Linoleum flooring is cool, actually
Everything HGTV told you about linoleum is wrong.
Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications (🔔) so you don't miss any videos: goo.gl/0bsAjO
If there were a floor covering Olympics, marble would probably get gold. Hardwood would get silver. Bronze would maybe go to tile - and linoleum wouldn’t even make the trials. Arguably the most maligned flooring there is, these days linoleum is considered (at best) something you rip out to get to the real floor. But it wasn’t always that way.
Linoleum burst on the scene in the late 19th century, the brainchild of an eccentric inventor named Frederick Walton. Before long it was an international sensation and considered the height of luxury. It was even featured on the Titanic and in British Parliament. For nearly a century, linoleum remained the flooring of choice in homes, shops, and schools all over the world.
But when linoleum fell, it fell hard. For decades it was relegated to schools, hospitals, and your grandma’s kitchen - until recently. These days, linoleum is enjoying an unexpected revival in some of the world’s coolest spaces. Watch the video above to find out why.
Further reading:
To read more about linoleum, check out Pamela H. Simpson’s work:
"Comfortable, Durable, and Decorative: Linoleum’s Rise and Fall from Grace" (www.jstor.org/stable/1504636?...)
And "Linoleum and Lincrusta: The Democratic Coverings for Floors and Walls" (www.jstor.org/stable/3514398?...)
If you want to see some linoleum patterns through the ages, The Building Technology Heritage Library has some great catalogs:
archive.org/details/buildingt...
If you want to lay down some linoleum in your home, check out forbo’s options (you can even order a sample!):
www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/...
Make sure you never miss behind the scenes content in the Vox Video newsletter, sign up here: vox.com/video-newsletter
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com
Support Vox's reporting with a one-time or recurring contribution: vox.com/contribute-now
Shop the Vox merch store: vox.com/store
Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: / vox
Follow Vox on Twitter: / voxdotcom
Follow Vox on TikTok: / voxdotcom
It turns out Linoleum IS kinda anti-bacterial. It's surface it just a pretty hostile place for bacteria to try and grow. Makes it ideal for hospitals.
Linoleum kinda op
Linoleum kinda needs a nerf fr
Infact in Italy I only see that type of pavement in hospitals, in homes is never been a thing here.
Yes!! and it's super easy to clean!! Our microbiology lab also uses linoleum for flooring and half of the walls. The pathogen lab uses full linoleum with flooring and walls. It smells a bit nasty at first though (might just me getting used to it lol)
Gotta push for some balance changes on linoleum
Also a reason to not rip up old linoleum: I can almost guarantee there is a layer of asbestos buried under there.
...or that asbestos is incorporated into the linoleum itself =_=
@@comradecid Solution: cover it all with more [the modern one asbestos free] linoleum!
Just like Popcorn ceilings.
I had to rip up my old Lino as the floor flooded (burst water pipe), and yes, there was another layer of asbestos flooring underneath, got it all removed, thank god for insurance…it was $$$
I feel so fortunate, when we ripped out the 1920's linoleum (it was badly damaged, but such a pretty pattern) it didn't have asbestos in it. But I was sweating bullets for a minute there. That would have been $$ to get rid of.
It bugs me when people use "linoleum" and "vinyl" interchangeably. Like no, vinyl is horrible for the environment and off-gasses volatile organic compounds which is bad for indoor air quality. Thank you for bringing up how cool linoleum is to so many more people.
@eioshen boboi I wore yesterday's underwear. retro.
I think one of the concern of vynil floor was (is?) the release of formaldehyde in ambient air (spoiler : Not good for your health)
Lol yeah I'm a vinyl layer by trade and that is one of my pet peeves. Most of what I lay isn't lino, it's vinyl, but it usually gets called lino by customers and the occasional builder too
@@tenerife_sea That's more like vintage, not retro. Retro is new that LOOKS LIKE old.
Same reason as why vinyl is not eco friendly compared to leather even though it is often touted that way
What also happened in the 50's was the stiletto heel got fashionable. It literally destroyed edwardian flooring that had looked just as new until then (especially in shops and other public spaces).
I lived in an old house with fir flooring and my roommate and her friends destroyed it with their heels during a party one night.
What most people call Linoleum (Lino) isn’t actually Linoleum, is usually vinyl flooring. True linoleum is still commonly used in commercial/institutional buildings, but rarely in housing (not since the 70’s). A lot of the flooring shown in this episode as linoleum wasn’t actually linoleum, in several clips it’s vinyl sheet or tile flooring, and asbestos floor tile.
Isn't vinyl more durable?
Also aggregate stone flooring like is used in many schools and hospitals was shown and said to be linoleum.
