Time for the 70’s shag to go

[nickclifford]

Hey all
I’ve never installed Marmoleum before, let alone in a tiny confined space with such an odd shape. Is this insanity for an amateur ?! Thoughts on how to make this look acceptable ?!! How to finish to corners and the odd shapes etc ?
How easy would this even be for someone who installs for a living ? Thanks.

[nickclifford]

I'm attempting to make a template here ... wondering if worth dropping a couple hundred bucks for someone who does this every day for a living !

[Al Zeppelin]

I recently did my entire trailer but didn't have to deal with existing cabinetry.
The worst part for me was it seemed like it was 200 degrees in August and I was breathing in the fumes from their adhesive. No picnic. Are you doing the whole trailer or just the bathroom??

[Bubba L]

Marmoleum is not that difficult to install. In trailers, Forbo recommends 1/4” plywood subfloor stapled a bunch and rolled with a 100# roller. The trailers I’ve done were wide open like Al mentioned. You may want to hire it out mainly for joint welding. If you can’t seam the joints well, you would have to order a piece long enough to cover the exposed area from front to rear. The rolls are 79” wide. So if you cut around your cabinetry, that’s a lot of waste. Maybe buy less, and the money you save put toward a professional installer. Good luck

[nickclifford]

Originally Posted by Al Zeppelin

I recently did my entire trailer but didn't have to deal with existing cabinetry.
The worst part for me was it seemed like it was 200 degrees in August and I was breathing in the fumes from their adhesive. No picnic. Are you doing the whole trailer or just the bathroom??

just the bathroom with Marmoleum, then going to think about rest of trailer .. my cabinets etc are in great condition and I want to keep vintage era look, so no plan on a full remodel for quite awhile. Just flooring as the original shag gotta go now ... I kept for a while as lightly used, but too hard to keep clean.

[nickclifford]

Originally Posted by Bubba L

Marmoleum is not that difficult to install. In trailers, Forbo recommends 1/4” plywood subfloor stapled a bunch and rolled with a 100# roller. The trailers I’ve done were wide open like Al mentioned. You may want to hire it out mainly for joint welding. If you can’t seam the joints well, you would have to order a piece long enough to cover the exposed area from front to rear. The rolls are 79” wide. So if you cut around your cabinetry, that’s a lot of waste. Maybe buy less, and the money you save put toward a professional installer. Good luck

I already bought a "close out " roll for cheap, more than I need .. I could probably cut myself close enough, but how to finish around all the edges etc , so many .. i want to look good ...

[nickclifford]

These corners will be very challenging

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by nickclifford

I'm attempting to make a template here ... wondering if worth dropping a couple hundred bucks for someone who does this every day for a living !

I was able to do mine in my old Safari. The process was exactly like what you are doing. Template out of brown paper all taped together. The laying in of the flooring was easy. I finished off mine with stained I/4 round moulding screwed into the floor. Looked fine when it was done and stayed in place for years. I had no previous experience and have found, in general, that this stuff is better done by yourself since these things are just an excuse to fix things so the experience is valuable for all the other things that will go wrong in the future and you want to keep rolling when you are in Timbuktu. Jim

[Al Zeppelin]

I would do a dry run with no adhesive first. Cut it with a roofers hook blade(s) leaving a couple of inches of slack all the way around. Put your adhesive down, lay it out and cut it within an 1/8" to a 1/4" around the perimeter (TAKE YOUR TIME ON THAT STEP). Be careful as Marmoleum tears easily. Keep your adhesive a couple of inches away from the perimiter as it can ooze all over your cabinetry when you go onto the next step ...As stated roll with a 100# roller which you can rent at Home Depot for cheap money. Stay off of it for a few days. Stain some quarter round to match your cabinetry and install that around the perimiter. I'd install the 1/4 round with some glue and a pin nailer. You can do this.

