What product do i use to fill linoleum floor cracks before reflooring?

Question

I've been to several flooring stores and this question seems to mystify all the people I have talked to. I would like to fill some large cracks & mars in my unsightly 80's linoleum before reflooring. The people upstairs had 3 professionals in their place trying to remove theirs and finally gave up and refloored over it.

I purchased stick-on tile flooring which I think are vinyl, but the instructions say to fill all cracks in the under-flooring before laying them down.

So what product do I use to fill the cracks, and where can I get it?

We are actually on a really tight budget; we are laying down the peel-and-stick tiles that look like hardwood so that we don't have to look at the awful, stained carpet between now and the time we can afford Pergo. We are covering the living & dining room areas all in the peel-and-stick so we'll be covering the linoleum and ripping out the carpet to put the tiles down on the other portion of the big room.

All help appreciated!

Answer 1

THEY WANT THE CRACKS FILLED BECAUSE THEY(THE CRACKS) WILL TELEGRAPH THROUGH THE NEW VINYL FLOOR & SHOW UP!
GIVEN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD USE A TUBE OF LIQUID NAIL & A PUTTY KNIFE.... SQUIRT & SMASH INTO JOINTS & CRACKS, DRY AS HARD AS VCT & STAYS SOMEWHAT FLEXIBLE.

Answer 2

As suggested by others fixing a surface of thin ply or similar sheet timber will give you a better surface than you have but ideally you should remove the old lineolium, and then sand the surface if timber or bondcrete or similar seal if concrete base especially if in rooms that maybe have wet areas as if timber sheeting is used and becomes damp you will have a bigger problem than you started with as these timbers tend to swell and rot.

Answer 3

resurface the existing floor with thin plywood . Go to discount lumber yard and price the various type of sheeting. Use screws to place material down. Nails can work their way out damaging your new vinyl.

Answer 4

Plastic flooring ALWAYS does best on a new surface! Thin plywood first, then the new flooring.