Home: Linoleum Flooring Advantages and Disadvantages
With a number of material available in stores today, homeowners who are planning to either renovate or build a new home will surely have a hard time finding the best material that they will use. Will it suit according to their lifestyle or will it fit into their budget.
For budget-savvy homeowners, one recommended material is to use linoleum flooring. Linoleum flooring is often confused with vinyl flooring but the materials are very different. Here are some tips about why linoleum flooring could be an advantage or a disadvantage to your home.
Linoleum Quality
Advantage: Flexible and Soft
Linoleum is flexible, bounceable, and especially durable because it is made from natural materials. Once properly maintained, this flooring option can last up to 40 years. This flooring option is ideal for the elderly because it is very soft and comfortable to step on.
Disadvantage: Susceptible to Scratches
Linoleum can be easily scratched or torn by dragged furniture or sharp objects like pointed heels because of its softness. Too much humidity can make corners to curl and the flooring’s natural materials make it vulnerable to moisture damage.
Linoleum Appearance
Advantage: Colors, Patterns, and Installation Choices
Linoleum dye is permeated through the flooring so it’s better at holding color and pattern which is dissimilar to vinyl and laminate flooring. With a broad variety of colors and patterns available, linoleum is very versatile. You can be creative and create unique mosaics with tile linoleum as it is very easy to cut to exact specifications.
Disadvantage: Vulnerable in Light
Linoleum will take on a subtle yellowish hue once exposed to light.
Maintenance
Advantage: Low Maintenance
Linoleum has minimal maintenance requirements and easy to install. With periodic sweeping and occasional mopping, it can last its full expectation.
Disadvantage: Higher Maintenance
It may need regular polishing and buffing if in case you’ve bought unsealed linoleum. Linoleum age by yellowing will be visible in no time if not maintained properly.
Environment-Friendly
Advantage: Renewable, Biodegradable, and Clean
For environment conscious homeowners, linoleum is a good flooring option. Thanks to its linseed oil from flax composition, it utilizes a renewable resource. Unlike vinyl flooring, linoleum is also biodegradable, non-toxic, and formaldehyde-free and when disposed of, it will just decompose. In addition, linoleum doesn’t emit volatile organic compounds so it won’t result in indoor air pollution.
Disadvantage: Installation Odor
Linoleum flooring presents linseed fumes for about a week to a month upon installation. Although odors won’t cause harm, it may frustrate for some smell sensitive people.
Construction and Children
Children have an appreciation of construction that may be lesser known than that of adults. But that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate it. On the contrary, I think that children appreciate construction more than adults for one main reason. That is Legos.
Who never played with Legos growing up? I’m sure most people have at least been around Legos at some point in their life. Kids love Legos. It’s a fact of life. Legos to children are like baseball and apple pie to being American. Kids just inherently love to build. Because of this, I say that they love construction.
The world has many amazing and beautiful buildings. What better time to foster a love of architecture than childhood? The perfect way to do this is with Legos. A child can only appreciate so much by seeing a building on TV or drawing a picture of a building. However, if that child literally builds something, with Legos, they will have a much better appreciation of the construction of the building. After all, they are the architect!
I know this for one reason. I had Legos when I was a child. My brothers and I would play with Legos to pass the time. But we also enjoyed building things. We built castles, cars, and other structures. Now, as an adult, I can look at a building and kind of imagine how they built it. It’s easier for me to do that because I was a builder, with Legos, when I was a child.
I highly recommend anyone with kids to get the kids Legos. Christmas is next week. There’s still time to go to the Lego store for a stocking present! Of course, there are the bigger Lego sets as well. Do this, and you’ll instill a love for construction in your kids. They may even grow up to be architects!
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