Wear resistance, moisture resistance, aesthetics, safety and reliability are properties that you need to pay attention to if you need to buy material for flooring. A good option is linoleum. But in the construction market there are many types of this product, so you should study its characteristics in more detail. If the question arises about how to choose linoleum, the classification of this coating is given in this article.
Technical properties
Before buying linoleum, you should pay attention to the following parameters: roll length, protective layer thickness, degree of wear resistance and warranty period. The material retains an attractive appearance for 10-15 years, but this indicator depends on the type of building, since in industrial conditions it will deteriorate faster than a product that is laid in a residential building.
The main characteristics of the classification of linoleum include the following parameters:
- density;
- wear resistance class;
- flammability and toxicity;
- heat and sound insulating properties;
- moisture resistance;
- resistance to harmful substances;
- protective layer thickness;
- the presence of an antiseptic coating;
- tendency to burn out;
- abrasion.
Product marking
When buying material, the seller must present certificates that confirm its quality. The document indicates the fire characteristics of linoleum, since manufacturers are required to label the products. The following symbols shall be indicated:
- for domestic products - this is GOST and TU.
- foreign products are labeled in accordance with European quality standards (EN).
Coating Materials
Linoleum is produced in an industrial environment using modern technologies and mechanical devices. For its manufacture, reliable and harmless materials are used. In addition, manufacturers process products with antifungal solutions.
The modern classification of linoleum by type of film former includes five groups:
- Natural material is produced using environmentally friendly components such as pine resin, wood flour, linseed oil and limestone powder. Such a product does not fade and does not change color over time, in addition, it is resistant to alkalis, fats and acids. This is a safe material, so they cover the floors in children's rooms.
- PVC linoleum (polyvinyl chloride) is made on fabric, foamed and non-woven bases. In addition, there are baseless, single or multi-layer options.
- A two-layer rubber coating (relin), the lower layer of which consists of crushed wood (sawdust, shavings, wood chips), and the upper one is made of colored rubber. High moisture resistance, strength and elasticity are the advantages of linoleum of this type. However, over time, the material begins to emit harmful substances, so it is not used in residential premises. But for industrial buildings - this is ideal, since relin is resistant to harmful reagents.
- Colloxylin linoleum is a thin material without a base, the main disadvantage of which is its high flammability. For this reason, it is forbidden to cover them with wooden floors in rooms with explosive objects.
- Glifthal coating is made on a woven basis with the addition of coloring pigments and alkyd resins. It should be taken into account when laying: over time, the material will decrease in size.
These are the main types of classification of linoleum in composition. As a rule, in construction they use coatings made of natural and polyvinyl chloride materials, since the first product will be environmentally friendly, and the second - cheap and high-quality.
PVC linoleum structure
Depending on this characteristic, the coating can be of two types:
- homogeneous;
- heterogeneous.
Homogeneous product - a single-layer material with a thickness of 2 mm, in the manufacture of which dyes and PVC granules are used. The pattern on such a floor covering will remain for a long time, as it permeates the entire layer. Such linoleum is restored by grinding, while removing about 10% of the thickness of the material.
Use a homogeneous roll coating in rooms with heavy loads and in buildings where wheelchairs or trolleys are used. The smaller the specific gravity of the product, the more PVC it contains, and the wear resistance of the material already depends on this indicator. The flooring will retain an attractive appearance for about 25 years.
Heterogeneous linoleum is a universal finishing material with a thickness of 6 mm. The top layer is made of pure PVC, which is supplemented with polyurethane in order to increase wear resistance. The substrate is natural fabric, foamed polyvinyl chloride or non-woven fiber. The decorative layer is performed in colors for every taste.
Application area
Classification of linoleum for use is as follows:
- Household view.
- Commercial (industrial).
- Specialized.
- Semi-commercial.
The household roll coating has a thickness of 1 to 4 mm. A variety of colors and styles, softness, easy installation and low price are the advantages due to which this type of material is very popular in construction. However, such a coating under heavy load will deteriorate in a few years.
Commercial linoleum is a durable material, the protective layer of which has a large thickness. They cover floors in school corridors, hospitals or dance halls. The service life of the product is from 10 to 20 years.
The classification of linoleum by special types is as follows:
- Covering with a protective layer for gyms. Such material is better protected from pollution and has a high class of wear resistance.
- Antiskid linoleum with a corrugated front part. The product is made with the addition of quartz chips.
- The roll coating, whose soundproofing properties are high, is used to cover the floor in a recording studio.
- A product with a special antibacterial layer, which is used in hospitals and pharmacies.
