Linoleum, the All-Purpose Flooring Wonder

Rough Linen I love a checkerboard floor, but it is hard to find plain lino tiles - they all seem to have squiggles! Do you have an insider architect's secret source for 40cm plain square lino tiles?

anniebird Hi Bud,

What a great article - I love linoleum and have seen some charming and really artistic linoleum floors. We are preparing to remodel our basement, including an unfinished area where our washer and dryer are located. There's a floor drain there which we want to keep and I'm wondering if we could use linoleum in that area. It's dry - the drain is 'just in case".

Thank you - I always enjoy your contributions to houzz!

Anne

Bud Dietrich, AIA @anniebird - I've used linoleum in situations like you describe. It should be fine - so go have some fun with a neat pattern / colors.

Jubi Arriola_Headley I would LOVE to use linoleum in my kitchen/den/breakfast area combo (I have hardwood in the rest of the house) but no one ever talks about linoleum for living areas. Still, it would be warmer and softer underfoot than what's in the den/kitchen now....

tetoette Hello Tricia Rose,
Forbo has some linoleum that is totally solid in color and really contemporary looking - however, they seem to come in sheets and not tiles. I've seen some real samples myself, it's very nice.
(http://www.forbo-flooring.com/Residential-flooring/Products/Linoleum/Linoleum-sheet/
http://www.forbo-flooring.com/Residential-flooring/Products/Linoleum/Interior-ideas-Linoleum-sheet/).

To complement this great article:
it's important to note that some stores will sell under the name Lino or Linoleum tiles that are actually made of plastic. Real, recyclable linoleum is made with linseed oil, wood extracts and mineral fillers, and is therefore a healthier choice.

Among the main makers of real linoleum are Armstrong, Forbo, and a third one I can't remember; just be sure to check how it is made :)

stlouisgaltoo People are always asking me how I like having hardwood. Laminate in my kitchen. I reply that I LOVE my Armstrong sheet wood floor look vinyl in my kitchen. With two dogs that slobber, drags mud in on their feet and have the occassional "accident" not to mention the occassional spill, it cleans up easily and looks great! I would love to extend the vinyl throught the other areas on my first floor. That nasty berber crap has had its day. I hate carpet.

ellenklager Question: I have boring white tiles in my kitchen, breakfast area, laundry room-ver boring. i want to replace and found really cool amesthyst linoleum. My contractor says it will lower the value of my house substantially if I use linoleum instead of replacing with a different tile. Any comments?

astraea Gee, what happened to all the years of everyone turning their nose up at linoleum, and home owners/sellers/buyers being told they HAD to have hardwood all over the place?!

mrsben Thank you Bud for a very informative post. I'm in the midst of renovations and I am definitely considering of putting it down again in my present crafts and hobby room. Had it many years ago in a previous home and absolutely loved it. Extremely easy to maintain and always looked great. (ie: Kitchen, Basement stairs and portion of same and lower grade Laundry Room.) Was told then, it was as durable as what you can get and understand thirty years later by the present owners, it is still holding up and not even showing wear. (It was made by Armstrong Flooring.)

Re 'Ellenklager's' comment. I too would definitely love to put it in my present kitchen again but am being told the same as she is, so guess I will have to opt for either hardwood flooring or porcelain tiles. (The latter which is down presently and high-end quality, was layed correctly but overtime has cracked and chipped, hard on the back when standing, slippery when wet and shows every water mark if not mopped up immediately.) In summary; I wish Interior Designers, Contractors, and those in the Real Estate Industry who influence consumers and housing costs would appreciate Linoleum more!!!!!

crawfish We have black and white linoleum laid on the bias in our kitchen. I love it but it looks very dull after 12 years. We used to be able to revive it with acrylic floor wax but the last time we did that it just looked smeary. Did we (husband) just do a bad job? Any advice for keeping the floor looking new would be appreciated.

Bud Dietrich, AIA @mrsben - Do what you like, want and have the budget floor. Ignore the "experts" because they aren't living in your home.

