Probably, few people are pleased at one fine moment to see swollen linoleum in their apartment. The danger of blistering in this material lies mainly in the premature wear of the material. Therefore, for the owner of the dwelling who has such a problem, the solution of the issue is especially acute. about cleaning bubbles from linoleum. After all, not only the service life of the flooring depends on the successful completion of this task, but also its appearance, and with it general interior rooms.

The appearance of bubbles on linoleum depends, first of all, on the way it is laid - whether it is glued to the floor or simply laid on it.

If the linoleum is on the floor.

So, if the swelling of the material occurred when it was simply laid on the floor, then this may be caused by the following reasons.

1. The presence of a foreign object under the coating. The solution, in contrast to the object, which is called “on the surface” is to move and remove the obstacle.
2. Unplanned extrusion of material can prevent it from fitting into the space allotted for it. Because of this, swelling may occur. In this case, in order to clearly imagine how you can get rid of the bubble on linoleum, you must first find out the reason, as a result of which it was formed.
3. Rearrangement of furniture. If the bubble formed immediately after rearranging the furniture, then it is worth lifting individual sections and trying to smooth the bubble on the linoleum.
4. Wrongly selected size of the material in the room. To remove the resulting swelling, it is necessary to dismantle the nearest plinth and cut the part of the flooring adjacent to the wall. In this case, it is necessary to leave a gap of 5-10 millimeters between the wall and the material itself. After that, you can safely remove the bubble from the linoleum.
5. The material did not age after purchase. As already mentioned in the article "", before laying such a floor covering, it must be allowed to mature certain time, and only after that you can start to produce its flooring. To get rid of the bubble formed on the linoleum in this case, you will have to perform actions similar to those indicated in the previous paragraph.
6. Another reason why bubbles appear on the linoleum along the edges of the room is excessively dense. It is this circumstance that causes the material to swell. The solution to how to remove the swelling of linoleum is quite simple - fix the baseboard a little higher (1-2 mm) from the original position.
7. The appearance of bubbles on linoleum can be caused by defects in the material itself. In this case, squeezing the swelling to the edge is not always effective. It is necessary to act as if the linoleum was planted on glue (this option will be discussed later).

Linoleum is the most common budget option floor finishing, which is often used in the repair of premises of any type. It suits well different styles and color solutions, has a lot of advantages over other floor coverings, but requires correct installation. Otherwise, already during operation, a situation may arise when the material is swollen, and the person does not know what to do with it.

Linoleum is swollen, what to do about it

Many people are attracted by flooring with its low cost, texture and various colors. It is easy to install and further care. But this does not guarantee the absence of problems with him. If the floor covering is used incorrectly or there were violations during installation, linoleum can form bubbles that are unpleasant to the eye, which are difficult to eliminate.

A similar situation may arise under force majeure circumstances if the coating was poorly fixed initially. The main thing, when choosing linoleum as a material for finishing a room, is to study its features and find out in advance information on how to deal with such problems.

Causes

There are several main reasons why bubbles can form on the surface:

• force majeure (floods, earthquakes, flooding by neighbors or other similar problems lead to damage to the flooring);
• negligent attitude during installation (violation of a clearly regulated laying technology often leads to such problems);
• lack of proper preparation (if the surface of the subfloor was not sufficiently leveled and subsequently laid on it roll material, linoleum will repeat all the existing irregularities).

In addition, on the quality finish coat the quality of the material itself, insufficient or overuse of the adhesive composition, the wrong choice of adhesive for a particular type of linoleum, and sudden temperature changes may be reflected. All this will undoubtedly affect the evenness of the linoleum laid in the room.

Important! Before laying linoleum, you should carefully study the basic installation rules, as well as choose quality materials. Including glue for coating.

Ways to eliminate swelling

If the linoleum is not glued to the floor, but simply laid on the surface of the draft, care should be taken to heat the swollen piece. To do this, you can use a rubber heating pad, which is pre-poured hot water. It is laid on the place of swelling and the place is allowed to warm up a little before the sheets of material are leveled.

Instead of a heating pad, if one is not available, you can use a heated iron. But it cannot be used directly, you can lay a place of swelling with paper or foil, through which the effect of the electrical appliance will be carried out.

Heating

Heating can also be used in the case of a glued linoleum sheet, using similar devices. However, this is a very time consuming and lengthy process that will require a fair amount of patience.

It is necessary to pierce the resulting swelling and heat the surface of the linoleum to such a state that subsequently stretch the formed bubble without damaging the coating in other places. After heating, the bubble will become pliable and quickly squeeze out from under the floor covering.

Important! For better fixation, insert into the puncture adhesive composition and a load is placed on the place of discharge of the material, which is aged for two days.

perforation, glue

For blistering small area puncture can be used. To do this, you need to have a sharp awl and an adhesive composition at hand, with which the lagging linoleum will be glued. The bubble is pierced, air is removed from it, and then glue is injected using a syringe. After that, it remains only to lay plywood in place of swelling and install the load. As a heavy object, a weight or a bag of sand is suitable.

notches

If the swelling is of an impressive diameter, the incision method is used. With a sharp knife one or two (crosswise) cuts are made in linoleum and all excess air is released from under the coating. A small amount of glue is distributed along the edges of the incision and a sinker is placed on it for complete adhesion to the subfloor.

Other improvised means

As heating element with small bubbles, heated table salt can be used. It is heated in a frying pan, and then placed in a dense canvas bag and placed on the site of swelling. It is also recommended to install the load and wait for the surface to be leveled.

If the number of blisters is too large and it is impossible to eliminate them using the usual methods, you will have to completely dismantle the linoleum, remove all glue and mastics, let the material lie down and proceed with a new installation.

What swellings cannot be removed, why?

It will not be possible to correct some flaws, even when using such tricks, if the installation and preparation were initially carried out incorrectly:

• with poor alignment rough coating(if the surface of the subfloor is uneven, bubbles will form again and again, requiring constant repair);
• if moisture gets on the substrate (in this case, before repairing the canvas, it is necessary to thoroughly dry not only the laid linoleum, but also the substrate, this may require a professional tool);
• with poor-quality material (purchase of defective or Low quality linoleum can result in similar problems, in which case it is better to contact the supplier and exchange the goods).

Repairing linoleum that is swollen after installation is quite simple, but it is recommended to do this very carefully so as not to damage the surface. Still, it is better to initially follow the installation technology so as not to experience similar problems in the future.

On improperly laid linoleum, with intensive use, after a certain period of time, air bubbles may appear, which increase in size over time. Flooring at the same time, it acquires an unsightly, flabby appearance and loses most of its former advantages. In addition, bubbles on linoleum are also dangerous because the material in these places wears out noticeably faster than in other areas.

Before removing bubbles on linoleum, it is necessary to establish exactly whether it was glued to the floor during installation or simply laid on it. This circumstance will determine the choice of a suitable method of getting rid of bubbles.

Free laid linoleum option

For non-adhesive linoleum, the following alignment options are possible:

• removal of bubbles by squeezing them out;
• heating of places where bubbles form;
• trimming (fitting) linoleum sheets.

Let's consider each of these options in more detail.

It is well known that any PVC material (and linoleum in particular) shrinks with intense heat. With this in mind, some experts recommend using folk remedy, called a water bath and consisting in applying a rag bag with salt and sand directly to the bubble. This method can work in cases of leveling soft (household) linoleum and is not always effective. That is why in living conditions most often, attempts are made to squeeze the bubbles that have arisen to the sides. To implement this technique, it is recommended to do the following:

• loosen the fasteners of the skirting boards (or remove them altogether);
• with a board with even edges or a rule, try to drive the bubbles to the wall;
• carry out this operation several times, since it is usually not possible to completely eliminate bubbles in one pass.

Note!

Often bubbles occur due to the fact that the linoleum has not served its time required for alignment. In this case, you just need to cut one edge of the linoleum sheet so that the distance between its edge and the wall is about 0.5-1 cm.

In cases where bubbles form at the baseboards, the following options are possible:

• With a very strong pressing of the skirting board to the floor, dents form on the linoleum, as well as under the skirting board. To eliminate them, it is necessary to loosen the plinth fastening to the minimum possible.
• There are irregularities on the floor in the form of a ledge or recess. To eliminate them, it is necessary to remove the plinth, and then bend the linoleum and seal the recess with mortar (the protrusion can be knocked down with a chisel).

Note!

Irregularities can occur due to the frequent movement of furniture, which leads to stretching of the material and the formation of bulges. Under these circumstances, the damaged area of ​​the coating can be fixed with a special adhesive.

Glued linoleum option

So how to remove bubbles from linoleum in this case, it is possible only by updating areas with irregularities; such repairs should be approached, having in service next tool and material.

With improper installation or active operation, and usually with a combination of these factors, air bubbles or even whole bumps appear on linoleum. At small size they are almost invisible, except perhaps if you look at the ebb of linoleum in the sun. Over time, they begin to grow, linoleum looks flabby and uneven, the floor begins to “play” underfoot. Bubbles are dangerous that linoleum on them and next to them wears out faster than in other places.

You need to eliminate bubbles based on whether the linoleum was glued to the floor during installation, if so, then you have only one repair scenario, it will be described at the end of the article. If the linoleum was not glued, then there are several options. Let's start with universal tools.

Let's make the bubble on the linoleum retract

Any PVC and linoleum in particular shrinks when heated. You can heat in a water bath a rag bag of salt or sand, and put on the bubble. This method is effective mainly for household soft linoleum, I would classify it as traditional medicine, because the effect of it may not be, or maybe deplorable, use it at one's own risk. The main thing is to start with low temperatures.

If the linoleum is NOT glued

At the beginning, before other repair work you should try "kick out" the bubble to the walls. To do this, loosen the fastening of the skirting boards or remove them altogether and drive the bubble to the nearest wall with a long rule or board. After that, the bump can appear 1-2 more times, also “kick out” him and only for the third time proceed to other options.

Very often bubbles on non-glued linoleum arise due to the fact that the linoleum did not lie down for the right time. To eliminate, open the plinth on the two walls closest to the bubble, the distance between the linoleum and the wall should be 0.5-1 mm, if this is not the case, cut the linoleum. I also advise you to read the material about.

If the bubbles are located along skirting boards, there are 2 options:

• Skirting too firmly pressed to the floor if so, then on the linoleum, under the plinth, dents are very often formed. It is necessary to rearrange the plinth a little higher or even with a small gap.
• Next to the wall irregularity on the floor, usually a recess. It is necessary to remove the plinth, unscrew the linoleum and putty or fill the recess with a solution, the bump can be knocked down with a chisel. Then wait for the solution to dry completely, further level this place sandpaper. If the recess is small and located along the wall, you can fill it mounting foam and then cut off the excess with a knife.

Bubbles may occur due to furniture that often moves, we are not talking about a rearrangement in the room, but about small displacements that occur, for example, when you lay out a sofa or chair-bed, exercise on an exercise bike. A hillock on linoleum arises from its stretching, in this case, you need to glue the linoleum to the floor, or at least that part of it that is under the furniture, if you glue only the place of the bubble, it can form nearby after a while.

If linoleum is glued to the floor

In this case, poor styling or moisture under the linoleum is to blame (which, by the way, is also part of poor styling). It is possible to eliminate these violations, but only by re-laying the linoleum again. And here it is possible to get rid of the annoying bubble without extra spending time and finance.

Will be required tools and materials:

• glue for gluing linoleum to the floor,
• construction or clerical knife,
• small spatula,
• gloves,
• hardboard sheet or board (something flat to cover the bubble),
• something heavy.

Eliminate a bubble on linoleum step by step:

1. Cut the bubble from one edge to the other into 2 halves or crosswise.
2. Fold the pieces of linoleum back and press them to the floor, if they overlap, cut them off. To do this, lay 2 pieces of linoleum on top of each other and run a knife along the edge of the top, while cutting through the bottom layer.
3. Scrap carefully with a spatula old glue under the bubble.
4. Put on rubber gloves and apply a thick layer of new glue under the bubble.
5. Firmly press the pieces of linoleum to the floor. Wipe off excess adhesive that has come out through the incision with a damp cloth.
6. Place a clean cloth, board, and something heavy on the glued area.
7. Wait for the glue to dry, disassemble the structure and carefully inspect it. If the edges of the linoleum go butt to butt, then you can further strengthen the structure cold welding. If they parted, then the instructions for repairing cuts on linoleum will help you.

If bubbles on glued linoleum appear often makes sense to buy special syringe for applying glue, without cutting linoleum. It leaves behind a small puncture that can be repaired

Swollen, even in one place, linoleum on the floor is an unpleasant sight. In addition, such bubbles also lead to premature damage to the material, which reduces its overall service life. But how to remove bubbles on linoleum to avoid all these troubles? The answer to this question depends on whether your linoleum is glued to the floor or just laid on it.

Appearing on linoleum, which is simply laid on the floor, bubbles may indicate one of the following points:

Option 1. Something got under the linoleum (perhaps when it was laid on the floor) - this is quite easy to deal with by simply removing the linoleum and removing what made it bristle.

Option 2. For some reason, the linoleum has stretched out and now it simply does not fit in the space allotted to it, forming a bubble - in this case, correcting the situation is a little more difficult, since first you have to determine the reason why the bubble formed.

• if its appearance is associated with another furniture rearrangement in the kitchen, then just try to lift it again, while smoothing the bubbles from the center to the edge of the linoleum;
• if the furniture was not moved, then possible cause Linoleum swelling can be caused by its incorrect size according to the area of ​​​​the room - remove the nearest plinth and make sure that there is a gap of 5-10 mm between the wall and the edge of the linoleum (if there is none, cut off a small edge, and then level the bubble from the center towards the removed plinth );
• it is also possible that the recently purchased and laid linoleum has not straightened out to the end, and you have already fixed it with a plinth - in this case, you will have to act in the same way (remove the plinth and level the bubble);
• Another option for blistering at the edge of a room is a skirting board that is too tightly fixed, which has pressed into the edge of the linoleum, causing it to swell (just remove the skirting boards and fix them a couple of millimeters above the previous level).

Option 3. The bubble appeared due to a defect in the linoleum (this happens if you bought the material on sale or the rest of the roll) - in this case, it usually does not work to “steal” the bubble to the edge of the canvas and you will have to act the same as if the linoleum was completely firmly glued to floor (more on that below).

Reasons for the appearance

The appearance of a bubble indicates that the linoleum in this place has stretched a little. If the linoleum is of high quality, then it will be easy to get rid of the newly appeared bubble. But in cases where the linoleum structure was damaged during storage (too wet room, cold or vice versa, excessive heating in the sun, etc.), this will be somewhat more difficult. Therefore, having established the approximate cause of the appearance of the bubble, it must be prepared for the "disappearance":

• Heat the salt in a frying pan, and then carefully pour it into a linen bag or sock (do not forget to tie).
• Lay a small piece of cloth on top of the bubble and place a heated bag of salt.
• Wait 5-10 minutes until the linoleum heats up just above your body temperature.
• Remove the salt and cloth and try to "hijack" the bubble towards the wall.
• Alternatively, instead of salt, you can use a heating pad with hot water or direct a jet of air from a fan heater onto the bubble.

After that, immediately proceed to get rid of the bubble. Then, since you need to remove the bubbles on the linoleum once and “for life”, put a stack of books or something else heavy on the stretched place for a couple of days (it will even out the linoleum and prevent the bubble from reappearing).

If linoleum is glued to the floor

Somewhat easier, at first glance, when the bubbles appeared on the linoleum pasted on the floor. You will not be able to "steal" them to the wall, and therefore you will have to act in one of the following ways:

• if the bubble small size, but high, it will have to be cut (it can be along or crosswise), and then pressed to release excess air; then cut off the excess linoleum that overlapped; and then apply glue under the linoleum, and press the repair site with something heavy for several hours;
• a large flat bubble can be eliminated without cutting - you will need to squeeze the glue into the bubble with a special syringe, pierce it, and then press the linoleum to the floor until the glue has completely solidified.