[Becky]

Originally posted by biggerbadbrad
I would take my time removing the old carpeting or you can give yourself extra work later by damaging the subfloor from pulling too hard on the tack strips. You can use a utility knife to cut the carpet out if necessary. Then use a small prybar to carefully remove the tack strips. When I replaced the flooring in my trailer I decided to use a "high quality" Armstrong stick-on floor tile rather than the sheet vinyl. This drastically reduced material waste and made the job a lot easier to do. If I was going to use sheet flooring, I would seriously consider removing most of the interior of the trailer. Otherwise, installing the vinyl will be a nightmare of a job with the many corners and angles of most Airstream floors. The best way WITHOUT removing the interior would be to first make a template of the entire floor and then cut the flooring outside of the trailer. I can explain in detail if you decide to use this method. When I replaced the flooring in my Sovereign I removed the couches and beds only. They are not hard to remove and I feel better knowing that if the windows leak there will be finished flooring under them. I also ran a bead of 100% silicone caulking between the walls and the new flooring for this same reason.

Great detail! I think you have given me enough info to definately shy away from sheet vinyl.....I was worried about the cutting of a large sheet, but your've given me confidence to think I could handle smaller squares. One step at a time, right?

If you are planning to COVER the existing lino with the sheet flooring you will need to completely strip the old lino of any wax, dirt, etc. Also, you need to be careful that the existing lino is secure and not loose or lifting.

I might have a problem there. Some tiles near the door are loose.

You can reglue it, but sometimes it is easier and better to just remove the old lino. Another benefit of removing the old lino is that it can trap odors, especially if any previous owners were heavy smokers.

I received a copy of the owners manual today and it reads like I may have asbestos vinyl flooring. Another difficulty. If it is asbestos, I guess I'll have to research safe handling methods if I need to remove or sand the floor.

Either way, BE SURE the floor is properly prepared before laying new vinyl. Every crack, seam and indentation in the lino will need to be filled and sanded or they will telegraph through to the new flooring. If you remove the lino, then you will need to scrape the floor to make sure there are no raised surfaces from old lino or glue before filling the seams, indentations and nail and bolt holes before sanding. Most fillers are cement based so you just mix them with water and apply with a putty knife. Don't mix too much at once or it will begin to harden before you are finished applying it. Use a fan to help it dry quicker. I usually sand by hand using a sanding block. An electric orbital sander can be used but it creates a HUGE mess as the dust is very fine and black.

I had toyed with the idea of "sealing the old floor" by installing a 1/4 hard plywood sub-floor, but I think it would make the floor too thick and add more weight. Plus, I would also have the challenge of cutting the subfloor to fit.

My fear with tile squares has been that they will "pop up" due to movement of the trailer. Is this a possibility or a probability? Does it depend on how well the floor is prepared and how the new floor is glued?

Good luck!

Again, your post was very detailed and very helpful. You have given me a lot to think about and good ideas to start.

Thank you very much!

bbb