linoleum rug?

[juliann]

Recently I've been doing some minor repairs in the attic of my 1890s victorian home, and when I pulled up the floor carpet last week I found a beautiful rug that a previous owner had covered up and left! It covers almost the entire room (about 12 ft by 9.5 ft), and its linoleum. I'm familiar with cloth rugs and linoleum tiles, but I've never seen a linoleum rug like this before. Is anyone familiar with this style of rug? Is it something I should get appraised or just a neat rug? I must say, it really does brighten up the room

[cadrad]

What a neat find!. Rugs like yours were common in the first, say, three decades of the 20th century. When linoleum first came on the scene, it was thought to be a wonder material, and people would tear up or cover over floors of much more expensive materials for its bright colors and ease of maintenance. It was perfectly acceptable and desirable to have living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and the like with linoleum floors. In fact, the Titanic, considered to be the last word in luxury at the time, used linoleum extensively in public areas all through first class. Rugs like yours, that imitate oriental rugs, followed the fashion of the time for a border of wood around the perimeter of the room with a central rug (the reason many old houses have a hardwood like oak around the perimeter and softwood in the middle), giving the appearance of a fine carpet without the cost or upkeep. They are kinda rare as they were viewed as being disposable, but a used one like yours would not have a great deal of value at it is probably very brittle and almost impossible to move without damage. When i was in college, I once was scavenging from a late Victorian house that was being torn down to make way for new student housing and pulled up the carpet in a bedroom to find a beautiful linoleum rug, but, i had nowhere to put it and it was really brittle, so it ended up being destroyed along with the rest of the house.

[pqtex]

That is absolutely beautiful.

[wletson]

Looks like it is in beautiful shape!

[juliann]

I'm glad you think its beautiful too!! When I first pulled up the carpet and saw the corner piece, I thought it was another oil painting (we found one when we opened up the eaves a few years ago). I'd never even heard of a linoleum rug lol


I've got to be honest, I'm still confused about the value linoleum rugs lol. I posted this topic on another site about 2 weeks ago and got a lot of reponses. Some people responded and told me that they are rare but not worth much, while others said me to get it appraised because they have a high value (I've even had a few people offer to buy it lol). One of the responders told me to post the topic on this site, so here I am I really like this rug, but its in a heavily traffic and there's a good chance it will get worn out/damaged.

[pqtex]

the value...I don't know. To me, the most worth it has is right there in your own home. If I found it in my house, I'd investigate the best way to actually use it...what products to use on it...and how to care for it. They were meant to be walked on. I think (but don't know) the brittleness issue is if you try to roll it up or bend it. since it is flat and in the place it would be used, it's okay. If it should be waxed, wax it. If it needs a different product for care and conditioning, use it. Maybe Secondhand Rose (they sell vintage linoleum rugs) will advise you what to do to care for it. I use my things. If they eventually wear out, so be it. I would absolutely love to have that in my own home and yes, I'd walk on it. Don't let anyone walk on it with high heels! You are so lucky!

[Lynners]

I have no insight on the value, but it's gorgeous!

[downtowndahlgren]

I'm a HUGE fan of linoleum rugs, and have bought and sold them as well. They're impervious to water and pet stains, and the old patterns look gorgeous. Your best bet is to keep it waxed to maintain it; if you want to be truly period-perfect, you can find intact cans of linoleum floor wax on eBay, but any good colorless paste wax will work. I do that and then just vaccum mine and Swiffer it when it gets dirty. As far as wearing out, foot traffic (sans high heels) compresses the linoleum and actually makes it harder, although I'd advise using rubber casters under furniture legs to prevent permanent marks. However, as others have said, if one has been on the floor for many years it is almost impossible to remove intact - they get brittle and crack or fall apart. The high prices at SecondhandRose are for unrolled, intact linoleum rugs; but unrolling an an intact original rug is very difficult , since the rug must be warmed and flexible or the same cracking and/or breakup will occur. Good luck - I envy you!

[pqtex]

I'm a HUGE fan of linoleum rugs, and have bought and sold them as well. They're impervious to water and pet stains, and the old patterns look gorgeous. Your best bet is to keep it waxed to maintain it; if you want to be truly period-perfect, you can find intact cans of linoleum floor wax on eBay, but any good colorless paste wax will work. I do that and then just vaccum mine and Swiffer it when it gets dirty.

Any companies doing reproductions of the old patterns similar to this one or the floral designs with borders?

[pqtex]

I've searched before for lino information and sources, but this post got me interested again. I found the following posts in a flooring forum (Dave Spreen's Flooring Resources) that I think will be helpful...

http://www.davespreen.com/board/messages/3435.htmlI condensed the thread as it was sort of difficult to follow.

Question: I recently purchased a linoleum 1930/40's "rug" from Secondhand Rose. Very beautiful rug and very nice people...but the linoleum is fragile. Was wondering if you (or anyone) has any suggestions on preserving and maintaining old linoleum.

Answer: by Glenn/Sohm Flooring Consultants
These products require very special handling, which is a service I supply. I have installed several rugs which were purchased from Second Hand Rose.

I have tested several waterbased urethanes in the search for one that would bond well, not change the color and would match the gloss level. I'm still looking.

I have used Armstong's Shinekeeper® floor polish as a "sacrificial coating" on one particular installation. It did give a higher gloss to the rug's surface, however it bonded well and will give some protection to the surface. Shinekeeper® is removable by using Armstrong's New Beginnings®, but I would exercise extreme caution and test it on a small inconspicuous spot first. I don't have any experience with that product and these rugs.

Other than that suggestion, just keep grit off the rug and use high quality felt floor protectors on any moveable chairs, etc.

Question: What do you mean by "sacrificial coating?" And if I treat/seal vintage linoleum in situ, can it ever be removed thereafter? (not that I would want to, just curious)

Answer: by Glenn/Sohm Flooring Consultants
A "sacrificial" coating is an applied-on coating to a product, the primary purpose of which is to protect the surface on which it is applied, and which is not intended to be permanent, such as is the case with polyurethane or epoxy. A sacrificial coating is worn off as the product, in this case the floor, is used. These coatings are polymers, but they are removable. Instructions for removal are usually found on the product label.

I have discovered that there are many different "species" of enamel rug material, and a prescription for removal of a sacrificial coating should be on a case by case basis, only after thorough testing. Hope this helps. Glenn Sohm