My Rating:

by Angie (Portland, OR)

I’m in the group that loves marmoleum. I hate cleaning floors so when we did a kitchen/utility room remodel in 2001, I did a lot of research and finally decided to give marmoleum a try. I can’t say I was a fan of how it looked but I had read it was green, durable and easy to clean. I got the marble pattern “Shell”. It makes a nice visual transition from the oak floors in the livingroom. I put one very light coat of sealer on it in 2001 and that was it. I damp mop it reguarly (never more than once a week). I can get by with that because once dirt (like so many others we have a dog and had kids-they’ve grown up and all of them use to track in mud/dirt) and once that dirt dries, it does not stick to the floor and is easy to sweep up. Marmoleum was the best decision I made in my remodel. I have even grown to like how it looks!

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Dated: 2009-10-23

My Rating:

by Walter 'Frank' Ricard (Boulder, CO)

The safest product to use for cleaning Marmoleum is a Green Seal or EcoLogo-certified pH neutral floor cleaner. One of the best on the market is MopPac Lite from PortionPac Chemical. It comes in individual packets to cut open and pour right into a two-gallon bucket of water or I sometimes use the whole pack in a spray bottle of water for a stronger mix. I’ve purchased it online at several places, but the best price and service I’ve found is at www.ecodistributors.com. You can buy it in 180 count or 720 count. Ordering the smaller one though will last forever unless you have a ton of hard floor.

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Dated: 2009-09-16

My Rating:

by Susan (Bellevue, WA)

I had a certfied installer put this flooring in my laundry room off my front hall almost two years ago and it is terrific. It is the main exit through the garage so gets lots of abuse; four people, three dogs. Holds up wonderfully. I did get a pattern in the color sunset so perhaps the mottled pattern just hides everything. Good stuff. People with large areas to cover should have thought about using tiles to play up the seams. Using different colors and making a pattern would help too.

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Dated: 2009-09-15

My Rating:

by Alicia (Las Vegas, NV)

Let’s see, can’t take out stains, need to buff, need a certified installer, poor customer service, not really a green product, comes from oversees. Not for me. Buy American and save jobs.

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Dated: 2009-09-06

My Rating:

by Marmoleum Mike (portland, OR)

Marmoleum should be cleaned with a neutral cleaner only. I recomend marmoleum cleaner. Your floor wlill stay looking good and remain easy to clean as long as you apply marmoleum finish once a month or as needed. Do not use any floor mat’s with rubber backing as it will stain the floor. Question’s ? Feel free to call me at 503-234-7271

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Dated: 2009-08-29

My Rating:

by Judy Brezina (Carlton, WA)

Juat looking at this again and found out I had posted on 06. Still love the floor. Right now its so dirty I could plow it and plant potatoes but with a little water and some elbow grease it will clean right up. I still haven’t put any thing on it but water. My seams are not ‘welded’ and seem to be doing fine. It doesn’t dent or scratch either. The countertops are a little stained on either side of the sink but the color is light green too. You can sand this stuff with very fine sandpaper to take out stians. Ive found the only thing that will damage it is rust.

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Dated: 2009-08-11

My Rating:

by Kelly (Charlotte, NC)

We’ve been very satisfied with our Marmoleum flooring. We use it both in our retail store in a high-traffic area, and in our kids playroom at home. The floors take a fair amount of abuse, but still look great and clean well.
We’re getting ready to put more Marmoleum in our kitchen. The best deal we’ve found on-line is at DwellSmart – Marmoleum tile is currently on sale there.

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Dated: 2009-07-26

My Rating:

by marmoleum mike (portland, OR)

Make sure you are using marmoleum claner and finish. you should be applying the finish one every couple of months.

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Dated: 2009-07-20

My Rating:

by Jan (Vancouver, BC)

Fabulous so far; colour, foot feel, duability. I wonder about having it in the bathroom though. Having 2 growing boys, does the floor absorb any of the urine accidentally finding it’s way on to the floor, and does sealing it help? Anyone run into this yet?

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Dated: 2009-07-18

My Rating:

by Amy (E Stroudsburg, PA)

I like my Marmoleum but I don’t love it only b/c of the extremely visible seams. We have a large kitchen & there are so many seams in prominent places. There’s one right in front of the entry way hall so when you come in our front door & walk towards the kitchen you see this big seam. I never would have gone with this product had I known about the seams. I went with one of the lighter color schemes, Rosato 3120, so maybe lighter shows seams more? The owners of the place we bought it from said that the seams are typical. They have Marmoleum in their house & love it. I can’t believe they wouldn’t warn someone about the seams though. When we go to sell this house it may be a real detractor. To bad b /c we spent a lot on the floor. Maybe once I do the initial cleaning & remove the excess glue it’ll be better? It’s a beautiful floor otherwise. Anyone else have a problem with the seams?

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Dated: 2009-06-17

My Rating:

by Kris (Camas, WA)

I just moved into a newly built house where the builder installed marmoleum in the laundry room. We had a spill of water with Oxi-clean that went unnoticed for about 24 hrs. I tried to wipe it clean with water and a nylon scrub sponge, but have not been successful in removing the discoloration. It is right in front of my washing machine and is very noticeable. I don’t know whether it was installed correctly or not, but for a room where water is always going to be a potential problem, this is a disappointing product already. I have been in this house for less than 9 mos. and I am very unhappy that I will have to live with this stain. Any suggestions for treating the discoloration would be appreciated. I read that someone was considering using this product for kitchen counter tops; if they like stains, they will love this product.
I am so disappointed!

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Dated: 2009-05-27

My Rating:

by Dave Tunstell (Orange, CA)

Love it. I can not believe the negative comments. We have had the the Click floor down 2 years, with two toddlers and a dog. I could not imagine what our floor would look like if we had chose another natural floor like wood or cork. We use the Marmoleum Cleaner and have had no problems. I usually do not post on these things but felt compelled after reading some of the mis-information.

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Dated: 2009-04-30

My Rating:

by Susan (Seattle, WA)

Help – our light green Marmoleum is getting more and more stained since about 2000. The worst is I had a cotton mat under the dog bowls and the dog spilled water I guess and now there is something black like mold on the floor. I’ve scrubbed and scrubbed even with cleansing powder and I can’t remove the black stains. The floor also has some brown stains (tea?) and black dots here and there that are hard to remove. Scuff marks are hard to remove and then there is this other tan spot near the sink. I keep on having to lower my standards as to what is a clean floor every time I mop it. Since the marmoleum floor cleaner is expensive, I usually just use some environmentally safe all purpose cleaner. Looking for advice.

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Dated: 2009-04-13

My Rating:

by dinah (boulder, CO)

i had marmoleum installed in the basement bathroom. the installer was recommended by the retailer, but clearly didn’t know what he was doing. (and i didn’t know then about accredited installers). the floor has stains i can’t get out. and forbo has been of absolutely no help in the matter. i do not recommend this product.

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Dated: 2009-04-10

My Rating:

by dinah (boulder, CO)

i had marmoleum installed in the basement bathroom. the installer was recommended by the retailer, but clearly didn’t know what he was doing. (and i didn’t know then about accredited installers). the floor has stains i can’t get out. and forbo has been of absolutely no help in the matter. i do not recommend this product.

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Dated: 2009-04-10

My Rating:

by Pacific Northwest (Ferndale, WA)

We had Marmoleum installed by a professional Farbo-certified installer. We love it. We have 4 kids, 2 dogs and a cat, so it gets a lot of use and abuse. I sweep and mop once a week, and honestly, it never looks dirty, even though the mop shows that it was. I clean with vinegar and water – so easy. I chose a multicolored pattern b/c I’d avoid a solid color floor like the plague, no matter what the material. We love the ‘green’ aspect of Marmoleum and would recommend it to anyone.