@crawfish - While I'm no expert in cleaning anything, I do know that we stay away from any product that has acrylic, silicone, etc. in the mix. Over time, these products will build up a film that ends up looking dull all the time. Water with some white vinegar is all we've used for 20 years for just about everything. Maybe you can strip all of the built up finish off of the floor.

Stevie Super article! Great children's room floor and especially if there is a problem with allergies. Being unique and creative with the floors would be a fun challenge. Thanks for reminding us what can be done with an oldie but goodie!

mrsben Thank you Bud. Your advice is correct, however as I expect to be only in this house for maybe five more years I am thinking namely of resale. Reason for my last statement.

Also totally agree with your comment to 'crawfish' as know that using acrylic finishes is not best for a linoleum flooring as overtime it does build up so she might consider stripping it first and do some research as there is plenty of information on the internet as to how to renew it. May take a little experimentation so would suggest she try different methods in small areas as to what works best for her particular brand of flooring. As for myself I always just used Vinegar and water when cleaning it as I do presently for my porcelain and ceramic tiles.

ahemmer When building my house in Missouri last year, I couldn't find linoleum anywhere. All stores (including flooring specialty stores) thought vinyl and linoleum were interchangeable terms. When I finally got them to understand the difference, they had no idea where to get it. We ended up getting tile from ReStore and off of CL. *shrug*

bkostka How does linoleum affect resale value. It seems like everyone wants wood floor these days.

bubblyjock Bud - are all these lino floors glued down? I wanted lino in our kitchen, but the lino shop said they don't recommend it for wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms because of all the unavoidable (in our case - large space) seams.

Lino is lovely and soft and "warm" underfoot (it was in my childhood bedroom), but I seem to remember it's slippery for dogs?

Arlene Stucky Linoleum is a very green building material as it is made from renweable materials. A main ingredient is linseed oil. It is also a natural antibacterial which makes it well suited to a kitchen or bathroom. As such, this would make linoleum a positive selling point here in California.

Bud Dietrich, AIA @catrionacatriona - It's well suited for wet areas. I'm not sure why the store folks told you it wasn't.

Amy O. Woodbury what should the sub-flooring be for linoleum, whether sheets or tiles? we've budgeted for OSB at the moment . . . .thanks, bud.
amy

Sharon Hitchcock Rather than lino, consider cork flooring. It comes in different colors, styles & patterns. It is soft and warm, and it is a natural sustainable resource. I love my cork checkerboard floor in the kitchen.

Kristin Espinasse Thanks for the ideas. We have some beautiful (if super chipped) old terra cotta tiles in our home, but the kids don't appreciate them at all in their rooms! We are looking for a way to save the tiles beneath a new surface. Linoleum might work, but we don't want to damage the old tiles (hoping to unearth them later!). Re linoleum, I guess there would be glue involved?

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design Great post Bud, Linoleum gets a bad rap "still" these days. Time to change a few minds.

agmay How does it hold up against large dogs? Durable? Slippery? How hard to repair?

ggdrive Bud,

Thanks for the great article. It's nice to see a resurgence in linoleum's popularity.

My husband and I are in the process of rebuiding our small weekend home that was destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Irene. Besides building taller (in complience with new flood plain code changes), we are looking at, and specifying new materials, with an eye to energy efficiency, green materials, and easy upkeep, all within a very small budget.

I am choosing linoleum for our 1st floor main living area, with the kitchen, dining and living rooms all open to one another. It's green, it's comfortable to walk on, easy to clean and comes in lots of color choices.I'm not worried about resale value, in that if it is done well, I think it will maintain it's value, and I think it's right for us now. I had considered cork, but with a large dog and a cat, I think linoleum is more durable, and a better option.

In researching my options, I've learned that Green Depot carries Forbo Marmoleum, both sheet and tile, as well as other flooring possibilities. Green Depot has some stores and warehouses across the US, so that may be a source if someone is interested. I haven't ordered it from them yet, so I can't talk about it from that perspective, but I have ordered paint and other items from them and had good experiences.

