1) Subfloor: concrete or wood?

Subfloors are usually made of concrete or wood (plywood, OSB, chipboard). Proper installation requires that the subfloor be clean, dry, flat, smooth and free of dips and bumps. Cracks and sloping subfloors need to be filled and leveled; this can be costly, as it usually requires professional installation. A plywood underlayment may also be needed on top of the subfloor.

Note: Marmoleum sheet and tile cannot be glued directly to underlayment or subfloors made of luan, particleboard or chipboard because these materials expand and contract too much and are not stable.

Marmoleum Click panels and squares are the only type that can tolerate slight unevenness in the subfloor, up to 3/16" over an 8' span. Larger variations in your subfloor will cause too much stress on the click mechanism and eventually wear it out. Click panels and squares can even be applied over most vinyl or ceramic tile. If you have asbestos tile, before installation please consult with professionals who provide asbestos abatement.

2) Installation: new construction or remodel?

In older homes, click panels and squares are preferred because they're easier and faster to install than sheet or tile, and they require much less floor preparation. If you install the flooring directly over another floor such as vinyl, ceramic or hardwood, you can save time and money because there's no tear out required. This is possible with Marmoleum click because it requires no glue or nails, and it floats over the existing flooring or subflooring.

Proper vapor barriers are required such as Moisture Block; however, old sheet vinyl can act as a vapor barrier.

From: https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/Learning-Center/Flooring-Marmoleum-LC/Marmoleum-Buyers-Guide

HU-276030709, I hope your project goes smoothly. I installed click planks in my kitchen. When I talked to someone (I believe from greenbuildingsupply) they told me the planks click together so well that they are essentially waterproof (not sure of his exact wording). But he did advise to caulk around the entire perimeter. What you should do around the toilet....maybe call them regarding this situation. Good luck!

I used two different click products - one Lino (Nova brand from Europe in 2003) and the other cork (from iFloors in 2018) and they also said that the click products were almost water tight. The first product had my installer add some glue when placing planks and the second product had us add three coats of almost odorless sealer. The sealer is sold on the iFloors.com site.

That's interesting, Nancy. I did not use a sealer (or glue).

I see now that I floor went out of business so I can’t link you to the product we used to seal. The glued plank floor I had installed in my kitchen in 2003 was glued at the seams, applied maybe to the tongue or groove just before being clicked together.

I DO see a waterproof cork floor offered at Green Building Supply here: https://www.greenbuildingsupply.com/All-Products/Waterproof-Cork-Flooring-by-Amorim-WISE

We have Marmoleum click tiles in our laundry room and rec room. I love the look, but we recently had flooding in that area that went undetected for about three hours, and took us another couple hours to clean. A number of the tiles are lifting, and I imagine the cork backing will be developing mold issues. Not sure whether to replace the damaged area only or rip it all up and try something different. And yes to the previous post that noted easy staining under chair and table legs. Sigh.

I've been researching the type of flooring I would like to replace in my whole house. The house is 1948 bungalow. The main house is slab on grade with cement under the carpets, tile, and laminate. I was looking at the marmoleum sheets. Now reading through these posts I am not sure I want to go forward. DO you put a cushioning pad underfoot to make it softer on cement? Who knows what type of condition the cement slab is in?! I've also read that I might have to build a subfloor over the cement for many flooring options. Self leveling layers might work for some flooring choices maybe. I wanted something very durable. We have two large labs (100lbs-70lbs). Non toxic products are important to me as well. My husband would like hardwood, so I am also looking into strand woven bamboo and hard maple or walnut for their durability. Any suggestions? I am so over carpet and dogs....Help...

@Amy Reeder We had an 80-pound lab for a decade with our Marmoleum Click. Would not do that again--it is littered with gouges from his toenails. If you are super religious about trimming nails and do not have an excitable dog, you might be okay, but if you have a typical lab, I would keep looking. (Maybe sheet would perform better too--not sure there.) We did put WhisperWool under ours (on a wood subfloor that was only in so-so condition) and were happy with that--don't know if it would help with a floor that really isn't level, though. (The Click is also a floating floor that is very forgiving of subfloor imperfections, which I don't think is true of the sheet.) I am getting ready to have our 11-year-old Marmoleum refinished so we'll see how it cleans up, but overall we would not choose it again, and it has definitely not been durable in a house with dogs and kids.

