Moving to Marmoleum

With a FB response in mind concerning the health risk that may be carried with the use of fabric on the backsplash, I decided I would survey other options. While I understand that burlap has its benefits being rot and fire-resistant It is certainly not clear of other issues:

Back when I hand-made favour boxes by scoring and slicing cardboard by hand, I used what was called a self-healing mat. This mat could literally be cut nearly half (in fact, a friend cut it almost down to the bottom) and over time it will heal itself. To this day, I can't find the thousands and thousands of incisions I've made in it over the last eight years!

I suspected that something like this could be used for pin-ups walls too, and then I discovered Marmoleum. Forbo is one of only three European factories left who manufacture this, and coined the term which comes from "Marbled-Linoleum."

This material is commonly used as flooring in schools because of its versatility of uses and its ability to stand up to heavy use in high traffic areas with minimum work to keep clean. While its main use is for flooring, it is also manufactured as bulletin board material which -- get this -- SELF-HEALS. In addition, it carries great qualities like being:

• eco-friendly (uses renewable resources or plant waste)
• anti-static (repels dust and dirt, making clean up very easy)
• bacteriostatic (doesn't harbour micro-organisms such as dust mite or MRSA bacteria - the kind that mutate over time to become immune to current vaccines).

Download a brochure from Farbo on Bulletin Board Marmoleum. Other brochures also exist about other forms of marmoleum for other uses such as flooring and other surfaces.

So I've contact GreenWorks here in Vancouver and am waiting for a reply back with a quote on the beige coloured bulletin board marmoleum. Measuring out the portion of the kitchen where it will be installed, I will be needing at least 22.5 sqft. However since it comes in rolls that are 122cm wide, I would need a 14.5 foot roll (approx 4.39m). I'm at the edge of my seat waiting for the reply!

SOURCES USED:
Green Works, Vancouver B.C. http://www.greenworksbuildingsupply.com/linoleumflooring.html
Farbo Flooring Systems, Hazelton, PA http://www.forboflooringna.com/Surface-Solutions/Products/Bulletin-Board/
How Stuff Works, Atlanta, GA http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/materials/marmoleum.htm
The Natural Abode, Moscow, ID http://www.thenaturalabode.com/green_home/marmoleum_natural_linoleum.htm