Maintenance & Restoration

Robin G · 05-10-2010, 10:47 PM

I need someone to kick me in the rear and get this figured out, so please suggest what I should do..............

I removed the carpet from the Casita (I should have waited till I knew what I wanted to replace it with, but oh no, because of my pure hatred of carpet I just went ahead and got it out of there).............

So now I have bare fiberglass floor, hmmmm what to do? Of course I could install linoleum, pergo type product, wood, bamboo, cork but I have to tell you a secret, I don't want any of those unless they can be different that the typical flooring. I have thought about having an artist paint wood flooring. But worry about applying poly over the whole finished project after it's installed. I have thought about having an artist paint the fiberglass, but again sealing it is a concern.

So please if you know of something unusual, artsy fartsy type of flooring (sorry NO carpet on the floor for me) please suggest. You know camping season is coming up, I got to get this figured out. I am stuck, sometimes I let my creative mind over rule my sensible mind, this unfortunately is one of those times. Help me please with some cute, cool looking flooring options. Thanks!

Bobbie Mayer · 05-10-2010, 10:59 PM

Painted floor cloth.

Get those interlocking floor tiles (the soft rubber ones) in some bright colors and then make your own mosaic with them (don't know how you'd seal that, though.)

I don't see a problem with sealing over an artist painting on plywood or fiberglass. You'd do that if you painted a floor inside, why not in the trailer?

Or how about a wood-inlay floor? You know how they do artistic wood inlay? (There is a name for it that I forget- Intarsia? something like that. ) You'd still have to seal it.

Whatever you do you need to seal unless it is something you can pull out and wash and in that case whatever is under it needs to be sealed.

floyd · 05-10-2010, 11:01 PM

They do have "pergo" type products which resemble stone or ceramic tile, they also have plastic locking squares which allow you to securely lock in real tile.

You could get dark and light "pergo" and install an inlay looking pattern.
I once saw a floor installed over plywood which consisted of a quiltlike pattern of cloth laid in polyurethane then coated over with polyurethane afterward. It looked like a hard shiny quilt, it really was pretty.

You could install vinyl tile squares cut to resemble a mosaic or an aztec type pattern.

Mike Bromley · 05-10-2010, 11:02 PM

Parquet would be divine.

**Gina D.** · 05-10-2010, 11:03 PM

Decoupage on a finish quality plywood? Might be a bit heavy, but it's different for sure. Might be a pain to install as well. You would have to plan a good trim.

Robin G · 05-10-2010, 11:25 PM

Dang you guys are fast!

So I could have the fiberglass painted and sealed? It wouldn't hurt anything? (I am so liking this, as I really like the texture of the fiberglass floor.) Now if I could come up with something to paint it. hmmmmmmmmm

My issue with wood floor is, everyones got it! (I am weird I know!) I like different unusual, I like finishes that are not like everyone else (this has gotten me in trouble in the past with wood floor) LOL.......... But when they were finished I had to coolest wood floors that you didn't see in every house. I have thought about just having oak flooring painted either by and artist or I was thinking of taking it to a car painter and having him paint it some color then having it installed. But was worried about sealing it inside such a little space.

I have thought about the decoupage as I have done this project more than once. Actually have decoupage floor in our bedroom now. I love it! But again was worried about sealing it. I wasn't sure I could decoupage directly to the fiberglass, but if you all think that I won't have a mess on my hands with the fiberglass and poly, I think I will go that route.

Thanks, you are all so quick to kick my rear into gear! LOL..........

Jenny W. · 05-11-2010, 09:27 PM

I was thinking of eventually replacing my floor with rubber flooring. Nora Enviroplan is pretty cool. Super durable and sustainable. Comes in sheet or tiles and many colors.

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Also, many people say linoleum, but it's really sheet vinyl. True linoleum is made of cork and linseed oil. Forbo's Marmoleum also comes in tile and sheet and great colors.

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If interested their websites have a section for residential dealer locators. I'm an interior designer for a commercial architecture firm and we love both products. I believe it runs about $4/sq. ft and you would only need one box.