Secondhand Rose in NYC used to carry beautiful vintage linoleum sheets, but I understand working with the old pieces can be tricky, and the last time I looked at the website there was no linoleum listed.

I love the images of linoleum patterns on websites like Retro Renovation, but I don't think we can afford to get too detailed, instead I think we'll have to go with maybe 1 main color, with a 2nd color as border around the perimeter, or maybe a thin line of a 2nd color approximately a foot from the walls. We'll have to see how it goes.

In the meantime, I get to look at these images and dream!

CAROLE MEYER Wow....the linoleum I grew up with never looked like this! What wonderful designs.

Lauren Jacobsen Interior Design There are some laminates that look like hardwood floors now. They are molded with wood- like texture and the coloration is amazing. Runs about $4.50sf installed compared to engineered wood which is $7.50sf (in Los Angeles) where I am.

Bud Dietrich, AIA @ggdrive - Thanks for all of that great info. Green Depot is certainly a place to look. And good luck with your project. Hope you can share pics at some point.

@Kristin Espinasse - I bet you could install a thin, masonite like subfloor over the tiles and then put linoleum over that. Getting a good installer and picking their brains is in order.

stasiyork @ Kristin-

I grew up in the south, and remember visiting older and country homes that had "kitchen rugs"- basically a large sheet of real linoleum laid over the main area of their wooden kitchen floor. They often had patterns around the edges/corners.

You might not have to cover your kids' entire floors with a wall-to-wall treatment, just let them have "rugs" made of marmoleum.

Good luck!

miekeh Love linoleum, but I'm not sure this is so great for DIY. One thing to remember with linoleum is to ensure the subfloor is absolutely smooth and free of any bumps or debris, as these will show up once the floor is down. We have black marmoleum in our kitchen. We love it, and it was professionally installed. We did a small bathroom ourselves, using scraps from the kitchen project, and even slightest areas of excess glue show up. Maybe it's because our floor , being black and very shiny, shows every imperfection, but it's worth it to get pros in to install.

apriltini I have a general complaint. Sorry that it's not germane to the linoleum discussion. It's really irksome to find a fantastic pic on Houzz, only to find no info on paint color, cabinets, or anything else, and the person or business who took it never answers questions. So frustrating!

Okay, so, linoleum; I can't say it, for starters. Same with aluminum. I can't see myself installing lino in this house. The vinyl floor in the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry are new and in great condition. Maybe if I found a patten I loved, I might do it in another house.

Kristin Espinasse Thanks Bud and also @staciyork and @miekeh for the info.

kaye cie we put marmoleum in our bathroom, and i love it. it's been a year, and it seems to be holding up well, without moisture related problems.

we have had 2 minor issues- both our fault- live and learn...

first, we installed it ourselves, from a roll (not tiles), which went ok, but definitely not as easy as it sounded. the wooden floor underneath eventually got slightly warped in one spot (i believe due to a problem below the bath, not related to the marmoleum), and the seam is vaguely visible. i am prolly the only one who can see it, so not a huge issue, and better than cracked tile, which may have been the alternative.

the second problem was the surprise discovery that nail polish remover (acetone) is VERY BAD for marmoleum (see attached pic), even when it's cleaned up immediately. the good news is that the 'stain' can be sanded down and disappears completely (we then reapplied the 'sealer' top coat). it took some serious elbow grease, but doable. (the 2nd pic is 1/2 way thru the process- no pics of the re-finished floor, but it is good as new)

Cathy Gardner Just sold our home in Palos Verdes, CA and had a lovely golden cream coordinating linoleum in kitchen I loved it. It held up pretty well over 13 years, some pitting from ? Upshot is we got over $1.2m. Don't think it hurt resale $.

ggdrive kayce cie,

Thanks for the photos and feedback, it's very helpful.

Cathy Gardner,

Do you have any pictures of your golden cream linoleum from your previous home? Would love to see it. Glad to hear your positive feedback on resale. That's reassuring.

If anyone else has photos of their linoleum would love to see them as well. Thanks.

