Linoleum

Englishman Frederick Walton invented linoleum - or lino - in the mid-1850s. He was looking for a harder wearing and easier to maintain floor covering than cork tiles that were then popular in people's homes.

He successfully developed a floor covering manufactured from oxidized linseed oil, cork dust and cotton cloth - all renewable sources - which he further developed and took to market with many different patterns and geometric designs.

His linoleum was warm underfoot and offered reasonable sound insulation when laid on hard floors. its linseed oil content made it naturally hypoallergenic and hygienic with good resistance to wet environments and wet cleaning. Cleaning was carried out by hand scrubbing with a soapy solution followed by one or two coats of linseed oil to renovate and further protect the Linoleum.

Because printed patterns and block colours can be removed or sometimes run when harsh cleaning agents are used on it, great care is needed when restorative cleaning is carried out.

The process used to restore Linoleum floors is very similar to Vinyl floor restoration, but with less aggressive cleaning products and methods. Instead of treating the floor with linseed oil after cleaning, more durable coats of acrylic or urethane are more typical coatings. 

This makes maintenance easier and the Linoleum is visually enhanced with a satin or high gloss appearance.

Modern Linoleum floors are now made from Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC, which is much more flame retardant and safer in use. We clean and seal these in exactly the same way as vinyl floor coverings. Forbo is the world’s biggest manufacturer of Linoleum and sells the material under the trade-name Marmoleum.

Case Study

Linoleum Floor Treatment in Care Home

The care home staff had noticed it was becoming increasingly harder to clean the floor and they needed some help. We deep cleaned the floor for them and applied four coats of hard wearing floor polish, Betco Matte Finish. Apart from getting back a nice looking and clean floor, they commented on how much easier cleaning had become. The floor mops no longer had to be dragged or pushed around the floor, but instead would glide easily across on the surface, reducing the physical effort of floor cleaning.

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Linoleum Floor Restoration

This customer was convinced they had to replace their floor because no matter how they cleaned their floor, the look didn't improve. When a floor has reached a stage like this, where traffic has worn through the surface layer, we have to 'build it up' again, using different products and techniques in the process. However, it is well worth spending the money and time on restoration when you see a final result like this beautiful red linoleum floor.

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Restoring Linoleum at GP Surgery

The lack of floor protection and insufficient cleaning regime had brought this Linoleum floor to a state where the customer thought it needed replacing. But by using the right products and methods, we saved the customer this unnecessary expense, restoring the floor to a condition where it not only looked good, it could also be kept clean on a daily basis so the high hygienic standards could be met.

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Stripping and Sealing Linoleum Floors, Carshalton College, Surrey

Through ISS Facility Services we carried out a Strip and Seal treatment on the Linoleum floors at the site of one of their clients, Carshalton College in South London. The job had to be done at very specific times so it didn't interfere with lessons and only certain areas of the building would be opened to us at any one time. This meant extra planning and organising, but the job went smoothly over three days, despite the slim margin for error.

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News, Advice & FAQs

Does Your Floor Stand Up to the Footfall?

Does Your Floor Stand Up to the Footfall?

Busy supermarkets often have a tough job on their hands trying to keep their floors clean and safe. A high flow of traffic takes its toll on the surface which will quickly become dirty and slippery and in the end wear out prematurely, unless it is treated.

Dust Free Concrete Floors

Dust Free Concrete Floors

Concrete dust create real cleaning problems for warehouses and production facilities with power floated concrete floors. Our Concrete Polishing system solves the problem, creates stunning floors and reduces cleaning cost.

How to Keep Floors Clean

How to Keep Floors Clean

Entrance matting act as the first line of defence when it comes to preventing outside dirt and grit from being walked into a building, and, even more importantly, they reduce the risk of slips and falls - a key consideration for all publicly accessible buildings. Research shows that up to 90% of all dirt and debris present within a building is tracked in from the outside on the bottom of shoes. An effective entrance mat measuring 6 meters can remove 75% of all this dirt, contain it in one place and reduce the cleaning cost otherwise required in the building.

The ‘Wet & Dry’ Floor Cleaning Method

The ‘Wet & Dry’ Floor Cleaning Method

What is the 'Wet-and-Dry' Method? When using the Mop & Bucket system, the 'Wet-and-Dry' method is a very simple yet incredibly effective step in picking dirt and grit off the surface during floor cleaning. First you wash the floor with a wet mop until you're satisfied you can't clean any more dirt off. Then you go over the damp area with a CLEAN, DRY mop to pick up any leftover dirt and grit you couldn't pick up during the clean. You will be amazed at how much dirt you can still pick up during this simple step, please see below.