Water friendly flooring?

[Edswife]

My husband and I just bought a 76 Argosy 26. We've cleaned it up and replaced the bathroom floor (the rest was in really good condition surprisingly!) We're at the point that we need to start thinking about floor covering. My husband wants to do Pergo but I've heard it doesn't tolerate water. We have two young children (under 5) and we spend a lot of time at the lake so I'm going to need something on the floors that can dripping little boys and wet towels. Would Pergo be a good option or should we go another direction? Suggestions are welcome!

[mello mike]

We were also concerned about water in the bathroom. We put Tarkett vinyl flooring in our Sovereign. The type of vinyl we put in ours is thicker and spongier (sp?) than regular vinyl. It lays 20 times easier than regular vinyl flooring. Take a look at by Blog for pics.

[Isadora]

Originally Posted by Edswife

My husband and I just bought a 76 Argosy 26. We've cleaned it up and replaced the bathroom floor (the rest was in really good condition surprisingly!) We're at the point that we need to start thinking about floor covering. My husband wants to do Pergo but I've heard it doesn't tolerate water. We have two young children (under 5) and we spend a lot of time at the lake so I'm going to need something on the floors that can dripping little boys and wet towels. Would Pergo be a good option or should we go another direction? Suggestions are welcome!

We had Pergo in our breakfast room in our house; when our roof was damaged in an ice storm, water leaked on it and basically ruined the edge. Also a bit of rain coming in the French doors upon occasion was not good for it either, nor was water tracked in from outside. We just replaced it with Allure Trafficmaster, which is a vinyl floating floor and so far looks wonderful. And really easy to put down; also if a piece gets damaged, it can easily be replaced. We got ours at Home Depot.

A friend had Pergo in her hallway, and it buckled in the center from moisture. Not a good choice for an area that gets any water. Nor for a bathroom, it just doesn't hold up.

Konecto would also be a good choice: I see it in the ad above this thread. We had looked at it also but actually forgot about it when we needed to do our floor and chose the Allure.

[Happycampers]

Hello ... We have used Armstrong #L 6519081 Tuscany Canyon click flooring in both of the Argosy we have done. We live in Canada and the trailer was not done, we left a piece of flooring outside to see how it would fair.. outside for 12 months in all types of weather... looked as good as the a new piece taken out of the box...We have 2 small dogs and not scratches show and it is great...... Special order from Lowes.. not cheap but worth every cent

[Happycampers]

This Armstrong flooring is so good that when the Ohio River flooded a couple of years ago in West Virginia ,this flooring was able to be taken up and washed off and reinstalled....

[JackMac]

The original owner of my trailer had two dogs that ruined the carpet, so he had the carpet removed and a vinyl floor professionally installed. The floor covering consists of 12 inch X 12 inch stick-down squares and is very usable. I do not have to worry about tracking in dirt, etc., and it is really easy to keep clean. The color is off while with some coloring which matches the walls inside the lav. I purchased a set of blue throw rugs for good measure.

[Gene]

I used Pergo in a bathroom some years ago and it will tolerate some water, but wiping it up quickly is a good idea. This was in a low humidity climate as well. Pergo is heavier than vinyl, vinyl cleans easily and tolerates a lot of abuse. It's a trailer and all those things count for a lot even if Pergo is prettier.

Gene

[68 TWind]

My wife and I spend many hours going over pros and cons of different flooring for our 68 Trade Wind. A friend in Alabama with an Overlander convinced me that sheet vinyl was the way to go. He has kids and the camp all the time. No seams to collect dirt, not problem with water if there is a leak. We found a cork look sheet vinyl at a local building material store. Says Tarkett on the backing. It is thick and looks just like real cork at 1/4 the price.

[Dakota's Dad]

We laid pergo in our laundry/mud room and half bath 10 years ago, it has held up great, and that is the main entrance to the house that we and 2 golden retrievers use year round.