Cathy Gardner Nope, didn't take photo. But it was similar to "butter" marmoleum sheet on their site. We pared it with a black background William Morris wallpaper (uh, Compton), red brick paint woodwork trim, creamy yellow subway backsplash, golden granite counters and maple shaker cabs. 1957 Ranch style house. The "pitting" I referred to was probably from having something dropped on it chipping a pit. But all in all, wonderful to clean, walk on, etc. That's why I'm back looking at these sites--Want to use it again in new house!!

Arlene Stucky I had a Linoleum installer come to my house to give me an estimate for how much a new floor in my kitchen would be. I wanted a pattern similar to the one I have attached to this post. My kitchen is very small with the floor area measuring 70 sq. ft. at the most. The estimate to get it installed was $1,200 or more then $17 per sq. ft. Ouch. I am still debating weather to get it or not.

Studio Z Architecture The first picture in Bud's article is of my own kitchen floor, which we had installed by professionals about a year ago. We love it. While I can't address all of the questions here at once, I am happy to respond to as many as I can. (Had I known Bud would use a photo of my kitchen floor, I would have taken better photos!)

I agree that linoleum is best installed by professionals. The guys who did our floor took three long days -- the first two days, two guys were there for about 10 hours, and the third day, they had 3 guys for about 12 hours! We had them install sheet lino in two small bathrooms while they were there, but compared to the kitchen, the bathrooms were quick and easy.

Our kitchen is rather large and the lino pattern extends into a small pantry and a mud room/laundry room with a closet. The first day was mostly spent prepping. They stripped out our old, not-environmentally-friendly vinyl floor and glued and nailed luan plywood over the existing subfloor. They were very careful to make the floor smooth and level. There is one area where the existing subfloor bulged up a bit, and they spread out the bump with self-leveling compound so it wouldn't be as noticeable. Finally, when the prep work was complete, they struck a chalk line to establish the 45 degree angle that the tiles are laid on. The installers really had to stay sharp to make sure they were putting the right color tiles in the right locations and that they were turning the tiles 90 degrees so that the lines in the design on the tiles didn't all run the same way.

The tiles are glued to the luan with thick glue that's something like rubber cement. The glue has to be spread with a grooved trowel and then the guys had to wait a bit for it to set up before sticking the tiles down. Some of the glue seeps up between the tiles. When it's still sticky, the glue can be cleaned up with mineral spirits. After it dries, I've cleaned it with a fairly soft scrubber similar to a Scotch-Brite pad and plain water. It takes a lot of elbow grease, but it's not smelly or bad for the environment like mineral spirits.

The installers took a lot of care to make sure that the tiles were adhered to the luan. They rolled a very heavy metal roller over the joints, back and forth, over and over. They also had to be careful to butt the joints between the tiles so that the pattern was consistent from one side of our island to the other. Had they not been so careful (and professional!), they might have ended up with a gap between the tiles on the far side of the island.

The lino is very easy to care for. We vacuum it frequently to suck up the dust bunnies, wipe up spots as we notice them, and wash it once in a while. We did not put any finish on it. The lino by itself has antimicrobial properties, which can be lost if you cover it with varnish. We have sheet lino in our master bathroom, which we had installed several years ago (to replace the original builder-installed carpet!!), and it's holding up pretty well, too. It's a very lightweight color and we have had some dark spots show up where somebody (!) dribbled toothpaste on the floor, but the wonderful thing about lino is that, since the color goes all the way through, it can be scrubbed with a Scotch-Brite pad (as mentioned above) and/or sanded with fine sandpaper if necessary to eliminate stains.

Linoleum has a distinctive smell from the linseed oil that is used to manufacture it, but that goes away fairly quickly. It can also have a yellowish haze at first, which goes away with exposure to light, but we've only noticed that in one out of the four rooms we have lino in.

My husband and I both love the kitchen floor, and most people who see it are very positive. I honestly don't think that it lowers the value of our home. We live in a subdivision where the homes are all fairly similar, and I think having something different like this floor is a plus.

