remove waves on linoleum will be discussed in detail below.
Features of linoleum
One of the most popular types of flooring is linoleum. It is made from polymeric materials. Many owners like that linoleum provides a huge selection of colors. The pattern can be both the simplest and very complex. This allows you to create different decorative effects in the room. If for some reason waves appear on the surface of the material, this greatly affects the appearance of the coating.
It is very important that the base under the linoleum is perfectly flat. In this case, the material will be used for a long time without losing its attractive appearance. Linoleum is known for its versatility and practicality. It is easy to wash. When moisture enters the surface, the material does not deform. The cost of linoleum is relatively small.
However, this material has a number of negative qualities. It is sold in rolls, as it is soft. It is also an elastic coating, it is made from polymeric materials. Therefore, its structure is subject to deformation. This is especially noticeable under the influence of high temperatures or after mechanical influence.
If linoleum has been in a twisted state for a long time, it retains a wave-like shape for a certain time. It is necessary to unwind the roll and leave it in this position. The waves on linoleum will straighten themselves. It is worth saying that deformations may appear after installation. Eliminating them will be much more difficult. But nothing is impossible. How to return the old attractive appearance of the coating should be considered in more detail.
Causes of deformation
So, there were waves on linoleum. What to do in such a situation? First you need to establish the cause of such a nuisance. Often a similar situation occurs when the owners forgot to leave a gap between the linoleum sheet and the wall during self-laying or it turned out to be insufficient. The edges of the material in this case will abut against the walls, which leads to the appearance of deformation.
The cause of the unpleasant phenomenon can be the baseboard. Sometimes craftsmen press this part too much to the material. As a result, linoleum does not have enough space to crack down.
Another reason may be the presence of dust and moisture under the surface of the sheet. If the master did not pay due attention to cleaning and degreasing the base, there is water left on the floor, linoleum will certainly swell in this place. In this case, the question will surely arise how to remove the waves on linoleum.
If the room is large, the flooring material is not just rolled out over the surface. It will need to be glued using a special composition. The quality of the glue will also depend on whether the coating is deformed over time.
Due to the temperature difference, a soft, elastic coating can also deform. If the room turned off the heating sharply in the winter, and then after a few days they again began to intensively heat the living space, this would lead to irreversible consequences for linoleum. In this case, it most likely cannot be restored.
The deformation of the new linoleum
After buying linoleum for the floor, the owners may encounter a problem when unwinding it at home. Crests may remain on the surface of the roll. How to remove waves from linoleum after twisting? There are several recommendations from experts on how to deal with this problem.
If the material retains a wavy shape for a long time, this can significantly slow down the laying speed. To quickly deal with such deformation, you need to try to twist the roll in the opposite direction. The front side in this case will be turned inward. The roll is not bandaged very tightly. Otherwise, the deformation will appear, but in the opposite direction. The roll needs to be wound quite widely.
After a few hours, the material is straightened again and laid out on a flat surface. Before proceeding with the installation of such material, you will need to wait about a day. Only in a day it will be possible to start finishing the floor.
There is another way to remove waves from linoleum after twisting. Sometimes the ridges do not straighten for a long time due to the fact that the purchased segment was at the end of the roll. Here, the compression force was stronger. As a result, the material needs more time to take the form required for installation. In this case, a different technique is used.
The second way to eliminate deformation on the new linoleum
How to remove waves on linoleum, if it is caked? Many sellers store material in tightly twisted bundles. If linoleum is stored in this state for a long time, it takes the form of a tube. Most often, such a nuisance happens with homogeneous varieties of flooring, which are characterized by high elasticity and density.
For straightening linoleum in this case, it will take several days. Often the owners of a house or apartment do not have so much time to wait until the material becomes even again. Twisting the sheet of material in the opposite direction is impractical if the room is large. To remove ridges on the surface of such a coating, it will take a lot of effort. Roll back a wide and long piece of linoleum exactly will not be easy.
In this case, they act somewhat differently. It is necessary to fix the edge of the material that is adjacent to the far wall in the room with the baseboard. Then prepare a thick long board and weighting agent. As the latter, for example, a bag with a building mixture or other similar items will be suitable. A board is laid at some distance from the edge. On her - a weighting agent. Further, as the material is leveling, the board is shifted in the direction opposite to the plinth. After this stretching of linoleum, it is necessary to fix its second edge with the baseboard already on the opposite wall. In this position, the material should be within a day. During this time, he will even out completely.
The alignment of linoleum in this case will be much faster. After that, it will be possible to proceed to the final fixation of the canvas.
Elimination of deformation after installation
There is a certain technique on how to remove waves on linoleum after laying. There are several ways. The choice of methodology depends on the cause that led to the deformation, as well as the method of installation of the floor covering.
It is much easier to eliminate ridges on the surface of linoleum if it was not glued to the base. First you need to determine what led to the appearance of deformation. Remove the baseboard. Perhaps he presses the flooring too much, which simply does not seem to be able to straighten out.
Considering how to remove the waves on linoleum after laying, another reason for the occurrence of the defect should be noted. Perhaps the master did not leave enough clearance to straighten the material. After dismantling the baseboard, this will be clearly visible. It is necessary to smooth linoleum in a suitable way. Then you should evaluate the position of the material relative to the wall. If linoleum comes into it, you will need to perform pruning.
