vinyl questions

[project66]

I gutted a 66 Overlander Twin to replace the rear floor section. I also used self tapping screws between the factory bolts on the entire floor. I am using Bondo on the seams, bolt holes and a few other bad areas. I plan to glue down vinyl to finish it off, but I have a few questions. Once everything is sanded smooth, is it better to seal the whole floor or just the edges and bath area? And if I do seal the whole floor, will this effect the vinyl floor glue? Is the a certain type of vinyl or a recommended brand for this application? Any help would be appreciated?

Thanks, Tom

[ALUMINUMINUM]

You're on the right track. Yes to sealing the floor. The thirsty plywood will suck out the more volatile binders in the adhesive before they can chemically react, and diminish the quality of the bond. You can seal it with anything sold as a “sealer”, or any mixture of left-over paints/polyurethane/mis-tints that you have lying around. The adhesive prefers a hard, cured, impermeable substrate. No need to sand too smooth, as a little “tooth” will help adhesion.


The coefficient of expansion of flooring material in a trailer is a weighty issue. Appropriate trailer flooring is a very arguable subject. You will get hugely conflicting advice... No expense spared to what's the cheapest and easiest. Unfortunately, “Easiest” seems to be a primary concern. Cheap vinyl may invite trouble, whereas Marmoleum appears better trusted. Children, pets, temperature variations, resale, longevity... many factors to consider. Research sheet-goods thoroughly. Some flooring will crack over plywood seams.


Like my house, my trailer is a “no shoes” area, so engineered maple, glued and nailed, was my choice for elegance and durability. I'm a big fan of the glue-down, don't like floating floors. Personally, I would spare no expense on the floor.



There are many links to flooring experiences... I responded to the following post with my successful experience.



http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...hat-78206.html

[project66]

All my seams and bolt holes are bondoed and sanded, so I am ready to seal the floor which means I am almost ready for vinyl. So far I have had no luck at all finding Marmoleum. I tried their website, but the "dealer finder" didn't seem to work. Does anyone know of a retail chain or flooring center near Dayton, OH that may carry the brand? I was told by a local flooring center to stay away from fiberglass backed vinyl because it is usually just edge glued. They recommended a paper backed vinyl. So I am also wondering what kind of backing the Marmoleum has. Wow, so many questions, so little time

Thanks, TomE