Installing Wood Planks

[Silverflames]

Originally Posted by Silverflames

Sounds like it's time to seal that floor, and to start chasing down leaks. I used a oil based floor paint to sea most of my floor. Only down side is that it takes days and days to dry.


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Also I had to primer first.



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[ALANSD]

seal the seams on the roof and sides especially around the door and the vents. Then check it all with a hose.

[Trixella]

Can I just use something like Thompson's Water Seal for sealing the plywood?

[Trixella]

Originally Posted by ALANSD

seal the seams on the roof and sides especially around the door and the vents. Then check it all with a hose.

I just bought a tube of clear silicone sealer to use... is that okay to use?

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Trixella

I just bought a tube of clear silicone sealer to use... is that okay to use?

NO, NO, NO, NO, silicone doesn't adhere to aluminum at all. Use a polyurethane sealant such as Trempro 635 or Sikiflex 221. You can use Parbond as well but it is tricky to work with as it tacks instantly. Mask off all areas that you DON'T want sealant on to and use mineral spirits on you fingers to smooth out and clean up. Practice on a piece of angle aluminum until you get a feel for how long you have to work with the product before it starts to skin.

Don't ever use silicone.

As far as your flooring goes. I'm a cabinetmaker who loves wood and still bought a real wood veneered engineered flooring with a cork backing. It was a breeze to install as it clicked locked together. I floated the floor for ease of repair or replacement.
I have seen a 3/4 solid floor installed in an Airstream with screws and plugs. The flooring heaved, broke screws, buckled, pulling screws out of the subfloor and ended up a stained mildewed mess. Pine, especially 3/4" will expand significantly if not sealed. Also you MUST seal both sides the very same way as finish on one side and not the other will cause the wood to cup big time. I personally would not use solid wood in a trailer floor.

Cheers
Tony

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Trixella

I just bought a tube of clear silicone sealer to use... is that okay to use?

No. The solvent in the silicone is an acid which will corrode the aluminum. Then you will have a real mess.

Get Capt Tolleys creeping crack cure or Acryl from Aairstream for rivets and sheet seams.

For larger cracks use a polyurethane sealant. I got the Adseal for that. Both products available thru AIRSTREAM.

I have not found anything remotely similar in Austin.

[Trixella]

No. The solvent in the silicone is an acid which will corrode the aluminum. Then you will have a real mess.

Well cr*p!! I used some household silicone I had laying around here the other day to fill in about 10 little holes that are on the exterior of the trailer. Can I pull the silicone out of the holes and then use something like mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol to remove any film left on the surface?

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Trixella

Well cr*p!! I used some household silicone I had laying around here the other day to fill in about 10 little holes that are on the exterior of the trailer. Can I pull the silicone out of the holes and then use something like mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol to remove any film left on the surface?

The sooner you get the siliconr ne off the better. Mineral spirits may help too.

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by Trixella

Can I just use something like Thompson's Water Seal for sealing the plywood?

Before painting or waterproofing, treat with borate. Also known as Borax it is a safe mineral solution that will prevent any wood rot fungus should you have a leak in the future. I use it for termite and wood rot protection on remodeling projects.

Bora-care is a commercial supplier which is particularly good when there is existing fungus.. Builders » Nisus Corp

Another is Tim-Bor - easy to mis powder for new wood. Amazon.com : Tim-bor Professional Insecticide and Fungicide, 1.5 lb. bag : Insect Repellents : Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by Trixella

The PO layed the plywood pretty tightly against the walls in spots... is there a tool I can use to shave those spots down without having to uninstall the plywood? It's tight mainly around the corners.

Is your concern having an expansion gap for the plywood subfloor? If so, it is not nearly as critical for the plywood as it is to have the gap with the finish floor.

Wood expands from humidity across the grain not with the grain. That is why your flooring needs a gap on the sides but not the ends. Plywood layers are glued up with the grain running against each other, controlling expansion.

If it is already lifting up or otherwise concerns you, you could carefully chip it out with a wood chisel , a small oscillating saw, or a small rotary blade on a dremel tool.

