Floor covering - make mine vinyl

[sharpstick]

I'm replacing the old carpet with vinyl. I've used vinyl several times in the house, especially in rooms that have water in them. And in Florida, the humidity is so high that you basically have water everywhere. Laminate and wood are both porous and absorbent, not good for rainy days, humid RV storage, etc. I use click lock plank vinyl. I've have experience with all the variations of vinyl that use peel and stick and will never go back there. Click lock planks can be taken apart to dry out or replace pieces.
Vinyl comes in thicknesses of 2mm to 8mm. I am looking at "luxury vinyl" products. They are basically thicker. Thicker ones are less likely to deform over bumps and holes(which should be leveled first anyway). At least one of them claim to include 1.5mm underlayment. Most do not recommend underlayment, which would supply some insulation. I think you could use it with the thicker products. (I used it in my kitchen and some dents occurred over weak spots in the floor beneath.)
I measured my floor, calculated the area of the rectangles, about 36 square feet. They say you should figure on five to ten percent extra for wastage. Flooring basically comes in cases. Unless you are special, you have to buy whole boxes, not by the price. If you need 40 feet and the cases have 39, you will be forced to buy 68 sq ft. Lumber Liquidators has one high end product(Coreluxe Ultra) that costs more, but comes with 9.77 sq ft per box, so I can narrow down my purchase, save money and get just what I need of the best 8mm product.
(One other possibility if you just need a little more is to ask your flooring store if they sell individual planks. Even if they don't match in design or thickness, they can be used under the table where they are relatively invisible. As long as the edges match, even a thinner piece can be shimmed under the edge to match up.)

[Mike Magee]

Vinyl is a good choice for a trailer floor. I wasn't aware of luxury vinyl until fairly recently; how long has it been around?

I guess vinyl is a type of plastic, isn't it? I hope you'll pardon my levity, but it just crossed my mind that it might be humorous to be able to say, "I have a plastic floor," and watch the listener's expression!

[sharpstick]

Now I have to figure out how to provide a flat solid floor for the vinyl. I am thinking of 3/8 plywood, well sealed and waterproofed. The floor is composed of part of the outer shell coming in from the sides a few inches overlapping the floor layer of FG. It is supported by the steel beams of the frame with bolt heads sticking up. Between the beams it is a bit flexy when stepped on, but no damage is apparent. It looks like it was just made that way. . I can put some crossbracing underneath to support these areas. I will rout the spots where the bolts are so the plywood isn't humped up over them.
Then lay on the planks. I can't think of any way to provide baseboard at the edges, especially at all the curved places. I'll probably just leave it bare, like the old carpet is.

[Casita Greg]

That's one of the reasons why trailer manufacturers charge more for the vinyl flooring than the carpeting. When the trailer comes out of the mold, it is pretty rough. Just gluing carpeting over the rough texure hides a whole lot of imperfections that don't show through the carpeting. Now, in order to put down a vinyl floor, it must be gone over and filled and sanded to a smooth surface or else all those "hills and valleys" will telegraph through the vinyl in short order. It isn't that the vinyl is more expensive, but you're paying for "shop time" to have a worker smooth it all out. Time is money.

[sharpstick]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

. . . It isn't that the vinyl is more expensive, but you're paying for "shop time" to have a worker smooth it all out. Time is money.

good thing I work cheap! Maybe I can piece on old vinyl scraps to help level it all out. It will never be solid and rigid.

[Raspy]

Glue down linoleum squares might be the most durable floor of all. It is a harder material that is more resistant to damage than vinyl. Another good choice that holds up well in homes is glue down cork tiles. Just a bit softer and warmer than linoleum. Looks good and holds up well. The new plastic, for lack of a better term, planks, look like they would cover a lot of underlayment problems. That material is common in new toy haulers.

[sharpstick]

Originally Posted by Raspy

Glue down linoleum squares might be the most durable floor of all. It is a harder material that is more resistant to damage than vinyl. Another good choice that holds up well in homes is glue down cork tiles. Just a bit softer and warmer than linoleum. Looks good and holds up well. The new plastic, for lack of a better term, planks, look like they would cover a lot of underlayment problems. That material is common in new toy haulers.

I will never, ever use any glue down or peel and stick product.
- Ancient linoleum glue down squares(about fifty years old. When I redid our floors in the house, it took chisels to break the tiles, then a heat gun and carbide scraper to remove the glue.
- The kitchen had peel and stick squares, maybe twenty years old. They had started to loosen up spontaneously, leaving a mucous like substance oozing out when they shifted. Would have made good flypaper!
- In that same kitchen, I used the "new and improved" vinyl that had peel and stick panels on two edges that adhere to the next panel. Once it is peeled and touches the next panel, it is difficult to move, leaving gaps that cannot be fixed. This cannot be repaired or removed.
- as far as comparisons between linoleum squares and vinyl, from what I've seen, vinyl is far superior. Linoleum is only 2 or 3 mm thick, while vinyl is up to 8mm. I think cork might be pleasant to walk on, but seems flimsy and would damage easily. What is this "new plastic" you speak of?

As for comfort and practicality, I prefer a nice hard waterproof easily cleanable floor with loose throw rugs that can be easily removed, hosed off and washed.

