Commercial linoleum is an especially durable, wear-resistant and durable material for finishing floors in high-traffic areas: offices, clinics, hospitals, catering establishments, etc. The characteristics of commercial linoleum, manufactured in accordance with GOST 17241-71, significantly exceed the properties of laminate and other coatings. The service life of the material is more than 25 years. Its resistance to wear and abrasion is explained by painting over the entire thickness, thanks to which linoleum is resistant to UV, detergent chemicals, etc. The original purpose of such a coating is finishing floors in industrial workshops. Today, a larger range of commercial linoleum is produced: with an antistatic coating (carbon inclusions), antiseptic impregnation, anti-slip, with enhanced noise insulation characteristics (absorbs up to 20 dB, thanks to the foam base), for sports facilities, etc.
Antistatic material is divided into three groups: from 109 Ohms (insulating), from 104 to 106 Ohms (conducting current), from 107 to 108 Ohms (dissipating current).
Advantages of commercial type coatings:
- increased resistance to deforming loads;
- possibility of operation with “warm floor”;
- durability and wear resistance;
- environmental Safety;
- high heat and sound insulation;
- resistance to moisture.
Flaws:
- limited selection of designs;
- high price.
Coating composition
- The basis of commercial linoleum is a layer of PVC (polyvinyl chloride - a thermoplastic polymer) several mm thick, approximately ½ the thickness of the coating. Semi-commercial material is produced on a foam basis.
- Fiberglass - this layer gives linoleum strength and sound insulation properties.
- The decorative layer is granulated plastic on which a pattern is applied.
- Protective layer. Up to 0.8 mm for commercial coating and up to 0.5 mm for semi-commercial coating.
- High-strength polyurethane coating.
Laying technique
To install industrial linoleum using the technology, you will need the following:
- Provide a temperature of 15-18 degrees, with air humidity of 60%.
- Ensure a level base for installation. Cracks and other defects must be repaired.
- Laying on glue requires good adhesion. To accomplish this, it is recommended to apply a layer of primer.
- After leveling and priming have been done, degrease the surface.
Technical linoleum must also be ready for installation. To do this you need:
- Leave the rolls for a day so that the sheet acclimatizes. This will give a structure without deformation for the best adhesion.
- After 24 hours, roll out across the entire width. As soon as the waves disappear and the panel returns to its original appearance, it’s time to start laying.
What is the difference between commercial linoleum and semi-commercial?
Semi-commercial is characterized by:
- medium thickness;
- resistance to scratches;
- resistance to moderate loads;
- 2-4 m wide;
- warranty period of use is 7-15 years (depending on the manufacturer);
- sound absorption up to 16 dB.
Main areas of application: small shops and offices, hospital wards and similar low-traffic areas. Often purchased for household use.
Commercial coatings are characterized by:
- resistance to increased loads and traffic;
- thickness more than 4 mm;
- resistance to temperature changes, moisture, dirt;
- no combustion in case of fire;
- resistance to gasoline and high concentration acids.
It is used in objects with high load on the floor, but is not used in everyday life.
Antistatic
There is also antistatic linoleum, which protects against static electricity that occurs due to a large number of operating equipment in the room. Dust has a negative impact on highly sensitive electrical appliances and may even cause fire. A special antistatic coating reduces dust accumulation.
The main advantage of antistatic linoleum is the possibility of its use in rooms where high-precision equipment is located, since the use of other types of linoleum there is unacceptable. This type of coating is highly reliable and durable, but its price is higher.
Average price from 290 rubles per m2.
Types of commercial linoleum
Homogeneous
Single-layer coating of a homogeneous structure, without a pronounced base. Thickness – up to 3 mm. The pattern does not wear out throughout its entire service life, thanks to deep painting.
Heterogeneous
Multilayer material up to 6 mm thick. The layers include: foamed vinyl, PVC, vinyl with PU (polyurethane), reinforcing structure. A protective film is applied over the design. This commercial linoleum has stable dimensions and effectively resists tensile loads.
Technical characteristics of commercial linoleum
| Characteristic | Meaning |
| Width, m | 2-4 |
| Thickness of the protective layer, mm | Up to 0.8 (in some cases – 1) |
| Service life, years | 15-25 |
| Weight 1 m2, kg | From 2.8 to 3.2 |
| Wear resistance class | 31-34 |
| Sound absorption, dB | From 10 |
Types of bases and substrates
The base is the material on the back of the linoleum. The thickness of the main types starts from 2 mm, which allows you to level out floor unevenness.
