Flooring Replacement

[GaryS1953]

Hi All - due to a leaking fresh water drain valve I have to pull carpet and replace flooring. My wife has always hated the carpet so now is the time to put in what she wants. She'd like some sort of wood look flooring though out the kitchen dining living room area. Once all the carpet is removed, it seems all the flooring is one level, so it should be easy to also pull the linoleum material that's there. Previous owner had replaced the bathroom flooring with square stick-on vinyl tiles, and that has not worked out well at all. Any recommendations for wood-look type tile vinyl, and installation tips would be greatly appreciated.

[BadgerMcAdams]

Another thing to remember...weight. If it is going in a Class "enter yours here" coach, then it probably isn't going to be a big factor. If going in a Trailer or Fiver, those planks add up. When you are figuring the square footage needed, check the box to see if it has a weight on it. Then you can get a guesstimate on the total weight of flooring you will be adding.

Just food for thought, Carry on with your normally scheduled banter!

[Quadcab]

Gary, I work as a flooring specialist for a Michigan retailer. If you want a vinyl plank floor that will withstand temperature extremes (below 50 degrees or above 100 degrees), you should make sure that it is a rigid-core vinyl product made for such use. We have had issues with people having joint failures on their vinyl (and laminate) floors in unheated or un-airconditioned homes because most are not designed to for such temperature & humidity fluctuations. I agree a floating floor is necessary - but not just any floor. Products such as Adura Max Prime or Coretec Pro Plus are the type you should seriously consider (they are rated from minus 20 degrees up to 140 degrees). I don't know what they have in the big box stores, they may have their own lines, but I would hate for you to waste your money on the wrong flooring. Maybe where you live & travel in more moderate climates, but here in Michigan we see huge weather changes very frequently. This is my best attempt to help you from someone who sells a lot of these floors.

[GaryS1953]

Thanks SO much everybody for all the help. This forum is AWESOME and filled with AWESOME people.

[Bird_Freak]

I just finished putting Allure in a mobile home. It uses the tape and once it sticks it will not come apart. Going to put in fiver next.
For what its worth they do not recommend under lament unless over a concrete floor.

[westend]

GaryS1953 wrote:
You guys have given me a lot to go on. For ease of install seems like the snaplock stuff looks great. Now that all the carpet and vinyl is removed I can tell the floor in the camper is OSB plywood which is a little rough. Since the snaplock stuff comes in "various thicknesses" would it be necessary to replace all the flooring with a smoother plywood before installing the snaplock?

No, there aren't many that go to that length to install a floating floor product. If the floor is uneven, fill any cracks and holes with a floor filler and sand to flat. I'd suggest to use an underlayment under any floating floor. Lumber Liquidators sells an excellent underlayment that is made of reconstituted rubber and cork. The big box stores may be carrying an underlament that is similar, I haven't looked.

[trailerbikecamp]

GaryS1953 wrote:
Now that all the carpet and vinyl is removed I can tell the floor in the camper is OSB plywood which is a little rough. Since the snaplock stuff comes in "various thicknesses" would it be necessary to replace all the flooring with a smoother plywood before installing the snaplock?

Ours is OSB too and we never put a smoother layer over top. Ours is just the same as when we put it down.

If you have any soft spots in your floor, now is the perfect time to fix them.

[GaryS1953]

You guys have given me a lot to go on. For ease of install seems like the snaplock stuff looks great. Now that all the carpet and vinyl is removed I can tell the floor in the camper is OSB plywood which is a little rough. Since the snaplock stuff comes in "various thicknesses" would it be necessary to replace all the flooring with a smoother plywood before installing the snaplock?

[Grit_dog]

donn0128 wrote:
Check out the vinyl plank flooring at places like Lowes, HomeDepot, lumber Liquidators. They sell some nice looking stuff that is a simple snap lock. It also comes in various thicknesses, so be sure you have the room if you choose a thick one.

^This. It's on my list for the ole camper too. The snap lock vinyl (or whatever its made of) is the perfect material for the application.
And fwiw, the Homie Depot stuff I bought wasn't expensive and I needed an instant solution for our laundry/mud room several years ago. I expected it to fit the bill for the short term, but 4 years later and about 100 trips a day across it including the kids draggin in everything they can, it still looks like new save for a few big scratches that would be there on anything but tile.

[CR_CRUISER]

I replaced the ugly vinyl in my kitchen/dining/living room with Duradeck. The stuff is just about bulletproof and super easy to clean. I've been using it in boats for years and it has stood up well.

[MrWizard]

We poor pergo red oak, plank flooring in one of our previous RVs and loved it

[TNGW1500SE]

donn0128 wrote:
Pergo is NOT waterproof......

So. I didn't say I'd install it on the outside of a submarine. Why would you need a waterproof floor in your RV anymore than you would in your house? I have Pergo in both.

Before you buy any flooring, take your fingernail to a sample and see if you can scratch it.

[mobilefleet]

one thing to note about allure- make sure to use an underlayment when installing. In cold temps the seams will separate and be visible if you don't.

[Old_Islander]

Wow, that is really nice. Thanks for your suggestions -- I have to replace the floor in a camper and this stuff should work nicely...!

[trailerbikecamp]

We replaced our floor in our Carriage fiver 3 yes ago. We used Allure vinyl in a barnwood pattern. After 3 yes it still looks like the day we put it down.

One thing to make sure of is to remove ALL dirt and staples. Even a small piece will result in a bump in the floor.