@@chang.stanley Linoleum has traditionally been far more durable than vinyl flooring. The primary advantages of most vinyl flooring products is cost and ease of maintenance. However, some vinyl flooring products are comparable in cost and durability, and some, like Vinyl Composite Tiles (VCT) required similar maintenance.
@@chang.stanley Linoleum needs periodic sealing, but actually is sturdier in some ways. The patterns on linoleum run all the way through, so scratches won't show nearly as easily as on vinyl where the pattern is just printed on. Which one is actually more durable depends on whether the site describing it sells linoleum or vinyl...
Vinyl also needs periodic sealing, more often in fact. The vinyl that is comparable to linoleum is as expensive while it doesn't not have the light antibacterial property of linoleum, and there more even more sealing in places like hospitals and labs. Also, early vinyls were marketed as lino alternative, but still get called lino, and they were awfully bad, which many attribute to real linoleum.
This is why I love this channel. For the obscure facts I didn't know I needed. Expertly told and animated.
Fr. Finding (or making) all those newspaper articles advertising linoleum would've taken hours and yet they only formed like 10 seconds of the entire video.
The best inventors have moustaches!
Only if they did a better job on real world topics.
@@kochspostulates6149 Follow the money :)
TedEd too
My husband and I made a HUGE find a year ago. A flooring store was getting rid of discontinued/ old stock Armstrong tiles, which are pretty expensive. We scored a pallet of unopened, new boxes -enough to tile our entire 2000sq ft home. In a myriad of colors, squares, planks, and some with textures like imbedded glitter gorgeousness! Free. From. A. Dumpster. I'll be waxing for the rest of my life! I am an artist and have been planning patterns and designs. We've put down the subflooring and are about to lay the tiles. So 😊
That sounds fantastic! What a deal!! Your home will look wonderful 😊💕
How did your project turn out??! I'm about to dona laundry room, kitchen and hall... I'm always drawn back to linoleum because I want to explore patterns. I'm in the design stage and haven't made my purchase yet. Loved your story. Would love to her and update
You should definitely do a video on those weird glass blocks… I’ve always been super curious about those!
yess omg!!! i agree
Glass brick is making a comeback nowadays because it's all glass and therefore all recyclable. They've also experimented with means by which to inject the brick with gas or other filler material to vastly improve its insulation properties.
I think 1900s' linoleum doesn't look so bad but the '50s linoleum seems a bit weird because of their overly complicated pattern or they tried to replicate others materials.
Yeah the midcentury marketing push to have it replace wood and tile, plus the Modern patterns, really correlate with its first public image downfall.
Skeuomorphism is just dated anywhere
true
@@Djrepsaj learned a new word today thanks
@Caiden thats interesting, may u elaborate further? :)
This guys was literally watching the paint dry and it launched him into a financial success and historical immortality. I won't let anyone say I am wasting my life away idly again :)
no, you should still definitely get a job. Unless you're watching paint dry.
Historical immortality is debatable. They could barely find a print version of his autobiography lol
@@scholaroftheworldalternatehist yes that's sad. But what a impressive achievement DURING his life time!!
@@pickachuman2802 we're talking about making our own jobs here
@@icelandicfaeinPNW it's a joke. talking as if watching paint dry is the only exception to the rule. The point of the joke though is to get you to acknowledge that there are still a lot of situations where you are wasting time and not about to discover a new material, but it's still just a joke at the end of the day.
As a flooring contractor THANK YOU for making this! There is so much to learn about floor covering and very little is known about all kinds.
Lino is made with linseed oil, derived from the linseed plant, aka flax plant (Linum usitatissimum). Linseed is a plant with strong and absorbent fibres that was one of the first materials to be woven into textile clothing around 30,000 years ago, and today we still use the word linen to refer to linseed textiles. Linseed fibre was used throughout ancient history to make sails, rope (this is where our word line comes from), candle wicks and nets.
ok
Linoleum has become something of a generic word for flooring around here. The overwhelming majority of what people call linoleum is petrol chemical based vinyl.
yup
And has often asbestos if it dates from the 50's to the 70's.
Yep, the one my mother used to buy when I was a kid smells like chemical and has the texture of a plastic.
@@anne12876 Asbestos is in the glue, not the sheet goods. Black mastic is an indicator of asbesto.
"around here" - How coy.
"Those weird glass blocks" are actually really cool. They're really well integrated in my schools architecture.
Yes! My house will have these.
@@eklectiktoni awesome! are you going to use them for internal division or for external features?
@@jacksonbarry5407 My idea is to have them in one of the walls of the master bathroom to allow lots of light, but provide privacy. Also, I like the idea of using them as a decorative feature in an outside dividing wall between mine and neighbor's property.