@Amy Reeder We've had Marmoleum for a couple of years now. Here are some thoughts.

We had sheet Marmoleum put down on our concrete floor. The concrete foundation hasn't been a problem except where we had a pipe break and flooded. There we do have a bubble, but it isn't terrible. I think the cure might be worse than leaving it, so I haven't done anything about it and don't know if I will. We had tile in the kitchen chipped off before we installed the Marmoleum, so we did need some leveling done there, but it wasn't a huge deal. I was told that it is more important to have a perfectly level surface if you're using Click. Also, using the glue specifically meant for moisture protection is a good idea for concrete.

Indents and scratches do happen to Marmoleum floors, but I think these show up much more on dark flooring than on light. You can also end up with scratches on a wood floor, tile can get chips and cracks, carpet wears down and isn't good for allergies, so no floor is perfect. I guess it is which flaw you don't mind putting up with. We took out the living room and bedroom carpet and the kitchen tile. Most of our Marmoleum floor is still in good condition, except where we have brought in too much sand from the beach. It certainly isn't impervious to all wear, haha. We've also got dents from using a ladder to get into the attic.

I really love the way Marmoleum looks in bungalows. I actually think it helps the rooms to feel more open and airy, whereas wood flooring can feel a bit stuffy in a bungalow, depending on the texture/color of the wood. Just a personal preference. Mostly I don't mind the flaw in the Marmoleum too much. I think of it as more like a patina as it ages, but I do want to refresh my kitchen floor as it is looking too dull, not just matte.

And, the floor has been much more comfortable under our feet than we could have hoped for. It is cool in the summer, not too cold in winter (although I use slipper socks), and isn't loud at all. We didn't use any cushioning under our Marmoleum. If you stand for long periods in the kitchen, you might want to use one of those foam mats or wear your shoes, but I think that's true for any hard flooring.

I highly recommend using a Dyson or similar vacuum specifically made for picking up dog hair. If you have super shedders, it makes it super simple to keep the dog hair from piling up in large drifts. I couldn't believe how the dog hair was so much more visible on the Marmoleum than it was on carpet!

This is mainly in response to Amy Reeder. I have Marmoleum click in my kitchen and love it there. However I would not use it in main living areas for a couple reasons. I have Cali Bamboo (floating, self installed) in my living and dining rooms and stairs. Installed approx. 5 years ago?? Natural color. I don't have dogs, just cats with claws. It looks brand new. Only dent is where a hammer fell lol.

I’m considering these colors from the MCT 13” square glue-down line (Forbo) via Green Building Supply. Grey dusk and Polar bear. I would do a diagonal checker layout in my small ~200sq ft kitchen and tiny mudroom. I have 2 medium size dogs who like to play around and I am not fastidious about cleaning ALL. THE. TIME.

My question is if y’all think this thinner glue-down tile would be better than the Click LOC Cinch in terms of durability, water spills, dog nails, etc. Also — is it really slippery, or does it have any texture that prevents slipping and sliding around??

Here’s a pic of the tile samples and my vision board for the new kitchen design. The pic of tiles in the mood board isn’t the same color combo btw. Also, welcome other comments or suggestions overall!! I’m excited about this redesign.

Btw the ones I used in the mood board are black hole and cloudy sand which I now realize don’t match up in terms of the style product they come in… all the Forbo mix and match color/product combos has been confusing!

@Carrie Hearne I love your mood board! Did you make it yourself? I want to make one but only use basice google docs or mac pages.

Thanks @spagano yes I used a basic Google doc (I’m not a pro designer so just using basic freebie tools I know how to use!)

