Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Plywood subfloor (Read 1333 times) previous topic - next topic

Plywood subfloor

In the process of removing the old tile and finding some issues with the subfloor in the kitchen area. Looks in bad shape like it had water damage. Haven't finished pulling up all the tiles yet, so will use a grinder with a heavy grit flapper wheel to get the thin set off. I might have to either use a self leveling floor repair or replace part of the plywood, or add new 1/4" over top, but that would get expensive and raise the floor more than I want.
Anybody else have that issue, and if so what did you do to fix it? Don't think it will be a large area, so a epoxy patch might do it.
How much ply is the subfloor made of? Maybe I could get away with cutting and patching it.
Thanks,
Bob
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #1 –
The floor is 3/4" plywood so you have lots to work with. If there is water damage and you would rather not get into the big job of removing pieces of that floor you could apply a wood hardener like MinWax Wood Hardener that is made to address this very issue.

Re the self leveling, most of us that have removed our wood kitchen flooring had to level the surface before laying tile. No problem.
jor
93 225
95 300
97 270
99 320

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #2 –
Don't forget.....
 The plywood you get now most likely won't be ther same thickness as back then.
In restless dreams I walked alone.
Narrow streets of cobblestone.


'93 U225
Build 4337
'14 CRV Toad

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #3 –
Wasn't sure if the plywood was 1 layer or 2. Definitely don't want to remove that plywood if I can help it. A epoxy patch would be my idea. I'll know more when I grind down the thin coat.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #4 –
instead of making all that mess with a grinder, I use a hammer and chisel

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #5 –
I have used body filler (Bondo) many times to repair floors in RV's.
I used it in my bath when I re-did it.
Flexible, have a vac in your hand when grinding.
Chris
Chris and Tammy White  CDA Idaho
Previous owners 1997 U295 36' 3126 Cat 300 HP Build # 4998
Former Foretravel tech & RVIA certified tech
Former owner Custom Satellite home/RV satellites 
Former owner Vans LTD  van conversions
Unemployed, panhandler, drag racer NHRA #6348

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #6 –
Quote from: gracerace –
I have used body filler (Bondo) many times to repair floors in RV's.
I used it in my bath when I re-did it.
Flexible, have a vac in your hand when grinding.
Chris
A real car guy.....love it.....bondo was my best friend
Hans & Marjet
1995 U300 "Ben" (#4719)
3176B Cat,4060HD,Jake
SKP#139131
Motorcade#17579
2006 Honda Element (towed)

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #7 –
While Bondo would work, I'm thinking about using a epoxy sealer. The floor is pretty damaged in some places. The penetrating epoxy will stabilize the wood. Then something like Bondo could be used.
Still plugging away at it. In the bath now. Almost got the tile out.

 Agree that grinding the floor would make a mess. Started with a hammer and chisel but some of it has to be ground down. Will see when I get there.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #8 –
Am a little late with this but here goes.  The simple quick removal of floor tile is with a Harbor Freight
Variable Speed Oscillating Multi-Tool, retail around $20.00. Use the smooth or saw blade, works really well
1988  40' Grand Villa Cat 3208t

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #9 –
Bob,
I agree, maybe a multitool with a scrapper blade or a dull saw blade will ease the job some.  Probably depends on the hardness of the thin set.
John M
John & Carm Morales

"We travel not to go anywhere, but to just go.  We travel for travel's sake.  Our great desire is to move."