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Dated: 2009-04-06

My Rating:

by nancy Raven (monterey, CA)

Hi… I love my Marmoleum floor, .. it’s totally beautiful. It’s 10 years old now, and is needing to be stripped of some wax build-up. Unfortunately I didn’t know not to use Mop and Glo on the floor. Where can I find the correct product to remove the old wax, and what method do you suggest. Thanks… Nancy

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Dated: 2009-04-01

My Rating:

by Eileen (Woodbury, NJ)

I can’t even believe that someone would say this floor is hard to keep clean. I have three dogs, and teenagers in my house regularly and all I do is sweep around the perimeter of the room to keep this floor clean and use the steam vac on it once a week. I am a tree hugger, yes, and this floor is perfect for my lifestyle. No chemicals needed to clean and unlike some, I wouldn’t trade my broom in for a swiffer any day. If you think this floor is hard to clean, then you are doing too much. Ripped carpet out of my son’s bedroom and put this floor in due to allergies. My son has not had to take his allegra medication since the transformation. The dogs have had no impact…and these are not little dogs, we are talking a black lab, a chow mix and a retriever/chow mix. You will not be sorry if you buy this floor. The original intent for this floor was commericial. If it can stand up to hospital and school traffic, it can certainly stand up to your household traffic.

Sounds like a disgruntled employee was writing some junk about Marmoleum and Forbo if you ask me. Forbo is probably the only manufacturer that actually took my calls and talked to me regarding purchasing my floor. Armstrong, Mannington and Tarkett all took me to a call center where the knowledge is limited. How do I know I really talked to Forbo…an email from the person I spoke with and her title.

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Dated: 2009-03-10

My Rating:

by Piera Marotto (Hazleton, PA)

Since my name really is “Piera” Marotto, I seriously question the validity of the negative posting of the so called “Piera Mannix”. I am the Residential Sales Manager for Forbo Flooring Systems and have been with the company since 1990. Another long time employee of the company just so happens to be Jim “Mannix”, who is the Western Regional Manager. Sorry, but this does not pass the smell test! Sounds like a disgruntled employee or a competitor with too much time on their hands.
I personally have had Marmoleum click in my kitchen for over 4 years. I did a design with 3 different colors and I love it! It is not hard to clean. If it was, I would not have it in my house. As our directions state, dust mop/sweep/ damp mop. That is basically it. You can put finish on it if you wish but I would advise thin coats. Or if you want, a buffer will bring back the natural matte satin shine. Remember, there is no such thing as a NO maintenance floor. It is the one surface in our home that gets the most abuse because we walk on it, track dirt in on it, drag stuff across it, etc. .... Every surface will require “some” effort to take care of depending on the use. Also, no “one” product is right for everyone, and no “one” product is perfect. Everyone needs to decide what their needs and requirements are and educate themselves using reputable sources.

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Dated: 2009-03-10

My Rating:

by Debra Snell (Grass Valley, CA)

We had Marmoleum installed in a large bathroom in our 1012 era home. We made sure to hire a Forbo Master Mechanic as we spoke with three flooring companies who gave us wrong information and all would have made this product fail.

You must be an informed consumer, no matter what you are buying. Keep in mind that Forbo offers a 25 year warranty *if* you use a certified installer. If you don’t use a certified installer, the warranty is void. Period. There is a required underlayment that is to be used so the adhesive doesn’t soak in, creating dampness which leads to bubbles.

We love this product but we didn’t buy a solid color product. Any solid color floor product will make your life miserable, no matter what it is. Been there, done that. Check out the DutchDesign series by Forbo. We used all the colours of the rainbow with a feature strip and black welding. It’s servicible and stunning. Good luck and be an informed consumer!

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Dated: 2009-02-23

My Rating:

by Diana (Swarthmore, PA)

We have 11 year old marmoleum in our kitchen, and I have hated it ever since it was installed—impossible to clean thoroughly, and now completely stained all over with stains that are impossible to remove. I would never ever buy this product again. You can look all over the web and not find any good suggestions for dealing with the problems this floor has.

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Dated: 2009-02-21

My Rating:

by Traci (Missoula, MT)

We installed Marmoleum in our kitchen 4 years ago. I love it! We choose it because we are really hard on floors with a big dog and two kids. I also liked how soft and warm it is and how environmentally friendly it is. I deliberately choose a swirly pattern to hide the dirt. We had white vinyl before and it looked dirty within a few hours of cleaning. You have to look really close to see dirt on this floor! Don’t choose this product if you like a high shine. I wouldn’t like it if it were a solid color…scratches and dings do show up. I have heard that a little linseed oil applied to these blemishes help to seal them. Has anyone else heard this? If so, do you use the raw linseed oil? Where do you get it? Anyway, I love my floor and plan to install Marmoleum in the bathrooms when I remodel my house.

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Dated: 2008-12-07

My Rating:

by Outraged Richard (Delmar, Delawre, DE)

This sums up all the uninformed American consumer comments here:

“Hunh??? Floor cleaner?? Buffer machine?? Finisher?? Diluted Cleaner?? What the hell are you talking about???

Pay an installer to put the stuff in (someone competent, unlike M. Otterland’s guy). No finishing needed. Wipe up spills with a rag. End of story.

It would not have been around for 100 years if it was crap and certainly hospitals would not be using it.

Get yer facts straight, buddy.”

Well said. The janitor with the buffer machine story and the lady recommending layer upon layer of sealants and finishers is hilarious! Then there is the guy who cleans his floor with Comet. God help us!

For so long Americans have been brainwashed into sloshing dangerous chemicals over their floors as some way of compensating for their disdain of all things natural. Then there is the impulsive manic desire to make the floor “shiny”.

Brainwashed consumers, listen up: Authentic linoleum, in this case branded Marmoleum, is made of Linseed oil, Pine resins, Wood flour, and Limestone.

It’s all natural. Appreciate it. Don’t dump your chemical company crap on it and let the natural sheen of the linoleum show. Leave it alone.

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Dated: 2008-12-06

My Rating:

by Jesse (Portland, OR)

A must do! I love my new marmoleum floor. I live in Portland Oregon and it rains here a lot. This Floor Is wonderful.
I found a great free site that explains all there is about marmoleum.
http://www.gatewayfloors.com and they referred me to carpet kingdom in Portland who sold me the Marmoleum at wholesale, sq. ft. and provide a great installer. If you live in Oregon or Washington you should look at their prices.
I shopped hard and could find anyone close.
http://wholesale-floors-carpet-portland-oregon.com/Marmoleum_Linoleum_Floors_Portland_Oregon_Vancouver_Washington.htm (strange website address, I know, but they are truly the lowest priced)
Just highlight the web address, copy and paste in your address search bar.

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Dated: 2008-12-04

My Rating:

by Amanda (Albany, OR)

Installed Marmoleum in our kitchen after our local hospital used it in several places (including high traffic areas like elevators), and we love it! We have a historic home, so we wanted a more traditional product, but still wanted something more “green”. Sheet marmoleum was perfect.
It sounds like finding the right person to install it is key – our guy was a bit on the proud side that he was the best installer around, but after reading several reviews, I understand why. We did not put a high-gloss finish on it and clean it with vinegar and water, or sometimes just a damp mop, but with two big dogs, a big hisband and a messy cook, I’m happy to have the clean look I get without having shine. We chose a red marbled pattern, and it has worn well over the years without any staining, splotching or tearing despite our moving appliances. The only negative I can see is where we had some antique chairs with small metal feet – there are some dings where the feet left some slight pits. Luckily, you have to be on the floor to notice them. (Don’t ask)

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Dated: 2008-12-01

My Rating:

by S. Chevrier (Arcata, CA)

We installed light green Marmoleum in our kitchen and large multi-purpose mudroom/laundry room about a year and a half ago. I did use the supplied finish on the mudroom but never got around to it in the kitchen. I can see absolutely no difference in the appearance of the two floors, and the amount of maintenance is the same, finish or no finish. We have 3 dogs and have had no problem with scratches, but we live in a rural area and the floors never look clean as others have described. After mopping and doing the very soiled areas by hand, the floors will look good for maybe one day. I don’t have time to clean every other day, so if I had it to do over again, I would either not choose this product or at least use a darker color.

