Linoleum flooring for your kitchen

Lino flooring had its heyday early in the twentieth century, and fell distinctly out of favour later. But why? And why is it now enjoying a resurgence in popularity with renovators and home owners? There's more to linoleum than you may realise, and some of the reasons to choose it may surprise you.

Linoleum flooring: Practical!

Linoleum flooring is far more environmentally friendly than you may realise, and has many features to recommend it.

• Lino is composed of a compound of linseed oil, cork dust, tree resins, limestone, wood flour and pigments. All of these are generally safe to have around, and far gentler on the environment than vinyl, which is manufactured from some toxic component chemicals
• Lino therefore is also not a contributor to the unhealthy phenomenon of 'outgassing', or the releasing of toxic chemicals into the air of your home from new furniture, flooring, glue etc. This is obviously a compelling reason to consider lino flooring. Definitely a point on the practical side
• Another point on this side of the ledger is the fact that lino flooring is easy to clean and is waterproof. This makes it ideal for the kitchen, or indeed the bathroom or laundry.

Linoleum flooring is also quite resilient and flexible, making it long wearing, soft enough to comfortably stand on for periods of time and safe for the inevitable falls and bumps of children.

Is linoleum flooring ugly?

Ugly is, of course, in the eye of the beholder as much as beauty is. If lino flooring was once ugly, it certainly isn't any more. The colours available for lino now are very different to those that it initially came in. Check out the ranges available in your local carpeting store, or better still surf the net and get an idea of the possibilities first. The colours now are bright and certainly a far call from the drabness that many people associate with the old lino floors.

Ugly is also perhaps determined to a degree by fashion, and lino is back! Partly for the practical and aesthetic reasons described above, and partly because many renovators actually want the old colours to restore older homes, lino has had a popular resurgence.

Linoleum flooring: Other information

Linoleum flooring's reputation for ugliness is certainly no longer deserved, as it now comes in a range of attractive colours and designs. However, its association with practicality is accurate. Lino is safe, environmentally friendly, easy to clean and water resistant, and well worth being in contention for your next kitchen floor renovation.