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Nowadays, so much attention has been put to going healthy, practical, and eco-friendly. With diet commercials and environment-friendly products in vogue, households have come to realize the value of neat, ecologically friendly and durable floors. One of the most sought out flooring products for just those reasons is linoleum. Although there have been many modern advances in the flooring area, linoleum boasts a long history and is gaining more popularity as a flooring choice of many homes. As linoleum makes its comeback, many trade publications have given it rave reviews on its resurgence thanks to innovations and design options offered by linoleum manufacturers such as Forbo Industries, which holds more than 30% of the $40 million US market.
So where does linoleum fit in? Linoleum is works well when used with traditional, all-natural, and mostly-wood type of designs. It can also spice up a modern home with the help of an interior designer who has an eye for combining the look of the old with today’s modern conveniences. Although deemed by many as a difficult floor to install and less likely to absorb sound, linoleum has its advantages:
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An extremely extensive lifetime – often lasting fifty years or more when properly maintained.\
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Environmentally friendly – 100% recyclable
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PVCs and other gasses are not released into the air
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Thermally insulated, extremely quiet and shock-absorbing
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Hypoallergenic – dust, pollen and dirt are repelled by it’s natural antistatic characteristics
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Develops into a more robust floor as it ages – the oxidation of the oil creates a stronger floor
 Linoleum is often bought in rolls - approximately 7’ wide with lengths up to 100 feet long. It is also available in sheets, tiles, and sometimes as area rugs. The choices for the style of the floor are practically endless. Selections include a variety of patterns and an array of both bright and subtle colors. Technology has helped to find ways to improve sealers applied on linoleum. Architects and designers are clamoring for more as they find the comeback-kid the best choice for eco-conscious clients.
Linoleum was discovered by Frederik Walton who patented the product in 1863. He got the idea, as legend says, from observing how a sheet of linseed oil forms on top of paint. With this basic idea, he used a mix of linseed oil, tree resins, pigments, cork dust, ground limestone, and wood flour and pressed it onto a jute backing. Even today, the same ingredients are being used to create modern versions of the product. Mr. Walton eventually named the product by joining the Latin words “linum” (flax) and “oleum” (oil). It was not until later in the same century that Michael Nairn from Scotland made the product more appealing to the public by perfecting methods of adding design qualities such as inlaid patterns.
 By the mid-1940s, with two recent world wars dictating practicality and thriftiness, people were more than ready to switch to a cheaper type of flooring. This is when vinyl was made available. Through these hard times, vinyl found an explosive popularity that left linoleum floors to be considered old-fashioned and ugly. But, linoleum maintained its reputation as a sign of luxury and prosperity among households that could afford to purchase and install it during those times.
With so many flooring options, the durability and ecologically friendliness of a linoleum floor could be the answer to the complicated question of “which type of floor should I choose?” With costs comparable to that of carpet and wood flooring, patterns and colors that installers can have fun with, and an average lifespan of 40 years, linoleum is here to stay.
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