When laying a new linoleum, it is not necessary to contact specialists; you can handle this work yourself. The main difficulty lies in joining several strips in a large room, the size of which exceeds the width of the canvas, or at the border of rooms. If you do not pay due attention to the seams, dirt and moisture will get into them, the material will ride up, and the appearance of the floor will deteriorate. But if you know how to glue linoleum together, this problem will be solved once and for all.
Using double sided tape
Gluing linoleum joints with double-sided tape is a quick, easy and cheap way, but with a short-lived effect. This option is suitable for light or temporary connections. It will not be possible to reliably dock a coating on a felt or fabric basis in this way.
A seam glued with adhesive tape will most likely not last long, the main danger for it is moisture, which will get into the joint when washing the floor.
Procedure:
- The base is cleaned of dirt and dust, treated with a strengthening primer.
- Parts of the coating are carefully joined.
- Scotch tape is glued to the floor along the joint line. Then the upper protective film is removed from it and covered with linoleum.
- Press the edges of the material tightly, and then roll the seam with a hard roller.
Saddle connection
Docking linoleum at home can be done using overhead thresholds. They have an affordable cost, they are easy to pick up by color and composition (there are plastic and metal products). The sills have pre-drilled holes for self-tapping screws. The connection is reliable and durable.
The process consists of several stages:
- With the help of a jigsaw or a metal saw, a bar of the desired length is cut off, applied to the linoleum joint. Holding the nut, mark the exit points of the self-tapping screws.
- A 6 mm drill is inserted into the drill, holes are made according to the marking. Dowels must be inserted into them immediately.
- The nut is applied to the surface, fixed with self-tapping screws.
This method of connecting the edges of linoleum is simple, but has its own peculiarity. A bar screwed to the floor stands out noticeably above the surface, so this threshold looks good only in interior openings.
Bonding with mastic
Mastic is one of the most popular adhesives. It makes it easy to glue linoleum at home. The method is reliable, connects "tightly", but if you need to remove the coating for a while, then in the place where the mastic was used, the linoleum will tear. In this way it is also easy to attach a raised piece.
Work order:
- Before gluing the joints, the base is primed.
- The edges of the coating are degreased with any alcohol-containing agent. Acetone or solvents should not be used, as they can corrode the linoleum.
- As soon as the base dries, a small amount of mastic should be applied to it with a spatula.
- Then the edges of the linoleum are superimposed on the surface, tightly pressed. The joint must be carefully rolled with a hard roller.
The mastic dries for about a day, so at this time the place of coating treatment must be firmly pressed with something heavy. A board is laid on the docked edges, and a load is placed on it.
Hot welding
You can glue the joints of linoleum using hot welding. This is a very reliable method that allows you to create an airtight seam that practically does not stand out from the background of the surface, but it is not suitable for all types of floor material. Hot welding can only be used for high strength coatings; ordinary household linoleum will simply melt.
Required to work hot air gun, nozzles on it, as well as several special knives.One - to create a groove along the entire length of the seam, the second - to cut off excess molten welding cord. The tool is quite expensive, but since it will not be used often, it can be rented.
Hot welding is performed only for a coating that is firmly glued to the floor.
Bonding procedure:
- A special polymer cord (welding rod) is inserted into the hot air gun, which will fill the seam as the material melts.
- The edges of the linoleum are firmly joined, a small V-shaped groove is cut along the entire joint, a few millimeters less than the cross section of the cord.
- The resulting gap must be cleaned of debris and degrease the edges of the linoleum with an alcohol-containing solution.
- The hot air gun heats up to the temperature specified in the instructions (usually it ranges from 300 to 500 ° C).
- The tip is placed at the beginning of the groove and slowly moves along it.
- The seam is completely filled with liquid polymer, which should protrude slightly above the edges. If the cord does not melt well, the temperature increases.
- After welding, the polymer in the seam is left until completely solidified. Then remove the protruding excess. While the cord is still liquid, this cannot be done, as the material shrinks. If you hurry, the seam will turn out with a recess. Excess polymer is removed at the joints while the product is still warm.
Cold welding
Cold welding - This is a method of gluing surfaces with special compounds. The technology excludes processing by means of hot air. This is the best method for joining the edges of linoleum in an apartment. The compositions that are used for this ("A", "C" and "T") are selected in accordance with the type of material to be joined and the size of the gap.
- If you need to glue a new coating immediately after laying, then glue type "A" is used. It has a fluid consistency that makes it ideal for a tight joint and blends well with a soft finish. It is injected with a needle that comes with the tube. The seam is almost invisible.
- If the linoleum was laid a long time ago, then the edges are connected with type “C” glue. It has a thicker consistency than the type "A" formulation. Glue, filling the voids, securely fastens the seams, preventing their divergence in the future.
- Glue type "T" glues insulated PVC coatings on a felt or polyester basis. It is toxic and difficult to use, used by professionals.
The bonding method using cold welding is very simple:
- The seam line is sealed with masking tape.
- With a sharp knife, the adhesive tape is cut exactly along the joint.
- Glue with the help of a nozzle is introduced into the gap between the edges of the coating.
- Excess welding is cut off already frozen.
Adhesives
Adhesives for linoleum are divided into two types - reaction and dispersion. The tool is selected depending on the type of coating.
You can glue felt-based linoleum with your own hands using a dispersion composition. It is also used for joining vinyl and PVC linoleum, fabric-based canvases.
Dispersion compositions are used for different types of coatings:
- Acrylate is recommended for linoleum with felt insulation or other synthetic backing.
- Butt-gluing material on a pile and any other basis allows universal bustilat.
- Humilax adheres well to natural and synthetic coatings on felt.
- Bituminous mastic is best for fabric backing.
Reaction adhesive based on polyurethane and epoxy resin has good moisture resistance and strength.
When deciding how and with what to glue linoleum, you can choose from several options. But you need to correctly determine the appropriate tool. For example, hot welding is not used for thin and fragile coatings, and double-sided tape is only good for temporary repairs.