One of my local Steak n’ Shakes has these. They really contribute to the ‘30’s diner’ theme.
In my country they are everywhere in 70s architecture, especially in stairways, but for years they were not cleaned and because of that, they stopped giving light inside buildings - in many places they sre removed, but in some they are cleaned and polished and looks great.
*Linoleum:* - Supports my head - Gives me something to believe
I own a 1946 home, and when I replaced my dishwasher last year, I discovered three layers of other flooring beneath the old one. First was a '60s lino pattern (I spotted it in this video actually, haha), then carpet, then another lino, THEN the checkerboard vinyl tiles that now make up my kitchen floor. And let me tell you, it was a MASSIVE pain to clear out those layers of redundant flooring, though also a cool look back in time for my old home.
I have a feeling that in 30-40 years, the omnipresent vinyl plank flooring that's everywhere right now is going to be just as hated as linoleum or wood panel walls are right now. Things go in cycles!
Already hate it, it looks tacky and just screams "cheap reno flip"
I don't think so. Things closely resembling nature don't really fall out of style.
I hate it now, personally.
It's great on kitchen floors, but hardwood is better than anything man made.
I tried considering vinyl flooring for my house, but it just looks awful! Maybe it would look better if it didn't pretend to be wood. I haven't seen any good looking "pretend" material...
The original flooring was incredible. Installed in my parents kitchen in the early 50s. OMG it was beautiful and never wore out or dented. It was still there in early 2000s. Still beautiful. The house had been through 3 owners. We walked through each time it sold.. it's probably still there If I could buy that today I would in a heartbeat.
"it's probably still there If I could buy that today I would in a heartbeat." Wait, what would you buy? The house or just that flooring?😁
I'm more curious how you landed to walk through the house during 3 different ownership transitions... did your parents have some fancy deed that gave them a 10 minute post sale inspection in perpetuity? I've always wanted to randomly go back and visit my child hood homes.
@@larkins621 I'm sure they just love nearby and asked the current owner or realtor to visit when it was up for sale.
@@Digitalhunny the flooring. I've never seen anything like it.
@@larkins621 we're talking over 50 years. They sold about 27 years ago. Since been bought and sold 3 times.
Never confuse Linoleum with Vinyl Flooring. Linoleum is very durable and often beautiful. Vinyl flooring can be toxic and is usually cheap.
Smartcore enters the chat
I agree. Real linoleum is a "premium" product. Vinyl looks and is cheap.
Yeah literally they used advertisements and patterns for asbestos vinyl flooring in this video calling it linoleum
Several years ago, we renovated our little kitchen and decided on linoleum for the floor. The patterns have been upgraded since the 70s, thank goodness. The strength of our decision was that linoleum is still one of the easiest floorings to keep clean.
I installed real linoleum in a kitchen a few years ago (ouch, just realised more than 20 years ago) and it looked great and was lovely to walk on even in bare feet - so different from vinyl.
Is real linoleum expensive, or is it comparable in price to vinyl
@@mitchellcoral7298 depends where you get it. Usually more expensive
When I had a live/work loft built in 2004, our builder was eco-conscious and had real linoleum put in the bathroom in the commercial portion of our space. Since it was smaller (just sink and toilet), we were able to buy remnants which saved a ton. I know when I told family it was linoleum they thought, "Ew... how tacky!" They were thinking vinyl. When I explained it came from tree bark (via cork dust), they were confused. I didn't know it either before that build.
@@kirksway1 do you know where I can buy linoleum?
I was looking for a replacement floor covering for my laundry room. The salesman suggested real linoleum. It has a better look and feel to it. I am very happy. I did pay a premium over vinyl.
I guess linoleum now has hit a sweet spot with sweet momentum Eco-friendly, which is popular in this 21st century Very customisable And also easier to apply than ceramics and tiles, making homes slightly faster to construct
People just had to remember that it's incredibly customizable so it really doesn't matter that a lot of old linoleum floors look bad, you can just make a new pattern that has the look you like.
Is it recyclable?
@@Grahamaan27 it is better than recyclable, it can be composted and is fully biodegradable! It is made of all natural ingredients 💚 vinyl on the other hand is petroleum based synthetic plastic product, nope we don't want that.
@@thebonniewong apparently it's also bit anti-bacterial
@@thebonniewong Yeah, it's really gonna breakdown well in the landfill.
I watched this video standing on the linoleum flooring that was installed in my grandparents’ house when it was built in the 1960s. It’s got a bit of “patina” now, but they picked timeless patterns and almost 60 years later it’s still going strong. I’m proud to hear about the environmental friendliness and glad it’s never been “updated” with toxic vinyl alternatives.
Linoleum is nice acoustically too. It is much less reverberant that hardwood flooring.