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Dated: 2008-12-01

My Rating:

by Carmen (Las Vegas, NV)

This flooring is deceiving. It is marketed as needing no major upkeep but if you want it to look good it requires a great deal of work. Beware that it requires a master mechanic to install and they are few and far between. Any amount of dampness in the floor you are putting it on will cause it to adhere poorly. The colors vary tremendously from sample to actual flooring and the company’s return policy is poor. All in all this is a terrible product and I curse I day I bought it.

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Dated: 2008-11-14

My Rating:

by Liz Zed (Vancouver, WA)

We have had a terrible experience with potentially putting marmoleum click in the basement of our in-construction-still home. We got a sample of the sheet flooring in “Silver Shadow” from one store, and decided to get it in the click format from another store who offered a better price. Both stores made it clear it would be a special order and a final sale—why would this be, we wondered. But I was so sure of the color sample I had, I felt it would be Ok. Wrong!!! The click showed up and is a completely different color (from grey to citrus green) than the sample of the sheet flooring – even though they have the same color name! The retailer simply refuses to take it back, so I went to the distributor asking if they would take it back from the retailer, so the retailer would take it back from us. Very long story short, the distributor finally agreed (after a lot of to-do about it!) for a whopping 25% re-stocking fee. With most of the click unopened, what skin is it off their back to stand behind the product they sell? And why would Forbo use the same color name from sheet to click? We have had to suck it up and call it our mistake—our lack of knowledge and mistake in the way we went about purchasing it. But the lack of customer service from the exclusive Canadian distributor (I’m really in B.C. Canada) and the store we bought it from makes me think there has to be a reason for this. How are they treated by Forbo? Without ever having had the opportunity to have it in my home, I’d been a fan and promoter of Marmoleum – I love the idea of it, and the way it looks. But I think it is something buyers need to take special care when purchasing—make sure you know exactly what the color is going to be and that the retailer will stand behind what they are selling. I will no longer be promoting this eco-friendly flooring to my friends.

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Dated: 2008-11-13

My Rating:

by Branka (New York, NY)

We installed Marmoleum in our kitchen 2 and a half years ago. We love it. We initially meant to seal it with an optional sealer for heavy traffic areas, but never got around to it. I do find it easy to wash and keep clean. We don’t use harsh chemicals, but environmentally friendly, biodegradable cleaners. Often, it’s just vinegar and water. We don’t have children, but do have animals. I’m also a serious cook, so everything from tomatoes and beets to red wine and animal fat has ended up on the floor at one time or another. No stains have remained, but I do clean it the minute I spill something.

I would definitely buy Marmoleum again. We found it cost-effective, practical and aesthetic. And unlike stone, tile or concrete, I don’t have to worry about constant breakage of china and glassware in the kitchen. Perhaps it’s not for everyone, but for us, it has definitely turned out to be the most practical flooring decision we have made in our household.

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Dated: 2008-10-08

My Rating:

by Sadie Rose (Portland, OR)

Had the marmoleum installed almost eight years ago and have regretted it ever since. Despite the beautiful red color, the floor always looks dirty and there are “spots” that wont go away. The only time it looked decent was after a professional floor cleaner crew cleaned and put finish on it.. but the effect only lasted a month and it cost 0 for the crew. If you have dogs, kids and live a real life.. forget this flooring as the upkeep it not easy.

lusting after my old vinyl in portland

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Dated: 2008-09-25

My Rating:

by Jim M (Santa Barbara, CA)

This product may look interesting but finding someone to install it, keeping it looking good and cost of maintenance make it unappealing. Would NOT PURCHASE it again.
Very poor customer service in Orange County, Ca.

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Dated: 2008-09-24

My Rating:

by Piera Mannix (San Diego, CA)

This is one horrible product. If you are happy with a dirty floor because the marble covers it up you may be happy. If you want a clean floor and nice style this is definitely not the one.

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Dated: 2008-09-24

My Rating:

by Md. Nasireddin Ghani (Dhaka, Bangladesh, PA)

MASCOT GLOBAL TRADE.
4/2, Block-C, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207,
Bangladesh.
Mob: +880 2 01715524324
Email: nasireddin.ghani@gmail.com

We are exporter of Jute Yarn/ Twine of CB, Hessian, Sacking, CRM, CRT,
CRX quality (dyed jute yarn, bleached jute yarn, braided jute) and
allied Jute materials all over the seven continents.

We are interested to establish long-term business relationship with
good company, and supply Jute Yarn/ Twine and other allied Jute
products.

JUTE YARN AND JUTE TWINE:

1 / 6 ply, 100% Tossa – Hessian, Sacking, CB, CRM, CRT, CRX Quality.
All counts and ply from 4.6 lbs. to 150 lbs.

Packing: TRUSS / PALLETS

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Dated: 2008-09-23

My Rating:

by Angelita (Calgary, AB)

I am looking at several flooring products for my kitchen. I do not have marmoleum, but my brother-in-law does. It is in a marbled green colour and was installed fourteen years ago. He has a large dog and three rambunctious girls. His floor is not scratched and looks good. He told me that the floor has never had a sealer, wax, polish, or any other finish applied. They have simply washed it with vinegar and water. From reading the previous reviews, it sounds like the marmoleum looks and wears better without any sealer or other products applied.

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Dated: 2008-09-20

My Rating:

by Erika Carlson (Louisville, CO)

We love our Marmoleum, and had a kind of complex pattern put in, with a color in the middle, and border of another color, with welding rod of a contrasting color in between. Problem was we had someone install it who now lives pretty far away, and the person who we got to install from the store had no idea what he was doing. He claimed that people don’t use welding rods in contrasting colors, and that he could only do a really wavy and thick line of welding rod. The person who did it before made perfectly straight lines (with a bit of waviness at the corners where it turns 90 degrees) and they were very narrow. This new guy cut for the welding rod a really wavy line so we stopped him before he could put in the welding rod. Any ideas on a new installer in Denver area who can put in a straight line of welding rod?

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Dated: 2008-08-27

My Rating:

by Laura Rice (San Luis Obispo, CA)

I bought Armstrong marmorette and I think this stuff is great. I had white tile before ( not my choice, it came with the house) and this is so much superior to tile: soft on the feet, doesn’t show dirt, doesn’t ding if you drop a pot, doesn’t show dog claw marks, and cleans up with plain water. No it doesnot have a high glass shine, but then I wasn’t looking for that. Make usre you get one of the marbly patterns and you will never see dirt.

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Dated: 2008-08-25

My Rating:

by Miriam Findley (Palo Alto, CA)

I just got my new floor but accidentally got paint stripper on it which destroyed the finish in spots all over. I have tried regular wax with no succes and the review’s of the company’s finish have been unfavorable. How can I get that rich glossy finish that I remember in the old liniolem, or try at least to restore the dull spots. I tried my retailer, but he keeps putting me off.

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Dated: 2008-08-16

My Rating:

by GL Calonge (Portland OR, OR)

We’ve had marmoleum in our bathroom for over 4 years now and have been so happy with it that we had it put in all of our bedrooms. We have 3 big dogs that “take off”running on the floor all of the time and have had no problem with claw marks, etc. We have the sheet kind, not tile – I’m not sure this makes a difference or not – but have had no problem with scuff marks, stains – and that’s without any sealer or finish. I love the stuff, and was suprised by the number of negative postings.

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Dated: 2008-08-10

My Rating:

by sara (anywhere, CA)

A DISASTER unless you have a live-in house keeper who enjoys scrubbing on their hands and knees. We have the 20 inch tiles, green and white checkerboard in our small laundry room. They are Marmoleum by Forbo. They suck.

