Linoleum and vinyl flooring made a big splash in the architectural scene when they debuted.
Vinyl vs linoleum for kitchen.
While vinyl takes the top score in our flooring face off the winner of linoleum vs vinyl flooring is really up to you.
But in reality they could not be more different.
Sheet vinyl can be a difficult material for do it yourselfers to install.
They are two very different products from two very different times.
Linoleum flooring was the first on the scene and has been a workhorse in homes and industrial settings for over 150.
Because it is waterproof you don t need to worry about using water to clean vinyl.
A score mark is first made then the plank is bent back on itself and a second cut is made from the rear.
Linoleum is an older composite product that s made of organic materials.
Vinyl planks also use a click and lock method of installation.
Vinyl flooring planks can be cut with a utility knife as well.
Vinyl plank flooring provides the look of hardwood but the durability you need to use it in high traffic areas of the home such as the kitchen.
Vinyl sheet is much easier to work with than linoleum since it isn t as stiff.
Vinyl tile these peel and stick tiles are the most diy friendly option and great for small spaces.
Both are long lasting resilient floors that are fairly cost effective.
These manmade floors remain popular to this day.
If you suspect that the covering is more recent than the house look for signs of wear.
It s largely been replaced in most applications by vinyl which is made of plastic.
Some people lean in to the history choosing retro color palettes for their linoleum floors or getting vinyl that mimics iconic movies like the shining s psychedelic geometric carpet.
First patented more than 150 years ago linoleum was discovered when it was noticed that linseed based paint developed a solid tough but flexible film that floated on the top of the paint.
Ok let s review what we ve learned about the linoleum vs.
If you re like most people you might think they are the same thing.
Vinyl flooring is diy friendly and comes with more design options while linoleum floors are made from natural products and can last up to 40 years.
Compared to linoleum vinyl is a recent building material so if your house predates 1950 it s doubtful that the original floor covering in the kitchen is vinyl.