[Bubba L]

All I can say is make a pattern using the thicker paper floor protecting material. Once you have all those pieces taped together with painter’s tape, transfer that pattern to 1/4” plywood. Place your plywood in the trailer to check for fit. Transfer the plywood to the top of the Marmoleum and cut. Place the cut sheet in the trailer for acclimation. There may be easier ways, but that’s the way I’ve done it.

[rmkrum]

The trick to the pattern is to use red rosin paper, and a 2” wide straight piece of metal about a foot long.
Tape the paper down on the floor, using slots in the paper and piece sheets together with tape to get within about 1 inch of all the edges. Does not have to be dead perfect.

Then use the straight edge and a sharp pencil to draw a line on the paper exactly the width of the straight edge all the way around the edges with the straight edge held against your walls and cabinets.

Now you have a pattern that is narrower by exactly the width of the straight edge. Carefully remove the pattern from the trailer, and lay it out on the floor sheet goods. Use the straight edge to lay out the cuts on the sheet goods and use a fresh utility knife blade to cut out the pattern. When you pull the waste off, tear downward away from the edge you want to keep. That avoids wrinkles in the good edge.

Put the trimmed sheet goods back into the trailer, and carefully trim if needed. Then roll it halfway back partially, apply adhesive, and roll it into place by hand. Lift the other half and repeat applying adhesive and placing the sheet goods. When it’s all perfectly in place, roll it down with the roller. Then get off the floor and let the adhesive cure totally before walking on it.

This was the technique taught to me by Andy, a vinyl floor installer that did the coving up the walls so well that the floor looked like it “grew there”. When he did our floors, he was 85 years old, and I was about 40. I could not keep up with the guy. Rest In Peace. Andy.

He was a grumpy old guy, but absolutely the best flooring guy I ever had the privilege of hiring and working alongside. He claimed to have invented the coving technique, and I believe it based on the perfect results...

[Wayne&Sam]

Or just wait a few years, that shag rug will be back in style.

[Jim Flower]

The flooring was floated. No adhesive, flooring never moved.
See the 1/4 round mouldings.

[nickclifford]

thanks all .... I'll get to the main flooring another time ... like the idea of a simple floating floor .. but cutting around the cabinets gonna be tough with curved edges etc

Think I'll fine tune my paper template, then cut Marmoleum within 1/4' or less / close as possible. I have enough that if i mess up, can try again ..

what is suggested for laying between wood floor & marmoleum ? thx

[Jim Flower]

An underlayment from Home Depot, about 1/8” will do the trick. Confirm with the flooring person at the store. About $50 for a roll. Jim

[mandolindave]

It's template time……Just my thoughts.

1. Trying to use cardboard is frustrating. The roll of paper from HD or Lowes worked better for me on other projects.

2. Cutting the template smaller, and using a ruler to scribe sounds like a good idea.

3. I was contemplating using the method for granite countertops. Make a template out of thin strips of wood ( just the edges) They use wood that is similar to shims, and stapled together.

4. I am going to see if I can lift the cabinets, and slip the flooring underneath.

[GMarugg]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

The flooring was floated. No adhesive, flooring never moved.
See the 1/4 round mouldings.
Attachment 329037

What type of flooring did you float?

[Jim Flower]

Texline - Gerflor Home, Merck Clair 0614
Loose lay vinyl tool flooring
I used an underlay because It’s cold here but it is really not necessary because this stuff is tough.
https://www.gerflor.com/professional...ng/clever.html

Jim

[Offack]

Agree with Rmkrum, Used to do this for s living back in th 60 -70s. Oh my gosh....I must be that old guy!�� Take your time, pattern, steel straight edge, tape to floor, then transfer to sheet goods and tape....works every time.
Good luck!
Rick

[rmkrum]

We hired Andy in the late 70’s. He had already retired three times by then. His tools were old, well used, and perfectly sharp. He claimed that was the best way to verify experience. Now that I’ve gotten a lot older, I can see he was right. True Craftsman. Was able to get back into our old house 25 years later. The work he did was still in perfect shape.