I chose this flooring for its durability and easy maintenance and have yet to be able to clean up the smallest messes without intensely applying pressure. Don’t buy it. It’s not your mother’s flooring but an expensive imitation; it will drive those of you who love to keep your floors looking like new absolutely insane.
Once installed, I followed the directions to seal our laundry room floor, applying two coats of finish. Looked lovely. Got dirty-nothing major, just a little mudwent to wipe it off and nothing. Used a scratchy sponge-nothing. Got out a scrubber and after a bit of hard work, the mud came out. Thought I hadn’t sealed it enough, so I did it again this time with three thin coats. Looked great but every bit of minor dirt sticks to it like glue.
Don’t buy this product. Ignore those who are writing that it is easy to clean. If you don’t believe me, go and talk to someone who ACTUALLY has it in their home, see it and clean it yourself. Wood flooring is so much easier to maintain!!!

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Dated: 2008-07-26

My Rating:

by Vernon C Andersen (Auburn, AL)

I work floor maint for Auburn Univiersty and find it very hard to keep A low gloss shine on this floor usingforbo floor care products. I am having to to redo this high traffic floor of aprx2000 sq ft evry 2 months.

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Dated: 2008-07-24

My Rating:

by Ali (Tacoma, WA)

We’ve had a Marmoleum tile (the large 20” ones) floor in our kitchen for 3 years. It’s a very large area. I LOVE the way it looks, but have found it is misrepresented by the companies that sell it. All have described it as extremely durable and low maintenance, which makes me think they don’t have it in their homes. Again, it is gorgeous. But it scratches, dents, discolors and staines VERY easily. I have an area that is permanently stained from someone leaving a running shoe on it. Black tread marks that I cannot remove. Lots of scuff marks, scratches and stains.

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Dated: 2008-06-11

My Rating:

by Karen (Irvine, CA)

Finding an installer is a problem as is keeping it looking good. How green can it be when it comes from Europe and you have to constantly put a finish on it that has off gases?

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Dated: 2008-05-12

My Rating:

by Justin (Syosset, NY)

Just had Marmoleum installed this week (Bleeker Street is the name of the color to be exact). So far, so good but I have two questions:

1.) There are already some scuff marks on the floor. Is there anything I can do to get them out? I heard something about using an eraser? What is that about?

2.) All of this talk of sealers and waxes, etc. is kind of confusing to a floor novice like me. Since the floor was just installed this week, do I need anything for it yet for its maintenance?

Thanks for the help in advance!

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Dated: 2008-05-08

My Rating:

by Polly B. (Heyworth, IL)

We had the tiles installed last year in our kitchen (red and yellow) and I’ve had to let go of obsessing about the appearance. Shoes leave scuff marks (I’m going to try the pearl pink eraser trick that was mentioned in ‘06) and although it’s fine to have family members wear slippers, we entertain a lot and I’m not okay with asking guests to remove their shoes. I Swiff it in the morning, wipe up the daily accumulation of spots and smears and then try not to look at it the rest of the day! It’s a really sunny space so all of the marks are really obvious. I’ve applied 3 coats of the Forbo finish but am dreading stripping it and starting over as it’s a really big kitchen.

I would not use this product again, but may have found a solution: I was at a friends house yesterday and she’s had the Forbo in her kitchen for 6-7 years now. It looked really glossy and smooth like the old stuff I remember so fondly. I asked her how she got it that way and she said she has NEVER stripped the old Forbo finish off but reapplies a layer of finish every six months or so. The accumulated layers didn’t seem to be a problem and it really looked lovely. I might head down that path especially since I don’t want to strip it in the first place…

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Dated: 2008-05-06

My Rating:

by Caro (Scotland - UK, not Canada!, NS)

We have used Maroloeum in various self catering cottages in a remote part of Scotland UK. It has been in place for 10 years in 2 cottages with no problems whatsoever and we have found it easy to keep a high gloss finish with an annual application of Forbo polish. Preparation of the floor surface, before laying the Marmoleum, is vital. If there is any hidden damp the marmoleum will bubble. It will mark if abused but after 10 years the wear on our floors is only slight and not enough to reduce its impact.

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Dated: 2008-04-25

My Rating:

by Caro (Scotland - UK, not Canada!, NS)

We have used Marmoleum in various self catering cottages in a remote part of Scotland UK. It has been in place for 10 years in 2 cottages with no problems whatsoever and we have found it easy to keep a high gloss finish with an annual application of Forbo polish. Preparation of the floor surface, before laying the Marmoleum, is vital. If there is any hidden damp the marmoleum will bubble. It will mark if abused but after 10 years the wear on our floors is only slight and not enough to reduce its impact.

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Dated: 2008-04-25

My Rating:

by Jodie (Lenexa, KS)

Where do I find the cleaner/film product? Anyone have suggestions as to where you have been finding them at a reasonable price. Thanks you.

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Dated: 2008-04-18

My Rating:

by Kathy (Huntington, NY)

This product looks good but installation is a major problem. People say they can install it but they can’t. Colors vary widely from samples. Corporate office in PA not at all helpful. Would stay away from the product and try to buy American. As an aside,
company treats its employees like crap.

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Dated: 2008-04-16

My Rating:

by Aideen Kane (Ireland, NY)

We have marmoleum in our kitchen for 2 yrs now professionally install but I notice in two particular areas there are ripples appearing bubbling row or lines I have checked and there is no apparent source of a leak though I do have underfloor heating ? any one experience anything like this ?

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Dated: 2008-04-13

My Rating:

by Zeynep Kleiman (Austin, TX)

We are considering using it as a kitchen countertop but having hard time finding people who’ve done it and what they think of it? Any suggestions?

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Dated: 2008-04-12

My Rating:

by Terri S. (Denver, CO)

Dave K- Have you found a solution to your bubbling problem? If not, please email me, perhaps we can help. My husband and I own a flooring installation company in Denver, and he is a Master Certified Forbo installer. I am sure he will have some suggestions to help you out!

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Dated: 2008-03-26

My Rating:

by Terri S. (Denver, CO)

Dave, I am not sure I am able to put an email address here. Please google our company: Custom Design Solutions, and find our contact info if you are still in need of assistance.

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Dated: 2008-03-26

My Rating:

by Brian Jewett (North Adams, MA)

I LOVE IT, BUT…

We did our lofts kitchen in red and it looks and functions great. I cleaned and applied the sealer myself according to the directions on the bottle and it worked beautifully. We also put a deep blue in our bathroom but when I went to clean it before the sealer, the red spots that I’d thought were adhesive tracked around by one of the contractors turned out to be a permanent part of the floor instead. We went back to the samples and there are some tiny red flecks spread evenly as part of the pattern but in our floor they showed up as about 2 dozen red blotches of varying size and intensity.

The dealer we bought it from has been great but the regional distributor just blew it off by saying it’s a natural product like leather or wood and we never heard from them again. After about a month of no responses from Forbo our local dealer told us to pick a different color and they would redo the floor for us. We chose a dark red with no extra color in it to cause trouble or so we thought. When the new material arrived the installer took a disk grinder to the first floor to prep it and when he unrolled the new material it had bright orange blotches like the first floor but even worse.

Now we’re stuck and have been living in our guest room and using the other bathroom for 2 months since we moved in. The local dealer obviously doesn’t want to repeat this exercise a third time and his installer said these spots are common in Marmoleum around here. I haven’t installed it myself before but I’ve been familiar with it for 10 years and never heard of this. I asked an architect friend from Portland OR and he said he’s used it many times and never seen this problem. Obviously NONE of the samples either online or in the dealer have these blotches. I’m wondering it Forbo is dumping their seconds here because they think we’re all a bunch of hayseeds and won’t now any better or bother to complain. Has anyone else ever run into this?

