Kitching flooring question

[yo mama]

My kitchen floor material is linoleum; the kind that's rolled out like carpet, not the type with many independent tiles. The linoleum was accidentally cut open when something heavy fell on the floor, and now there is like a 2 inch long slice in the material. I'm worried about water and other junk getting in there, and additional wear and tear gradually making the hole bigger and creating problems down the road.

 

Does anyone have any repair suggestions? Since the material is all one continuous sheet of linoleum, it's not like I can replace just the problem area. Is there an adhesive, or sealer that would buy me some time? Perhaps some sort of visually unobtrusive patch?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Azazello1313]

[redneck] ducktape [/redneck]

[alexgaddis]

Use it as a great excuse to get rid of that nasty material and put in a new tile floor...

[rocknrobn26]

This maybe overkill. I did it once, and it looked ok, but the pattern wasn't as easy as others might be.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_floors_laminat...1394601,00.html

[Kid Cid]

Use it as a great excuse to get rid of that nasty material and put in a new tile floor...

 

This is my first respons as well. However, you could maybe try Silicone caulk. It will dry clear and waterproof.

[yo mama]

Use it as a great excuse to get rid of that nasty material and put in a new tile floor...

 

I'm working on the house, one room at a time. It's not time for the kitchen yet, which is why I want to buy myself a few years rather than putting entirely new flooring material down right now. But yeah, that's the direction I'll be headed. Just later rather than sooner.

[alexgaddis]

I'm working on the house, one room at a time. It's not time for the kitchen yet, which is why I want to buy myself a few years rather than putting entirely new flooring material down right now. But yeah, that's the direction I'll be headed. Just later rather than sooner.

 

Well they do have those tiles that just work like stickers now...very cheap way to have new flooring for a few years until you redo it with pricier flooring...

[yo mama]

This maybe overkill. I did it once, and it looked ok, but the pattern wasn't as easy as others might be.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/rm_floors_laminat...1394601,00.html

 

Thanks, RR. Not sure the damage is so extensive that I need to cut and patch like that (at least, not yet). But the seaming compound they recommend in the final step of the project would probably serve my purposes for the time being.

 

Thanks.

[yo mama]

Well they do have those tiles that just work like stickers now...very cheap way to have new flooring for a few years until you redo it with pricier flooring...

 

Yeah, but I'm contemplating a complete kitchen redo in the next two years, including a move to tile floor. It just doesn't make sense to installing laminate tiles today that I'll just end up replacing in the near future. I'm just looking for a temporary fix until the redo.

[dmarc117]

an area or foot rug..... is the cut someplace where a rug wouldnt look out of place? just glue it down(the cut floor) and place rug over for the temp fix til the complete redo.

Edited June 4, 2007 by dmarc117

[Ursa Majoris]

My kitchen floor material is linoleum; the kind that's rolled out like carpet, not the type with many independent tiles. The linoleum was accidentally cut open when something heavy fell on the floor, and now there is like a 2 inch long slice in the material. I'm worried about water and other junk getting in there, and additional wear and tear gradually making the hole bigger and creating problems down the road.

 

Does anyone have any repair suggestions? Since the material is all one continuous sheet of linoleum, it's not like I can replace just the problem area. Is there an adhesive, or sealer that would buy me some time? Perhaps some sort of visually unobtrusive patch?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I have a very similar problem caused by a leaking dishwasher which bloated the wood under the linoleum, eventually causing it to split. The wood is fine now but I have been pondering how to fix the linoleum split, as well as get rid of the slight bump in the wood.

[Kid Cid]

I have a very similar problem caused by a leaking dishwasher which bloated the wood under the linoleum, eventually causing it to split. The wood is fine now but I have been pondering how to fix the linoleum split, as well as get rid of the slight bump in the wood.

 

 

I had that issue before my remodel. The only sure fire way is to pull up the subflooring and replace.

[yo mama]

an area or foot rug..... is the cut someplace where a rug wouldnt look out of place? just glue it down(the cut floor) and place rug over for the temp fix til the complete redo.

 

Yes. Right in front of the dishwasher. And I'm just not comfortable putting an area rug in front of the dishwasher without a matching couch to go on the front lawn.

