The actual laying of the flooring looks easy enough, but there are enough nooks and crannies to deal with... wish me luck! If your ears are ringing in a couple of days, you'll know it just me making the air blue as I'm working on this jigsaw puzzle!
That is where the undercut saws come in handy. If you undercut you can just let the flooring run "wild" under things and you don't have to worry about the expansion / contraction gap (unless you want to run "wild" out to the walls). Nor do you have to worry about quarter-round or shoe molding to cover the gaps. The only problematic area for me was one radius in the bedroom. There I ran the molding up to the beginning of the radius and along the actual radius I glued / taped a piece of carpet. I thought it actually came out quite nice, but then again I am a little biased.
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Carl, Elaine & Bailey Beagle
2006 30' Classic W Slide & Limited Package
1987 34' Excella 1000
2006 GMC 2500 HD 6.6 Turbo Diesel Crew Cab 8' Bed
AIR #14487
WBCCI #7429
I finally saw the Allure at HD today, and I'm glad I went with the Prego, even though it's a bit more money.
For those that don't know, 'Trafficmaster' is HD's 'House' name for the Allure product, according to the 'associate' I talked too. The Allure is much, thinner than the Prego laminate. It looks like the Allure will conform, over time to any imperfections in the sub floor, due to it's flexibility and lack of a base material that the Prego and like products have. The Allure looks like it's easier to install, however.
I picked up some metal cutting blades for my saw's all so I can undercut in several places...however, I can't undercut the twin beds, the refer, and the gaucho, so I'll use some quarter round and 'let her float' that way.
Finished up the clean up of the sub floor today...will see if I can get some 'boards' laid between customers tomorrow at my Battery shop!
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Let us not be too particular;
it is better to have old secondhand Airstreams than none at all.
Mark Twain, updated
I am curious how the vinyl Allure product "feels"/"lays" over the underlayment. We didn't consider putting underlayment in our Argosy when we installed it the Allure product last summer, but that may be a different matter if we install in our kitchen.
__________________
Tim
1976 24' Argosy
1973 International Travelall 1010
1973 International Travelette 1210 4x4
I finally saw the Allure at HD today, and I'm glad I went with the Prego, even though it's a bit more money.
For those that don't know, 'Trafficmaster' is HD's 'House' name for the Allure product, according to the 'associate' I talked too. The Allure is much, thinner than the Prego laminate. It looks like the Allure will conform, over time to any imperfections in the sub floor, due to it's flexibility and lack of a base material that the Prego and like products have. The Allure looks like it's easier to install, however.
The trafficmaster is their house name for flooring but Allure is the vinyl stuff where the common trafficmaster product is a laminate (compare to Pergo). They are two different products. I think there is a lot of confusion about the vinyl planks versus laminate plank flooring.
66Overlander: your floor is looking nice. I look forward to seeing the totally finished product.
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In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light. --- Hans Hofmann
The trafficmaster is their house name for flooring but Allure is the vinyl stuff where the common trafficmaster product is a laminate (compare to Pergo). They are two different products. I think there is a lot of confusion about the vinyl planks versus laminate plank flooring.
66Overlander: your floor is looking nice. I look forward to seeing the totally finished product.
Thank you! I think it looks fantastic, too. And yes TrafficMaster comes in two types, but we are installing the vinyl plank version which is called Allure. We are very pleased with the choice and the color. I almost finished putting down the Allure over the last two days (other commitments limited my time each evening). I am up to the front goucho. One or two more rows to get under the front edge of the goucho and the flooring will be complete. It sure goes faster when you get out in the open past the last cabinet and there are no complex corner cuts. I didn't get any good photo's today, though, because I finished up near dark and the battery and lights were getting dim. I am looking forward to getting the floor done and goucho and tables back in, but that might not be until early next week because of commitments over the coming weekend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ike T
I am curious how the vinyl Allure product "feels"/"lays" over the underlayment. We didn't consider putting underlayment in our Argosy when we installed it the Allure product last summer, but that may be a different matter if we install in our kitchen.
It lays over the underlayment just fine. In fact, it was almost a necessity in one manner to use the underlayment - the wall carpet typically extends over the outer half inch of the flooring - it is almost the same thickness as the underlayment, so to get the Allure to lay flat, I just cut the underlayment short of the wall carpet. Had I not used the underlayment the Allure would have bent up at the outer floor edges somewhat - or else I'd have had to cut that carpet edge off instead. As it is, I laid the Allure right over that carpet edge and think this makes it more forgiving as far as the edge gap goes. I am hoping that there will now be no noticable gap at the edge due to temperature swings, even without putting shoe molding against the fuzzy outside walls. I have photo's to illustrate this, but they must wait until I have the time to review and edit them for posting.
But back to installing Allure over the underlayment - I just "walked the seams to set them - no 100 lb. roller. There is a little springiness to the flooring that is nice when walking in bare feet - not a soft as carpet, but not rock hard either. We put down the underlayment mainly to add this cushioning and to hope that it will even out the occassional bolt head that protrudes ever so slightly that I did not take a grinder to. The other reason (besides the edge carpet issue mentioned above) was that it helps raise the flooring slightly under some of the cabinets. In some places I don't think I will need shoe molding because of this (but in some places I will still need it). I guess in the end, the decision to use the underlayment was due to a convergence of at least four factors. I love it when a plan comes together! (but I guess time will tell if this was the right decision from a durability perspective.)
__________________ Joe WBCCI/VAC #5533
'94 28' Excella / '05 Hummer H2
(and casually seeking a vintage AS)
Finally got back to the floor today. Got a late start, but got the goucho frame bolted down and the final row of Allure installed. I am leaving the rest of the floor under the goucho unfinished, because it won't be visible once everything is reinstalled and because leaving the plywood exposed will make it easier to identify any future leaks at the front of the shell. The dark areas of plywood that are visible under the goucho frame are from the Minwax Wood Hardener I put down as a precaution against future leaks.
Sorry the photo isn't better, but it was again dark by the time I finished. Tomorrow I hope to complete the reinstallation of the goucho, arm rests, and flip up tables. Maybe then I can get some good photo's.
__________________ Joe WBCCI/VAC #5533
'94 28' Excella / '05 Hummer H2
(and casually seeking a vintage AS)
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wish me luck! If your ears are ringing in a couple of days, you'll know it just me making the air blue as I'm working on this jigsaw puzzle!
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