I'm floored. he did some groundbreaking work... it reminded me of my late grandma's house.
Hah "floored" I get it
Honestly, this was really good but I think nowadays Vox is becoming more like a cool stuff/stuff you didn't know channel as compared to the sensational journalism they used to do before.......
Punny
@@avanishawade I would say they do both, and simply focusing on only big news stories will make some of their viewers stop watching
@@avanishawade They still cover the hard-hitting and topical issues. But I find it refreshing that they also do these kind of videos. While this one is kind of "interesting fact" type, often the difference between a relevant and interesting fact and hard-hitting journalism that isn't being talked about is only a matter of perspective. Honestly, pointing out an eco-friendly alternative that I might not otherwise consider is something that I see as useful journalism--even if that specific topic is not partisan or divisive.
As an Austrian design student I can say Linoleum often gets confused with PVC and Vinyl and layperson often hate the wrong product and even home stylists mix 'em up
But they all look the same and are all hideous.
@@Sulkie You haven't seen the good stuff.
@@incognitotorpedo42 where do you get the good stuff
I really love a traditional black and white checkerboard floor, especially in a kitchen. I legitimately gasp in pain every time I see someone destroy it for a boring wood floor on renovation shows- I’m glad to see someone else also has a soft spot for linoleum.
For me the problem with the linoleum vs vinyl is that most Americans, including "Ben and Erin" of Laurel Ms., is that they call every floor covering linoleum. In fact most to the time they are talking about vinyl but calling it linoleum! I believe there was a time when one could not even buy American made linoleum . Bill
I have a beef with linoleum but if you say that then maybe this thing isn't linoleum at all... Just it was called that by many people. We have "linoleum" and it tears easy and the cement from below makes an "impression"... The sandy bits... making the floor look "messy" or "dusty" when it's not.
YOUR RIGHT MATE! LINO IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO VINYL
One of the reasons linoleum might be cool again, it that it is pretty expensive, something like €40/m2 compared to €15/m2 for decent vinyl or laminate flooring. So it's both ecofriendly and pretty exclusive.
The old “increase the price to make it seem like a premium product “ trick
It is wild that no one wants what everyone has, they want to be different and seen premium but that very drive is what makes everyone go get it and then no one wants it...
And everyone complains about prices but they secretly like to blow all of their money, and if companies reduced their prices then people would view their product as something cheap and without value beyond the price and also something that everyone has
It is wild how humans behave, as sunotai said above, if you raise your prices even people will indeed feel like it is premium and they buy it... that's why many car companies build cars under different names so you won't think of your premium car as not so premium
The pricing difference makes sense based on cost of raw materials and manufacturing complexity.
Retro things will always have a comeback anyway, it's to be expected with retro looks.
America obsessed with the Cold War era
I'm glad linoleum is coming back. Not just because of the retro aesthetic but also because it is a sustainable material and more people are starting to choose materials that are better for the environment and well-being. I have been looking into replacing the 70s vinyl in my kitchen to an updated linoleum as well!
That's what I was thinking
its very common in the caribbean but its doing the opposite of the usa where its becoming less popular
except condoms. retro condoms will never come back in style.
Lino can be padded too which is amazing, especially for bathrooms, super soft on your feet. Warm without a need for in-floor heating
That stuff in the high school hallway looks like VCT to me. That stands for Vinyl Composition Tile, which is not the same as linoleum. Linoleum tile was mostly superseded by VCT because VCT is a lot less finicky to install and less prone to warpage and shrinkage once installed. The current trend for more natural materials which emit less harmful gasses has brought about something of a renaissance for linoleum though. A company Forbo makes a range of linoleum which they call Marmoleum. It is reasonably popular, but the higher price and more complex installation means that it will never be as popular as vinyl.
As long as it's not put on top of gorgeous hardwood like many of our parents did.
At the very least that way the old floor isn't damaged/removed....
@@cowboyhank456 wrong. That florring very often rots under linoleum.
Most of us don't really know what it was like living in cold houses. My dad loves traditional building materials, but he also told me that back in the day, those leaking wooden floors weren't seen as something desirable, like they are now.
Bonus for a home buyer who takes up that linoleum lol
@@doraspoljar697 why would it rot? Lino is waterproof
Flax plants are great, both for the oil that has lots of uses but also for linen fabric.
also weed
@@Sinaeb Yes, but that's usually a different variety of plant without much (any?) THC. Flax is awesome though, it's much more durable and eco friendly than cotton, using far less water to grow and dye. And there were a bunch of other great uses that I forgot about. I believe it was a massively important crop in the early days of the USA. Too bad growing it was made incredibly hard because bans on the weed-variety somehow included the non-psychoactive stuff as well.
