Article Number: 3909
Armstrong: One hundred years of linoleum: A sustainability story
The Armstrong experience stretches over more than half the life of the United States; few American business enterprises have endured as long or with such continuing success.
When it all began in a tiny two-man cork-cutting shop in 1860 Pittsburgh, Thomas Armstrong’s first deliveries of hand-carved corks were by wheelbarrow. In the mid-1890s Armstrong emerged as the world’s largest cork company and was incorporated in 1891.
At the turn of the 20th century, when the company already was 40 years old, cork was being popped out of its old markets. Armstrong began to explore what could be done with the waste generated from cork while adapting to changing conditions and sticking to the business it knew best.
The company found new uses for cork, first with insulating corkboard and brick. Then, in 1906, it foresaw that the avenue to the future was laid with linoleum. A new factory rose from a cornfield on the edge of Lancaster, Pa., and in 1909, a year after Thomas Armstrong died, Armstrong linoleum was first offered to the trade.
Those of a certain age may remember linoleum in the popular “spatter” designs on post-World War II kitchen and utility floors, but its history is much larger and richer. The forerunner of linoleum was wax or “oil cloth,” the invention described in a patent dated 1627. Frederick Walton, a rubber manufacturer, patented linoleum in England in 1863. He got the idea from the leathery skin of oxidized linseed oil that forms on paint. He found that linseed oil, when exposed to air, also became rubber-like. The oil comes from the flax plant, and so he called the product linoleum, from the Latin words linum (flax) and oleum (oil).
Armstrong led the U.S. into the linoleum age in 1909, and it remained the flooring of choice for more than 50 years. The company made linoleum in Lancaster until 1974 when it ceased production. By that date, it had produced about 957 million square yards of the material— enough linoleum to pave a 6-foot-wide path to the moon and circle it four times. Today, linoleum is made at Armstrong’s plant in Germany and imported into the United States.
Genuine linoleum, not to be confused with vinyl, is a classic floor covering that is still completely relevant today. Environmentally preferred linoleum is made from natural, raw materials, with linseed oil being the primary ingredient. Other ingredients include wood or cork powder, resins and ground limestone. Mineral pigments provide the rich colors. The ingredients are mixed together, then rolled out between two cylinders (a process called “calendaring”) onto a jute backing. The linoleum is then cured in ovens for 14 to 21 days. The resulting floor is then rolled on cores, ready for installation.
Known for its vivid, saturated colors, linoleum is available in traditional marbled patterns, solid colors or contemporary flecked designs in colors that range from earth tones to primary reds, blues and greens. In an older home, linoleum can complement the original interior design. In a modern setting, linoleum can be custom-cut by a skilled installer to create beautiful and creative patterns on the floor.
Linoleum would have been forgotten long ago if it no longer complied with the demands of the modern building industry. Now, linoleum is not only enjoying resurgence in offices, retail, healthcare and other commercial settings, but it is also being used again for the home.
While easy-care vinyl flooring displaced linoleum more than a generation ago, Armstrong re-entered the residential linoleum market several years ago—after a 25-year hiatus—when it realized that homeowners were buying it, even though it was being used primarily in commercial buildings. The appeal has been fueled by the desire to “build green” and a desire to avoid dust mites and other allergens. It provides resilience in on-your-feet areas like kitchens. Linoleum can last from 10 to 20 years and is resistant to bacteria. Plus, it is a sound choice that supports the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system.
Maintaining the floor, whether in a work setting or at home, is far easier, too. Armstrong recently introduced linoleum with NaturCote, an exclusive high-performance coating that preserves the material’s natural beauty and protects against dirt build-up, scratches and scuffs, and provides resistance to chemicals and discoloration. The need for polishing and buffing is virtually eliminated.
You can lay Armstrong linoleum on top of old flooring if you first put down an embossing leveler—a liquid underlayment that creates a nonporous substrate and prevents the “telegraphing” of the old pattern into the new. As with any flooring, the condition of subflooring is key. Ripples, gaps and holes, debris and any jutting nails will show through virtually any resilient material.
Selling linoleum may require a bit of consumer re-education; most people use the terms “vinyl” and “linoleum” interchangeably. As every flooring professional knows—but their customers may not—the difference is that vinyl floors are composed of synthetic materials such as polyvinyl chloride and urethane, while genuine linoleum is made from natural components. While its commercial durability is a bonus for growing families and those with active lifestyles, linoleum can be sold anew as much for its green qualities and comfortable style as for its customizable patterns. Linoleum puts interior design at the forefront. Fresh and innovative patterns can be created by combining colors. Beyond simple squares, diamonds and rectangles, more complex patterns are possible with an experienced linoleum installer. The freedom made possible by linoleum extends across a spectrum of styles, from the traditional to the nostalgic to the avante garde.