Coating bases are made from:
- felt
- nonwoven fabric
- natural fiber fabric (such as jute)
- foamed polyvinyl chloride
- polyester
- artificial fabric
The substrate under the coating provides additional sound and heat insulation
Basic linoleum is also called insulated or warm. Comparing the characteristics of all options, experts give priority to foamed PVC as the best base.
It does not shrink, is resistant to moisture, and is not inferior in heat and sound insulation characteristics to fabric or felt. It can be used in any type of premises.
Flooring underlays are installed for shock absorption, sound and heat insulation, protection from moisture and damage.
They are made from:
- isolona (light, moisture resistant, but fragile)
- polystyrene (rolls and presses poorly, but protects linoleum from moisture and fungus)
- technical jam
Advantages
Based on centuries of experience, applying the latest scientific developments and using high-tech equipment, the concern’s enterprises have launched the production of high-quality floor coverings endowed with the following advantages:
- Absolute environmental safety. In the production of linoleum, harmless materials are used that have international certificates of conformity and meet all sanitary and hygienic standards. The presence of formaldehyde resins in products is ten times lower than the average characteristic of most similar products. The coating composition is completely free of the plasticizer DOP, which negatively affects health and well-being and is often used by other manufacturers.
All models comply with Russian GOST standards, which distinguishes Tarkett linoleum from other products manufactured taking into account the Technical Specifications (TU).
- competent logistics and thoughtful pricing policy allow us to produce products in a wide price range. This ensures high demand and great popularity of coatings;
- strength, resistance to mechanical stress and temperature changes, moisture resistance and excellent sound insulation properties indicate the high quality of linoleum and its durability;
- A large model range with a huge variety of colors and designs allows you to choose a coating to suit any interior.
Interior solutions
You can approach the choice of linoleum creatively and beautifully emphasize the advantages of the room, skillfully hiding the shortcomings. Remember - linoleum should complement the overall concept of the room, and not overload it.
Check out the concepts offered by experienced designers, try experimenting with different options, reworking them and adding to them.
For offices designed in a modern or minimalist style, you can use linoleum with original large prints.
In offices or other premises, you can use commercial linoleum with various prints
Linoleum with imitation laminate will help complement the composition, made in black and gray shades. In such a room, furniture in warm colors with a similar texture will look good.
Linoleum with an imitation of stone texture, made in brick tones, will help make rooms with a bright interior more comfortable.
Linoleum under parquet with “zigzags” will make the interior warmer and less boring, especially if figurines, pillows and a large number of small shelves are used as decorative accessories.
For dining areas in Provencal style, imitation light tiles are suitable - this covering option will emphasize the light shades in the interior and allow you to pay more attention to details.
Commercial linoleum is great for hallways
You can choose a covering with various interesting patterns that will transform the room
For an office, you can choose commercial linoleum, designed to look like a wooden floor, laminate
For use in the premises of various companies, you can choose a “strict” plain commercial linoleum
Dark-colored linoleum is well suited for public spaces.
Often commercial linoleum is laid in stores
Which to choose
In accordance with EN 685, each linoleum product, based on test results, must be assigned a certain wear resistance class, characterizing the level of loads withstood.
Thus, household series belong to classes 21-23 and 31, semi-commercial linoleum corresponds to classes 31-33, and commercial linoleum corresponds to classes 32-34 and 41-42. Special is classified as group 4, that is, categories 41-43. Complete information is usually available in catalogs, which every seller should have with them. On the reverse side, manufacturers indicate not the product class, but various characteristics: the presence of additional layers, service life, moisture or light resistance, etc.
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Colors
For commercial linoleum there are a large number of possible color design options.
The main factors that will determine the color of the coating are practicality, uniqueness of the design and color matching to other interior details.
Typically, beige and brown colors (from light sand to dark chocolate) and dark colors of a neutral palette (gray, brown) are considered the most practical.
In the second category, there can be a wide variety of options selected by the designer; more often they are quite unique and can be either an imitation of natural materials (wood or stone covering) or look like a more expensive coating, such as parquet or laminate.
There is a wide range of commercial linoleum - you can choose the material of the desired color and texture
Many designers recommend not limiting yourself to traditional palettes and trying contrasting combinations - for example, gray and several shades of brown, dark shades with beige, mustard with orange, using white in combination with other colors.
Usually, white and black colors are not used in their pure form - white quickly gets dirty, and black visually makes the room smaller and looks rather gloomy. However, they can be used to add a beautiful accent.
There are more options for using tile linoleum - monochrome combinations, wood imitation, bright colors, combinations of orange and green with black and beige and much more. The pattern of tile linoleum can look like simple squares or an interesting pattern of mosaics, different numbers of squares of different sizes, or rhombuses.
It is better not to buy linoleum in white and black colors - they wear out faster than others