I've run out of space but feel free to contact me if you ha

Studio Z Architecture I found a photo taken at the beginning of the lino tile installation. Here you can see the luan plywood. The grey stuff was used to patch the joints between the pieces of plywood so that the cracks don't telegraph through the lino. You can also see the glue spread on the floor to the left of the two rows of tiles. The guy kneeling in front of my sink is the owner of the company that installed the lino.

Again, let me know if you have any questions.

Dawn Zuber
Studio Z Architecture

Bud Dietrich, AIA @Studio Z Architecture - Thanks for all of that great info. And the photo is great!

maddecorator We put Marmoleum in our bathroom. It's a great product, but not the easiest to put down in a tiny room. If the glue isn't spread out evenly you can get lumps. We have a few, although they don't really show much. Most people wouldn't notice, but I know they're there. If I were putting it in a kitchen, I think I'd leave the installation to the pros. I do love it, though.

designchallenged Good article. I'm planning to put new flooring in my finished basement and as a result of this article will look into linoleum. Thanks.

Jedidiah linoleum is cool...I guess it's quite of a problem solver

nellesworth Perhaps I missed it, but I haven't seen anything in this article or in the previous comments distinguishing linoleum from vinyl (VCT) flooring. They are absolutely NOT THE SAME MATERIAL!!! Unfortunately, most flooring salespeople - and the average DIYers - in my local area don't know the difference and many will colloquially use the term "linoleum" to describe vinyl. True linoleum is made of linseed oil, wood flour, cork dust, pine rosin, and limestone. Forbo/Marmoleum is the largest manufacturer of both the sheet variety and the click-and-lock planks. Alternately, vinyl contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is toxic to manufacture and off-gasses volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into your home for years after it's made. While linoleum is more expensive than vinyl in the short term, it is infinitely better for the environment in the long term. Buyer beware...

Studio Z Architecture nellesworth, you make an excellent point. Linoleum is a very old-fashioned flooring material -- it was invented in 1860! Although Forbo (http://www.forbo-flooring.com/) is the world's largest manufacturer (their product is called Marmoleum), linoleum is also available from Armstrong (http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/linoleum).

VCT actually refers to vinyl composition tile, which is mainly a commercial product. Most residential vinyl flooring is sheet vinyl, and you're right, it's made from PVC, which is toxic to produce and toxic if it burns. It's important to clarify that there's a huge difference between "real" linoleum and vinyl flooring, which many people colloquially refer to as linoleum.

In addition to being non-toxic, one other benefit to linoleum over vinyl flooring is that, with linoleum, the color goes all the way through. As I mentioned in my very long comment, it can be lightly sanded to remove stains.

In my experience, real linoleum also lasts a lot longer than vinyl flooring, which often has a shiny protective coating that tends to wear off over time.

You can read more about linoleum at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleum.

corinan Thanks Studio Z Architecture. I was wondering if something I read many years ago about lino was correct, that it protected against dust mites Does anyone know if it does, because that would be good for asthma sufferers.

Studio Z Architecture @Corinan, the linseed oil in linoleum has natural anti-microbial properties, according to the manufacturers. Dust mites are actually insects, so the linoleum in and of itself won't help protect against them. However, carpet is a great environment for dust mites to thrive in, so replacing carpet with easy-to-clean surfaces like linoleum will help reduce the number of dust mites in a home. Keeping your home's humidity below 50% will also help reduce the dust mite population.

As an asthma sufferer myself, I haven't noticed any difference in my symptoms since we installed the lino, but then we do have carpet throughout most of the house.