When it all began in a tiny two-man cork-cutting shop in 1860 Pittsburgh, Thomas Armstrong’s first deliveries of hand-carved corks were by wheelbarrow. In the mid-1890s Armstrong emerged as the world’s largest cork company and was incorporated in 1891.
At the turn of the 20th century, when the company already was 40 years old, cork was being popped out of its old markets. Armstrong began to explore what could be done with the waste generated from cork while adapting to changing conditions and sticking to the business it knew best.
The company found new uses for cork, first with insulating corkboard and brick. Then, in 1906, it foresaw that the avenue to the future was laid with linoleum. A new factory rose from a cornfield on the edge of Lancaster, Pa., and in 1909, a year after Thomas Armstrong died, Armstrong linoleum was first offered to the trade.
Those of a certain age may remember linoleum in the popular “spatter” designs on post-World War II kitchen and utility floors, but its history is much larger and richer. The forerunner of linoleum was wax or “oil cloth,” the invention described in a patent dated 1627. Frederick Walton, a rubber manufacturer, patented linoleum in England in 1863. He got the idea from the leathery skin of oxidized linseed oil that forms on paint. He found that linseed oil, when exposed to air, also became rubber-like. The oil comes from the flax plant, and so he called the product linoleum, from the Latin words linum (flax) and oleum (oil).
Armstrong led the U.S. into the linoleum age in 1909, and it remained the flooring of choice for more than 50 years. The company made linoleum in Lancaster until 1974 when it ceased production. By that date, it had produced about 957 million square yards of the material— enough linoleum to pave a 6-foot-wide path to the moon and circle it four times. Today, linoleum is made at Armstrong’s plant in Germany and imported into the United States.
Genuine linoleum, not to be confused with vinyl, is a classic floor covering that is still completely relevant today. Environmentally preferred linoleum is made from natural, raw materials, with linseed oil being the primary ingredient. Other ingredients include wood or cork powder, resins and ground limestone. Mineral pigments provide the rich colors. The ingredients are mixed together, then rolled out between two cylinders (a process called “calendaring”) onto a jute backing. The linoleum is then cured in ovens for 14 to 21 days. The resulting floor is then rolled on cores, ready for installation.
Known for its vivid, saturated colors, linoleum is available in traditional marbled patterns, solid colors or contemporary flecked designs in colors that range from earth tones to primary reds, blues and greens. In an older home, linoleum can complement the original interior design. In a modern setting, linoleum can be custom-cut by a skilled installer to create beautiful and creative patterns on the floor.
Linoleum would have been forgotten long ago if it no longer complied with the demands of the modern building industry. Now, linoleum is not only enjoying resurgence in offices, retail, healthcare and other commercial settings, but it is also being used again for the home.
While easy-care vinyl flooring displaced linoleum more than a generation ago, Armstrong re-entered the residential linoleum market several years ago—after a 25-year hiatus—when it realized that homeowners were buying it, even though it was being used primarily in commercial buildings. The appeal has been fueled by the desire to “build green” and a desire to avoid dust mites and other allergens. It provides resilience in on-your-feet areas like kitchens. Linoleum can last from 10 to 20 years and is resistant to bacteria. Plus, it is a sound choice that supports the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system.
Maintaining the floor, whether in a work setting or at home, is far easier, too. Armstrong recently introduced linoleum with NaturCote, an exclusive high-performance coating that preserves the material’s natural beauty and protects against dirt build-up, scratches and scuffs, and provides resistance to chemicals and discoloration. The need for polishing and buffing is virtually eliminated.
You can lay Armstrong linoleum on top of old flooring if you first put down an embossing leveler—a liquid underlayment that creates a nonporous substrate and prevents the “telegraphing” of the old pattern into the new. As with any flooring, the condition of subflooring is key. Ripples, gaps and holes, debris and any jutting nails will show through virtually any resilient material.
Selling linoleum may require a bit of consumer re-education; most people use the terms “vinyl” and “linoleum” interchangeably. As every flooring professional knows—but their customers may not—the difference is that vinyl floors are composed of synthetic materials such as polyvinyl chloride and urethane, while genuine linoleum is made from natural components. While its commercial durability is a bonus for growing families and those with active lifestyles, linoleum can be sold anew as much for its green qualities and comfortable style as for its customizable patterns. Linoleum puts interior design at the forefront. Fresh and innovative patterns can be created by combining colors. Beyond simple squares, diamonds and rectangles, more complex patterns are possible with an experienced linoleum installer. The freedom made possible by linoleum extends across a spectrum of styles, from the traditional to the nostalgic to the avante garde.
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