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Dated: 2008-03-05

My Rating:

by Jodee (Dallas, OR)

We are looking at eventually installing new flooring. We live in a very rural setting, so in the summer its dirt…endless dirt and in the winter its mud…wet dirt. I am doing some advance investigating trying to decide between bamboo (very expensive) and marmoleum or some other low allergen type product. I definitely don’t want carpet even though I prefer vacuuming to mopping. It looks to me like the divergent rating for this product are a matter of mistaken expectations…like mismatched marriages. It appears that if you want a shiny floor, that always looks like a showroom, then this is NOT the product for you. If you like a more earthy look, and don’t mind a little dirt here and there, then this would probably be a good match. Bamboo, cork, and marmoleum are about the only types of flooring I haven’t lived with. But I can say one for certain: EVERY flooring type, scratches. (With the possible exception of stained, sealed concrete, but even then I’m not entirely convinced.) So you either dedicate yourself to constant cleaning and maintenance, or you just get used it and choose the flooring that will show it the least. Bottom line: what are you willing to live with. See? Just like marriage.

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Dated: 2008-02-15

My Rating:

by Judy (Portland, OR)

Installed marmoleum floor in kitchen in 1996. Cleaning is not my forte. Despite that, the flooring looks good after all these years. Yes, some divots here and there, but not bad. I purposefully chose a pattern with various colors and swirls that would not be immediately obvious that I hadn’t swept or mopped lately. Works great for me!

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Dated: 2008-02-02

My Rating:

by Linda (Falls Church, VA)

I chose marmoleum sheet flooring for my kitchen – in black with a few white brushstrokes. Installers messed up the 1st floor after removing my vinyl tiles, and not prepping/removing glue markes from the sub-floor properly. The result was that some of the lines/shapes transmitted up through the new floor. They next sent their “best installer” who layed a 2nd floor over the first after sanding down some of the raised areas. That solved the problem with an uneven surface. I then bought marmoleum cleaner, which is o.k. when diluted as recommended, but the finisher, which is supposed to impart some shine and protection, sucks! It’s the consistency of skimmed milk and a light blue/grey color and IMPOSSBLE to apply without swirls and streaks, no matter what you use (I tried cloths by hand, mops, etc. and even had a friend strip it and try again.) Talk about sore knees. Bottom line: the finisher is useless. You are not supposed to use any products containing amonia, which most have, so best just to accept that it won’t have a shine. Mine looks best when the oerhead lights are out. I have a few marks that won’t come out no matter what, and there’s only me – no dogs or kids – walking on the floor. This product is not at all like the old lineoleum we loved in the 50s!!

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Dated: 2008-01-18

My Rating:

by Amy Cole (Essex, VT)

We love our marmoleum flooring. We have it in the kitchen and mudroom/entry. We liked the idea of the multiple colors and patterns you can create with the click-it system but since we were intalling it in areas that would be getting wet we opted not to use the click-it method but used the large rolled sheets and had it professionally installed. Good decision. No seams. It is easy to clean, soft on standing feet and great to look at. We have a rich red color and are very happy with it.

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Dated: 2008-01-07

My Rating:

by Yvonne (Santa Rosa, CA)

We purchased our home with Marmoleum flooring in the kitchen and the attached family room. We had no idea what type of floors they were until my brother-in-law came over to see the house and told us what it was called. I absolutely love these floors. We have three cats and one BIG dog, it is very easy to keep clean. I’ve been using vinegar/water mixture and recently tried Murphy’s wood floor cleaner. They both work well. I had no idea Marmoleum was a natural product, I feel proud to have these floors and will be definitely recommending them to who ever wants to listen.

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Dated: 2007-12-28

My Rating:

by Joe (Happy Valley, OR)

I found out early on that marmoleum needs professional installation.
We have it in our house and love it. Looked at both Marmorette and Marmoleum and we prefer the Marmoleum colors. We found samples for free online at http://www.gatewayfloors.com and they shipped them to our door. They also refered us to a local dealer who did a great job installing it.
I don’t know why some people have problems with it, I guess you just can’t please everyone.

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Dated: 2007-12-01

My Rating:

by SARAH (Richmond, VA)

We have four dogs in our house and we just finished putting on a new kitchen and mudroom on our house..the forbo marmoleum is fantastic..just the same floor as used back in the 1940’s so easy to clean and very rich looking. everyone that comes to my house wants to know about my floor….it was however very hard to find an installer as this is a very high quality material.

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Dated: 2007-11-28

My Rating:

by Dave K (Denver, CO)

We bought our house about two years ago and it has marmoleum floors in the kitchen. It has held up pretty well and has been easy to clean. The only problem is we have a sloppy dog who keeps spilling his water bowl on it. Now, unsurprisingly the seam between pieces has begun to swell up. Does anyone have any reccommendations as to how to fix it, or is it too late?

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Dated: 2007-11-25

My Rating:

by mary langan (ballinrobe- co mayo-ireland, NJ)

I am so sorry I ever purchased this prodct. It is impossible to keep clean and it shows every scratch and wear.

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Dated: 2007-11-16

My Rating:

by Nadine (Vancouver, Canada, BC)

I am now very confused to whether i want to use this product or not. Is there another product that mimics the retro-look

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Dated: 2007-10-16

My Rating:

by Nadine (Vancouver, Canada, BC)

I am now very confused to whether i want to use this product or not. Is there another product that mimics the retro-look

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Dated: 2007-10-16

My Rating:

by Lisa H (San Luis Obispo, CA)

So has anyone installed or heard about any reviews for the Marmoette by Armstrong? Is it the same fabrication as the Marmoleum flooring. We were thinking about doing three rooms in linoleum and now we are also a bit confused.
Thanks.

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Dated: 2007-10-16

My Rating:

by Cristy O. (Richmond, VA)

We have had roll-out sheet Marmoleum through out almost half our house for almost 10 years. I do practically nothing to it and it looks great. I leave it plain, it is a dull matte finish and has lots of tiny scratches if you get the light on it and look at it just right, but i think of it as more of a dull stone finish.

i sweep it with a dust mop. and occasionally mop it with plain water . I love it.

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Dated: 2007-09-10

My Rating:

by Joanna Lange (Richmond, CA)

Love, love, love this flooring!!! Have had it in a very high traffic mud/laundry area with threee dogs going through for over 5 years. It is easy on the feet, very easy to clean, and it the best flooring I’ve ever had.

Make sure you are buying MARMOLEUM from Forbo NOT the Marmoette (sp?)(Armstrong). There is a huge difference.

Would buy this flooring again without a second thought. I highly recommend it.

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Dated: 2007-08-27

My Rating:

by Carl (Laguna Niguel, CA)

Not sure yet, after reading all this I don’t know who to believe, bought it and going to put it down. Could not cancel my order.

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Dated: 2007-08-20

My Rating:

by Larraine Charters (St.Albans, Herts, England, AL)

I love the warmth and natural look of my Marmoleum flooring but after a few years it is looking very grubby. I regularly wash it with warm water and a proprietory floor cleaner but it seems to have a film of dirt which is only removed with me on my hands and knees using a scrubbing brush and a lot of elbow grease. ( great for the figure). Unfortunately the results are short lived. It also it has a tendency to scratch really easily. I was thinking of using a steam cleaner to get it back to it’s original condition, but as marmoleum is porous I wondered if this would affect the glue underneath. Any thoughts about this anyone?

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Dated: 2007-08-13

My Rating:

by Marj (Rochester, NY)

With extremely mixed reviews like all of the above, I would have to rate Marmoleum as poor. I have changed my mind about buying it for my kitchen tonight. Back to the planning stage… Thank you for honesty from all of you.

