U.S. General Services Administration
Technical Procedures Disclaimer
Prior to inclusion in GSA’s library of procedures, documents are reviewed by one or more qualified preservation specialists for general consistency with the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitating historic buildings as understood at the time the procedure is added to the library. All specifications require project-specific editing and professional judgement regarding the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers are to serve as a general guideline and do not constitute a federal endorsement or determination that a product or method is the best or most current alternative, remains available, or is compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards. The library of procedures is intended to serve as a resource, not a substitute, for specification development by a qualified preservation professional.
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We’ve reviewed these procedures for general consistency with federal standards for rehabilitating historic buildings and provide them only as a reference. Specifications should only be applied under the guidance of a qualified preservation professional who can assess the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers serve as general guidelines and do not constitute a federal endorsement nor a determination that a product or method is the best alternative or compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards.
This standard includes general information on the characteristics and common uses of linoleum and identifies typical problems associated with this material along with common causes of its deterioration.
Introduction
Characteristics of Linoleum:
- A resilient sheet flooring material
- Ecologically friendly, made of natural materials
- Composed of oxidized linseed oil, powdered cork and wood flour, pressed into sheets with a burlap (jute) backing
- Water resistant
- Heat- and sound- insulating
- Very durable and flexible
- Typically imitated other flooring materials, including tile, slate, wood planks, parquet, and even carpets
- Distinguished by type (plain or inlaid) and gauge (battleship or A-E gauge)
- Battleship gauges were the thickest type, ranging from light battleship (.142” thick) to very heavy battleship (.25” thick); burlap backing was unpainted; typical colors included brown, dark gray and green
- A-E gauges of linoleum were thinner than the battleship gauges; burlap backing was painted; typical colors included brown, dark gray, light gray, blue, tan and green
Typical Uses
Typical Historical Uses for Linoleum Include:
- Residential flooring: for kitchens, hallways and bathrooms
- Institutional flooring: in schools, showrooms
- Originally installed over a wood subflooring. Later, a layer of felt was sandwiched in between
- Heavier battleship linoleum was common in offices, stores, hospitals, banks, lodge rooms, elevators and battleship decks
- Thinner battleship linoleum was common in light traffic areas and where cost was a factor
- ‘A’ gauge plain linoleum was common in apartments or offices with moderate traffic levels
- ‘B, C, and D’ gauges were common in residential applications
- ‘E’ gauge linoleum was common in the automobile industry
- The use of linoleum was surpassed by vinyl tile after WWII
- But, cork flooring remains popular as naturally resilient flooring.
Natural or Inherent Problems:
Chemical Corrosion:
- With age, the linseed oil component of linoleum oxidizes, resulting in brittle linoleum; for linoleum with a high proportion of filler material to linseed oil, this problem is aggravated
- linseed oil darkens over time, causing a change in the overall color and appearance of the floor; exposure to ultra-violet rays can further alter the color value of the floor
- Vandalism or other human induced problems
- Mechanical or physical deterioration:
- Abrasion in heavy traffic areas
- Indentation from heavy furniture or high heels
- Water damage to backing can cause the backing material to separate from the linoleum
- Exposure to alkalis found in cleaning agents (such as ammonia) can cause pitted and abraded linoleum; the alkali softens the linseed oil, and destroys the cork