I know you said you hate carpet, but what about commercial carpet tiles? Interface Flor has a ton of options.

Robin G · 05-12-2010, 12:20 AM

Quote:

I know you said you hate carpet, but what about commercial carpet tiles? Interface Flor has a ton of options.

When I said "hate" I really mean despise it! I truly would not have carpet on a floor in my home. ( Of course I can't stand it on my floors but I buy a damm travel trailer with it on the walls.)

At least it's not on the floors! But Thanks for the suggestion. Carpet is just not for me.

I love the rubber floor option, that is really cute. I am gonna search for their websites. Thanks again.......

SherryNPaul · 05-12-2010, 08:07 PM

I love painted, or stenciled, floors, in big spaces. The issue in a little trailer is the same feet keep tracking stuff over 2x6 feet over, and over... destroying anything even remotely fragile.... or at the least, leaving tough to buff out scratches and gouges. That would leave paint out of the formula for me.

Have you looked at some of the (way cool) marmoleum tiles out there. Some very fun, bright colors, environmentally friendly and much easier care. Could do a mondrian pattern of a range of colors...

The fun thing about our little trailers is the expense of changing out the flooring is so small, if we count our labor as free, as long as the flooring is easily "divorced" when we change our minds.

I like 2 x 6 runners . Cushy underfoot, and when dirty, I shake them out, beat them on the clothesline with a broom, and eventually, wash 'em at the laundromat.. . I especially like that they are not "CARPET". I , too, dislike carpet, at home and in the trailer.

I absolutely loved the IKEA mat idea someone posted a few days ago. Cool, fun, cleanable, removeable... True outside of the (big) box thinking.

Sherry

Dave Bese · 05-12-2010, 08:13 PM

You could go to a fabric store; find a pattern that turns yer screws and use epoxy to laminate it

Rick n · 05-12-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

I need someone to kick me in the rear and get this figured out, so please suggest what I should do..............

I removed the carpet from the Casita (I should have waited till I knew what I wanted to replace it with, but oh no, because of my pure hatred of carpet I just went ahead and got it out of there).............

So now I have bare fiberglass floor, hmmmm what to do? Of course I could install linoleum, pergo type product, wood, bamboo, cork but I have to tell you a secret, I don't want any of those unless they can be different that the typical flooring. I have thought about having an artist paint wood flooring. But worry about applying poly over the whole finished project after it's installed. I have thought about having an artist paint the fiberglass, but again sealing it is a concern.

So please if you know of something unusual, artsy fartsy type of flooring (sorry NO carpet on the floor for me) please suggest. You know camping season is coming up, I got to get this figured out. I am stuck, sometimes I let my creative mind over rule my sensible mind, this unfortunately is one of those times. Help me please with some cute, cool looking flooring options. Thanks!

Well if you want something really different you could go with Aluminum Foam with a clear epoxy coating over top of it.

Check these folks out CYMAT, then check out their Alusions brand

Their website. http://www.alusion.com/ then click on Architectural

They're a fairly new company but their products are very cool Audi uses their product in their showrooms around the world and they were used for wall cladding at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

GL.

Robin G · 05-12-2010, 10:48 PM

Quote:

You could go to a fabric store; find a pattern that turns yer screws and use epoxy to laminate it

Would the epoxy stick to the fiberglass? I am thinking it would but has someone did it? Not the epoxy on the floor, but on fiberglass? You know, you just gave me another idea! Keep them coming!

Sherry, What mats? I was thinking of using the gel pro mats/runner over whatever I end up doing but I didn't read anything about the Ikea mat. Are they cool mats?

Robin G · 05-12-2010, 10:53 PM

Rick, really different product! Thanks for the link. It's very interesting I will investigate further.

Rick n · 05-13-2010, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Rick, really different product! Thanks for the link. It's very interesting I will investigate further.

I sort of gathered by your original post you were looking for something out of the box(pun intended).

The cool thing about this product is it is not affected by cold, heat, water and is as light weight as you can get and is very strong.