Linoleum

Frederick Walton invented a new type of flooring in England in 1863, which he called linoleum. The name comes from two Latin words "linum" and "oleum". Linum means flax and oleum means oil. However, by Micahel Nairm of Scotland perfected the flooring by introducing the inlaid patterning qualities that we see in this flooring today.

In the manufacturing process of the flooring, linseed oil is oxidized to make a thick cementlike material. When it is cooled, pine resin and wood resin are added to form a jute backed sheets. Even though it looks similar to vinyl flooring, the lino has many more advantages as flooring for your home because all the materials used in the manufacture are natural.

Since this flooring comes in large sheets, it may not be very easy to install it in a small area, such as a bathroom or small kitchen. You do need to try to get it down in one piece if at all possible. If you cannot do this, you do need to have as few joins as possible. The installation process is a skill because precise cuts are necessary to fit the lino around corners, doorways and in the case of a kitchen around the cupboards. Some of the tools you will need include:

* A trowel for gluing down the flooring
* A sharp utility knife
* Knee pads
* A face mask to prevent inhalation of the fumes from the glue
The seams have to be tightly closed so that they are not visible when the flooring is complete. All of the tools, including the glue, are readily available in most hardware stores.

Once you have this flooring installed, it will last for a very long time. It is durable and strong and will not show scuff marks, it is waterproof and is not easy to burn. You won't have any worries about being able to detect any glue fumes once the flooring is complete.