@@cowboyhank456 Flax belongs to a completely different plant family than hemp (which is the less-THC variety of cannabis). But both are great and somewhat underrated plants with lots of uses in industry.
@@sangri03 Oh you're right, I was thinking of hemp, which is probably what that person was referring to
@@cowboyhank456 yeah, flax isn’t hemp and hemp is what was legislated against. There were some suggestions that hemp grown for fibre not be restricted, but new artificial fibres like nylon and dacron had just started being produced and those chemical companies’ interests (largely DuPont IIRC) ensured all hemp was treated equally badly in the legislation.
My stepfather used to work in flooring. He did the kitchen and laundry room and bathroom in this really awesome linoleum that was brilliant white with specs of silver and gold flecks and faint lavender embossments that outlined the "tile" motif. I remember the vinyl-like smell and how it not only smelled new with that kinda shoe store fragrance but also of chemicals of the 50s when linoleum was at its prime. Of course this was the early 1990s, not the 1950s, but our house was also a 1920s built cottage whos last major remodel was in the 1950s anyway, so it just fit in. God that smell. I LOVE THAT SMELL! It was so easy to clean, keep clean, it didn't really scuff or scratch much either. Fun stuff.
Thank you for this. I've been trying to explain to people the difference between actual linoleum and sheet vinyl for years, but it just doesn't sink in. And it doesn't help when most home reno shows conflate the two.
I think what they call linoleum and rip out first thing on these TV shows isn't real Linoleum, just PVC flooring. It gets pretty nasty after a few years as the plastifier evaporates and causes it to shrink and become brittle especially around the edges. I'm also not terribly convinced that the escaping thermally cracked plastifier is particularly healthy for you.
No, the first thing they rip out is any wall that separates the kitchen from the house. They think that tearing down walls fools people into thinking that their small house is really a fancy big mansion. Except big mansions separate the kitchens to contain smells, greasy air, noise etc. Also, if you are entertaining guests in the living room why would you want them to see the mess in the kitchen. Assuming the kitchen is actually used.
I got to install Linoleum a couple times the last 2 years and it's a real nice product to work with. It takes a little bit more care than other resilient flooring but the more natural feel and smell of it is nice. With today's population shifting towards eco friendly I wouldn't be surprised it makes a comeback.
I'm really not a fan of working with lino. Give me a homogeneous vinyl to work with any day over lino
did you find that it is relatively expensive?
Do you have ideas. For me where. To buy lino?
Stopped from stone?
A decade ago, I toured the linoleum plant in Kirkaldy, Scotland. Fascinating process, and they are masters at making it into custom artwork flooring.
Was this 'forbo nairn'? I live just along the road from the factory but I understood that they don't make true lino anymore. If they did that would be great, I'm in one of the old workers flats that Robert Nairns built in the area for his staff so it would be cool to get true lino back in here
I work in a Linoleum factory in Holland, we produce still product for our factory in Kirkaldy. They still make Linoleum tilles.
The last images of flooring being pulled up with voiceover urging people to keep their linoleum is actually footage of vinyl flooring, which has none of the virtues of real linoleum.
I thought the same thing when I saw it. Too soft and wrong color for linoleum.
Not only is linoleum a cool type of floor-tiling, but it's also one of the few words where "sounding it out" actually works.
How bout Lino-Leum! I put the em-PHAA-sis on the wrong sil-AB-il
@@brainwashingdetergent4322 lie no Liam
what a weird thing to say. I feel like most words can be sounded out, lol
@@Half_Centaur what - no a - no weird - no thing - yes to - no say - yes I - no feel - yes like - yes most - no words - no can - yes be - no sounded - no out - no lol - yes
@@red_Sun24 your definition of being able to sound a word out is a stretch at best, but even by what you said, 3/8ths of words can be sounded out. Not a notable thing to say about a word
Thankyou for being involved in recovering a part of our design history. I do remember seeing old Lino as a youth in 1970s England. It was considered dated at that time, however, those designs would be more appreciated now by the current young generation. It is important to be able to identify what is genuine linoleum and not the inferior vinyl. Old Lino usuallyhas a matt appearance and a soft feel.
I love Linoleum. It gives me such a warm nostalgic feeling when I look at it.
Hmm. That actually made me think. I didn't know it was even remotely eco-friendly. Now I feel like a jackal for snickering at it.
Need to distinguish between linoleum and vinyl. People tend to lump both products together. Vinyl is terrible for the planet.
@@yopyop3241 yep. Oddly my mother hated PVC for almost everything, wouldn’t have it on her windows or pipes or anything. Yet she hated linoleum even more, and specifically sought-out a vinyl floor for her bathroom. I remember asking, if she was so worried about offgassing from a PVC windowframe, why was vinyl floor different? She didn’t really have a cohesive answer, so I have to assume it was just the early-00s linoleum hate-on or something.
