Linoleum Playroom Flooring for Kids

Linoleum is a resilient flooring material that is resistant to damage, stains, and distress. It has a number of inherent properties that make it particularly suited to spaces frequented by children, such as playrooms, kids’ bedrooms, and dens. At the same time, it is an ecologically friendly option that can help to preserve the health and beauty of interior spaces, as well as the environment, as a whole.

Properties

• Low maintenance: When dealing with playroom flooring, you need a material that can handle a lot of hazards. Linoleum provides a stain- and water-resistant surface that can easily be cleaned and sanitized periodically, in order to create a space that is safe, comfortable, and attractive. Generally, maintenance will only consist of sweeping and vacuuming loose particles away, and then periodically dry or damp mopping as desired.
• High durability: When dealing with playroom flooring, you need a material that can handle a lot of hazards. Linoleum provides a stain- and water-resistant surface that can easily be cleaned and sanitized periodically, in order to create a space that is safe, comfortable, and attractive. Generally, maintenance will only consist of sweeping and vacuuming loose particles away, and then periodically dry or damp mopping as desired.
• Stain and water resistance: A resilient material, linoleum is proof against most stains and almost all water penetration. While it can have some issues in humid and wet environments, the common spills and splatters of a child’s play space will not be able to discolor or damage the surface of this versatile flooring option.
• Printing options: Manufacturers are able to produce linoleum sheets and tiles that are printed with very vivid images splayed across their surface. That means that there are a wealth of style options available, allowing you to fill a child’s bedroom with luminous colors, patterns, and even faux natural looks that are eye-catching and beautiful, without being temperamental or difficult to care for.
• Long-term sustainability: Unlike other resilient floors that have a limited lifespan, linoleum is a long-lasting option that can survive for decades if properly cared for. Manufactured to be colorfast, the images printed on the material exist dimensionally, meaning that even with wear over time they will not fade. That allows a single installation to remain viable through the span of several childhoods.
• Impact on the environment: Linoleum is made from linseed oil, an all-natural and readily renewable product that is very ecologically friendly. While it is durable, it is also biodegradable, and when these materials are disposed of they will break back down into the environment over the course of several years, removing any problems with landfill clutter while also avoiding the transmission of harmful chemicals into the environment. That helps to sustain the earth, protecting the future of the planet for the children who will be playing on that very surface.
• Interior air quality: All-natural linoleum is an environmentally friendly choice, not only for the overall ecology of the planet but also for the indoor air quality of the room where it is being used. Unlike vinyl, plastic, and other manufactured options, it does not have volatile organic chemicals or any harmful toxins, making it safe even for nurseries and infant’s bedrooms.

Installation

• Process: You have a few different options when it comes to installing linoleum in a playroom, but they are all generally easy and can usually be handled even by an amateur. With peel and stick tiles it is just a matter of placing each piece on a clean, dry, even subfloor surface. Sheet materials can be a little trickier, as they require precise measuring and cuts to ensure that they fit perfectly into place. You also have floating floor options that are mounted on backing pieces which simply click together without the need for adhesive mixes.
• Underlayment: Linoleum is a very thin resilient material that will take on the texture and characteristics of anything that it is installed over. For that reason, it is often paired with a padded underlayment that allows you to achieve a plush, soft, yielding feel that will lend the atmosphere of the playroom an inherent sense of welcoming comfort, while also creating a safe cushioned effect that can help to prevent injuries from accidental falls.
• Removal and replacement: This material is generally easy to install, and just as easy to remove. At the end of its effective life cycle tiles or sheets can simply be pulled up to reveal the floor below. It’s also possible to layer other resilient coverings over linoleum, as long as its surface is completely flat, dry, and free of dimensional deformities.