We had Marmoleum Click installed in a kitchen and laundry room and have had nothing but problems. Our installer is going to rip it out and start over. He suggests using 13 x 13 MCT. We chose click in the first place because we liked the noise reduction qualities of the cork backing. So, we are considering a cork underlayment for the new installation. Has anyone had experience using cork underlayment with Marmoleum MCT 13"?

At almost 80 degrees the Marmoleum is cracking badly as the installers work with it. its a disaster. Very experienced crew has worked with lineoleum but this stuff is incredibly brittle.

Interstesting! We suspect that very warm weather may have been part our problem with our installation, too. The temps at the time of insstallation were in the 90s and even topped 100! (No cracking of the product but coming apart at the seams.) From what I understand, linoleum expertise simply does not translate to expertise with Marmoleum.

No satisfactory reply from Forbo. Said that it was stored appropriately. I just tested a 6x9 sample and it was incredibly flexible relative to the tile I was shipped. Forbo said the tile shouldn’t have been brittle but it was and it cracked as it was picked up in a loose loop and again on applying adhesive. Because of ”ambering” it still, one week later, doesn’t match the sample I relied on, but it is closer. If you are expecting true blue, you may find it tends toward turquoise.

Hi all!

I have read through most of the comments and found almost all the answer for which i was searching. One question I still have: Is it advisable to install click lock under a fridge and oven or should the flooring be framed around those large appliances?

Hi Mimi! We installed our LVT under the fridge and range. I've heard arguments for and against this, but the main reasons we did it this way were 1) to make it easier to move those appliances forward and backward (if/when needed) and 2) to provide an extra safeguard against water leaks if the fridge supply line ever leaked. (Note that our LVT is supposedly guaranteed to be waterproof and DH is super paranoid about water damage - we have a water sensor, automatic shutoff, etc., and he still wanted the LVT under the fridge!)

We installed click loc under fridge, dishwasher and oven. We siliconed around perimeter of kitchen as advised by Forbo if concerned with water.

We also installed Click under all of our appliances for the same reason Salex notes. We also put it under our cabinets and I think I wouldn't do that again--it looks likely that we will replace the floor before the cabinets so that is going to be a bit of a pain--but I don't think it's a huge issue either way; pros and cons to both options. (Click is decidedly not waterproof, but it hasn't been a big issue even with occasional fridge/dishwasher leaks over the years.)

We recently moved back to our home that had sheet marmoleum installed in the family room/kitchen over 25 years ago. Over the years the home has been used as a primary family residence, as well as a rental. It’s seen dogs, grandkids, and just about every abuse you can imagine. I can only remember re-finishing the floor as recommended one time. We clean it with water or a water/vinegar combo. Other than some half moon cuts from metal chairs without feet, and dents from heavy furniture, the floor is in amazing shape. It’s SO easy to maintain and clean and because of the pattern and color, hardly shows any dirt or spills. We are in the process of replacing it with new sheet Marmoleum and hope to get 25+ years out of the new floor as well. I love, love, love it and would recommend the sheet product to anyone. Fyi - our floor was installed directly over our concrete foundation. It does get cold in the winter (slippers!), but feels great in the summer. We have it in two of our bathrooms (also 25 years old) laid over plywood sub flooring, and the floors still look brand new. No need to teplace those!

My installer wants to use a floor leveler called Ardex under click marmoleum in my kitchen. The leveler is going over a pine subfloor that has cracks between several of the boards that expand and contract with changes in humidity. I worry that the Ardex, which has portland cement, will prevent the hoints from moving, thus causing pressure under the marmoleum and making it buckle. Does anyone know is my fears are justified?

There is absolutely no way i would use marmoleum click in a kitchen. We installed it and removed it after a couple of years. It just isn’t a good product

@nshippen, I don't think you need it, assuming your floor is generally level. We have Marmoleum Click II over a 110-year-old douglas fir subfloor (which is to say--mostly but definitely not perfectly level!) with lots of gaps and lots of expansion and shifting. We did put a layer of WhisperWool over the subfloor but that was more to protect the subfloor in case we decided to refinish it in the future. I have many mixed thoughts on the durability of Click overall, but none of them related to any issues with how it sits on the subfloor. No buckling at all. (It's been in for 11+ years.)

