Linoleum cutting can appear to be a challenging task, particularly when working on baseboards, walls, or connecting pieces. But it can be a simple and controlled process if you have the correct resources and methods. With the help of this guide, you can make sure that your linoleum fits flawlessly and has a polished appearance.
It’s crucial to understand how to cut linoleum correctly whether you’re a do-it-yourself enthusiast or taking on a small renovation project. We’ll go over everything in detail, from marking and measuring to cutting and fitting, to help you accomplish a neat and accurate finish.
This post will simplify the procedure into manageable steps. You’ll discover how to cut precisely, handle linoleum safely, and join parts together expertly. You’ll be confidently able to makeover any space with these tips. <
- Cutting concept
- Goals of the procedure
- Requirements and rules
- What tools will you need??
- Additional accessories
- How to prune correctly?
- Under the wall
- Under the baseboard
- Going up the wall
- Under the corners of the walls
- For docking
- Around the pipes
- Under the toilet
- Errors and difficulties
- Average prices for work
- Video on the topic
- How to cut linoleum evenly along the edges
- Laying linoleum with a factory on the wall – Forbo Marmoleum
- Laying linoleum with your own hands. Education.
Cutting concept
Using a special tool, cut off any unnecessary parts of a room’s perimeter, overall dimensions, and "geographical" details (corners, thresholds, equipment, and interior items that cannot be disassembled during installation) before securing the rolled-out floor covering.This process is commonly referred to as "cutting" a rolled floor covering.
Goals of the procedure
Cutting linoleum is done to prepare butt joints (overlapping cutting), walk around any interior items and subfloor protrusions (pipes, toilets, washbasins, etc.), and reduce the geometric parameters of the canvas to fit the size of the room. d.)
Requirements and rules
Nothing is simpler for experienced floor installers than installing linoleum because they follow general cutting guidelines:
- When cutting the coating to dimensions, be sure to take into account the possibility of its shrinkage; with a roll length of 6 meters, make a margin of two centimeters. If the canvas is up to 10 meters, the possible shrinkage is about 3 centimeters, and for longer canvases a margin of 5 centimeters is left.
- Apply all sizes from the base of the floor covering.
- Apply the markings with a marker (most types of coating have a contour grid on the back side, so applying dimensions to it will not be difficult).
- Do not use kitchen knives, stationery knives, or scissors for cutting fabrics.
- In places where it is necessary to go around an internal corner with a blade, you need to make a V-shaped cut.
- When cutting a cover with a pattern, make it face up, here you need to be as precise as possible, one wrong move can ruin the entire canvas.
- When cutting two pieces of floor covering joined together, make an overlap of one onto the other, based on the overlap of the canvas by 30-40mm. The field of which, according to the markings under the metal ruler, is cut with force. This operation requires a very sharp instrument.
- When the room has complex overall dimensions, many protrusions, non-standard curves inward or outward, the linoleum is laid dry, after which the contours are outlined using a ruler, square and calipers, followed by trimming the excess parts.
What tools will you need??
Experts advise keeping the following tools on hand in order to perform cutting tasks as precisely and comfortably as possible:. The most comfortable cutting tool to use, if you’re not a professional layer or construction foreman, should be selected:
- Construction knife.
- Knife for cutting linoleum.
- Flooring cutter.
- Disc knife.
- Linokat.
- Lino.
- Circular cutter.
Go here to learn more about the tools.
Additional accessories
Additionally, in order to accurately mark and complete related tasks for you, the following was needed:
- Metal ruler.
- Ulolnik, better also metal.
- Wide spatula, extended.
- Planer for cutting seams.
It will be very hard to cut linoleum fabric without this extra tool.
How to prune correctly?
Preliminary coating cutting is done with consideration for every aspect of installation and subsequent operation. Additionally, once the cut fabric has been placed on the subfloor, you need to attend to the following:
- Trimming the wall covering:
- Trimming into the wall.
- Trimming for baseboards.
- Cutting wall corners.
- Trimming for joining.
- Making pipe trims.
- Cutting out space around the toilet.
Let’s examine each of these ideas in more detail, accounting for all the subtleties.
Under the wall
There are four ways to do this kind of linoleum cutting, and two of them are worthwhile to think about in tandem:
- The first is suitable for cutting linoleum on a foam base or without a base. It is made using a spatula and knife. And there is a second method that is suitable for any type of linoleum, it involves cutting with a very sharp tool, in which case a spatula is not needed.
- The second method is faster and more efficient; it allows you to cut linoleum even on a felt base and includes only two operations:
- Spread the linoleum on the floor and let it sit for at least two days.
- Press down the rolled out coating with your fingers and, stepping back a couple of centimeters upward from the crease, make a cut at an angle of 45°.
The steps below should be followed if cutting on a foam base or without a backing:
- The roll is rolled out along the base of the floor and allowed to stand for about two days.
- After this, in the fold where the floor and wall meet, place a spatula on top of the linoleum and press it tightly against the joint.
- Pressing the spatula, the cutting tool performs manipulations to trim the excess part of the sheet.
Under the baseboard
The following is how baseboard linoleum trimming is done:
- After the linoleum has rested, it is pressed tightly to the floor (usually a metal ruler or a spatula with a handle is used for this).
- Retreat about 1 centimeter from the place where the linoleum is folded and trim.
- After the entire perimeter is prepared for the installation of skirting boards, it is necessary to wait for up to two days, during which time the dynamic component of the linoleum will work and it can change in size.
- After two days, perform additional trimming of the linoleum, if necessary, and install the baseboards.
Going up the wall
It is important to note that only commercial linoleum laid on a dense base is cut in this manner, making it possibly one of the hardest types of linoleum cutting. All cutting and installation tasks should be left to experts with the necessary tools.
