Flooring for a vintage vibe

[Aktundra]

I am working on a frame of restoration of a 1963 Bambi. I should be finishing the electrical & installing the interior skins as the weather warms.

One of the next steps will be installing flooring. Is vinyl tiles the way to go these days ?

What is a good pattern to preserve a vintage vibe ?

[InsideOut]

We've installed with sheet linoleum (Marmoleum) in both our previously owned '64 GlobeTrotter and our current '56 Safari trailers. Love the seamless install. It's a bit warmer under foot too being a natural material.

Shari

[Bubba L]

X2 what Shari did. We installed sheet Marmoleum in both our trailers without issue. The 63 Bambi I just helped a friend of mine with a shell off is also going to install sheet Marmoleum. The sheet is a few inches shorter in width than the trailer, but place the splice on your street side where it’s underneath furnishings if that’s the case with your Bambi. Good luck

[57Vintage]

If you like the vintage look of Marmoleum, you can also get it as a tile that has a good seamless look without having to glue down. It allows you to create patterns/color combos that aren't available in the sheet goods. It comes in 12X12 and 12X36 tiles so it has less joints than a lot of other tile products.

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https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us...8pj1#panel_105

I installed the tiles on the entire floor and mounted the cabinets, etc on top. Basically securing those items through the tile into the subfloor. No issues with buckling or shrinkage in seven years.

Note: I do keep the trailer heated during the winter (60 degrees).

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by 57Vintage

If you like the vintage look of Marmoleum, …No issues with buckling or shrinkage in seven years.

That’s the beauty of Marmoleum vs synthetic vinyl - it’s much more stable. It’s made from wood pulp, talc, jute & linseed oil instead of plastics & vinyls which expand & shrink more with the hot/cold weather cycles. Also a lot of vinyl flooring is made in layers which expand/contract at different rates which can cause bubbling.

Ours in the Safari has been down 15 years now and it looks as good now as it did day one. Our old Globetrotter’s is probably hanging in there too - but we don’t have it any more to report on.

Shari