Types of Flooring

[Knudsvig]

We just installed LVT light commercial grade vinyl. It looks great!
Before


After

[Jim Flower]

97 25' Safari. We also used a floating vinyl. Put it down in one piece. Got rid of all the carpet.

Not one problem in 10 years. Huge improvement. Jim

[judybug]

How is sheet vinyl for rv flooring. Have seen some really nice flooring out there. Does it not work?

[SeeMore]

Sheet vinyl flooring works well when you have an unencumbered floor space (all cabinetry out), but is difficult/un-advizeable as a retro fit with completed interiors.

[handrew]

we used marmoleum forbo. strong, super smooth, and waterproof as it is just one big piece.

[switz]

We retro-fitted Marmoleum in both the Classic and 23D since the factory flooring was shot. The 23D was new and never used but there were tears in the this stuff Airstream had installed. The flooring stuff is really thin in the 2015 model year.

As they say, it was so thin there was only one side to it.

[sgschwend]

There are several quality levels of any flooring brand. The commercial level will be the best for wear. We did install Allure but the highest quality they offered. It was somewhat confusing because there were more than one quality level for many of the Allure finishes. The thicker finish flooring has a lot more depth of color too.

My recommendation is what ever product you select make sure your sub-floor meets the installation requirements. Watch our for out of level, or bouncy sub-floor. If either of these two condition exist you will not be happy with the final solution.

[KJRitchie]

I'm still research LVT for my 2008 Classic 25fb. I went to the Armstrong commercial LVT website and downloaded the installation PDF. I found this in the instructions:

"During the service life of the floor, the temperature should never rise above

100°F (38°C) nor fall below 55°F (13°C). The performance of the flooring

material and adhesives can be adversely affected outside this temperature

range."

Obviously, our trailers will be subject to temperatures beyond those parameters. In my case with my AS in storage we've already seen temperatures down to 5F this winter. I'd hate to spend thousands of dollars in material and labor to have my floor fail after the first year.

What to do.

Kelvin

[Cardinal283]

That's a very limited temperature range. I don't think I'd trust a flooring system with such strict limits. A regular home could easily experience temperatures outside those ranges in certain circumstances. Such as a power failure in certain areas.

[KJRitchie]

Our next door neighbor owns a local flooring store. We went to visit them today and his son was there and recommended a glue down floor by Beauflor, Podium Pro 55. It is 2.5mm thick, has a .55mm wear layer (21 mil) and weights about .9 lbs/sqft. The thickness seems close to the OEM sheet floor which is buckling in several spots. The adhesive that would be used is describe as being water proof after setting yet if heated allows a plank to removed if it is damaged. No quarter round molding is used and you can screw down furniture (dinette; lounges, bed frames) on it since its not floating. The material is made with material that is resistant to expansion and contraction. Wood grain planks are 7.2" x 48". This line offers tile 24"x12" which looks like a stone floor. We are considering this also. Maybe getting away from a wood grain look would look kinda cool since we have lots of wood grain in the cabinets, the yellowish/beige Ultra-leather it would be a nice contrast.

Beauflor is a major supplier of flooring to many RV manufacturers.

Best of all, he has installed flooring in RVs. I'll be able to bring my trailer home when the temperatures warm up and they can install it in my drive way. He will call Beauflor to get further information.

I think a glued down floor is my best solution since I think I will need to place furniture on my new flooring. My dinette/lounge bases are covered in Ultra-leather all the way down to the floor surface.

We also went to look at Home Depot Allure Ultra, a click together floor. Twice as thick and a box of 8 pieces felt very heavy. Being a floating floor it would require leaving a 1/8" to 1/4" gap to the adjacent cabinets.

The price per sq/ft was similar to Allure Ultra at about $3 sq/ft. For my job which should be about 160 sq/ft it should be about $500 for the material.

I'll have to remove the dinette/lounge and queen bed frames but from what I've read on these forums it just a matter of finding and removing the screws.

Now we just have to wait for warmer weather.

