Hi All,
We really wanted to fit this stuff instead of a vinyl flooring as its environmental credentials are good, and the colours are great. Proper wooden flooring was out of the question unfortunately. I have been very disappointed in its performance. Part of this disappointment is because it was badly fitted in the first place by our supplier's recommended fitter. The appearance is of large white-ish tiles with small black ones at each corner. The small black ones are about 50 mm square, and the joins are good and tight but the whole floor was not rolled flat as it was meant to be when it was fitted so that many of these tiles lie at a different height and therefore the surface is not smooth : there are edges standing proud here and there. Not what we expected at all. The fitter was not paid (by us anyway). It is very clear that this is a job that must not be done in a hurry, and that the decision to use Marmoleum must be made with a certain commitment to its care. See below...
The material itself is not terribly resistant to knocks and particularly to anything wet sitting on it for any amount of time. We have a few rings where a geranium in a pot might have had a little bit of condensation underneath the dish below it, and it has left a nasty permanent ring. There are various other stains which have arisen from quite normal use of the floor in the kitchen and the porch. It has also dented in a few places where things have been dropped on it. Again, nothing notable but just everyday use.
I wish I could say that this was our floor for life as we had expected it to be, but it just isn't. It is expensive so it ought to be good! The "lino" in my parents house was still serviceable after something like 35 years. I very much doubt that anyone will put up with this for that length of time. It has only been down for three or four years :(
Incidentally we never polished it but we cleaned it with eco-over linseed oil floor cleaner which seems very gentle but reasonably effective.
Marmoleum obviously needs to be treated quite carefully, maybe too carefully for a lot of peoples' purposes.
W