Linoleum Vinyl Difference

A primary difference between vinyl and linoleum flooring is that linoleum is a natural product invented in the 1800s.

Linoleum vinyl difference. Both linoleum and vinyl offer realistic wood and stone looks but there are a few differences. Vinyl flooring is a 100 percent synthetic material. Vinyl is also a composite flooring material but it s made of pvc aka plastic. Linoleum flooring and vinyl flooring often get mistaken for each other by homeowners who are searching for sheet flooring that will look good for the long haul.

Today vinyl is the fastest growing sector of the flooring industry. Vinyl uses photo imagery to create a realistic image on top of the plank or tile or sheet similar to laminate flooring while in linoleum the color goes all the way through the tile. Vinyl and linoleum are forms of flooring material that share many similarities as well as some differences. Linoleum and vinyl flooring made a big splash in the architectural scene when they debuted.

Vinyl flooring will involve steps including cutting laying and spreading adhesive if it s in sheet form. Whereas vinyl is a synthetic material that didn t come on the market until the 1950s. The key difference between vinyl and linoleum is that the vinyl is a product of petroleum oil whereas the linoleum is a product of linseed oil. In standard sheet vinyl and vinyl tiles the base layer is usually fiberglass which is then coated in pvc vinyl and a plasticizer.

Linoleum and vinyl are both types of resilient flooring but apart from that they don t have much in common. Both floor types are indeed tough and long lasting and can be installed pretty much anywhere. Some people lean in to the history choosing retro color palettes for their linoleum floors or getting vinyl that mimics iconic movies like the shining s psychedelic geometric carpet. First patented more than 150 years ago linoleum was discovered when it was noticed that linseed based paint developed a solid tough but flexible film that floated on the top of the paint.

Although these terms are often used interchangeably there is a fundamental difference between the two. These manmade floors remain popular to this day. Linoleum and vinyl flooring are sometimes thought of as the same thing. But there are some important differences between the two.

Linoleum was the original resilient flooring material. The following guidelines will help you distinguish between them.