@@yopyop3241 Also Ethyl Vinyl is major carcinogen.
Can i just say that i liked that the editors made the music a bit muffled when we went underwater with the titanic at 3:38. I love that eye for detail when i notice them.
Love the patterns and versatility - we’re thinking about putting some new flooring into our microcamper and this looks like it could work super well. Thanks for the video!
Enjoyably produced and very informative. Excellent description & links included. I’m glad linoleum is still available.
I grew up with linoleum and liked it. When I had my house renovated, I felt obligated to replace it with something more modern to help sell my house if and when I decided to. Now I have to worry about spills getting between the laminate pieces. A big layer of linoleum doesn't have that problem.
I remember hearing that a number of Blues musicians liked to record music in rooms with linoleum floors because it sounded really good. One Australian musician Kim Salmon even recorded an album in an old kitchen with linoleum floors to capture that sound.
I've also seen cork floors in older homes. sound proof and esay to walk on
I like that when you drop something breakable on a genuine Lineoleum floor (at least when it is over wood), it is much less likely to break.
Loving the shout-out to Lincrusta at the end of the video. Seriously cool decorative medium that has sadly been forgotten.
linoleum is actually not really common anymore and is just used as an umbrella term from sheet flooring as most of it is made of (pvc) vinyl
I just realized that. I was actually looking for some sellers here in Mexico and almost everybody sells "rolled" PVC as linoleum.
Yes, sheet vinyl is definitely more common, but you can still get true linoleum. It's gaining popularity again because it's made with plants and it lasts forever. Forbo is the manufacturer.
Even though everyone says that vinyl is worse than linoleum. How did vinyl survive over linoleum?
@MaryArts Because it's cheaper to produce and much cheaper for installation. I charge almost twice as much to install linoleum than vinyl. Linoleum is very heavy, hard to cut, and you can't bend too much without ripping it. It's not easy to fix if you make a mistake either.
@@jmccormick1490 Thanks for explaining
I love my new Marmoleum kitchen floor! Soft to walk on, vibrant colors, and holds up great to dogs and foot traffic. Guests are always surprised to learn that they still make *real* linoleum and it's not a vinyl floor.
Sounds like a nice balance between wood and carpet. I like carpet being soft and warm underfoot but wood is easier to wipe spills from and it’s also easier for friends who use wheelchairs to push on.
I have Marmoleum in my dog room/breezeway. Been there 15 years or so and still looks good.
if you don't mind how is vinyl different? what is it made from? why did people choose vinyl over linoleum?
@@abbigailking3856 vinyl == PVC, it’s made from oil/petroleum products. People largely chose it for price and novelty reasons, just as PVC also replaced leather and rubber for cheap costume-clothes.
did you consider it expensive? Since learning about marmoleum I am keen to use it but I am hesitant due to the price and concerned that it will look institutional
The video quality is so good and tells the story in the most interesting way! Thank you Vox Team for the great work, will join the channel when I make a lot of money.
Spent the day putting linoleum on tabletops for a customer, an architectural office. Not vinyl but the real stuff. This is a niche product created specifically for custom furniture, but it is more or less the same linoleum you'd put on a floor. You know what, I really enjoyed working with it. It looks really nice. It is nice to the touch, not unlike those classic leather desk covers. It smells good too!
Eco friendly, antibacterial, sustainable, and beautiful flooring...we love to see it! 🌱
Linoleum Supports my head Gives me something to believe
I haven't watch the video. I went immediately to the comments, looking for the NOFX references.
@@chm4gsc same here!
Linoleum is so expensive and such a marvelous material - have it in my kitchen. Absolutely love it.
Linoleum is my favorite flooring, it is sturdy and price effective. I prefer it over tile and regular wood to be honest. It's not nearly as impressionable. Our dog would have scraped the heck out of wood floors by now, but the linoleum never scrapes. Fantastic for spills too, it won't leak in and cause damage.
Linoleum gives me something to believe.
I think the difference between modern and old fashioned linoleum is that now it comes in rolls which and is quite thin meanwhile the early stuff like that on the titanic was thick individual tiles
Probably because we can now just print patterns onto it instead of having to make individually colored tiles and fit them together like a mosaic. A ton of advances have happened in print technology in the last 30 or so years and it's why you can now easily and cheaply produce all kinds of printed things to custom designs such as flags, t-shirts, posters and so on.
Ooh I love Lino floors. They are fabulous. I really love the old style patterns…it’s comfortable to walk on and easy to clean. I have Lino where I’m currently staying and I love it. But I’ve always loved it.
