When my parents were building their house in the late 1940s, in-floor radiant heat was by no means the standard that it is today. Used widely in Europe, it was practical for heating large public buildings such as churches, where conventional radiators were both ineffective and potentially dangerous. Technicians were surprised to find many of these buildings that were damaged as a result of WWII had heating systems that remained fully functional, proving the durability of the hardware involved in this new-age heating style.

A Bird in Hand . . .

In 1949, Bird & Son, Inc., a local producer of flooring and roofing materials, used our home as a test house for their new line of Linoleum designed specifically for application over radiant heat. Although less prone to expansion and contraction, the good old-fashioned abrasion that occurred with a family of six eventually wore the traffic areas prematurely. That original flooring, with its pretty pieced borders and colorful pattern is long gone; although the original classic black-and-white squares still shine like new in the master bedroom.

Don’t Tread On Me . . .

According to Author Jane Powell, Linoleum is making a comeback, due in part to renewed environmental and health concerns regarding synthetic building products. Popular in the first half of the twentieth-century, the superior wear-ability of solid sheet-vinyl flooring gave Linoleum the boot back in the 1960s. As research continued into the dangers surrounding long-term release of chemicals from finishes, carpeting and solid-vinyl flooring, a renewed interest in the non-toxic and environmentally safe properties of Linoleum was born.

Who Invented What?

The first generation Linoleum was called Kampticon. Inventor Frederick Walton used a combination of rubber mixed with cork, sawdust and other readily available ingredients to fashion the durable floor covering, but instability in the rubber market led Walton to experiment with various resins containing oxidized oils as a more economical alternative. As the quality increased, a slightly more memorable name was adopted - the Latin words for flax (linum) and oil (oleum) were combined to form a name so generic and universal, Walton lost a copyright battle on the grounds that the word Linoleum had become a part of the language; sharing the fate of products such as Kleenex and Jello.

What’s Mine is Urine . . .

The nine chapters that make up Linoleum begin with the history and evolution of the manufacturing process; with increased durability, color and pattern selection the principal points of interest. Both care and repair are explored, with techniques for the remedy of worn areas and gouges that can occur. The chapter on patterns reflects the talents of photographer Linda Svendsen, with full-page samples that reflect the classic artwork of the past.

Many of the original companies that manufactured Linoleum, such as Armstrong and Congoleum-Nairn are still in existence today; with Armstrong credited as a primary provider of the latest generation of Linoleum products. In fact, sixteen commercial concerns are found in the chapter that lists Resources.

The chapter that qualifies this book as suitable for a Write-Off dedicated to the funny, wacky or just plain odd is entitled: Urine The Money. The author’s concerns regarding the effect of cat urine on Linoleum are addressed, with squares of the product being buried in a cat box for a week. Results conclude the existence of an eight-hour window of doom - the length of exposure that will result in permanent staining - making Linoleum a somewhat less than care-free product. Kitty wee sitting too long requires an application of the enzyme cleaner Mister Max’s Anti-Icky-Poo (mister-max.com), proving the old adage there is indeed more than one way to skin a cat.

A Sweeping Decision . . .

One of the unexpected interests this book generates concerns the period photographs showing beautiful geometric patterns, Art Deco designs and the colorful borders that highlight the pre-1960s era of flooring design. Original magazine advertisements give insight into the panoply of material applications that expand beyond just the kitchen and bath. According to the author, many private Linoleum collectors exist who are always on the lookout for long forgotten patterns found posing as drawer and shelf liners.

Even the Museum of Linoleum (museum-of-linoleum.com) has a sense-of-humor, as this - the only joke listed under their humor heading demonstrates:

. . .“Men are like Linoleum - if you lay them right the first time, you can walk on them for twenty years” . . .

If you are considering the renovation of a kitchen or bath, Linoleum may be well-worth investigating as a source which shows the increasing viability and interest regarding this newest generation of floor fashion. Author Jane Powell even entertains the various corporate conspiracy theories that brought Linoleum to the brink of extinction; though she stops well short of being the Al Gore of the inlaid floor.

This would be a five-star book, save for one consideration: there is text contained sufficient to require an index; the lack of which made the use of numerous bookmarks necessary while writing this review. Otherwise Linoleum is a large (11 x 11 inch), well-assembled and colorful 122-page conversation-piece of interior style that would make any coffee-table proud.

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Linoleum (2003)
Author: Jane Powell
Photographer: Linda Svendsen
ISBN: 1586853031
Gibbs Smith, Publisher
P.O. Box 667
Layton, Utah 84041
800-748-5439
www.gibbs-smith.com
Cover price: $29.95 (US)
Purchase price: $4.95 @ edwardrhamilton.com


Recommended: Yes