Pros and Cons of Linoleum

After purchasing a house, one of the first things you delve into is improvements or redecorating. The two rooms that are usually started first are the bathrooms and kitchen. If linoleum is used, these are the rooms that it would usually go in. Over the years, tile has become a popular substitute as well as laminate. Here are a few pros and cons of linoleum to help you decide whether or not you want to use linoleum or one of its substitutes.

One of the pros of linoleum is the cost. Most home improvement stores have linoleum in rolls or discounted for under 50 cents a square foot. As long as the person installing the linoleum knows how to glue or "lay" the linoleum, linoleum is your best bargain.

A major con of laying linoleum is it can be difficult to lay without bubbles, or ripples. The right glue for the material is an important part of laying linoleum. If a person does not know how to lay linoleum, the job could cost twice what you expected. You may want to have a professional install linoleum.

If you have children you know how easy mishaps happen. My child loves to draw and for some reason he likes to be on the floor when he does his art projects. One of the biggest problems is getting marker on the floor. If you have linoleum, chances are good it will come up with a wet cloth unless it is permanent marker. Marker also wipes off of laminate easy. If you have a tile floor, the marker easily wipes off the tile, but it seems it will be forever on the grout.

Linoleum is extremely easy to keep clean. You can mop linoleum and even use cleaners on it. Dirt is less likely to hide in the cracks of linoleum compared to tile. Water can spill on linoleum without worry of warping the material like a laminate wood floor would.

A disadvantage to having linoleum is that it can tear easier than laminate will scratch or tile will crack. Some linoleum is so thin that wearing heels on the floor will leave torn indentations. Laminate may scratch, but not nearly as easily as linoleum will tear. Heels that tear linoleum may only scratch laminate. The same heels will not do anything to a tile floor.

Linoleum is easier on the joints than tile. It is more absorbent. If you have problems with your feet or legs and you are debating between tile and linoleum, linoleum will win for your body's sake.

Although tile is just as colorful as linoleum, there are many more choices with linoleum as far as the individual design and patterns. You can mix and match the tile, but linoleum gives you the opportunity to not have to match design or patterns. The work is already done for you.

If you are thinking of laying floor, consider linoleum for ease and comfort. Tile may be aesthetically pleasing, but you may wind up hating it in the long run.