Flooring and adhesive

Topic: Flooring and adhesive (Read 1816 times) previous topic - next topic

Flooring and adhesive

June 23, 2016, 09:21:40 pm

I am getting ready to pull the carpet and put in a ,"floating" floor from the front of the coach to the bedroom. The question arises wether to use adhesive or not. What are the advantages of using adhesive and what are the disadvantage. Will it void the mfr warranty as the mfr does not call for adhesive. The product I will be using is a cork backed vinyl manufactured wood product. The product is a floating solution hydrocork product made by wicanders web site is Wicanders | World reference in cork flooring and wall covering.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #1 – June 23, 2016, 09:44:36 pm

Here on the vendor members, Ernie, does flooring. He only will glue it down. And he makes it fit, tight, and uses no edge trim. He uses the correct trowel notch size per the instructions and he puts the glue on each board. He does the entry trim first, getting it square, and builds from there onward.

He might chime in here with his advice, or has left to use his free time between coach jobs to be traveling already.

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #2 – June 23, 2016, 10:11:55 pm

Hi Roland,
I put in floating solid bamboo flooring from the bedroom to just before the cockpit area. It is fully floating, using trim in the bedroom and bathroom where the floor meets a vertical surface. In the bathroom area, there is caulking between the wall and the flooring edges. I figure that the caulking is elastic enough not to restrict the floor from moving a bit as it expands and contracts. I left a consistent gap where the floor meets the walls, about 3/16". Since I went crossways with the planks, I used some t-mold where the sliding door for the kitchen area is so that created a new area for expansion and contraction. It has been about 3 years now and I haven't seen any issues, though we have been in temperatures ranging from the low 20's to triple digits. I am now finishing up the cockpit area with some "luxury vinyl" tile. It is also fully floating, which really creates some installation challenges. I will do a post about that in the near future... It is a small area, as regards expansion and contraction. On the other hand, the extremes in temperature, rapid climate changes, etc. would negate the warranty as the manufacturer places so many restrictions on how it must be installed. I decided not to worry about that, but I am still trying to follow the guidelines where they make sense. For instance, this product is supposed to not be installed on any kind of flexible underlayment. I wasn't about to do without any sound dampening material, so I procured some 5/16" recycled tire rubber mat, which is very dense (and heavy!) to take the place of the lead lined vinyl foam (which is very spongy) that Foretravel used under the carpet in the bedroom and cockpit area. It is very tough and the vinyl seems very stable, but quite comfortable to walk on. The concern, I am sure, is that the click lock interlocking system used by the tile would be subject to stressing the joint with a too resilient underlayment when you step on the joints. Time will tell if this stuff holds up, but if I ever have to replace it, I will have a full size template to guide fitting new flooring!
Don

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #3 – June 25, 2016, 07:49:43 am

I would follow the manufacturers instructions. There are products that are designed to float. The manufacturers designed that floating construction to be used as a do it your self installation over subfloors that may not be up to adhered applications conditions. Ernie- in Austin in our coach

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #4 – July 01, 2016, 01:31:54 pm

The new floor install is in process. Removing the carpet was a piece of cake. Staples not really that much of an issue. The kitchen floor was another thing altogether. That puppy was glued down solid and was a bear to remove. I will put up some before during and after photos as we get along with the project. I say we, my nephew is doing all the work I will just shell out the cash. Keep the green in the family.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #5 – July 01, 2016, 01:33:46 pm

Ernie

We will follow the mfr instructions and keep the floor floating.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #6 – July 01, 2016, 06:21:45 pm

Roland, We ordered a few samples from Wicanders. Just been thinking about the same project. Which one of the hydrocork products did you get? I'd like to see a photo sometime of your install. I'm not sure I like any of my choices. But liked the product.
Mark C

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #7 – July 01, 2016, 07:02:39 pm

We selected the Castle Rafia Oak is a nice looking color and texture. Think it will be a nice contrast to the walnut.

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #8 – July 01, 2016, 08:27:19 pm

Roland Foretravel surely intended for the kitchen floor to stay put.

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #9 – July 01, 2016, 11:42:10 pm

You can say that again Bruce. I remember when I attacked that wood in kitchen ( the day after arriving home with coach from PO. I used a 4' long steel pry bar (weighs about 20 lb) and pounded with it to get under the wood and thin metal sheeting that was glued down. Some of the ply sub floor came with the planks but I just filled it with leveling cement and glued a 3/8" ply marine grade sub floor over it before tiling. We have done 40k miles and not a single crack in grout since.
JohnH

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #10 – July 02, 2016, 08:21:00 am

Bruce, with a big enough suction cup on the kitchen floor you could have lifted the coach. Yup, they intended that to stay forever. But then that's how they made these coaches, everything is put together to last.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #11 – July 02, 2016, 08:38:02 am

Here are a few photos I took as we were getting started on the floor installation.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #12 – July 11, 2016, 09:32:00 pm

Got the flooring down. Still have the trim to do. Won't finish that until August. The flooring really brightens up the place. Here are a couple photos.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #13 – July 11, 2016, 09:39:08 pm

Got a quote for a couple sticks of walnut today, man they are proud of that stuff. Have an idea for the entry way and the area around the driver and passenger pedestals that may be a bit different.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #14 – July 12, 2016, 07:11:16 am

I always start at the entry with stair nose trim that matches the wood. Your floor looks great. Don't use any tacky gold metal, though.

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #15 – July 12, 2016, 07:55:44 am

Quote from: erniee – July 12, 2016, 07:11:16 am

Don't use any tacky gold metal, though.

We are really liking the new look. As for the rest everything wood no metal or anything that looks like metal.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #16 – July 12, 2016, 04:34:15 pm

When Infinity did our floor in NAC, they used a roofing shingle remover tool - not just a shovel, as I recall, but had a steel handle that you could hammer on. The kitchen flooring came up pretty easily.

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #17 – July 14, 2016, 11:30:51 pm

Roland you floor looks great!

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #18 – July 15, 2016, 09:20:48 am

Quote from: bbeane – July 14, 2016, 11:30:51 pm

Roland you floor looks great!

Thanks. Will put in the pazzaz in the next few weeks.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #19 – September 02, 2016, 04:05:30 pm

Still working on the finish for the entryway and the pedestal drawers. Had a change of plan and decided that a tung oil finish would work better in the long run for the stairs so we be putting tung oil on all the trim work. Did a "try fit" this afternoon wanted to see what it was going to look like. Now back to more applications of tung oil.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #20 – September 02, 2016, 05:48:28 pm

Roland we decided on a "retro" marble floor. Lots of cutting but well worth it...

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #21 – September 02, 2016, 05:59:52 pm

I can appreciate all the work you put into that retro look. Nice job on that floor. I am still looking for a single straight cut I had to scribe every cut I have made so far. Still not sure what I am going to do with/for trim molding.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #22 – September 02, 2016, 08:38:19 pm

I don't install wood for the steps, themselves, mainly because the shoes will mar the aluminum oxide finish. I do use rubber treads from Roppe Corp as these are solid color treads and have raised round designs. I'll try and figure out how to post a photo.

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #23 – September 02, 2016, 09:18:51 pm

Quote from: erniee – September 02, 2016, 08:38:19 pm

I don't install wood for the steps, them selves, mainly because the shoes will mar the aluminum oxide finish

What is aluminum oxide finish? I am using a pure tung oil finish. Not sure wether I will eventually cover part of the steps with rubber or not.

Roland

Re: Flooring and adhesive

Reply #24 – September 02, 2016, 09:44:37 pm

Ernie's stair tread he installed on my Bluebird.

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