BUT.. when we laid it, we didn't just snap-lock it, we used the glue they suggest for wet areas, it seals the joints. Little messy, and now that I have laid a couple of those floating floors, I can say it adds about 50% to the install time. But the only damage to that floor is a spot where I dropped something heavy, with a sharp corner, from about waist high, and it dinged out a spot about 1x3 mm. (about a week after the install, of course)

I am pretty sure we will go with laminate in Toto. And we will glue the seams. But i have seen the floating vinyl squares, and they look promising too.

[SmokelessJoe]

Edswife:



I’ve used MARMOLEUM in my redo of a 1976 ARGOSY.
It’s a product made of flaxseed and linseed oil, a modern version of Grandma’s linoleum, produced now in The Netherlands.

I’ve used it seamless wall to wall on the floor and on the table tops and counter tops too.


Some others on this forum have used it too.
Stands up wonderfully.

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by Isadora

.. We just replaced it with Allure Trafficmaster, which is a vinyl floating floor and so far looks wonderful. And really easy to put down; also if a piece gets damaged, it can easily be replaced. We got ours at Home Depot....

We like this product so much that we are installing it in our 34'. It's held up great in the 29'.
Check out post #46
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f36/...r-54952-4.html

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by SmokelessJoe

I’ve used MARMOLEUM in my redo of a 1976 ARGOSY.
It’s a product made of flaxseed and linseed oil, a modern version of Grandma’s linoleum, produced now in The Netherlands.’ve used it seamless wall to wall on the floor and on the table tops and counter tops too.

Some others on this forum have used it too. Stands up wonderfully.

I LOVE our Marmoleum - we have it in both trailers...HOWEVER, I would NOT recommend it in high water areas - especially with wet dripping kids who are not likely to wipe up after themselves. It is a great floor - but standing water is not it's friend - it is after all made from wood pulp and can overtime absorb water.

Also, don't use it in a bathroom unless your boys are really good with their aim - if you know what I mean...the linoleum will absorb urine and the smell will not go away.

Shari

[Gene]

Note this thread: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...ing-50928.html

It appears the factory uses very little or no glue under the vinyl, or perhaps the glue lets go when the trailer is in subfreezing weather. The repair for buckled vinyl at JC is to cut a piece out at the edge of a cabinet, push and possibly glue the vinyl down, then use a piece of trim like quarter round over it against the cabinet.

When vinyl is installed at the factory, it goes from wall to wall, possibly leaving no expansion room, so buckling is inevitable. Putting cabinets on it also creates expansion problems. So, if you install any floor (anything can expand, even ceramic tile), leave a space, maybe 1/4" to 3/8" at walls and doors, then install trim along the wall or cabinet.

But where there are doors that are flush with the floor, you'll have to get the vinyl as far underneath as possible and let it expand in the other direction. And use a glue that works at a wide range of temps. If you use carpet, something I've never done, you'll need to stretch it, something pros seem to usually, but not always, be better at. Carpet stretching tools are bad for knees—pros bang their knees against it and if they do that for years, say hello to surgery. If you already have knee problems, be careful.

Gene

[Bird's Nest]

Some additional reasons not to use Pergo or similar flooring...
1. It is difficult to install in tight spaces. The first few and last few rows are always tricky. That's about all you have in a bathroom.
2. Material height. Not an issue if it buts up to carpet. Poor detail if it is against sheet goods. Also, it can cause less than ideal details around existing fixtures.
3. Difficult to match seams if you decide to replace flooring in the rest of the house.

My personal experience with Pergo in a half bath included water damage and buckling. It did not take much water at all and damaged occurred in the first few months. It also scratches very easily.
I currently have a Pergo-like product in an exercise room that does not have access to the outdoors. Spills are quickly addressed. Equipment is carefully moved. Weights are on a rubber pad. I baby it.
My husband is a commercial contractor. Plus, we have personally GC'd five houses and each contained extensive sweat equity. I am quite familiar with construction products and techniques.
We hope to turn our skills on a vintage Airstream some day.

[Edswife]

Thanks for the input everyone! I'll def check out some of the other options mentioned