Cutting Linoleum

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Jeepnstein
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Jeepnstein »

We've got cork in a couple of rooms. I wouldn't do it again. While it's comfortable and all that it just isn't aging gracefully at all. It was mucho expensive as well.

I've seen tile setters using cutters on floor tiles before. It never looks quite right. Nothing beats that factory edge. We've bought the large tiles and also some smaller tiles before so I know it can be had in various sizes. The smaller sizes don't have nearly as much choice of color. 12x12 is the smallest I've seen it but that doesn't mean much. This was in a high dollar public facility and the budget might not make sense for a homeowner.

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Manalto
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Manalto »

Thanks for your feedback; it confirms what I found online. As I dug a little deeper into the pros and cons of cork, I got the impression that that material wouldn't be great for a kitchen, not mine at least. (Cancel that trip to the Bronx.) I have dogs, kitchen chairs that slide under the table when not in use, heavy vintage appliances, and Italian heritage which means the room is likely to get a lot of less-than-gentle traffic.

I also read that you need to be careful with water and other forms of moisture (i.e., humid environments). I like to wash my kitchen floor with a cotton mop and a bucket of hot, soapy water. Even if I were one of the Swiffer Set (do those floors really get clean?) the mugginess of the Gulf Coast is legendary, and high humidity can cause swelling of cork.

It sounds like it would be a good material in a dry climate for a room that gets infrequent use, the guest bedroom in a Japanese family's house in Arizona, for example.

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Manalto
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Manalto »

Shopping vinyl composite tile (VCT), I just assumed I'd have to go with Armstrong or Congoleum (Mannington just stopped making the stuff last year). Despite the wide selection of colors and variations in textures, I wasn't finding what I had in mind. Then yesterday I happened upon another manufacturer, Tarkett Expressions. A much smaller selection, but they have exactly what I want, and the marbleizing in the tile seems a bit stronger and more distinctive, from the photos, at least. There is a distributor here in CT near where I work (but not in Alabama) so I'll have to go check it out.

http://www.tarkettna.com/expressions/en ... ducts.aspx

I didn't realize that VCT is mostly limestone dust.
Last edited by Manalto on Sun Sep 10, 2017 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Lily left the valley
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Lily left the valley »

They do have some lovely colors, James. I also agree about the stronger marbleized appearance. Good find!
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awomanwithahammer
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by awomanwithahammer »

James, where do you see that they have smaller than 12" tiles? That was all I saw except for the strips. I really like the appearance of the tiles, however. I might have to look into that as well.
Bonnie

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Manalto
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Manalto »

awomanwithahammer wrote:James, where do you see that they have smaller than 12" tiles?


Bonnie, where did you see that I said that? ;-)

I like their colors better (specifically, 1240, 1241, 1242 for the pattern and 1278 for the border) I'm going to cut my tiles in quarters; I've talked to enough people now that I'm not nervous about it, and am assured by those who do that kind of work that there are ways to get a square, clean cut in VCT, and when the whole floor is laid, there are sealers that can fill in any imperfections.

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Manalto
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Manalto »

I've made some progress in my search for information on kitchen floors. At a local flooring shop, the manager told me he has done what I have in mind (i.e., cut the 12" VCT tiles in quarters and use the 6" tiles to lay a floor) and it was successful. So, he is going to guide me in tile-cutting technique.

Here's my latest version of a VCT floor; I think I'm closing in on the right one. Little Green Apple and Golden for the checkerboard (6" squares) and Acrobat Green (the darker) for the 12" border around the perimeter of the room. This is what I was going for: soothing color combination, not too dark for a room that's shady (but has two large windows), low contrast between the checkerboard colors, so the emphasis will be on shine, and something that looks like it could have possibly been a kitchen floor installed in 1918. What do you think?

ImageVCT Trio Golden LGA and Acrobat by James McInnis, on Flickr

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Willa
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Willa »

That looks pleasant for a kitchen. The colors are toned down enough to work well as a neutral, but dark enough to show the shine.

After going to all the work of quartering the tiles, you will no doubt get some well meaning person say to you "Those original floors are in great condition."

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Manalto
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Manalto »

Willa wrote:After going to all the work of quartering the tiles, you will no doubt get some well meaning person say to you "Those original floors are in great condition."


That would be quite a compliment, especially if it came from a person with some degree of familiarity with old houses.

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Lily left the valley
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Re: Cutting Linoleum

Post by Lily left the valley »

From some of the early 1900s ceramic floor tile patterns I've been able to find, I think you are in a good family selection.

It could even work with this amazing 1910 wallpaper I stumbled upon...
Image
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