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Dated: 2007-07-25

My Rating:

by Meg (Richmond, VA)

We installed Marmoleum click flooring ourselves in our entry foyer/breakfast area and kitchen and we love it. It is low maintenance and durable. The colors are vibrant and the swirling pattern really hides dirt which is a real plus in our home. I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering either linoleum or another laminate type flooring.
We originally looked into the Marmoleum and Armstrong sheet linoleum products but we could not find a local flooring sub who would install it for us. The marmo click product is a great alternative because you can do it yourself.

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Dated: 2007-06-29

My Rating:

by Meg (Richmond, VA)

I wanted to add that we did not seal our marmo click flooring. The manufacturer’s info states that the product comes pre-finished. The sealer they sell is only to be used once the factory finish wears off in a few years – if then. The manufactuer also sells cleaner – but I can say that I have used a swiffer mop on my floor without any damage occurring. Before we purchased the floor we tried to stain our samples with everything imaginable – tea, juice, soy sauce, ketchup, sofa – and nothing stained it. We also submerged a sample in water for an entire week and the HDP backup never warped or absorbed the water. I know marmo recommends not using the floor in wet areas but I think in reality it would probably perform okay in a bathroom and itscertainly fine in a kitchen or powder room.

Do not hesitate to try the product. It’s an eco friendly product that is easy to maintain, well made and comes in many cool colors.

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Dated: 2007-06-29

My Rating:

by Suds (Montgomery, AL)

I think the confusion might be due to two different manufacturers of linoleum with different product lines. I’m considering Armstrong’s genuine linoleum called “Marmorette.” That product, unlike Forbo’s Marmoleum, does need a protective coating according to Armstrong who, of course, recommends its own product for such. One reviewer of Armstrong Marmorette (on another thread, can’t remember which, google it), said his Marmorette floor looks great with or without the protective coating. Said he and his family are hard are it too.

I’ve gotten product samples of both Forbo and Armstrong linoleum. Forbo’s Marmoleum is stiffer and the colors more intense. Armstrong’s Marmorette is more pliable and looks exactly right in my mid-century ranch kitchen. FWIW

I don’t have either of these floors and so made up a rating to get this email sent.

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Dated: 2007-06-24

My Rating:

by DeLayne Brown (Portland, OR)

What are these people talking about? This is not supposed to be a maintanence nightmare and it isn’t !!. Marmoleum is your mother’s kitchen floor only better and more user friendly. Have it installed correctly , then leave it alone except to wash it,and you should not be down on hands and knees trying to put on and take up finishes. This floor is not meant to be paste waxed or inundated with products. Anything you put on it, will have to come OFF it. Enjoy it for the floor it is. READ your manufacturers reccommendations , because anything else you do to it may void the warranty. I think that people have unrealistic expectations about many products. Every kind of flooring will scratch and animals will damage anything, so we must remember that this is not a perfect world. If you want a very shiny floor try one of those high shine vinyls or that plastic wood laminate stuff…... IT shines almighty !!

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Dated: 2007-06-05

My Rating:

by Annette Leoni (Portland, OR)

It’s so very sad to see such negative comments on Marmoleum. I sell this stuff almost daily and it’s obvious that most of you do not have professionally trained salesmen or women. Marmoleum comes with a finish on it from the factory. It does not need to have any other finish applied once installed, UNLESS you want a shinier surface. BUT you have to know that that any finish you apply will wear off from foot traffic and then your whole floor will need to be stripped and new finish applied. I would just leave it as is and enjoy it for the beautiful and amazing floor it is. You can use just plain, cold water to clean it or FORBO sells a low PH cleaner to use. Marmoleum ROCKS!!!

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Dated: 2007-06-05

My Rating:

by BOB (Seattle, WA)

We are considering Marmoleum for our kitchen, especially because we like one of their colors so well. However after reading the many negative comments I was concerned and called the salesperson to read him some of the comments. To my surprise he agreed with them. He reminded me that he had told us that the product needs to be cleaned and the company’s finish applied about every six months. Without that the floor will develop problems like some of the respondents here have had. We haven’t decided yet if we’ll buy the product, but thought I’d pass on his comments.

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Dated: 2007-05-24

My Rating:

by hugh (calgary, AB)

Marmoleum is great. Johnson makes a stripper and sealer for it. Linobase and Linosafe. If you have discoloration comming on it may be due to use of the wrong glue. Marnoleum will also discolor if it is in a dark place. I wiuld not recommend using any other stripper or sealer at all. If you want a great tough shine use Johnson Signature wax over the sealer.

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Dated: 2007-05-14

My Rating:

by Gabrielle (Portland, OR)

I love marmoleum. We installed in our first house in the kitchen (profesionally) and it was the best floor ever. We have seen it since we sold the house several years ago, and after 5 years the floor still lookds great! What is up with waxing, sealing, coating, it is not meant to be shiny so why try? I love the matte finish. I am getting ready to install clicks it’s in the original 19320’s pattern in our current kitchen. I am just waiting the suggested three days for the product to acclomate. I love the environmental aspects (that is why we chose it), the ease of cleaning it (vaccum, damp mop, keep spills clean) I don’t understand all the fuss.

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Dated: 2007-05-05

My Rating:

by Jean (Seattle, WA)

Marmoleum is great to walk on – cushions when you’re cooking, and feels warm, but I agree with those who have had difficulty keeping it clean. I have a navy floor, and it never looks clean. It looks dull and streaky even when just cleaned. The marmoleum finish makes it look worse. I may try the paste wax idea. I may get a new floor….

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Dated: 2007-05-05

My Rating:

by burdeen (olympia, WA)

i love this floor it looks great, warm, feels good to walk on. We have the mustard yellow and it creates a great warm feeling in the kitchen. So far we haven’t “sealed” it …and didn’t know we were supposed to or that we should be using special finishes, etc. Probably won’t cuz it sounds like that screws up the finish.
Our only problem was with installation.. PAY for a qualified person!! we have bubbles forming underneath that I am trying to figure out how to fix and obviously the installers don’t return our phone calls.
Also, from reading the reviews it sounds like most folks have trouble with the click tiles more than the sheets.

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Dated: 2007-04-21

My Rating:

by Jonna (nowhere, MO)

We recently had marmoleum click panels installed in our kitchen. They looked okay when first installed, but scratched very easily. Within 48 hrs of installation, we decided to put the “protective finish” down. Using a rag, on my hands and knees, I carefully applied the protective covering. It dried and looked cloudy and smeary. Several days later, following the manufacturer’s instructions, I followed the process of removing the finish. The instructions say to let the cleaning solution set on the tiles for 5 minutes to disolve it, then scrub it with a nylon brush. I did this and wiped the residue off with a soft towel. As the floor dried, I began to notice some bubbling in some of the edges of the tiles. Apparently, enough of the cleaning solution got between the tiles and caused them to swell. I definitely did not “flood” the floor.

I am so disappointed that I spent so much money on these floors. I cannot recommend them at all.

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Dated: 2007-04-01

My Rating:

by Barbara (Vancouver, WA)

I have had Marmoleum floors throughout my house for 10 years and really like the product. I have not had any problems and would chose them again if we move to another house. I was told not to “wax” the floors but just to seal them 2-3 times a year with a product called “TASKI Vision Matte”, distributed by JohnsonDiversey. I am now out of this sealer and can’t find it anywhere. Does anyone know where to get it or know of an alternate product that only seals the floor and does not wax it? There is a semi glossy look and NO build-up.

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Dated: 2007-02-16

My Rating:

by Virginie (Timbuktu, VA)

I too have had problems keeping the floor looking clean. In front of the oven I have what looks like two brownish-yellow stipes. Wonder if the heat of the broiler affected the floor’s appearance. Dirt gets ground in easily—so make sure kids remove their shoes before walking on the floor.

I might try the Murphy’s oil soap and paste wax mentioned, or Armstrong’s lineolum floor stripper and Satin Keeper low gloss finish recommended by some of you.

