Linoleum
flooring
Linoleum is a resilient floor covering made from renewable raw materials, notably linseed oil, wood flour and jute. It provides a durable finish suited to spaces in regular use.
What is linoleum flooring?
Natural linoleum is a resilient floor covering made of linseed oil, wood flour, plant resins, jute and mineral fillers, on a jute backing. The linseed oil acts as a binder that polymerises through oxidation, the wood flour and fillers provide body and dimensional stability, and the jute serves as the fibrous support for the whole structure.
This composition gives a dense covering that resists wear and common cleaning agents, with antibacterial properties inherent to linseed oil. The surface can be repaired locally by sanding and re-oiling, which extends the life of the floor without replacing it.
Linoleum is intended for interior floors in offices, healthcare facilities, schools and housing. It is not recommended in areas exposed to standing water, such as showers.
It is produced in the Netherlands by Forbo, from mostly renewable raw materials, in a production chain certified as carbon neutral. Production offcuts are fed back into manufacturing, and a post-consumer take-back scheme exists for large areas.
Installation & uses
Linoleum is fully adhered to a smooth, dry screed, using an adhesive compatible with post-consumer take-back. It is not laid floating, because it moves slightly with humidity.
Sheets are laid edge to edge, with heat-welded joints using a weld rod for technical or hospital areas, or butt-jointed for everyday uses. A modular tile version allows individual tiles to be replaced without lifting the whole floor.
Routine cleaning is done with warm water and neutral soap, without aggressive detergents. Periodic re-oiling can restore the surface after several years of use.
At end of life, linoleum can be lifted and sent for recycling, or, once separated from the backing and the binder, its natural layer can be composted.
About the producer
Forbo is a Dutch producer of resilient floor coverings, whose flagship Marmoleum range has been made in the Netherlands for more than a century. The company offers linoleum in sheets and modular tiles, as well as a poured, made-to-measure version, with several collections of patterns and colours.
Its manufacturing chain is certified carbon neutral, and a post-consumer take-back programme returns lifted sheets to production, backed by a long-term guarantee.
Technical performance
EN 14041:2004/AC:2006 (resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings · essential characteristics) · harmonised standard for CE marking. Covered by DoP 0100201-DoP-306, “Marmoleum, Artoleum 2.0-2.5-3.2 mm (EN-ISO 24011)”, issued by Forbo Flooring B.V. (Assendelft) on 30 June 2013, AVCP system 3, notified body 1611 · Ghent University. Declared performance: thermal conductivity 0.17 W/m·K · reaction to fire T · slip resistance Z · antistatic electrical behaviour L.
FAQ
Can linoleum take heavy traffic?
Yes, depending on the intended use. The EN 685 classification ranges from class 23 for heavy domestic use to class 34 for very heavy commercial use and 43 for moderate industrial use. Residual indentation remains at or below 0.15 mm to EN 433, and abrasion resistance reaches group T to EN 660-2.
What is its embodied carbon?
The product is declared CO₂-neutral from cradle to factory gate: the carbon absorbed by the linseed, jute, wood flour and rosin offsets the production emissions. The figure for each range is given in the Marmoleum EPD.
Which thickness should I choose?
Three thicknesses: 2.0 mm for residential use, 2.5 mm for commercial use, which is the standard, and 3.2 mm for the Decibel range and industrial use. The product is supplied in 200 cm wide rolls or as tiles. Conductivity 0.17 W/m·K to EN 12524.
What happens to it at end of life?
Installation offcuts go back into new production. Take-back after use is possible when the floor has been laid with Eurocol 616 adhesive, which carries a twenty-year guarantee. The service life observed in practice is thirty to forty years.
Alongside
Same layer, same use · three materials to compare.
