Glue Down Floor Tile, Yes or No

[CBWELL]

I am looking at installing Tarkett Luxury Vinyl Tile, in 12"x12", with the glue down application. Is this a good idea, living in Canada with extreme temperature swings of -40C to +32C. I have tried Allure floating floor in a previous trailer and was very dissapointed in the shrinking/expanding. Laminate is not an option, as I have had in our home and hate it. Has anybody glued these type of tile down, and were you pleased with the result? Thank you!! Chris

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Your concern is well placed. None of this stuff is really designed for "outdoor" use in terms of full on winter <-> blasting hot summer.

Bob

[A W Warn]

Glue down can be very difficult to remove next time you want to remodel. If I were going to put any glue down flooring in my trailer, or my house, I would first install a thin layer of plywood underlayment.

[Stefrobrts]

I don't know what the previous owner used to put down the laminate in my trailer, but it is not coming up until I am ready to remove the plywood! Believe me, I tried! I would be very wary of using a glue-down tile. It could not stick good enough, or it could stick entirely too well!

[CBWELL]

I am familiar with the glue down problems down the road if you want/need to remove the tile. I am more concerned with the shrinking/expanding of the tile when they are glued down. With the Allure flooring that I installed on a previous trailer, the tile shrank over the winter, leaving a 1/8-3/16 inch gap on the overlap. That gap remained and ruined the look of the floor. I am hoping that by glueing down this will not happen. Anybody have experience with this type of installation in trailers subject to extreme temperature swings? Thank you, Chris

[Iansk]

I think marmoleum might be your answer. Comes in sheet variety and many looks.
I put a high quality engineered wood floor in a previous trailer and am still happy with the results. Floating with a quality underlayment. Of course we deal in f's here, as in 20f-105f. I'll be putting marmoleum sheet in my 31' AS I'm thinking.

[ALANSD]

My 1966 still had the glue down ASBESTOS tile when we got it. IT was a bi**h to remove. I prefer floating floors in the trailers. They are better with temperature variations and easy to remove when you are ready.
I have tried a number of tile, laminate and cork combinations. They all perform well if only glued on the tile edges.

[rvb]

I am a semi-retired Architect and here are my thoughts on RV flooring:

Marmoleum: This is a modern version of linoleum, available in squares but most restorers recommend it in sheets. This is what was installed in the 40's-60's. It is durable, available in a number of colors, somewhat expensive and will probably require professional installation.

12"x12" tile: Less expensive than linoleum and more easily available for DIY. The problem with tile squares is shrinkage and gaps between the tiles that remain visible after the shrinkage. Most tile squares have a grain structure and shrink one direction more than the other. There is an arrow printed on the back and the recommendation is to install every other tile 90 degrees to the previous. It is not the best for extreme temperature ranges.

That being said, I installed Armstrong commercial tile which is thicker and heavier than residential and the color goes thru the tile so any damage can be buffed out. I glued it down over 1/8" plywood that was glued and screwed to the original plywood. I alternated each tile, but, also used 2 colors so that any gaps at the joints are less visible. Dark blue to match the upholstery and off white/beige to match the wall vinyl color. I used shirt cardboard to make patterns and cut both plywood and tile to fit around the interior walls and counters with a bandsaw. I keep a heater inside in the winter so the temperature doesn't drop below 35 and it is gets up over 100 degrees in the summer. After several years I only have small gaps between some tiles and those aren't really noticeable because of the dark/light colors I also recommend leaving about 1/4" along edges for wall movement and put trim on the wall over that.

Laminate flooring: This seems to be all the rage lately and I have mixed thoughts on it. I have seen floating floors in RV's with chips along the edges from movement while driving and it can also be subject to water damage. The PO of our Minuet put floating laminate in and then replaced it with the same after water damage from an open roof fan. (go figure).

Textured Sheet Vinyl. I was just at Jackson Center and they are using some high tech sheet vinyls that are bonded to the plywood floor before the walls go in. I have heard good reports from dog owner about scratch resistance with this flooring.

[alantbird]

I second that. And if you can find a commercial flooring contractor I bet you can get enough leftovers at a great price for your needs.

[thinner35]

Originally Posted by Iansk

I think marmoleum might be your answer. Comes in sheet variety and many looks.
I put a high quality engineered wood floor in a previous trailer and am still happy with the results. Floating with a quality underlayment. Of course we deal in f's here, as in 20f-105f. I'll be putting marmoleum sheet in my 31' AS I'm thinking.

I have a 1985 34 ' limited that I want to replace the floor in as I have seen the shrinkage in the current floating floor. have you replaced yours yet with the marmoleum yet?

[SuzyHomemakr]

I did a glue-down of bamboo strips, and am less than completely thrilled with it. I've had the finish come up due to water sitting on it, and expansion has opened up the gaps between boards. It still looks OK, just not as nice as when I installed it.

If I had it to do over again, I'd have installed a full sheet of old-school linoleum when I had everything out. Winnick's book "Airstreams - Custom Interiors" has some examples of how great it can look.

[MySovereign]

Not particularly in vogue right now, but carpet wouldn't show shifting or shrinkage, you don't have to glue it down, easy to remodel, etc...a nice berber (short nap) would would be easy to install, easy to clean...

[Philip498]

A W Warn suggested putting down a thin layer of plywood before installing tile. I like that idea. I will be putting down a floating floor covering of some sort in my 1972 Sovereign in the not-too-distant future. I will be repairing some minor floor damage that I don't think warrants a shell-off restoration. A thin layer of plywood over the repaired original floor is something I am considering. My question is: should one fasten the plywood down by some means (screws, glue etc.) prior to installing the floating floor covering?

[rvb]

My plywood floor was solid and I put 1/8" underlayment down because I had to hammer the original gang nails down after every trip and those would show thru the new flooring. Also, because of the wall and furniture layout the new flooring was only near the side walls at the door and one other point. If I have future water damage at the sides I can still replace and patch those areas.

I glued and screwed the first piece down at the perimeter and then we had some hot weather before I put the flooring down and it buckling up in the center, so, I went back and screwed it down every 12"-18". I also recessed each screw head and filled and sanded it flush so there is nothing to read thru the new flooring.

It has been in a couple of years and has worked out very well. If you think you will ever have to remove it, I would just screw it down every 18" and not glue it. You will have a nice smooth clean surface to put whatever flooring you wish on, but, can more easily remove it in the future if necessary.

[MAJORJDB]

In my 1989 Excella, I removed the carpet laid down foam underlayment and installed a click type "floating" floor in the living room and rear bedroom. I used bathroom flooring to replace the bath carpet. I was hoping it all would flex with the trailer as it was moving and with temperature variations... After two years, it still appears flawless... Also, much easier to clean than carpet!! Good luck, safe travels...
JDB

[MAJORJDB]

Also, I didn't put down plywood underlayment as my subflooring looked good. I did seal the wood subflooring around the perimeter and seams of the coach, made sure all staples/fasteners were removed. I filled any gaps/irregularities in the wood underlayment with automotive body filler as that is supposedly flexible according to some airstream restorers. All before I applied the foam underlayment then the top flooring...
JDB

[Philip498]

Very good advice! Many thanks!

[CBWELL]

Thank you all for the coments and suggestions. I have installed 5.2mm plywood underlay over the complete floor in the rear bedroom and front living area after removing all of the furniture. Also put down in the kitchen area. Next week I will start to install the glue down Tarkett 12x12 tiles. Talked to a flooring installer and he thought there should be no problem any more than a floating floor. Hope he is correct. Unit rally this week so floor is on the back burner!!