The Handyman's Pocket Book: Laying Linoleum.

Apart from the wear a floor gets, the life of lino depends largely upon the floor on which it is laid.  It is essential that this is reasonably level, and that any old tacks or nails are removed and any holes of any size made good.  It the boards have warped so that they present a series of hollows they should be planed down flat.  Otherwise the lino will wear on the high parts in a series of ridges.  A smoothing plane can be used for the bulk of the surface, but the portion around the walls requires a rebate plane.

Incidentally, lino should not be laid directly over concrete because it is liable to rot.  An underlay of bitumen paper should be laid first.  As a matter of fact a paper underlay is a good investment under any lino as it reduces wear and gives a softer tread.

ESTIMATING QUANTITIES.  Estimating the quantity of lino required needs a little consideration.  It is often possible to effect considerable economy, especially when a border is being planned.  Take for instance the plan in Fig. 1.  The whole thing could be completed with 6 yards of lino of 2-yard width, making 12 square yards.  it should be realised, however, that this would not work out correctly in the case of a patterned lino because of the waste involved in matching.  In any case all experienced lino firms are pleased to advise you if a plan of the room drawn to scale is taken.  Remember that the standard width of lino is 6 ft. (though odd widths are sometimes available) and calculations should be based on this.  Border and staircase widths are 18 in., 22.5 in., and 36 in.  Sometimes it is an advantage to use this for a room boarder.

If possible lino should be brought into the room where it is to be laid and left there for several hours so that it can acclimatise itself.  Lino tends to swell somewhat when it is opened out in a warm room.  The arrangement of the joins varies with the shape of the room and its sizes.  Endeavour to avoid a number of small pieces, especially at doorways and other places liable to a lot of wear.  Often it is an advantage to make a clean joint level with a recess rather than to make an awkward fitting in a large piece.  A and B, Fig. 2, show alternative arrangements for an all-over lino in an average small room.  In A the second piece would not be wide enough to reach right up to the window in the bay.  This means that a join is necessary in any case, and it would therefore be advisable to cut off the width across the bay as shown by the dotted line and use a single piece for the bay laid separately.  A similar idea is followed at B in which both recesses are filled separately.

Do not make too close a fit up to walls because lino always stretches when walked upon.  For this reason it should never be tacked down straightway, but should be left for about a week.  Fixing it immediately would probably result in its lifting up in waves.  In the best way a quarter-round moulding is fixed around the room as shown in Fig. 3.  No fixing tacks need then be used, and the lino can be left with a slight gap between it and the wall - say 0.25 in.  When nailing the moulding drive the nails so that they clear the lino.  The latter is then free to expand.  At joins nails are eventually necessary of course, and they can be put in at intervals of about 6 in. or so.  A special headless lino sprig (Fig. 4, A) is made which is neater than ordinary cut nails and holds perfectly well.

CUTTING TO SHAPE.  Straightforward rectangular spaces can generally be marked purely by measurement, though it is a mistake to assume that a corner which is supposed to be square is so in reality.  The simple device in Fig. 5 is handy.  It is simply two arms of wood about 3 ft. long, each 3.375 in. or thereabouts, pivoted together by a screw.  A wood stay is screwed to one arm and fixed to the other with a nail driven half-way in.  It is thus free to be set to any angle.  In use the two arms are set so that they fit against the walls, and the nail at the loose end of the stay driven half-way in.  It can then be placed on the lino, enabling the latter to be marked at the same angle.  It is especially useful for cutting round odd angles (the bay in Fig. 2, for example).

PAPER PATTERNS.  Tricky shapes are best dealt with by cutting out a paper pattern.  As an example, take the pedestal for a hand basin in a bathroom.  It would be practically impossible to get at the shape to be cut purely be measurement.  Take a piece of brown paper and, holding its edge flat against the wall, fold the paper around the pedestal.  Quite a lot of paper can be cut away straightway.  It is the possible to run a pencil around as in Fig. 6.  This enables a cut to be made right on the lino.  The simplest plan is to cut one-half up to a centre line as in Fig. 6.  The same template can then be used for the other side by reversing it.  In this way the hole in the lino can be marked exactly.

SPILING.  Another method specially handy when shapes have to be fitted round is known as spiling.  A sheet of card or stiff paper is cut to fit easily around the pedestal as at A, Fig. 7.  A rectangular cut is all that is needed.  Now place a set-square or any other slip of thin wood cut to triangular shape on the paper with its point touching the pedestal and run a pencil line around the edges.  Only the part on the paper is drawn.  For any part of the pedestal which is straight (the front for instance) the flat side of the square can be used as in Fig. 7.  The greater the number of marks made the greater the accuracy.

Put the paper on the lino in the correct corresponding position (obtained by measuring from the wall), place the square on the pencilled lines, and run the pencil around the sides at the point only.  All the marks will necessarily be on the lino only.  By sketching in a line to join all the points the correct shape to be cut away is marked out as in Fig 7, B.

CUTTING.  Cutting is best done with a proper lino knife which has a curved blade (Fig. 4, B).  Sometimes it is more convenient to cut downwards; sometimes it is easier to hold the knife upwards.  Remember that the greatest resistance to cutting is in the lino closing on the knife after cutting.  It is therefore a great help if the waste piece is pulled sideways so that the cut is opened.  Another plan sometimes handy it to leave the lino on the floor and cut downwards, using a straight-edge for straight lines.  If the lino is then raised and bent back it will crack at the cut, and the knife can then be passed beneath and a cut made at the crack.

PATCHES.  Sometimes it is necessary to let in a patch where old lino has worn away.  Cut out the new piece to whatever shape is the most suitable (having regard to any pattern that may be on it), and lay it in position.  Fix down temporarily with a couple of tacks, and draw a knife around the edge.  Remove the new piece and raise the old lino, if necessary deepening the cut so that it is completely severed.  The new piece can then be laid in position and tacked.  Both sides of the join should be fairly closely tacked all round.

Lino should not be soaked with water; it tend to rot it.  When cleaning is necessary use soapy water and  rinse off straightway, finishing with a well wrung-out cloth.  Avoid using a soap which contains a strong alkali.  In the ordinary way lino is best kept polished with one of the many propriety wax polishes.