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #10 –
Quote from: NancyS –
Am a little late with this but here goes.  The simple quick removal of floor tile is with a Harbor Freight
Variable Speed Oscillating Multi-Tool, retail around $20.00. Use the smooth or saw blade, works really well
Well I have to disagree. I have 2 multitools. A Fein, that invented them, and cordless Bosch. Using the carbide blade first, took a long time. Also used the Bosch grout removal attachment. That worked for the grout but a lot of the ground had been replaced with a calk type sealant and that did not work well there.
Really the best way I found to remove the tile is with a heavy small sledgehammer and one of those inside and is Bent and the other one is curved a little. get the Bent edge underneath the tile, hammer it in until it goes in all the way and then it pops the tile right up if you don't do it right though you damage the subfloor a little. But since my subfloor is damaged anyway it really didn't add to the mess that was already there.
But that only worked well on the tiles that were lightly stuck down, the ones that were well cemented down and they all seem to be either near the galley the refrigerator or the toilet, those didn't come up so easily. For those I used my 5-ft long pry bar that my wife bought me for Christmas. The weight of that hitting a tile tended to break it up in a smaller pieces which could then be more easily removed with the pry bar hammer method. I found black mold where the refrigerator is and some in the bathroom but not much there. Around the bed was some carpeting and I pulled that all out, but it left quite a bit of the rubberized backing on the floor. This came up easily though with a bahco scraping tool.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #11 –
Bob, I have gone to bed many a night with hands so sore I could not make a fist.  The last big job I did with removing old ceramic tile in a kitchen/dinning room that took over a week of sledge hammer, pry-bar, crowbar, hammer and chisel use.  Also had a large commercial vacuum to handle the dust and there was plenty of it.  I feel your pain!
Joe & Dottie Allen
Sold!  December 2023.      2000 U320; build # 5645
Our coach " Maxine"
Motorcade #  15922;  Escapee 150950; FMCA F330833; Boondockers Welcome;  Harvest Hosts;  Thousand Trails
'98 U320 from 2000-'06
USAF '62-'66

"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." ―Epicurus

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #12 –
Thanks Joe! I found that wearing a good pair of leather gloves helped a lot. Really should have had earplugs in too but was to lazy to try and find them. Having all the windows open helped with the dust too.
Found that there was some water leaks in the bedroom wall, passenger side, the penatrating epoxy will fix that.
Didn't buy any underlayment with the LVT. Going to have to order some before I lay it down.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Bob and Julie –
Well I have to disagree. I have 2 multitools. A Fein, that invented them, and cordless Bosch. Using the carbide blade first, took a long time. Also used the Bosch grout removal attachment. That worked for the grout but a lot of the ground had been replaced with a calk type sealant and that did not work well there.
Really the best way I found to remove the tile is with a heavy small sledgehammer and one of those inside and is Bent and the other one is curved a little. get the Bent edge underneath the tile, hammer it in until it goes in all the way and then it pops the tile right up if you don't do it right though you damage the subfloor a little. But since my subfloor is damaged anyway it really didn't add to the mess that was already there.
But that only worked well on the tiles that were lightly stuck down, the ones that were well cemented down and they all seem to be either near the galley the refrigerator or the toilet, those didn't come up so easily. For those I used my 5-ft long pry bar that my wife bought me for Christmas. The weight of that hitting a tile tended to break it up in a smaller pieces which could then be more easily removed with the pry bar hammer method. I found black mold where the refrigerator is and some in the bathroom but not much there. Around the bed was some carpeting and I pulled that all out, but it left quite a bit of the rubberized backing on the floor. This came up easily though with a bahco scraping tool.

Our Spring Project...UGH
Prior 2003 U295  40ft  400Hp -Sold
2020 F350 Tremor - Sold
2021 Bundutec Roadrunner - Sold
2017 Airstream Classic - Sold that POS
2017 F250 - Sold
2019 Sprinter Van - Sold
2022 Winnebago Revel 4x4


Army Airborne Vet.

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #14 –
Yeah it's a big dirty job but needs to be done. I'm slowly chipping away at the thin set. Tried the grinder today... Did exactly what I thought it would do. Cleaned the floor nice of thin set while creating tons of dust even with my Fein vac on full... 🤪
Next will try a sander hooked up directly to the vacuum. Got some underlayment from Lowe's along with a self leveling compound. Waiting on the epoxy sealer from defender.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #15 –
It may be a little late for this thread, but here goes:
 
We replaced out green (almost) shag carpet with luxury vinyl planks I got from Lowes. DW also wanted to replace the OEM tile in the kitchen and bathroom (to eliminate the grout line hassles).
 
