Is this the original plywood subloor?68caravel

[Peter Luger]

Hey Folks,

Thanks for opening up my thread.

Well I just purchased a 1968 Caravel and I am thrilled. Of course it needs it's share of work. The floor is 12X12 linoleum squares. A few of the squares are lose and came right up. I have included a foto and was wondering if this is the original subfloor.

Now have I heard correct that you should not put a second layer of plywood down before the installing a new floor?

To replace the floor do I need to remove the kitchen, booth, and bench?
Can I simply go over the existing plywood with Pergo wood flooring?
Any pointers anyone?

Thanks,

Peter

[InsideOut]

The wood sub-floor looks to be original, but the tiles are not. The black residue is most likely the mastic that was used to glue down the original vinyl tiles. The main reason for not installing a second layer of plywood is two-fold, the added weight and it would raise the cabinets or floor around the cabinets if they aren't pulled. It you do go under the cabinets, then you would have a second set of holes to reinstall them.

There really is no reason to replace the plywood floor unless it is rotted out, and even then you may only need to patch the damaged areas. Of course, if the damage is severe, then a new floor would be in order ~

Lots of folks have installed pergo in their A/S, do a search of existing threads for a headstart on reading through their experiences.

Shari

[Creampuff]

Originally Posted by Peter Luger

Hey Folks,

Thanks for opening up my thread.

Well I just purchased a 1968 Caravel and I am thrilled. Of course it needs it's share of work. The floor is 12X12 linoleum squares. A few of the squares are lose and came right up. I have included a foto and was wondering if this is the original subfloor.

Now have I heard correct that you should not put a second layer of plywood down before the installing a new floor?

To replace the floor do I need to remove the kitchen, booth, and bench?
Can I simply go over the existing plywood with Pergo wood flooring?
Any pointers anyone?

Thanks,

Peter

Welcome to Alumiland Peter:
The tiles are not orig. but the subfloor is. As long as there are no soft spots from water infiltration damage, you're good to go over that with your flooring of choice. You can lift your furniture/cabinets for a neater job ,but keep in mind because of the curvature of your sidewalls, partition walls may not fit correctly when elevated.

[Peter Luger]

Shari and Murray,

Thanks for your input and time. Really good stuff.

Considering your points it looks like replacing the floor with another one similiar will achieve what is needed. It will be clean and hopefully not to bad to install. It will be lighter that pergo as well.

After removing the tiles how should the wood floor be prepped for the installation of new linoleum squares? I am a little concerned about being told poor information at a big store where the staff isn't knowledgeable of Airstream'.

Are there any specific tiles to be used? Any specific glue?

How can I be certian that throughout and after the install that I will keep the subfloor dry and water won't seep through?

Of course thanks for any insight.

Peter

[malconium]

Peter,

To prep the floor I would think that carefully scraping off the old adhesive with a good paint scraper would be enough. The idea is to get the surface as smooth as possible because bumps will show through. If it is especially stubborn you might need to sand it some. For vinyl you should also fill any holes or dents.

A lot of Airstreamers have installed Pergo type floors and have been very happy with them too. Others have gone with cork flooring. If you definitely want vinyl you could also consider a full sheet. It is a bit harder to install because you have to carefully cut it to size but you would not have any seams to worry about water seeping through. There also are varieties of solid sheet flooring that do not need to be glued down everywhere. Most any type of floor could be carefully cut to fit between and around what is there without having to remove anything. One type of flooring I find a bit intreaging is the following:

http://americangaragefloor.com/coin_...e_flooring.htm

It is a single sheet PVC garage flooring type of product that comes in a lot of different colors. One reason it is appealing is that it comes in 7-1/2' wide rolls (among other options). That wide is enough to go all the way from side to side of an AS. I think it also installs without a full glue down.

Malcolm

[Stefrobrts]

One nice thing about having a caravel is you don't have to cover a lot of floor space! There's some weird angles to deal with though, especially if you have a dinette.

Do some searching and you'll find threads on laying down both laminate and cork flooring. It's really not any different than doing a house floor, just a lot more fitting.

I went with carpet in mine. It's nice to walk on, and because it's not fastened down it's easy to remove and clean, or remove for drying out after a leak - something I've had to do three times already. And it will be easy to replace once it starts looking worn. A lot of people don't like carpet, but I think it's pretty practical. The hardest part is trying to leave as much mud as possible outside!

[enduroryda]

Holy Cow...did you buy that here in Connecticut???? I think I looked at that a few weeks ago and am kicking myself! It was sooooo cute! Congratulations & good luck with the floor...you've got a real gem!

[BIGED52]

Peter, DO NOT SAND The sub-floor! If you need to remove the old mastic you must use a respirator and keep from throwing dust up in the air. Your original floor was 9" x 9" Asbestos tile and the gooey black mastic on the sub-floor is also ACM (Asbestos Containing Material). Really dangerous to humans as breathing the dust causes lung cancer or asbestosis! Both are fatal in most cases! Any exposure can cause these diseases! If you need to remove the mastic get a respirator (not a paper mask) and use a liquid mastic remover and a putty knife. Wrap all removed material in 6 Mil poly and dispose of properly. This is a serious health hazard...I know I remove asbestos for a living...and it is a very dangerous thing to expose yourself to! It can be done safely by a professional abatement trained worker and after removal the entire floor area should be sprayed with a lockdown formula to prevent future exposure from remaining fibers. Please be safe not sorry! I DO mean to SCARE you! Better scared and aware, than exposed and have to battle cancer down the road! Beware and be safe... Ed

[Peter Luger]

Stephanie,Malcolm,and Ed,

Well thats all great information.

Ed do you think bringing the AS to a professional abatement company to remove the mastic and apply the lockdown is the safest? I need to get another floor installed so I can take advantage of the AS. I plan on doing a few construction projects on some property I purchased in the Catskills in NY.

It sounds like making a template and installing a single piece of linoleum is the route I will be taking.

Thanks for all your input and I hope that those of you reading find all this helpful.

Peter

[Stefrobrts]

You should have the floor tested to see if it has asbestos in it. I know someone who had their early 60s Bambi tested and it showed no signs of asbestos. You might save yourself a lot of trouble if you can have it tested first.

[BIGED52]

Peter, Stephanie is correct you should have it tested to determine [for sure] the presence of asbestos in the mastic. Take a putty knife and scrap up a sample. You should have a testing lab somewhere close to where you live that can test it for you. If It does indeed contain asbestos then you can remove it youself or call the professionals. The key is to make sure you do it safely... Ed