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Dated: 2007-02-16

My Rating:

by Richard C Labelle (Nanaimo, British Columbia, Can, BC)

We had our marmoleum floor installed professionally in our kitchen and have loved it from the get go. I appreciate the comment made by one of your writters and that being if this product last a 100 years then it can’t be all that bad. I can’t believe all the gripping over this product. Seriously, when it was installed I applied several light coats of a High Gloss finish. Since its intallation a year and half ago all I have done is mop it with water and vinegar. I am about to strip and re-apply the gloss finish. We have two Belgian Dogs that run thru the kitchen and I don’t see any scratches, the floor looks great and we have had a lot of positive comments about it.

I would not hesitate to install more of this marmoleum flooring in my home and to recommend it highly.

R.Labelle
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

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Dated: 2007-02-12

My Rating:

by Karen Anderson (Seattle, WA)

I am puzzled by the folks having trouble with their marmoleum appearance. Ours was installed (by one of the area’s top, professional floor people) three years ago. It looks fabulous, and the seam is invisible. The color is a light terra cotta.
We are extremely careful to use only the recommended marmoleum floor cleaner, never any of the harsh cleansers or stripppers, and I think that has helped keep it looking nice. A couple times a year I use a higher concentration of the recommended marmoleum floor cleaner and to remove the sealer, and put on several coats (four or five) of the marmoleum sealers. You do have to be very careful to so only thin, even coats, or it gunks up. If find it’s best done on hands and knees with old rags. The shine only lasts a month or so, but I like the floor both shiny and plain. My only complaint? It will dent if something extremely heavy (like a refrigerator or stove) is dragged across it. Watch any installers/repair people very closely. One of our contractors dented it when they installed the fridge; they paid us for damages, but we couldn’t get rid of the dent. I love the natural look of marmoleum and would definitely use it again for a kitchen.

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Dated: 2007-01-23

My Rating:

by m.mcgraw (ann arbor, MI)

I wrote in november ‘06 about my disappointment with marmoleum flooring. I ordered some Armsrong genuine linoleum floor stripper and Armstrong Satin Keeper resilient low gloss floor finish online. I stripped the floor just to an even dullness and applied 2 coats of the low gloss finish. There is no haze or streaks. It seems to more suseptible to scratches the first day but seems to get more scratch resistant after it “cures” a few days. It’s only been a few weeks but you desperate people might want try and see if it works for you. Costs less than replacing the floor.Perhaps marmoleum’s flaw is in it’s floor finish and not the flooring.And I think a lighter floor color is better for hiding minute flaws and scratches as it doesn’t reflect light like a dark floor will.

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Dated: 2007-01-13

My Rating:

by Carl (Olympia, WA)

I’m afraid I have to agree with the people who are having trouble with their floor. We had the tiles installed in our kitchen. While it looks great we have already had several bubble. Others “pop” when you walk on them. Its true that we live in a rainy area of the country, but we don’t let water sit on the floor and have followed the manufacturers instructions for cleaning. Also, similar to one of the other posts, the dark tiles show a mark if you as much as look at them. We’re not sure whether to put the sealer on or not – so many conflicting reviews.

We were talked into this floor by our designer – when we purchased the floor it had Pergo. We were hoping for something that would not only look better, but would be less maintenance. Shot and a miss on that one.

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Dated: 2007-01-11

My Rating:

by Annie (Vail, AZ)

When I first bought my home, I thought the evergreen Marmoleum floor, which was new, looked good and was appropriately old fashioned for the 30s retro kitchen. Boy, have I been disappointed! The maintenance is….. well, let’s just say it’s high-maintenance. It ALWAYS looks dirty. Even after mopping. Water, vinegar, or the -a-quart specialty cleaner—it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t clean up. Spots from water or spills or just dirt are very visible. It looks dirty before and after cleaning. For me, a floor doesn’t need to be super shiny or immaculate, but hey, I want the floor to look clean after I’ve cleaned it. And especially when I’ve worked on my hands and knees to clean it! This one justs doesn’t look clean. Ever.
I’ve read the reviews here, and I guess I have to conclude that perhaps people who don’t notice how dirty a floor is LIKE marmoleum and people who like a clean-looking floor or a spot-free floor DON’T like it. Maybe. Or maybe there’s some connection between the color of the floor and ease-of-cleaning. Or maybe there are variations in batches that impact cleanability. I dont’ know the answer, but for me, I can’t wait to get rid of the stuff. I’d never use it again or recommend it to anyone. Caveat emptor!!!!

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Dated: 2006-12-21

My Rating:

by Gloria Flower (Portland, OR)

I’ve had a light yellow/biscuit combination marmoleum kitchen floor for about 3 weeks now, and I agree that cleaning it is a real challenge. I love it for all the reasons stated in these reviews and want to add what my installer, who installs marmoleum exclusively, has to say about cleaning.

He, himself, used a pink pearl eraser to clean up spots, and there’s no doubt that it works. It’s simply labor intensive! He suggested vinegar in water if one needed to do more, and that helps on some things—not on others. I have had my best luck with Swiffer’s Wet Jet, but it leaves a lot of marks which must be taken out with the eraser.

I’ve decided to lower my cleanliness standards a bit, mop up spots ASAP, use the pink pearl when necessary, and just go ahead and enjoy the beauty of my floor.

Fullfilled: Earth Advantage Program

Dated: 2006-12-01

My Rating:

by Steve Tisa (Portland, OR)

Marmoleum is by far the worst flooring I have ever had. Maintenance is a huge issue. Stripping and re-finishing is very time consuming and a great deal of work and the floor only looks marginally better after. It may be environmentally friendly to manufacturer but once one factors in all the chemicals it takes to maintaine it, I’m sure it is on the minus side of “friendly”. In addition, I have had to have all the seams re-attached after the last stripping. I am having the floor removed and would never recommend it to anyone who actually uses their kitchen.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-11-20

My Rating:

by M McGraw (Ann Arbor, MI)

We had our flooring installed two years ago and have been disappointed from the beginning and would rip this floor out tomorrow if I could afford it. We have a checkerboard pattern and the light tiles don’t show the scratches but the chocolate brown tiles show every little scratch. I would not recommend dark tile unless only for stocking feet. I’ve tried the manufacturers finish which must be applied with great care or it will leave streaks and haze on dark tile. After 3-4 days of our dogs walking on it the roughness of their pads leave hazy scratches over entire floor.Not to mention deep the gouges from their toenails .buyer beware!

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-11-18

My Rating:

by Evan (Anchorage, AK)

My wife and I put in a marmoleum click floor over about 600 sq ft of our house including our kitchen about 3 months ago and love it so far. The click is very easy to install (it was leveling our early 70’s floor with roofing felt that was the hard part), it seems very durable (we have to very active dogs that prance and scratch around on it and we have seen no claw marks), it is super easy to clean (no static, use a sweepa or microfiber mop), and the colors are great. We are very please and will buy more to cover other parts of our house. Incidentally, we have not finished the surface and we were not cautioned to do so by the dealer. There was one part of the kitchen floor where some water pooled after leaking from a bad “insinkerator” and the marmoleum did swell a tiny bit so that the seam came apart, barely.

We followed the installation advice and tried to allow for a 3/8” gap between the marmoleum and the wall. I would go for 1/4” next time. With the uneveness of the wall we ended up with places where the gap was more than 3/8” and our base molding did not completely cover it.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-09-15

My Rating:

by Lynn (Boalsburg, PA)

We are in the process of having marmoluem installed in three rooms. After reading all of the reviews on this page, I am confused. Why does the manufacturer recommend applying a sealer if it causes so much trouble? What is the purpose of the sealer?

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-09-06

My Rating:

by Tim (Oak Park, IL)

The company also makes a great countertop material called “desktop”. They’re coy about it…seems some folks expect perfection (aka plastic laminate) and are hard to persuade otherwise. Great hand, can clean with comet, wonderful colors. It’s particularly nice to write on…has some resiliency.