@HU-276030709, you said there's no way you'd install Marmoleum Click Lock in a kitchen again. Just wondering - do you feel the same about Marmoleum (glue-down) tiles and planks?

I had sheet Marmoleum installed in my kitchen in 2000 (over a wood subfloor) and I have been very happy with it. I’m not sure I would do it again though, mainly because it dents and scratches fairly easily. I notice the dents and scratches, but most guests don’t notice unless I point them out. The subtle patterning helps hide the scratches.
I absolutely LOVE the color (the floor is red - “Bleekerstreet”). That’s what initially attracted me.

Would it work to do marmoleum click in a nice treehouse? Or would the changes in humidity pose issues?

Changes in temperature and humidity can cause the tiles to separate. Then they get dirt in the cracks--and pose tripping hazards. We have that problem in a kitchen where we installed marmoleum click. This photo shows where the tiles separated and lifted at a thresshold. But our treehouse has a nice, durarable redwood floor!

Sometimes an old thread like this one can very interesting, so -

I installed Marmoleum click in my kitchen 10 years ago. Verdict: very disappointing and now I'm looking to replace it. I loved the original color and the way it felt underfoot, but in so many ways it has been subpar. It stains so easily - I have a permanent dark circle from a pet food dish that had a black rubber ring underneath it, and that happened in a very brief time period. That's only one of several stains. The seams between tiles are lifting and puckering. The floor has faded in color very unevenly. It looks like it came from two different color batches, which it didn't when new. And, as several people have commented, it dents easily.

Time for something else!

Our Marmoleum installation has been a disaster. We had Marmoleum click installed in our kitchen in 2020. It has been ripped out and reinstalled several times. The tiles buckle, separate, and absorb water like a sponge. I understand the product has been discontinued and replaced by one that is supposed to be waterproof. The company marketed the Click product for use in wet areas when it was clearly not appropriate for that use. Grrr!

Well, I loved our marmoleum click until this year. Somehow in the last 12 months we have had a rash of untamed spills and too many high heels. After 7 lovely years, this last one has been a game changer. A leaking cooler and too much rain at the back door has left gaps between panels. Too many parties has left heel imprints. This year we are very reluctantly replacing with bluestone look tile. So sad :-(

Help, everyone! I’m remodeling a 1924 bungalow, considering Marmoleum checkerboard tiles for the kitchen (either click or glue-down) and sheet for the guest bath (so small it will not need a seam). No children, no dogs, but this will be our retirement/aging-in-place home, so there’s a possibility of cane, walker, wheelchair in the future (not soon, I hope). There’s also a desk in the kitchen and the desk chair is on rollers. Is Marmo a good choice (love the look, and that it’s green and non-toxic) and if not, what’s best? Thanks!

I cant speak to the click because my kitchen is sheet (installed in 2000). I love most everything about it, but but…it scars easily. High heeled shoes and chair legs have left dents (I try and have a shoeless house but…). As you think about aging in place and necessary mobility devices, keep in mind that Marmoleum can dent easily.

Can confirm that desk wheels will dent Click…ask me how I know. 😬

@artemis, is it a very heavy desk? did it dent just by sitting in one place?

My flooring store recommended this (marmoleum) after a negative experience with mohawk air.o (a musty smell that doesn't seem to want to go). I am glad I came across this thread. I was all but sold on it but the negative comments on marks and dents is concerning. I would probably not want to do the glue down then since that requires more careful installation and would also be harder to replace. As far as click, almost all the samples at the store had chip in the click portion of the board where the snap together and that was concerning.