Kelvin

[Jim Flower]

Hi Kelvin,
The flooring shown in my photo above was by Gerflor. It was thick, expensive, and had a spongy underlay attached. It was far superior to the flooring in our 2012 Signature. It was floating, but secured by the quarter round in some places. There was never any deterioration from being subjected to temperature changes from -40 degrees F in northern Alberta to 100 degrees F in Florida. Very easy installation. It was also lighter than the carpet that we removed. We did not remove the carpet from under any of the cabinets, couch, or beds since that required a lot more work. Not a nick in it after 10 years of use. Jim


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[rodsterinfl]

Today I went to FloorAmerica and they HAD been pushing the Downs product then today the installer was pushing the sheet stuff with tape stick edging. Ugh. I like the plank Downs but and not sure how to do this job yet.

How do you install a floating floor with a bolted down sofa?

[SeeMore]

I've seen floating floor installations that quit at the unseen back edge of the fold down access doors and carpeting left under the couch ()

Personally, my choice would be to drill a hole and use a washer slightly thicker than the flooring when reinstalling the couch. The washer OD size would be less than the couch footprint so it would not be exposed. That leaves room for expansion movement, it doesn't take much gap around the washer, and the legs are firmly attached without pinching the flooring.

I used aluminum tubing larger than the screw diameter, yet smaller that the crossbar metal on the couch stanchion so I could cut it to match the combined height of the flooring, foam underlayment, and moisture barrier and not have to end up with multiple shims.

[switz]

The aluminum side splash beside the stove was attached to the wall of our 2014 Classic with doubt sided tape. In the over 100 degree summer heat, the tape let go and the metal is al floor level between the closet wall and the stove cabinet.

If the trailer is ever stored in the southwest summer heat, that double sided tape will soften and loosen.

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by SeeMore

I've seen floating floor installations that quit at the unseen back edge of the fold down access doors and carpeting left under the couch ()

Personally, my choice would be to drill a hole and use a washer slightly thicker than the flooring when reinstalling the couch. The washer OD size would be less than the couch footprint so it would not be exposed. That leaves room for expansion movement, it doesn't take much gap around the washer, and the legs are firmly attached without pinching the flooring.

I used aluminum tubing larger than the screw diameter, yet smaller that the crossbar metal on the couch stanchion so I could cut it to match the combined height of the flooring, foam underlayment, and moisture barrier and not have to end up with multiple shims.

If the couch/dinette seating/lounge weight is only on these washers will the weight on these screw points cause any issues? Would the washers sink into the subfloor so the adjacent framing then be in contact with the flooring?

Kelvin

[KJRitchie]

What is the opinion of using an epoxy adhesive for securing LVT non locking planks? Sounds like a messy job. Would the ply subfloor soak up some of the adhesive or does the subfloor need to be treated first?

Would epoxy be too brittle once hardened and subject to low temperatures?

Kelvin

[bvcg1]

Don't do it. It's messy and you have to work fast before it sets. There is no reasonable need to use epoxy adhesive for this application. Often times epoxy and urethane adhesives are used in wet areas, such as a produce section at the grocery store. The premium latex adhesives that the manufacturer recommends is all you need. For what it's worth, I've been in the flooring industry for 30 years.

[KJRitchie]

I'm working with a local flooring company and after he explained the workflow of applying a floor with epoxy and once its down its difficult to remove or to repair we've decided against using epoxy.

Kelvin

[la nomade]

have to replace my allure vinyl flooring,picked it up because there was water trapped between it and the sub-floor,found out when walking on it,its been freezing here in ny..it was like walking on sugar,had major leaks ,the fan the a.c. the awning railing,all this fall...in my 17ft safari sport...fixed the leaks(hopefully) now letting the floor dry till spring and wondering what to replace it with..something i can pick up if need be,did any of you look into luxury woven vinyl???have not checked the price yet ..i need something to buy 5ft wide by 12ft long to cut and fit my templet...???thanks M.V

[KJRitchie]

This is a new one, luxury woven vinyl. Looks like its used a lot in marine installations. Found these videos
https://youtu.be/T-s9hQMZhrA
https://youtu.be/_uw3QToULVM

I went to Infinity and they actually have a photo of an Airstream Classic with it installed.

There is a product guide you can download.

Infinity | Luxury Woven Vinyl - Contacts


Kelvin