Finally, a channel that loves and promotes linoleum. I love it. The brighter the better. Who wants 5000 different types of wood floor looking lino or tile looking. The brighter, the better.
i think linoleum is underrated, it get a bad wrap because it’s badly maintained and looks tacky but it can be so cool
@@Fishmans but even ones with inoffensive designs or plain ones get a bad wrap
Bad rep. Rep as in reputation. Sheesh...
@@Fishmans well I don't mind being wrong as long as you actually went to the effort of learning how you used wrap instead of rap 🤷🏽♂️
@@Zaihanisme the same to u, you were wrong too and you still feel the need to act as if you’re better when you still messed up too. humble urself boy
@@daviddiscodemon errrrrr… I literally already did. You two getting it wrong was a way bigger boo-boo considering “wrap” makes zero sense in this context while “reputation” is easily applicable lol Even funnier considering I’m not a native speaker of English 🤷🏽♂️
Some of the linoleum tiles recovered from the wreck of the Titanic are still extremely recognisable. You can see the patterns on it and the vibrant red and white clearly.
My grandma has the old-timey linoleum tiles that have a long run of life and still look pristine and sparkly as brand new just by washing them. That stuff is durable and long-time hardy.
Tastes good too. The real kind, with linseed. Edit She just said “you can eat it” 😂 So as a kid the first floor nook water closet was adjacent to the laundry and Lino was in there…the door jamb had been replaced and in doing so the threshold was removed and put back a tad wonky and the linoleum puckered. First a dog started getting curious and there ended up being a little jagged edge that I couldn’t bear. So I snapped off a piece to even it out and the scent hit me…it was just like oil paintings, which I had often craved, to the point my mother started getting me flax seeds and flax seed oil thinking the bizarre craving was linked to a deficiency. ANYHOW I ate a 9 square foot of linoleum over 35 years in that house, tidbit by tidbit and I really have to watch myself.
So interesting! I use it in the studio for print making on this channel, but also on the floor, because its so easy to keep clean. Its also softer than other floor types so if you drop anything on it, it usually bonces rather than breaks.
Ahhh I remembered that smooth shiny vinyl flooring we had in our older home. It looked pretty cool but when you talk about lino, my parents told me vinyl was really cheap compared to lino. Thanks for facts I never thought I needed to know :)
Lino is fantastic! As long as it’s maintained and laid properly, it is great.
The fact that the Titanic's linoleum is still good is the best promo for it you can get
The dedication to make these videos and the research went into this.... Props to you guys.
Must be an American opinion to think it’s old fashioned? In Europe, linoleum/marmoleum is a hit nowadays, with new and updated designs. Lots of home improvement shows have it too (here in the Netherlands), featured often.
I think that depends a lot on where in Europe. In norway wooden flooring is preferred.
Yup
I think in Croatia it's pretty old fashioned as well.
@@SamarkandChan Yeah I like a wooden floor as well personally, however a key feature of linoleum is its suitability with underfloor heating systems so that’s why I chose it instead.
A lot of newer houses have in floor heating, because it is more efficient and wood doesn't work as good with it. Linoleum does, and can be purchased in a wood optic if someone still likes the look. It obviously isn't the same, but that is one of the main reasons. Vinyl is often times still preferred, because it is easier to maintain
VCT in my kitchen FOREVER. Love linoleum. So easy to keep clean and replaceif needed.
Oh my. When I bought my neglected little home in 1982, it had that red brick sheet linoleum in the kitchen. Under a filthy carpet, the green with white linoleum squares was lurking in the living rolm. I am loving this channel
Lesson: If you’re starving in a hospital, rip the lino floors off and eat it.
Linoleum need a true interior designer expert to look good. That kindergarden looks so nice. But all those old houses lack refinement, there's details everywhere so it's kinda hard to the eye
i install this stuff for a living, but it’s such a niche trade, i never expect to see anything related to it anywhere so thank you, Vox
Just stumbled upon this channel and video, never knew this about lino. You learn everyday so it seems :D
I think all the different patterns and designs are super cool and the thought that it's eco-friendly is even better so yeah this stuff really needs to make a comeback. And imagine all the cool designs and patterns that we could come up with now like we could definitely have like a buffet of coolness on our floors just saying.
There was some amazing designs made before and during the depression. I was able to see a bunch of it on a film shoot in Georgia when we were shooting in a private religious camp built over 100 years ago. Not only amazing linoleum but equally amazing porcelain enameled signs too.
I love you Pamela. This is the exact niche interior design retro aesthetic content that I hunt for. Also that kindergarten is unbelievable
Linoleum, straight out of factory was a great and cheap option in term for high traffic and durable with long term construction.... It just for consumer market, linoleum kinda off put with its outdated,tacky and stricts design, finding right linoleum for your room within timeless manner is like a needle in haystack, as sized as a states... It also was a blessing for janitor and estate keeper who looks for cheap maintanenace with low effort spent thay didnt require regular attention.