Abrasion of linoleum
This technical parameter is an excellent indicator of how long the top coat will lose its original appearance. When buying, you should take into account the classification of linoleum according to the degree of abrasion, which is divided into 4 key types:
- Group T is the category of the most durable products.
- P - weakly abradable linoleum.
- M - materials that are subject to a moderate degree of abrasion.
- F - coatings that deteriorate most quickly.
It is important to know: the level of abrasion depends on the thickness and quality of the top layer of linoleum, and wear resistance depends on the size of the entire coating. The second parameter will be considered in more detail.
Classification of linoleum by wear resistance
The material must be purchased taking into account the type of room in which it will be used as flooring. The product is subjected to mechanical stress during operation, which includes the movement of furniture and simple walking.
The wear resistance of the coating is determined using the European system EN 685. The classification of linoleum in this case consists of a two-digit number, the first digit in which indicates the type of room, or rather:
- 2 - residential buildings (apartments, private houses, hostels, cottages);
- 3 - office and public buildings (schools, institutes, hospitals, etc.);
- 4 - industrial facilities, as well as stations, airports, metro and other places in which a large number of people gather at the same time.
The second digit is responsible for the load:
- 1 - low;
- 2 - average load;
- 3 - intense;
- 4 - extremely high.
The main thing is to know the meaning of these numbers in order to understand what classification of linoleum is by its wear resistance. In addition, with the help of these data you can select the required material, taking into account the type of room and the degree of load on the coating.
Fire safety characteristics of linoleum
If the flooring in an industrial building is made of this material, then the owner of the premises must have a certificate of goods confirming its quality. Fire safety linoleum classification includes the following parameters:
- Flammability of the material (G) is an important characteristic, since a product with a G1 index can be laid in industrial premises and places that are designed to evacuate people during a fire. But highly combustible linoleum (G4) is forbidden to use in the construction of public buildings.
- Toxicity (T) is a parameter that can be used to determine how many harmful substances a burning material emits. This characteristic varies from low toxic (T1) to highly toxic (T4) linoleum. On evacuation stairs and platforms lay a coating with a characteristic of not more than T2.
- Ignition (B) is an indicator of how combustible a material is. The lower it is, the safer linoleum.
- Smoke generation (D) - a characteristic by which it is determined how much smoke will be in a fire. There are three options, so a small figure in this case is an indicator of safe material.
- Flame propagation velocity (RP) is an important parameter that should not be higher than RP2 when installing flooring in a public building.
Linoleum is recommended to be attached to the reaction glue, since there are no solvents in it. In addition, some manufacturers produce special fire-resistant material having enhanced fire-fighting properties.
Linoleum thickness
This parameter depends on the quality and structure of the material. The thickness of a modern coating is usually 2-3.5 mm. Thicker versions have low strength, so such products are practically not produced.
The quality of the coating depends on the thickness of the technological layers, however, the size of the protective layer should also be taken into account.
Classification of linoleum by thickness has such variations:
- Thin roll coating - 1-2 mm thick material with a protective layer, the dimensions of which are from 0.15 to 0.2 mm. Heavy furniture must not be placed on such a product.
- The middle type coating has a thickness of 2-3 mm with an upper layer of more than 0.3 mm. Such material is laid in the corridor or hallway.
- Thick linoleum is a strong roll coating with a thickness of about 3.5 mm. The product withstands long-term loads, while its front layer is not deformed.
In homes, it is recommended to lay a 3 mm coating.
Linoleum width
In order not to have to connect the individual pieces, you should buy material whose dimensions correspond to the dimensions of the room. Depending on the width, the classification of linoleum is as follows:
- Plain alkyd or decorative material is sold in rolls, the width of which is from 2 to 4 m.
- Multilayer PVC linoleum is produced 1.5-4 meters.
- Relin is monophonic and multi-colored, and rolls from 1 to 1.6 m are sold in a hardware store.
Antistatic linoleum
This material is the optimal solution for rooms in which a lot of working electrical equipment is installed. Devices sometimes ignite due to the accumulation of dust, so a special antistatic protective coating is included in the composition of linoleum.
The key advantage is the ability to lay floors in rooms in which high-precision equipment is located. Such material is reliable, but its cost is much higher than other types of products.
Finally
The article describes the main criteria and properties by which it is possible to determine the required type of roll coating according to the classification of linoleum. The main thing is to carefully study the requirements and recommendations so as not to waste money, because for each type of structure you need to purchase a certain type of linoleum. This is a popular material, therefore, problems with the selection of a suitable product should not arise.