Tile Floor

[billhabing]

Can you use ceramic tile on the floor of a 24' MH 1979 excella?
Should it be installrd any different than in a home?

[jmeredith]

I'm very new here (just picked up my first airstream last weekend) but having experience with ceramic tile at home I'd be concerned with both grout and thinset cracking. I would think there's too much flexing in the floor during travel to make tile a viable option, at least traditional thinset/grout. Anything less than a rock solid surface when tiling usually means trouble.

But, I'm sure it's been done. Hopefully others will chime in with their experiences.

-jm

[53flyingcloud]

Bill

I, like you, once considered tile until I factored in the additional weight that this would bring to the unit. Just try lifting several boxes at once!

Several have either gone to or, will be in the near future installing 'Natural Cork' flooring. Not only does it have a impressive floor life (many are still in daily use after 50 years), it also has warmth, the desired weight and ...well, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder..As far as upkeep, it's a easy to clean as tile without the hazzards of glass breakage~Which means it also soft to walk on.

If you go with tile, you might want to consider laying down a layer of mahagony (4x8 sheets) over your subfloor then, installed your tile over that. The theory is that, the mahagony will lessen expansions and, thereby help prevent crackings.

Others, more knowledgeable than I, will of course offer you more details. Stand by....
Good luck to you in whatever you do..

ciao

[billhabing]

Thanks flying cloud.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Airstream and Argosy trailers and motorhomes are both made using the "monocoque" principal of construction.

That type construction allows twisting and tweaking of the shell, chassis and floor, as well as the cabinetry.

Installing ceramic tile would last a long time, IF, you never moved the motorhome.

If you do move it, the seams and/or tile, will, crack on the first trip, guaranteed!!

Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com
airstreamcandy.com

[j54mark]

There has been extensive discussion on these forums concerning Pergo-type laminate floors. They make that same material in patterns that look very much like tile.

Mark

[billhabing]

Mark thanks for the reply, I have found out from the A/S dealer it is OK for cermaic tile. Having been a contractor All my sons are in construction, one of them is a tile guy. We will experiment and see what works.

I have read the thread on pergo my only question is, why not use real Hardwood? My understanding of Pergo is that it gets wet and you have problems. I don't think it is any easier to install and real wood looks so much better.

[53flyingcloud]

billhabing

To reply to a specific post within the same thread, is easy..
Just do as you've been doing. "Post a reply" and, to to help clairify to whom you're responding to; Use their name in your heading in the text. (much like I did with your's) If you want to be very specific, then you might take a quote from their comments that you wished to expand.

Just for your edification..It's been my experience that, "People pick up real quick if you're "talking" to or about them..lol

Likewise, you may want to use the PM function to respond directly to that individual, privately..You're choice.

Just remember , this is an rather informal forum.

If, perchance, you meant another subject or thread then, just go to the home page or forum page, select that object of interest and, then reply much as you've done here.
Does any of this help?
ciao

[j54mark]

"my only question is, why not use real Hardwood? My understanding of Pergo is that it gets wet and you have problems."

Like most things in life, the choice of flooring materials involves tradeoffs. Laminate flooring ("Pergo") has plusses and minuses, as does wood.

First, I believe the original question involved tile. Laminate flooring is available to mimic tile, and if that is the desired look then a wood floor is certainly not going to "look better".

It is true that laminate can buckle if it gets wet wet enough, but it is far more stable that wood, and usually will dry out on its own and lay back down as new. If it is seriously compromised, you could simply snap out the offending pieces and put down new matching planks. Wood flooring, on the other hand, will probably have to be power sanded and refinished if it gets wet and warps or buckles. And wood flooring can pick up moisture out of a damp climate, where laminates will not. Wood flooring, in fact, will contract and expand significantly from changes in humidity and temperature. Most of us leave our coach unheated and unairconditioned much of the year, so these changes are likely to be significant and destructive.

Wood is much thicker, and will raise your floor level significantly. This affects things like heat vents, sliding bathroom doors, etc.

Wood flooring has to be nailed (or glued, with some of the prefinished stuff out now) to the subfloor. In my unit, at least, there are right angle brackets which hold the wall, cabinet, or other vertical surface to the floor. The flooring has to cover these, or you have a large gap. Should major disassembly ever be required, prying up a wood floor would be a major problem.

Mark

[billhabing]

Flying Cloud thank you so much for the help

[53flyingcloud]

You're very welcome..