No sealing, waxing, etc. required.

Fullfilled: Chicago Green Tech

Dated: 2006-08-07

My Rating:

by debbie jepsen (salem, OR)

This floor “MUST BE SEALED” with 2 coats of semipermante sealer
and then 4 coats of floor finish put on it…This will make this floor bare able to live with…..Because this floor is a wood product it will asorb any water that is left on it,so it is very important to remove the water immediatly….
Good luck to anyone that put it down and does not take percaution to seal it correctly….

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-08-04

My Rating:

by Sadie (Boston, MA)

We love out marmoleum floors. My husband installed marmoleum tiles in our bathrooms, laundry room, pantry and kitchen. I know he was frustrated because the different colored tiles were not exactly the same size and he did a lot of cutting initially. I think after the second or third room he stopped going for perfection and the job went much quicker and smoother. I cleaned the floors and applied the finish. I had trouble with white haziness in one room and had to remove the finish. This was definitely hard work. I reapplied the finish in very thin coats using a cloth instead of the mop I had used initially. It came out much better with no white haziness. To us, marmoleum flooring is like a wood floor. It may have many imperfections but these do not in any way take away from the beauty of the flooring. I agree with the folks who just vacuum or sweep regularly, damp mop occasionally, wipe up spills, and enjoy. I would not recommend this floor for someone who wants a shiny and/or perfect floor, however. It is great for everyone else.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-05-17

My Rating:

by Dawn B. Lizak (La Grange Park, IL)

I loveed the look and feel of the marmoleum sample at the flooring store, and had it put in our kitchen. Unfortunately, the seam was unsightly, and was little improved by having a welding rod installed. The finish is another big problem. We followed all instruction and it went on streaky. We have tried to get it off with the cleaner several times, but are still left with streaks and bubbles. After a year of this, I am fed up!

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-04-25

My Rating:

by Judy Brezina (Carlton, WA)

Uhhhh, what are you guys talking about anyway? I did not put any kind of finish on the floor leaving it just as it came out of the installer truck. I asked the dealer if I should wax it and he looked at me like I was nuts. He said no, just leave it like it is. I wash it with cold water and nothing else. It looks great. Its warm to walk on and the colors are an exact match to the 1930’s kitchen floor that I had to rip out. I love the stuff. Absolutely love it. I cannot say I have loved a lot of the contractors who have worked on my house. The work ethic and level of competency stinks but hey, thats the way it is now it seems. I even used it on my countertops although they don’t recommend it. I had countertops in Seattle done with linoleum and I loved those too. Why try to make it shiny? Carefree and wonderful for me.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-02-14

My Rating:

by RainbowWeaver (Kansas City, MO)

I have several rooms in my house with marmoleum. The last one was the kitchen. And I’ve had more trouble with the kitchen then any other room in the house. All installed by the same installer. I got the floor finally stripped today. It looked good. I put the finish on and I have white haze again.

I wouldn’t have stripped but I had a white haze in areas.

The other rooms seem fine but the kitchen is giving me fits.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2006-02-13

My Rating:

by Lori (Edmonton, AB)

This is the worst flooring I have ever had! It looked good for about 3 months, after that the traffic areas started to dull. We have had it professionally cleaned and buffed about every 6 months for the last 5 years, with mixed results. We have had to get it stripped and refinished twice ($$$$$)! I would rip it out and put in tile or Epoxy, but it was so expensive I don’t want to waste that kind of money. For the price, it’s not definitely not worth the headache of maintaining it!

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-11-30

My Rating:

by Brigid (Madison, VA)

We’ve had the most beautiful color of marmoleum flooring in our kitchen and mudroom for over three years now. In the highest traffic area in our home, with three kids, two dogs, dirt, mud, leaves, whatever…this floor continues to look great! I wanted something low maintenance that would look good and not show too much dirt. I got it! After three years, I’m online looking for more floor cleaner because I’m almost out of the quart bottle that I received when the floor was installed (does that give an indication of how much I clean the floor!?!). I vacuum or sweep it regularly, wipe up ant spills….and that’s about it. I’ve only done the actual floor cleaning thing about twice a year when the finish looks a little dull. Best investment we’ve made, and it looks so much nicer than linoleum.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-11-04

My Rating:

by Damon (omaha, NE)

Marmoluem is a fantastic floor. If you take the time to understand it you will have no problems, especially with the new topshield finish. A good installer is a must and there are enough around. It is basically like a timber floor in a different format, but much cheaper to install and easier to maintain. Too many people think it is PVC vinyl and over clean it. Pretend it was a shiny timber floor and you will have no problems…vacuum, damp mop and wipe up spills. I feel much happier with this flooring and my kids health compared to the cheap vinyl we had before. When and if we decide to change I will break it up and bury it in the garden no harm done to the environment.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-10-25

My Rating:

by susan scott (rocky mountain house, AB)

We have had a marmoleum in our house for 4 years. I love the colors, its warm under foot but..we have had a lot of problems with cleaning and mainenance. In particular in our bathroom we have a white stain next to the tub and shower where the flooring has gotten wet. We cannot scrub this off and haven’t been able to get any explanation of why this is happening. This is all very frustrating.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-09-24

My Rating:

by Johnny Favorite (Reno, NV)

Regarding J Greene’s Review of Marmoleum:

Hunh??? Floor cleaner?? Buffer machine?? Finisher?? Diluted Cleaner?? What the hell are you talking about???

Pay an installer to put the stuff in (someone competent, unlike M. Otterland’s guy). No finishing needed. Wipe up spills with a rag. End of story.

It would not have been around for 100 years if it was crap and certainly hospitals would not be using it.

Get yer facts straight, buddy.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-06-01

My Rating:

by M. Otterland (Nashville, TN)

The product itself is brilliant and should last a long time. Too bad manufacturing inconsistencies made our two colours different hights. The installer glued it down anyway, even though he noticed the difference. We complained and the company welded it with nasty unprofessional lumpy welds.

The floor finish is impossible to apply w-o streaks and cloudiness, it’s hands down the worst crap I’ve ever used. I’ve stripped and refinished my kitchen three times now trying to get a shine without smears and streaks—over fifteen hours on my knees and nothing works. The professional finisher’s results were worse than mine!

The installers took a month to sort this floor (a tiny 15’x15’ space), overcharged, never did the job right, and even tried to charge us interest before it was finished!

DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT, unless you absolutely are certain that you can find a qualified installer. Do not use their cleaner or finish even though you’re warned about not doing so. Murphy’s oil soap and a paste wax are old fashioned and should work much better.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-04-26

My Rating:

by J Greene (Yachats, OR)

This flooring must have been the idea of a person who does not have to take care of it. If I could, I would rip this crap up and but down ANYTHING!! Read the label for the floor cleaner and finisher. It suggests the use of a buffer machine. If you try to wipe up a spill with anything but the manufacturer’s diluted cleaner, the finish comes up. It take HOURS of cleaning to get it ready to put down the finisher, which can bubble, streak, and leave crusty spots. IT IS THE BIGGEST MESS I HAVE EVER ENDURED. Our house is for sale, and I cannot find anyone who can proffessionally finish these floors; not even when I purchased the home brand new. My next home will not have this product, I DON’T CARE how environmentaly friendly it is !!!!! Buyer Beware, and you had better have a true Desperate Housewife to take care of this floor.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2005-03-16

My Rating:

by Geoff (Blake, PA)

Nice floor. The colors are amazing. We just installed it after finding out about it on your excellent website, so I write more in the years to come to let you know if it is truly a “100-year” floor.

Fullfilled: N/A

Dated: 2004-11-12

Product Specifications

• Bactericidal Properties – Micro-organisms
• Prevention of Household Mites
• Anti-Static Properties
• In Finland, we are the only floor covering manufacturer allowed to use the logo stating: “In conjunction with the Allergy and Asthma Federation”