Loose lay vinyl plank flooring, taking the plunge

[sheriff1]

shaw Forte installed in our 27FB


2015 F350 CC 4X4 6.7 Diesel
2010 27FB Silver Cloud "The Silver Spoon"

[aquinob]

Originally Posted by sheriff1

Attachment 257887shaw Forte installed in our 27FB


2015 F350 CC 4X4 6.7 Diesel
2010 27FB Silver Cloud "The Silver Spoon"

Very nice. I take it that is the same loose lay type of flooring? How about a few more pics.

[stringm]

That IS a very nice floor.

Bob in your bath does the toilet sit on the vinyl or the sub-floor? I would go back in with 3/4 deck, but unfortunately the rest of the trailer is bolted down to 1/2, so the space I have between the frame and c channel is 1/2.

String

[Gene]

Perhaps you could install 1/4" plywood on the 1/2" running 90˚ to it. It will strengthen the subfloor that way. I'd use 5/8" countersunk galvanized screws to tie them together. Coat each layer of subfloor with an exterior surfactant such as spar polyurethane. Coat the back and sides of wood planking too. Water will get in sometime, or spills at the sinks or dreaded pipe leaks will happen. The subfloor needs all the protection it can get.

Most floor remodels will increase weight when you replace the paper thin vinyl. Ceramic tile will add even more weight than various other floorings will. Porcelain tile is stronger, usually more expensive and heavier. Tile can crack if the substrate can flex, so a strong subfloor is a must. You can use a decoupler (a sheet of flexible material with thinset on both sides than absorbs flexing from the substrate), but that will increase weight even more. Use thinset to attach tile as it is much more water resistant than mastic. Replacing carpet instead of vinyl may not add as much weight or be a wash. Placing molding at the edges to cover the expansion space also adds a little weight, but most wood moldings are very light.

Assume water intrusion and spills and plan for it.

You may be surprised how much added weight a remodel can cause. Check on that before you start. Many Airstreams were built using the cheapest materials to save money and weight. I would not be surprised if a loose lay floor adds 50 or more lbs. compared to paper thin vinyl. Wood planking or ceramic (or porcelain) tile would add a lot more than that. If you travel far, or have a trailer with very limited cargo capacity, this can cramp your style. Of course, you can upgrade axles and tires if you really like that flooring and have money to burn. Compromises are tough, even if you are not in Congress.

Gene

[aquinob]

Originally Posted by stringm

That IS a very nice floor.

Bob in your bath does the toilet sit on the vinyl or the sub-floor? I would go back in with 3/4 deck, but unfortunately the rest of the trailer is bolted down to 1/2, so the space I have between the frame and c channel is 1/2.

String

It sits on top of the Vinyl tiles. They aren't that thick, probably about 1/8" or 3/16 give or take.

Not sure what to tell you about the subfloor. The best option for a strong straight floor would always be to do a shell off and replace the whole deck at one time. But that is a level of effort that lots of people including me don't want to take. I would fit the thickest sheet of plywood in that you can get in. If your bath is like mine, you can always transition to a slightly lower height at the door or you could extend it out over the rest of the trailer and glue/staple it down. It wont be as strong or as flat and straight as a completely new subfloor, but should be good for the foreseeable future.

[stringm]

Floor is in. It is 1/2 and was a struggle. Had to screw a block of wood to it so I could tap it around, and in to place. I am really leaning toward Gene's proposal of using 1/4 inch as an overlay. I had really planned on using the same overlay as you did. It has a nicer surface finish. Using poly seems smart too. The thing with 1/4 inch and and 5/8 screws, no staples or glue. As far as i am concerned it doesn't matter. I am too old to try it again anyway. My floor is actually in good shape except for the section I had to replace. I can certainly see where using 1/4 overlay and poly would help the strength and long term of the floor. I am just trying to think of all the circumstances of raising the floor level by 1/4 inch. Bulkheads can be cut off. The flange that screws into the black tank could be an issue. I am trying to think of others. Like fridge and roof vent.

String

[dbj216]

I put a 1/4" plywood overlay on my subfloor in my 86. I did so as the OSB subfloor was not a flat as I wanted. I did apply two coats of poly to the OSB first. The cork "engineered" floor planks I used were another nearly half inch thick. I had a couple of cabinet supports I had to cut shorter for clearance. I did not remove the interior to do this job. The toilet flange was a problem, but I used one of those half inch "extenders" and that did the job for me. Vintage Trailer Supply sells them, and I suspect the hardware store does too.

I understand the plywood overlay and then the floor planks added maybe 200 pounds to the weight of the trailer. That weight is low and evenly distributed. My floor has been down for six years with no problems noted.

David