How to cut linoleum when laying

How to properly cut linoleum at home

There is nothing difficult in cutting a linoleum covering, and it is important , so that the right tool is selected, because it is extremely difficult to cut dense material even with a highly sharpened knife or stationery.

We do not recommend cutting with a simple knife, because the dense face layer is terribly cut, and the thick cutting edge from the knife makes a cut of terrible quality. Optimally, you will use a special tool that can be purchased at all hardware stores. The construction knife has become a versatile tool in order to properly cut linoleum at home.

Cutting tools

Natural or PVC linoleum can be cut with the following tools:

1. Construction knife - has a retractable design, the ability to change and rigidly fix the cutting blade.

   This is, in fact, an improved and adapted version of the retractable stationery knife, which is adapted to the needs of builders. Great for cutting thick and thin roll materials, but it is important to correctly follow the blade during the work process.

2. Knife for cutting linoleum - has a curved or hook-shaped cutter. This makes it possible to cut through linoleum, carpets and other soft floor coverings quickly and efficiently. Perfect for cutting a straight seam, as well as curly elements in corner joints.

3. Cut for flooring - available in different variations. For linoleum, a design with cutting disc elements is used, which is fixed in a special frame with a handle. You can also use a simple cutter with a fixed blade, which makes it possible to quickly and efficiently cut an even edge along the total length of the fabric.

You can also mark a tool such as a beveler. It is used when laying natural materials when it is necessary to cut off "broken" edges.

In the case of a PVC coating, it makes it possible to cut edges with a fringe, if unforgivable mistakes were made during cutting earlier. When choosing working tools, you need to take into account the type of coating that you plan to mount. Household linoleum is characterized by its low thickness and density. A simple construction knife is enough to cut it. More expensive semi-commercial or even natural linoleum is best cut with a special knife.

This makes it possible to cut through the protective dense coating and get a perfect cut.

Details

You will see the visual view of the device above. The price will depend on the manufacturer and the specific region, but rarely it is more than 400-560 rubles for a branded product of a simple level. For a specialist finisher, it is better to buy higher quality equipment, the price of which ranges from 750 to 1100 rubles. Among the manufacturers we can mention the products of the Romus company, Santul.

For construction work, knives from Fit, Bieber and Jituls are quite suitable with their own hands.

How to competently cut roll coatings

To carry out work on cutting linoleum, in addition to the purchased knife, you will need to prepare a square, a tape measure and a long ruler. To obtain a template, you will need plain paper or high-density cardboard. When working, try not to rush and take all measurements more than once. Cutting is required with confident movements, applying effort.

If necessary, you can draw up a scheme for placing the canvases, and after that they will begin to cut them according to the calculated parameters. The technology for cutting the floor material with his own hand will be made from the following:

1. Before cutting the linoleum, it must be kept indoors for 1 to 2 weeks at room temperature. More precise terms are spelled out in the instructions or on the paper tab that comes with the cover.
2. After the roll is cut along the length of the room, taking into account the allowance, and for a canvas with a length of 5 to 6 meters, the overlap is 2 cm, less than 10 meters from 4 to 5 cm, and if more than 10-12 meters, then everything 5-7 cm. This is required for a stock of material for undercutting and natural shrinkage.

3. Cut blades should be left for 4 days until they are perfectly straightened. If "waves" remain on the surface, then you do not need to try to eliminate them using third-party methods. A quality roll-to-roll coating straightens naturally.
4. Next, the cut pieces are laid out along the length of the room, and if there are protruding communications and other decorative elements in the room, then you will need to prepare a template from paper. After that, the pattern is transferred to linoleum and cut off in the required places.

5. If the room has the correct shape, then the linoleum is pushed close to the wall with an overlap and cut off at the junction.

6. For joining fabrics with a pattern, the first fabric is laid out on the floor surface. The second is laid on top of the first until the joining edge forms a continuation of the pattern. It remains only to press with a long ruler and cut through two pieces.

At the end of cutting, the material must be shifted by one half of the room and the working part must be removed from dust, abrasive particles and debris.

Then you can start fixing and joining it.

Joining two or more canvases

In order to join two or more canvases, cold welding is required. You will already learn how to cut linoleum when laying, and consider the attachment features. Fixation can be done in several ways. An adhesive composition that is applied over the total floor surface will be the most reliable solution.

Double-sided adhesive tape is used for rooms where the degree of fixing hardness does not matter or where linoleum is a temporary floor covering. The glue mass is prepared for work according to the instructions on the package.

A spatula is used for application, and first fix the linoleum against the wall to a large linen width (from 60 to 70%). The composition is required to be applied to the finishing surface in undulating movements, and without excess. After that, the canvas must be carefully lowered and rolled over it with a heavy roller.

If there is no such tool, replace it with a simple building level that is wrapped in a soft cloth.

The surface must be carefully smoothed over the total area. Do the same with the second room half. To join the canvases, it is required to glue the tape along the total length and remove the protective coating, and then an adhesive mass is applied to the remaining part. After gluing, the seam must be rolled as best as possible.

If you plan to weld seams, you will need to cut a filling groove.

Before welding, you need to thoroughly warm up the hair dryer for several minutes, put on the nozzle and insert the cord. Above you can watch a video on how to cut linoleum when laying flooring in a residential area. Pay attention to the sequence of actions when laying a couple of canvases.