The line is lead with the help of a building level. The cut must be done with a sharp knife. Next, linoleum should remain at rest for several hours. After that, they check again whether there is a gap between the material and the wall. After that, you can fix the floor covering with a skirting board, install a threshold.
To avoid future deformation, it is recommended that the problematic piece of linoleum be glued to the surface of the base. The fixation will be tight, which will avoid the occurrence of ridges.
If linoleum is glued
Much less often, but crests occur on linoleum, which was glued to the base of the floor. There can be many reasons for the appearance of such problems. Perhaps the floor was not properly primed. In the area where the swelling appeared, the glue lagged behind the surface. Because of this, a bubble forms, which greatly spoils the appearance of the coating.
Sometimes the crests of glued linoleum indicate insufficient alignment of the canvas during installation. Sometimes a small amount of water remains under the floor surface (for example, the primer is not sufficiently dry). It also leads to waves. Temperature changes cause the elastic coating to stretch and taper. On such surfaces will also be visible in places of convexity.
How to remove waves on linoleum after water, improper priming? There is a simple technique that will eliminate such defects. First you need to make a hole in the surface of the bubble with an awl. You can also use a thick needle for this.
After that, smooth the surface of linoleum. Air needs to be released from the resulting bubble. When linoleum will fit snugly to the surface, you will need to type glue into the syringe. It is added through the hole created earlier. Next, you need to firmly press the material to the floor. To do this, put on it a heavy object with an even base. The load remains on the surface until the glue dries.
There are other ways that will even out linoleum. The presented technique is quite effective. If the question arises, how to remove the waves on linoleum, if there is furniture, this option should be considered first. If the furniture has been shifted flooring, local gluing can solve the problem.
Elimination of significant swelling
If there are waves on the linoleum from the chair, it may not be possible to eliminate the bubble with a simple puncture. Sometimes the deformation is significant. In this case, the bubble under the coating will be high. It is difficult to eliminate such a defect. You will need to make a cross-shaped incision in the center of the ridge. The appearance of the coating may deteriorate due to this.
After the cut, excess air is also removed from under the surface of the bubble. Next, you need to carefully cut off the excess material. It is necessary to try to ensure that the pattern is combined correctly. If the repair is small, he will not be evident.
When the surface of the linoleum is leveled, the back of the material is treated with glue. Then the cargo is laid on it until the composition completely dries.
Other techniques
There are several other techniques that are also used to level this flooring. Sometimes builders use metal balls for this. This method is suitable if the material was not glued to the floor, and swelling appeared only in places. On the ridges you need to roll the balls. Because of this, the material will be pressed against the surface of the base.
You can use a hot water bottle for these purposes. This technique is suitable for eliminating minor defects. The heater warms the material. It will become plastic because of this. Next, you just need to leave it on the surface of linoleum. Under the weight of this item, the material will level out.
There is another similar, but more effective way. An iron is used for this. Only they need to act correctly. How to remove waves on linoleum with an iron? Be sure to carry out the impact on the material only through a cloth or sheet of paper. The iron should not be very hot. It is smoothly moved along the surface, evenly heating the material. After that, a sheet of plywood or chipboard is placed on linoleum.
It should be noted that the alignment of the flooring with iron can be used only for thick varieties of linoleum. If you try this technique on thin material, it will stretch and deform. Moreover, it will be impossible to return to its original form.
Instead of an iron, a construction or regular hair dryer is sometimes used. The procedure is the same as with the iron.
Inflection
Sometimes the question arises, how to remove the waves on linoleum, which appeared due to its excess. This situation often occurs if a twisted roll is accidentally stepped on or left a heavy object on it. In this case, one or more kinks may appear. Such deformation will interfere with styling.
An excess can appear both in the center of the roll and along its edges. In this case, you will need to take certain actions to align it. Some owners leave an unsecured sheet on the floor of the room for a long time. After a few days or even weeks, the material returns to its original form. You can choose this method if the kink was not significant.
It should be noted that while the material is leveled, it is impossible to put heavy objects on it, to install furniture. You also need to ensure that the edges of linoleum do not rest against the walls. Walking on this surface is perfectly acceptable. Therefore, problems with the operation of the room does not arise.
Other ways to eliminate the kink
There are other ways to eliminate the kink. If the room is small, you can turn the roll face up on the floor. Plywood is placed on its surface. It is necessary to ensure that the material is correctly cut in accordance with the size of the room. If the corners are raised, they will remain in such a position that complicates the installation.
In place of the bend, you can install a bag of hot sand. It will act as a press, allowing you to align the crease.
In some cases, the bend is so strong that the surface of the material breaks. This defect can only be fixed during installation. It is necessary to stick linoleum to the base, especially carefully monitoring the position of the fracture. This area is leveled using a roller. This will remove excess air from under the cover.
Having considered the methods of removing waves on linoleum, various defects can be eliminated. To prevent their occurrence, it is necessary to lay the flooring in accordance with the existing instructions. You should also adhere to the rules of operation of linoleum. In this case, he will retain his attractive appearance for a long time.