Roomworks I find that my clients are more and more open to Linoleum. At first they worried about it lowering the value of their house but once they realize how warm and soft it is on the feet, that it is environmentally positive, they have gone ahead and installed it with happy results. I think as more and more people start to use it again it will be accepted. I really think that if someone loves your house a linoleum floor in a kitchen, bathroom or laundry room or playroom will not deter a buyer. The overall finish and appeal of the house is what is important. If the linoleum makes sense and fits in with the flow of your design I think you will be fine!

lorna_kw I love linoleum, & I've had it (Forbo--sheet) in my kitchen for several years. Like others, I had to drive 20 miles to the "Big City" because it's so hard to find in my neck of the woods.
@crawfish: Forbo makes a cleaner, and a sealer, specifically for their lino. It's costly, so I use it sparingly. I was told that, a) water is not linoleum's friend (so I don't know how you folks are using it in baths and laundries...), and b) the cleaner should be neutral. So I'm not sure why vinegar solution works... The 2 Manufacturers' Web sites show inspiring photos!

Studio Z Architecture @ lorna_kw - water is really not any flooring's friend. If the washer or toilet overflows, it will be a problem for the lino if you don't clean the water up right away, but that's true of most flooring. Splashes from the shower haven't affected any of my lino.

karelina I like linoleum. A natural product, it is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction, so a resale plus in my mind. However, my research indicated that it is not a good flooring for bathrooms. So I wonder if you could say a little bit about its use in a bath.

Studio Z Architecture Karelina,

I've had sheet linoleum in my master bathroom for several years and it looks fine. Water isn't an issue, unless, as I said in my comment right above yours, the toilet or tub overflows. No matter what your flooring is, if you don't catch a flood immediately, you'll have damage.

One thing I have noticed is that some chemicals can affect the flooring. For example, toothpaste has caused some discoloration to the surface of the lino. However, since the color and pattern goes all the way through the lino, you can scrub it with a Scotch-Brite pad and water (no chemical cleaners needed), or if the stain is really tenacious, you can use fine grit sandpaper to remove it.

dkrich I am a commercial interior designer (and designing my own home) and have seen a new interest in linoleum for many types of commercial spaces in recent years. It is very easy to maintain- as long as you do not add an additional finish. We recommend to not add a finish in most cases. It does have a more matte appearance this way, but will save on maintaining a finish which is a pain and not necessary in most cases. Our clients love linoleum, even in high traffic commercial spaces- so it would definitely work for a busy household. Forbo does make sheet and tile goods in varying thicknesses. Refer to the Dual Marmoleum line (this is tile) and the MCT line (this is thinner tile). Forbo's MCT is much more affordable than Dual but there are fewer color options and it is thinner- but still thick enough to use commercially and popular in schools. Forbo also make a fabulous acoustic sheet linoleum- the Decibel series. This has a fused backing that adds cushion and makes it very quiet. I plan on using the Decibel product in my kitchen for added comfort under foot. I'm also considering linoleum in my laundry room and kid's bedrooms and possibly a bathroom. The rest of the house will be cork or porcelain tile. If my basement floor ends up heated (as I want), I will also use linoleum down there. I can't say enough good things about it, it's been my favorite environmentally friendly flooring product for a long, long time. (one bad thing- there are no U.S. manufacturers- it's all imported, even from Armstrong)
Oh, and please know that it is standard practice to weld the seams of sheet linoleum. There are solid coordinating colors or patterned matching colors that really blend away visually. Once the seams are welded, you have a single impermeable floor material. Caulk the perimeter and relax about moisture damage.

ggdrive dkrich

Thanks for the valuable info, I am going to investigate the Decible series as an option.

What are the pros and cons of tile vs. sheet? I have heard sheet is harder to install, do you think that is true?

I wanted to install cork at 1 point as well elsewhere, but we have a large dog and I have heard that cork can be shredded by large dog's nails. Any feedback on cork?

Thanks for your input.