My solution was to lay 3/8" plywood wherever the carpet had been. It matched the thickness of the OEM tile. The LVPs were thick enough to span any gaps between the old tile and the new plywood. Laid the LVPs from stem to stern without any transition joints. I have matching quarter round strips for the edges and other gaps for when I get roundtuit. The frustrating thing is that with a little more effort, I would not have needed any quarter round. (Maybe that is why I haven't found any roundtuit.)
 
Spills wipe right up from the LVP without leaving any evidence of having happened!
 
By the way, With these thicker LVPs, do NOT believe the instructions that all you have to do is scribe the cut line a couple of times and snap it. I used my Ryobi 18 volt saw and jigsaw to make great cuts, easily and quickly.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Trent
Trent and Jean Eyler
2000  U295  4003  WTFE  ISC  350
Build#5603 MC#17385

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #16 –
Quote from: TulsaTrent –
It may be a little late for this thread, but here goes:
 
We replaced out green (almost) shag carpet with luxury vinyl planks I got from Lowes. DW also wanted to replace the OEM tile in the kitchen and bathroom (to eliminate the grout line hassles).
 
My solution was to lay 3/8" plywood wherever the carpet had been. It matched the thickness of the OEM tile. The LVPs were thick enough to span any gaps between the old tile and the new plywood. Laid the LVPs from stem to stern without any transition joints. I have matching quarter round strips for the edges and other gaps for when I get roundtuit. The frustrating thing is that with a little more effort, I would not have needed any quarter round. (Maybe that is why I haven't found any roundtuit.)
 
Spills wipe right up from the LVP without leaving any evidence of having happened!
 
By the way, With these thicker LVPs, do NOT believe the instructions that all you have to do is scribe the cut line a couple of times and snap it. I used my Ryobi 18 volt saw and jigsaw to make great cuts, easily and quickly.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Trent


They make a cutter that cuts (snaps) the flooring and makes great clean cuts for around $100.00. They work real good and no sawdust to clean up or get under the flooring. Check Amazon or Ebay. I started doing the scoring way and it isn't very easy. the cutter will pay for it self if you are going to do very much.
My two cents.
Ron Clark
Sherwood,Arkansas
1999 U 295 40 foot Build # 5550
2020 Jeep Gladiator
Motorcade # 18173
FMCA # F485593

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #17 –
Mine has a geo core. Can be cut with a saw. Will have to cut the first row edge off, leave a 1/4 inch gap for expansion. Was going to glue it down at first but now going to float it. Might take a few more weeks to do, waiting on the epoxy sealer. But still have a lot of thinset to remove. Getting it done a bit each day. Took out the passenger chair yesterday. Man those things are very heavy. Took longer to remove 4 bolts than I thought. They put the bolt nut side down, seems to me it would have been better to do it the other way with the bolt side down to prevent the tires from bottoming out on the bolt threads and possibly having a issue. Might try it that way. Also, my chairs must have been changed out cause the original hole pattern is different.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Plywood subfloor

Reply #18 –
Well finally finished the removal of the old thinset and grout. The multitool helped a bit on those hard to reach areas under cabinets.
Made a new inset for around the toilet flange out of ply and epoxy.  Waiting on the epoxy sealer, then have some self leveling patch to fix the areas in the galley and bath. The rest of the subfloor is in good shape. I have some LVT underlayment that will go down first, then the floor. Pulled out the passenger seat, keeping the driver's seat in place for now.
Homeowners association just sent out another letter. Seems they changed their rules last year in a meeting that noone I know went to. Looks like I will have to move the coach soon to a place not far from here but will cost $100/month. Now I can go out from my house and work on it, once moved... will not be easy to do.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired