Where is man made linoleum made?

Answer 1

Well since all the natural linoleum trees died off due to over fishing & harvesting and global warming all the man made Linoleum comes from the US & France, Just kidding there are NO Linoleum trees, never were!

Linoleum is a word much like, Kleenex & Frigidaire, we often use it for all shiny Kitchen flooring. Linoleum is actually a specific type of flooring that dates back over 100 years. "Oiled sail cloth" which was just "painted sail cloth" was a common flooring as far back as the 1700 and that was followed by other innovations to cover up the wooden floors of the day.

Linoleum is made mostly of a fine Cork dust (sawdust), linseed oil, Pine resin and a few other secret ingredients depending on the maker. The mixture is applied as a "dough like consistency" to a fabric backing and rolled out flat under a series of rollers till it is smooth and uniform & then hung in drying ovens to cause the components to react with each other to form a very resilient, yet tough material.

Most Linoleum is made 6' wide because it is so heavy and brittle that it would break and be nearly impossible for installers to handle in broader widths.

Traditionally much of the styling was solid colors or marbled coloration. Patterns were an innovation and may have been the contribution of Th Armstrong company of Lancaster Pa.

Originally called the Armstrong cork company, The story is told by the Armstrong company that it was selling cork scrap and the dust from the cork production to a company in France, by the boatload. When they finally went to see what that company was doing with it, they found the originator of Linoleum in France, making a good living converting the Armstrong scrap Cork to a great product.

While Linoleum is not an American invention the only current US producer of true Linoleum is also the oldest, Armstrong in Lancaster Pa. In France the companies are called Toli & Marmoleum.

Tough and resilient and literally a great environmental story, Linoleum does have 3 slight downsides, not counting cost.

#1: 6' width causes more seams and more seams always means a higher failure rate at something during the life cycle. Linoleum seldom fails, but when it does it will almost alway be at the seam.

#2 Higher Maintenance. Linoleum is Tough and CAN be a nearly lifetime floor IF maintained well. We live In a world where we are used to one step cleaning and maintenance personnel that often don't speak or read the language. Linoleum is NOT low maintenance and not the no wax flooring most were raised around. It must be wet mopped, waxed & basically "fed oils" throughout its life in order to keep it healthy and looking good. The cost of maintenance is seldom fully appreciated when it is chosen.

#3: Linoleum has a VERY distinct aroma. If you like it , great! If you don't you are stuck with it for a generation! It will make whatever room it is installed in smell like Linoleum for MANY YEARS.

Since the 60's Linoleum has all but been replaced by 12' wide no wax, low maintenance Vinyl flooring. In the 1980's Pergo introduced the world to Laminated floors and has seriously eroded the vinyl and Linoleum market share. Hardwood and Ceramic/porcelain tile has the rest of the "Wet Rooms" (Kitchens, baths, laundry) home flooring business.

Answer 2

Man-made linoleum is typically manufactured in factories or industrial facilities. The production process involves mixing materials like linseed oil, wood flour, and resins to create the linoleum sheets. These factories can be located in various regions around the world, depending on the brand or company producing the linoleum.