Except for a few things, the installation sequence of operations is standard:
- Linoleum is laid in advance to the size of the approach to the wall and allowed to rest.
- When laying linoleum, at the point where it meets the wall, the roll covering is trimmed to an amount of 80-100 mm from the edge of the wall, this will allow the covering to be firmly placed on the wall without bending or swelling.
- Where there are external corners, the covering can be cut accordingly.
- In the cut part, a cut is made into two strips.
- Perform operations to prepare joining seams.
- After this, one of the cut strips is hot welded to the rest of the coating.
- Trimming the docking cord.
- Mount the entrance to the wall from the remaining part of the strip by gluing it to the wall with an adhesive.
- Shape corners and seams.
The video at this link provides more details:
Under the corners of the walls
There are numerous mistakes that can occur when doing this operation, so you should follow the steps listed below:
- Press the linoleum in the corner if it is an internal corner (if it is an external corner, press the linoleum according to its dimensions).
- Make one cut perpendicular to the floor in the place where the wall is approached.
- Make two cuts parallel to the base of the floor on either side of the perpendicular cut.
In order to avoid cutting off an excess piece, it is crucial to trim in multiple stages with respect to the floor.
For docking
If the joint needs to be manually prepared, cutting can be done using a cutter or a sharp construction knife. Additionally, it is preferable to use any additional, automated equipment that is available to perform pruning.
In any case, the following steps must be taken:
- At the joining point, overlap one sheet onto another, overlap of at least 20 mm.
- Place a metal ruler where the overlap bends.
- Using the cutting tool at a strict 90 degree angle, make one cut with force to grip both blades.
Strictly vertical edges will guarantee that there isn’t a noticeable joining seam.
Around the pipes
Due to its complexity, this operation calls for careful consideration and the appropriate methodology. Expert installers advise carrying out the following tasks:
- At the point of contact with the pipes, wrap the material inside out onto the pipes and make marks along their centers.
- Take measurements from the wall to the pipes.
- On the front side of the linoleum, reflect the measurements taken using a drawing pencil.
- Measure the diameter of the pipe with a measuring tool (if you don’t know what diameter it is).
- Turn the linoleum inside out, mark a circle of the required diameter using a compass.
- Place a piece of plywood under the linoleum and make a perpendicular cut on it along the marks to the marked pipe.
- Trim to a slightly smaller diameter and lay the linoleum in place.
- Make adjustments directly at the installation site.
Under the toilet
Here, you have two options to choose from: installing the toilet before or after the floor covering is put in. It is wise to take into account both.
Once the toilet is in place, lay down any necessary linoleum as follows:
- Measure the distance from the wall to the base of the toilet.
- Transfer the distance from the wall to the linoleum, step back two centimeters towards the wall and perform transverse markings so that a rectangle is obtained from the wall to the perpendicular.
- Trim this area, then mark the width of the toilet bowl on the linoleum from the cutting line, artificially narrowing it at 2 cm marks on each side.
- Make one cut along the marked length of the toilet base, then cover it with linoleum.
- Trim off the excess, leaving a vertical overlap of about 3-4 cm on the product.
- Make a series of vertical cuts at a distance of 3 centimeters from each other and lay the covering as tightly as possible to the toilet.
- Cut off excess vertical parts.
- Make adjustments to the place where the linoleum is laid.
If the covering is laid first, and then the toilet is placed on it:
- Put the toilet in the intended place, without the cuff tank and sealing.
- Mark the contour of the product on the covering.
- Make two lines inside the contour to determine the center, crosswise.
- Use a construction knife to make a cut from the center to the edges.
- Cut off the resulting sectors of the contour.
- Mount the toilet to the floor using sealant and fasteners.
Errors and difficulties
When cutting roll covering, one of the most common errors is not using any markings at all. Cutting "by eye" is not appropriate for a high-quality floor covering installation.
Typical errors that are also made are:
- Using a blunt tool that tears the edge of the floor covering.
- Incorrect cutting of corners and marking of places for pipes.
- Cutting the edge of the product near the walls in one go.
- Trimming the product immediately after rolling around the room without holding time.
- Using a stationery knife or scissors to trim the product (this option is not suitable for high-quality styling).
It is sufficient to use expert advice and adhere to step-by-step instructions to get rid of these mistakes.
Average prices for work
Usually, the cost of trimming the coating is factored into the overall cost of coating installation rather than being assessed separately.
However, the majority of sizable construction supply stores that sell roll coatings can immediately cut it to the customer’s dimensions after the sale, and this service is frequently provided for free.
It’s critical to realize that cutting linoleum in situ—after initial rolling and curing—is the most effective method.
Accurate linoleum cutting is necessary to produce a polished appearance. A methodical approach guarantees a clean, seamless finish whether you’re cutting linoleum for a wall, baseboard, or connecting seams. Anyone can do this task well if they have the necessary equipment and a little perseverance.
First, assemble all required equipment, including an adhesive, tape measure, utility knife, and straightedge. Before measuring and marking your cuts, make sure your linoleum is clean and level. Measure carefully to prevent errors that could result in wasted material or uneven edges.
Make sure to allow for small overlaps when cutting linoleum for baseboards or walls, and use a straightedge to guide your cuts for accuracy. A double-cut method can help minimize visible gaps and guarantee a snug fit when joining seams. Always make any necessary adjustments by testing your pieces before applying adhesive.
Recall to w
Cutting linoleum for a baseboard, wall, or joint may seem difficult, but with the correct equipment and a methodical approach, it becomes a doable task. From measuring and marking to cutting neat, accurate pieces, this tutorial will take you through every step of the procedure. These steps will assist you in getting professional-looking results, regardless of your level of experience with do-it-yourself projects. This will guarantee that your linoleum fits precisely and improves the appearance of your room.