Installing Lament Flooring

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Duncanator

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Jan 19, 2018
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So I am looking at installing a hardwood flooring into my RV and have 0 experience in doing anything like this.

I have heard it is a great idea to insulate under your floor and my girlfriend found a bunch of free black gym mat. (You know the kind that is usually under the weights at the gym.) Would this be okay to use and would there be any for seen issues? Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks!
 
I have installed laminate flooring in every room in our house and I would only use the thin rolled under- layment that is made to go with it. It is very inexpensive.
Why gamble on the unknown ?
Also, keep in mind that it is supposed to be "floating" so you must leave a small space around the perimeter. That space is usually covered with quarter round molding that is nailed to the walls so the floor can float freely under it.
Hopefully someone who has installed it in a RV will respond how they solved the various problems

Jack L
 
Welcome to the forum.

Before diving into the project you need to look at this with a different set of eyes. Study just how intricate the perimeter is, and how are going to handle the tight areas. You didn't state whether you have a motorhome or trailer, not that it makes a big difference. If motorhome are you to go around or under the driver & passenger seats? If you have a slideout how are you going to keep the slideout from scratching new floor when it moves in & out? It's things like that, that new eyes help out with.

I would skip the gym mats who knows what odor the mat would have once exposed to a hot day, also I would think that it is just too thick to use with that type of flooring.

Good luck

Corky
 
Good advice above.  I would further suggest that an RV is not a great choice for your first attempt at flooring. It involves the most challenging aspects of installation, plus an RV is an extreme environment for of humidity, temperature variation, vibration and flexing, all of which demand a near-perfect installation to avoid disaster.

If you have any slides, flooring height and resistance to scarring is a key. Also, you would need to provide for the edges of the slide if you put flooring on that. Some other challenging areas you may have are around the entry steps, around seat pedestals, a engine "dog house", and plumbing (if you do the bath).

Laminate is normally installed "floating" in a residential building, but in an RV the amount of flex in the floor can cause a lot of shifting. You may find that gluing it down is better in the long term.  I would also suggest considering vinyl plank rather than laminate composites. Better moisture resistance, for one thing, and more amenable to gluing it down as well.

Last advice: buy better grade materials. The amount of flooring in an RV is small, so paying an extra dollar or two for a good grade of flooring doesn't add much to the cost. It pays big dividends in installation and longevity. The better stuff interlocks solidly, usually doesn't expand/contract as much, handles temperature and humidity change better, and looks better besides!
 
Skip the gym mats. It will have too much give and cause the floor to "work" and you will soon be replacing it all. Use the underlayment designed for the floor. They come in different grades, so use the better, meaning more expensive, for better insulation. Once you get the hang of cutting and fitting, it will go easier than you expect. There are lots of videos on YouTube on installations. I did my own,  but have 20 years in the flooring business. Chuck
 
I just completed this same project on my rig last spring. Just use the thin foam underlayment that is meant to be used with the product. It is a little bit of work to cut around everything, but not mission impossible. I have a class A, and I just left the carpet in the cockpit and tucked the underlayment under that. As Gary mentioned, it is crucial to ensure that the slide(s) will have proper clearance when closing. The material I used is only 3/16? thick, and it just barely clears. (I left the existing linoleum in place and layed over the top of it) I simply just brought home a sample and operated the slide over the sample to make sure that the clearance was adequate. Good luck!
 
Are you convinced that hardwood is what you want?  If so, that's great! Another suggestion you should check into is Allure Tile products.  The GripStrip Resilient Tile line works very well. Waterproof and sturdy enough to be unmarked after 3 seasons of people traffic. As well as a big old German Shepard running all over it (In my case). I did remove the original linoleum and prep the sub floor with a couple coats of Kilz primer. I just figured cheap insurance.
I did pull up some carpet staples where the carpet met the old linoleum to slide the new planking under it. No big deal. Also, the new stuff slid under the super slide perfectly. No marking at all while operating the slide.
The perimeter pieces take a bit of finesse. The rest of the project went very smooth. Floor was all done in one day. Except for the edges. The quarter round to cover the perimeter had to wait until the next visit.

Not trying to change your mind on choice of material. Just wondered if you checked into it as an option.   
 
I also used Allure and just left the bedroom and cockpit carpet (gas class A). I used standard edge trim from Lowes to make the transitions from tile to carpet. One quarter round at walls to maintain the free float.

Ernie
 
Im finishing up the flooring on our 22'C with peel and stick vinyl to replace the carpet. So far so good. I like the fact it sticks down to the plywood and is fairly thick. Im putting in trim on the areas that need it, but not all the way around. Its a pain to cut all of the intricate pieces to fit, lot of measuring and cutting with razor knife. Ill try to post some pictures when done.
 
Maybe this old post will help a little.

I edited it to replace the photobucket pictures with embedded pictures in the last post of this project to make it easier to see and to save on data download.

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,69841.msg1015331.html#msg1015331
 
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