Studio Z Architecture Tile can be as difficult to install as sheet goods, depending on whether you plan a tricky pattern like the one shown in my photo above. It took 2.5 guys almost 3 days (with overtime) to install my kitchen linoleum tile. One guy installed sheet lino on both bathroom floors in about a half a day. If you're doing it yourself, tile is probably easier, but it looked like a lot of work to cut all the pieces to fit the perimeter.

dkrich ggdrive- I would definitely say that sheet is more difficult to install DIY. It's hard to manuever the large sheet onto the adhesive and mistakes are less forgiving. Also, the seams should be welded which is tricky. That said, tile can be difficult too as Studio Z Architecture mentioned. Professionally, I have had several bad tile install jobs done by so-called experts. The adhesive has a certain window of time on the floor before it's too late to get a good bond (and I had a job where the tiles popped up after a couple of weeks). The subfloor has to be without imperfections. The joints need to line up exactly right. But, I might tackle a small tile job myself and if you are detail-oriented (and follow the install instructions exactly) it can be done. I would never attempt a sheet job myself.
I have had cork for years in my current home and plan to use it again for the bulk of my new home. My husband and I installed it ourselves- it's the solid, glue-down type in 12x24. Again, the subfloor needs to be perfect. We thought it was perfect and still ended up with a few annoying lumps. It's not hard to install, the subfloor prep is the most difficult part. I would be leary of scratches with large dogs. It is very resilient and scratch-resistant, but maybe not enough for dogs. We have three adults and three young kids living on our cork and the only scratch has been from a bad chair pad. I have to imagine big dog claws are like a bad chair pad. Good stuff, but maybe linoleum would suit you better. Another potential option more like cork is Strand Bamboo which is very very durable.

ggdrive Studio Z Architecture
dkrich

Thank you both for the feedback.

We don't intend to install ourselves, I am just wondering about how difficult it would be for professional installers (subcontractors) who have had no experience with linoleum, to work with it. Ideally I would love to have a border of some kind, either a band of different color or a thin strip inset around the edges. This would probably be for entire 1st floor (open concept kitchen, dining are, and living room, minus the 1st floor main bathroom and a small bedroom) of a very small (approx 1000 sq ft total) vacation home.

The 2 bathrooms will be tiled, but I still have no idea what flooring I want for both the downstairs bedroom and upstairs master bedroom, and an upstairs open loft area. Except I want eco friendly and I need inexpensive. As I mentioned, I was considering cork, but I think, as dkrich suggests, big dog claws are like bad chair pads, if not much worse. I will check out Strand Bamboo as you suggested. Thanks for that.

I know I don't want wall to wall carpeting, because our son and I both have allergies. Also, this is a vacation home next to a (sometimes muddy) creek, and we want easy maintenance as well. The builder has budgeted for some kind of engineered wood, but I am concerned about the toxicity of the materials. Sometimes I think I should just put down linoleum everywhere, and then add some removable and washable rugs on top.

Well, these are good problems to have, to have to decide, the challenge is to do it within a very small budget, keeping my goals of eco friendly, easy maintenance, and attractive in mind.

dkrich I would quiz your installer on how comfortable they feel handling a linoleum install. Have they ever installed a similar sheet or tile product before? Will they communicate with the manufacturer to ensure they are properly trained to install? Will they stand behind their work and make sure it's right? It's all about who you have hired. You will most likely find that linoleum will be much less expensive than cork or bamboo. Should be less to install as well. And look into MCT or MCS from Forbo if you need to bring the cost down even more. These are their most economical lines and I am not aware of any other manufacturer who can compete. Good luck to you!

ggdrive dkrich,

Thanks for your suggestions. I will definitely be asking questions about skill levels and connecting to the manufacturer for instructions.

I will also investigate the various lines from Forbo in regard to thickness and cost. Much appreciated.

Studio Z Architecture ggdrive, I'd also suggest asking the linoleum dealer for recommendations on good installers. The guys who installed my flooring mostly installed vinyl flooring, but they were conscientious and they did a great job with the Forbo tiles and sheets. I got their info from the guys who sold me the linoleum. It was something of a crap shoot because linoleum isn't all that popular around here, especially in homes, but it turned out well.

frankyeboone I love the look of this lino....I am a Chevron Fanatic! I am remodeling my grandmothers home, she passed two years ago. The house just needs some minor updates. However, I was looking at making more expensive changes but due to my marriage falling apart quicker than anticipated I am ready to move. This flooring offers a very nice alternative until I can afford my $4,000 hardwood floors! This really has a WOW factor and it is different! Calling my contractor NOW!