@anoop it is the desk chair wheels that dent unfortunately--not unusually heavy (it's my chair and I'm a pretty modestly sized person!) A plastic mat would probably help prevent that. I haven't moved the desk itself yet (it just went in last year) but I am sure that it has marked the floor too because we have a work table in the center of the room that has dented the floor below it pretty severely. That one does have a wood top so it's not light, but I was still dismayed to see that. I've sort of stopped worrying about it at this point because it will clearly need to be replaced in the not too distant future. Our flooring is an older version of Click (called Click II) so I can't speak to how the latest version will perform, but we didn't have any issues with the interlocking elements.

That's disappointing especially given that these are supposed to be for both residential and commercial applications.

We installed Marmoleum Click in two bedrooms. I loved the idea of non-toxic allergy floors. One in Barbados, one in Silver Shadow. Just gorgeous. So easy to vacuum up. I was so pleased; the floors were easy to clean and wax with the suggested products. I took good care with them. I think it was installed about fourteen years ago. Three years ago, I noticed the floors started to have dents. Almost all the furniture had those protective sliders to protect the floor and make it easy to slide the furniture for cleaning. Even sliding a bed out to clean the floor underneath left a dent. I've heard you can use some mineral oil to smooth out the dents. I have one area where an antique desk leg literally went through the floor. It is suggested you can make a mix of the flooring and fill in the hole. I have not tried either method to repair the floors,

We've tried the filler suggestion (scrape top surface off a spare piece, mix with glue, fill) for smaller dings and were underwhelmed by the results so haven't done any more of that, but at some point I do plan to lightly sand and refinish, which supposedly works to restore some of the original look. Don't think it will do a whole lot for the dents, though. Note that Forbo specifically says NOT to do any of these for the newest version of Click (CinchLock Seal), which has a factory finish on it. I'll have to play with mineral oil for ours to see if it does anything. A green scrubby sponge does take off the top layer if needed!

There are those felt stick-on pads for furniture feet, but also larger saucer-like floor protectors that may work better. These go back to the 1960s, at least, because I remember replacing them every time mom mopped our floors. They were brown and made of rubber, with a cup-like rim. They were hard, so they spread out the pressure from heavy furniture over a larger surface. Later, we had metal ones with the bottom having a felt or carpeting-like sliding surface. Look for heavy duty sliders with a larger diameter that spread the weight over a larger surface area.

I was in communication with Forbo since a week or so and I asked them this question on dent and marks. Here's the response I got:

"Click II is over 10 years old. We have had 2 new releases since then, the latest release is called CinchLoc Seal. It is a true waterproof floating floor and has the benefit of our new Topshield Pro bakes on factory finish which is extremely durable, resistant to scratches and dents. This new product supersedes all older versions."

Need more help, friends! We’re adding on to a kitchen. There is a very slight slope in the old part of the floor. New part is level. It’s almost undetectable where they come together, but there is a very slight angle there. Anyone else had this issue? Can a poured floor leveling compound (on top of plywood) address it?

I’m wondering if Marmoleum tiles are too finicky, if porcelain tiles would be better. I want a diagonal checkerboard.

Thanks for any advice!

Porcelain tiles break where there is an angle where two slopes come together. My contractor did use leveling compound on our plywood subfloor. Some dripped into the basement, but it overall seems to have worked well. We have a cork click plank floor over it.

So fun finding this old thread with all the comments... we were going to do marmoleum sheet in our kitchen but our favourite colour (cloudy sand) has since been discontinued. Would it be a regret to do it in glue down tile instead? How visible are lines between tiles on light marmoleum. What does 10 year old stick down marmoleum look like? Cheers :)

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strange to have stumbled on this thread... I have sheet marmoleum 10 years old. Since it comes in 6.5' widths, I hade to seam in 3 places across a commercial kitchen floor.

The seams, from day one, looked terrible. They were fused and over time they look dirty, nothing will clean it.

I don't know if it's the installation or just the way it is.

I would never do this again. Love the color/pattern/durability, But I could have gotten a more attractive install with a cheaper off the rack flooring.

maybe glue down tile is easier to seam, but I can't imagine how... then you'd have the fusing/melting of seams everywhere. ugh.