[Tim in AR]

Would it be possible to use vinyl planks snapped together like a pergo floor to "float" on top of the existing carpet? That way the original carpet is still there and the floor can be disassembled or removed if necessary or if water penetrates somehow.

[Gerry]

My 79 Boler has a fiberglass floor in great shape and I just got those inter-locking rubber mats they sell at Home Depot and cut them to fit the floor. Great insulating factor (Trueth be known, this was the main reason we used them) and if you use a bland color like Gray...Dirt doesn't show up.
Sweep out and after a trip or once in a while on an extended trip I take them out and sweep the little bit of sand that gets under them so sand wont ware away the fiberglass underneath.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Tim in AR

Would it be possible to use vinyl planks snapped together like a pergo floor to "float" on top of the existing carpet? That way the original carpet is still there and the floor can be disassembled or removed if necessary or if water penetrates somehow.

I'm sure you could but.....a couple comments. Pergo type flooring normally is installed over a very thin mat, much thinner than the TT carpet. You probably would end up with clearance problem with cabinet doors and such and the entrance door would be the main concern. If you want that type of flooring, pull the carpet and don't worry about the next owner or water damage. Leaving the carpet under it would only cause more damage if there was any water problems. As like any type of remodel you do on your house, get extra for repairs or whoops cuts .

[Davie B]

The LiteHouse originally came with a continuous vinyl floor over glued down OSB. When I replaced the floor, I put in 1/2 marine plywood, coated on both sides with epoxy resin. I glued a piece of vinyl, cut to size, over that. I expect it will last a long time. I thought about using crack-n-peel tiles, or even some bamboo flooring, but in the end, found a scrap piece at Lowes that with a little trimming, was a perfect fit. Like @sharpstick, I live in Florida where humidity is a full time enemy.

[Jim Bennett]

As a renovation contractor for many years now, and having used lots of every type of flooring there is, I would like to lend a few comments.

Originally Posted by sharpstick

I will never, ever use any glue down or peel and stick product.
- Ancient linoleum glue down squares(about fifty years old. When I redid our floors in the house, it took chisels to break the tiles, then a heat gun and carbide scraper to remove the glue.

Those linoleum tiles were made to last. The composition of linoleum is the same all the way through, thus it is all a wear layer, and this is why whether squares or sheet, if polished it can be brought back to near original condition time and time again.

The old linoleum tile was asbestos based, and usually we just go right over it, as it is normally very well adhered. If kept encapsulated like this, there is no risk of harm from the asbestos. When you mechanically remove it, whether chisel, scraper, grinder, etc, you are putting asbestos particles in the air. Not a healthy scenario.

Originally Posted by sharpstick

- The kitchen had peel and stick squares, maybe twenty years old. They had started to loosen up spontaneously, leaving a mucous like substance oozing out when they shifted. Would have made good flypaper!

I have never like the peel and stick tiles, they always show cracks in time, ans as dirt and water get worked into the joints, it only worsenes.

Originally Posted by sharpstick

- In that same kitchen, I used the "new and improved" vinyl that had peel and stick panels on two edges that adhere to the next panel. Once it is peeled and touches the next panel, it is difficult to move, leaving gaps that cannot be fixed. This cannot be repaired or removed.

I have successfully used that style vinyl in three trailers now. With a big of care, and proper installation, the joints are tights. I prefer darker colours of this material, as any accidental wee gaps will be less noticable.

Originally Posted by sharpstick

- as far as comparisons between linoleum squares and vinyl, from what I've seen, vinyl is far superior. Linoleum is only 2 or 3 mm thick, while vinyl is up to 8mm. I think cork might be pleasant to walk on, but seems flimsy and would damage easily. What is this "new plastic" you speak of?

Again, linoleum is tough. All you need is a thin layer of it to provide excellent wear protection. In sheet form it is a great product, though not cheap. Sheet vinyl is not a lot thicker, and only has a thin wear layer. In a good quality lino this wear layer is thicker, and will last a long time. There are now lots of other vinyl solutions, from click together tiles, to my preferred (in a home), of loose lay planks. These loose lay planks are extremely tough, and a good solution for active homes.

Cork is an excellent flooring, whether click together planks, or glue down solutions. It's toughness is dependent upon the wear layer, usually polyurethane, where the thicker the better. We have used it is a lot of homes, especially nice in basements.

Glue down cork is great for bathrooms, as it provides great waterproofing with the layers of polyurethane applied after install, and is oh, so nice and comfy and warm underfoot. I put this in our Escape 19, and we just loved it.

Here is a link to a thread I did on it. http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ing-58623.html

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Tim in AR

Would it be possible to use vinyl planks snapped together like a pergo floor to "float" on top of the existing carpet? That way the original carpet is still there and the floor can be disassembled or removed if necessary or if water penetrates somehow.

Not a good idea, unless the carpet was a super thin commercial type. If it has much pile to it at all, the vinyl planks will flex too much, putting strain on the joints that are not really all that tough, and may eventually fail.

A flat surface is also recommended. Most click together flooring materials do not do well with dips and humps, even slight ones, in the floor, and manufacturers warn against it. Again, it puts strain on the joints. We often float floors with a levelling compound if too much out of whack.