Oh I love that you gave credit to the researcher in the end! Not sure what her field is exactly but I have friends in cultural anthropology or popular culture studies and they often get a bad rep for researching topics just like that. It might not change the world, yes, but knowledge like that definitely helps us understand the times we live in better, how trends and consumerism work and how our needs and focal points change throughout the years.
Agreed!
thanks for the perspective about linoleum. Ive gain new insight and appreciation for this old invention.
So happy that the lino-printing wasn't overlooked.
Good video, but some of the examples early in the video were *not* linoleum. Some of them were concrete terrazzo, some of them were tiles.
Genius Walton! Got his invention under my feet
Can't believe he's still alive. He kept the eloquence of his era while speaking.
YES!!! I'm glad they mentioned break dancing. When you stop messing with cardboard and start walking around with rolled up linoleum in you bookbag that's when everyone knows you taking it serious.
Linoleum is great, Except for that fact that many linoleum tiles installed before 1980 contain asbestos and most were installed using asbestos liners under the floor as well….
This is true but it's not as common to find old asbestos lined linoleum as it is to find vinyl asbestos tile aka 9x9 tile in old buildings today. About half the jobsites I've been on in my area require abatement of vinyl asbestos tile.
@@tumtumhero1436 Good to know! I have heard Vinyl tile is bad and to assume to contain asbestos. Have you ever seen asbestos in carpet glue or plaster walls? Can’t find a ton of info online about it
@@off_mah_lawn2074 I’ve also been wondering about the carpet glue, did you find any more info about it?
@@grocerybagswag5154 It seems to be very rare. I had some carpet from the 50’s I had to pull out, and I was concerned, but upon inspection, I think it did not contain any asbestos. However, as a precaution, I pulled it up while wearing an N95 respirator, and used a wet rag to wipe up the debris, rather than vacuum it up. It seems mostly asbestos was used as a filler material in those times (ie walls, roofing, floors, insulation), and is not really present in glue.
I love the tacky 70s look that linoleum gives. Glad that it's making a comeback.
I love the fact that for this video someone read a memoir written by the inventor of linoleum. :)
Greetings from Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland - home to Nairns Linoleum. (3.26) what's left of the company still trades today, although in cushion floor and no longer true lino. In fact, the factory is just along the road from my house and the area still gets a distinctive smell every time a fresh batch is made. Search KZhead for a BBC documentary "the town that floored the world" and it will tell you all about the empire that was the company, the area of the town it took up at its peak (it was huge, a lot of the physical buildings still stand empty or reused) and the impact it had on the world. Yes, someone else may have invented it but Robert Nairn was it's biggest player
As with most things, it became undesirable when it became cheap enough for poor people to afford it, but desirable again after people stopped using it.
How eco friendly is it from a recycling and biodegradable perspective? If's it's still intact on the Titanic after so long I get the impression it must be really hard to reuse responsibly
So, apparently with proper aeration and other composting methods, it can break down in 25-50 years, or thereabouts. In a compost machine or natural compost that's properly maintained, it would get there eventually. Probably would biodegrade okay in a landfill as well. Basically, it's not the easiest thing to get rid of. But it IS 100% biodegradable. At worst, if just left out exposed to the elements it'll rot over time.
The materials its made from can be destroyed given the right combination of acids, which are not usually present at the bottom of the ocean. Unlike Plastic which is just broken apart, linoleum can most likely be chemically broken down.
It has little to no impact in the creation process and because it lasts so long it's "impact per year" is next nothing. Wooden floors require a lot more steps, energy, and don't last as long. So in comparison it's eco-friendly. A one-and-done solution.
@@heychrisfox Wood also only degrades slowly on the ocean bottom so it's not surprising that Linoleum would be slow too. It's a bit of an ironic twist where metals still degrade at a somewhat normal rate in the ocean because oxidization can still happen but wood and other organic materials are a lot slower because they have to be broken down by bacteria who aren't really present on the ocean floor.
The surface part might be intact, but I’m guessing all that saltwater and pressure (Titanic’s remains are over 3.8km down) are affecting it, but maybe from the bottom layers up.
As a former bboy linoleum was perfect practice flooring because it was so smooth and sleek it's almost felt frictionless.
Love the commentary in this video! thoroughly enjoyable.
Walton's factory in England was in my hometown of Staines, better known today for being the fictional stomping ground of Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G
Super cool vid! I have long loved lino! Hurrah for its long overdue refashionability! (And also cool that the Titanic’s lino is still looking so good!)