[Gonkis]

Floors aren't my thing, but a few things I thought of:

 

1. Move the frig over the spot.

2. Cut up the rest of the floor so it looks like purposeful "texturing."

3. Finally a spot to put that Fathead you've been wanting to purchase.

[Ursa Majoris]

I had that issue before my remodel. The only sure fire way is to pull up the subflooring and replace.

 

 

That can wait until the kitchen gets gutted and redone in a couple years. For now, I was thinking of shaving the "bump" down and using a carefully cut square of spare linoleum (I have a few sq ft the same) to replace the split piece.

[alexgaddis]

 

That can wait until the kitchen gets gutted and redone in a couple years. For now, I was thinking of shaving the "bump" down and using a carefully cut square of spare linoleum (I have a few sq ft the same) to replace the split piece.

 

I would try a hammer to get that bump down...

[Savage Beatings]

Fill it in with asbestos.

[Ursa Majoris]

I would try a hammer to get that bump down...

 

Too big. It needs shaving or planing off.

[Kid Cid]

Too big. It needs shaving or planing off.

 

 

You can try, but it will keep growing. You may be better off just continuously replacing the linoleum.

[Ursa Majoris]

You can try, but it will keep growing. You may be better off just continuously replacing the linoleum.

 

Nah, it's actually stopped swelling ages ago, soon after the dishwasher was replaced. The wood is completely dry and it should be possible to shave it down to the right level.

[Jimmy Neutron]

My wife's ingeneous solution to the same problem was a strategically placed new kitchet mat.

[Ursa Majoris]

My wife's ingeneous solution to the same problem was a strategically placed new kitchet mat.

 

That's our solution right now too.

[JoJoTheWebToedBoy]

My wife's ingeneous solution to the same problem was a strategically placed new kitchet mat.

 

 

Ding, Ding, Ding....... We have a winner.

[alchico]

Thanks, RR. Not sure the damage is so extensive that I need to cut and patch like that (at least, not yet). But the seaming compound they recommend in the final step of the project would probably serve my purposes for the time being.

 

Thanks.

 

 

That stuff will work and probably last a couple of years. Home depot sells a kit i use to make repairs in the aprtments i maintain. Make sure you clean the area real good with a solvent, like mineral spirits, then get your wifes blow dryer and heat the area to make the lino soft. If you can lift the lino up, put a little adhesive underneath and let it dry. If it's not pulling up at all still use the blowdryer, then apply a little of the sealer to the seams. Sometimes it takes a few coats of the sealer. Once it's dry your good to go.

[Thews40]

I'm working on the house, one room at a time. It's not time for the kitchen yet, which is why I want to buy myself a few years rather than putting entirely new flooring material down right now. But yeah, that's the direction I'll be headed. Just later rather than sooner.

 

My kitchen had the same type linoleum. I installed wood floors on the entire floor including the kitchen… I didn’t rip up the linoleum. It’s a great base, and when I did my bathroom floor, I left the linoleum down and put in marble. I did lay a sheet of hardibacker on top of it though. My advice to fix it would be to call someone who fixes or installs floors. If you’re going to re-do the kitchen floor anyway, just do that part now and come up with a border. If it’s into carpet it’s easy, but may get tricky on some other floors.

 

Have you ever installed tile or marble? If not, it’s a lot easier than you think. A tile saw is less than $100, and if you go this route you need it. Simple hanyman tools like an electric screwdriver, something to cut the hardibacker with (you can do it with a box cutter, but hardibacker is some tuff stuff to cut), and a few tile tools that’ll cost you about $30. With tile at Home Depot, I’m fairly sure I could put a kitchen floor in for <$500. If you wanted to try it I could easily walk you though it.

 

The other thing to consider is that it is a kitchen floor. We had tile in may last house, and when you dropped something it was going to shatter. Little kids that fall on linoleum get hurt a lot less than tile. It’s why I installed wood. It looks great, it was hard to install, but it has a much better feel to it when you walk on it. The last house had tile all through the main floor (that red Mexican style tile). It was hard to walk on all the time, so I’d decide what type of floor you want. If you want to replace it with new linoleum, just have the kitchen area replaced. You can go over it once without ripping it up… maybe cheaper than having the tear fixed, because linoleum isn’t that expensive.