[millertimeUS]

Great advice on the Tim-bor I have a new plywood subfloor on my 76' definitely going to treat with this everywhere prior to painting floor with an oil based floor paint. Any need to prime subfloor? I saw another poster say they did, but would adhesion really be a factor?


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76 'Airstream Tradewind

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by millertimeUS

....painting floor with an oil based floor paint. Any need to prime subfloor?

If you plan for your finished floor to be oil based paint then using an oil based primer and sanding between coats is best.

If you are painting the subfloor to seal and shed any water leaks before putting down the finish floor, one or two coats of oil or water based primer should do the trick.

Originally Posted by millertimeUS

going to treat with this everywhere

Soak it well and for plywood, try to treat the edges. As soon as the one coat has soaked in - add another until it will not take anymore. If you want to paint, let it dry out well.

[Trixella]

Originally Posted by cwf

The sooner you get the siliconr ne off the better. Mineral spirits may help too.

I just picked up a tube of Parbond. After I pick the silicone out and clean it with mineral spirits, do I need to wash the mineral spirits off the surface with something like alcohol so the parbond will adhere?

[Trixella]

Any need to prime subfloor? I saw another poster say they did, but would adhesion really be a factor?

I'd like to know the answer to this question too.

[Trixella]

As far as your flooring goes. I'm a cabinetmaker who loves wood and still bought a real wood veneered engineered flooring with a cork backing. It was a breeze to install as it clicked locked together. I floated the floor for ease of repair or replacement.
I have seen a 3/4 solid floor installed in an Airstream with screws and plugs. The flooring heaved, broke screws, buckled, pulling screws out of the subfloor and ended up a stained mildewed mess. Pine, especially 3/4" will expand significantly if not sealed. Also you MUST seal both sides the very same way as finish on one side and not the other will cause the wood to cup big time. I personally would not use solid wood in a trailer floor.

I really like the look of the wide wood planks and the price point is really good but I'm beginning to reconsider paying 3 to 4 times as much for an engineered floating floor. Hmmm.

[millertimeUS]

Awesome wayward thanks for the info. Would a water based primer hold up to foot traffic as well as oil until I get finish floor in. Might be quite a while.


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76 'Airstream Tradewind

[polarlyse]

I don't recall if the original poster was planning on using a pre-finished wood floor or the traditional flooring requiring sanding/ finishing. I think the ease of the engineered floating floors available would offset the fuss and mess of the sanding & finishing process. The fact that they have much less expansion & contraction is another big plus. Our first and older AS had a floating cork floor that was good looking and nice to walk on but if doing it again I think I'd go engineered wood of some kind.

Whichever way you choose, good luck with it. I'm sure the end result will look great.

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by millertimeUS

Awesome wayward thanks for the info. Would a water based primer hold up to foot traffic as well as oil until I get finish floor in. Might be quite a while.

Yes. Use two coats then.

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

I don't recall if the original poster was planning on using a pre-finished wood floor or the traditional flooring requiring sanding/ finishing. I think the ease of the engineered floating floors available would offset the fuss and mess of the sanding & finishing process.

The fact that they have much less expansion & contraction is another big plus.

Good points. Trixella seems to like the look and price of unfinished pine wide planks.

The white pine and yellow pine flooring I use comes sanded very smooth, and the wide planks in 8 foot lengths minimize joints, so final sanding is a breeze.

For an application like this, the boards can even be lightly sanded, stained/primed and finished with one coat before installation. Then a light sanding and one or two finish coats after installation.

Engineered floors have advantages too, nail, glued or floated. In an Airstream or other moisture prone environments I like to seal the bottom and edges. That is time consuming with prefinished floor to avoid messing up the finished side.

[Trixella]

Engineered floors have advantages too, nail, glued or floated. In an Airstream or other moisture prone environments I like to seal the bottom and edges. That is time consuming with prefinished floor to avoid messing up the finished side.

I've decided to do a floating cork floor. I can seal the edges and bottom with a matte water based polyrurethane. The clear matte wouldn't show up if a little did get on to the top side.