Laminate plank flooring under furniture?

[StayinClassC]

I just ordered vinyl plank flooring to replace the existing carpet and linoleum in our class c RV. I’ve been watching lots of how-to videos and most of them take the dinette and couch out and the lay the flooring under the furniture and then screw the furniture back down once the new floor is in. Is this really the way to do it? In a house a floating floor can’t go under cabinets because it anchors the whole thing down and causes more issues than necessary with expansion and contraction gaps. What have you all done that’s been the most successful? Thank you!

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Vinyl plank doesn't expand and contract nearly as much as a wood plank floating floor would. Some folks glue their vinyl down and others let it float, and I haven't come across information that shows either one is the better way to go.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[TheBar]

The only reason to put new flooring under furniture other than aesthetics is to make it look like it came that way from the factory. Otherwise if you sell the RV in the future the buyer would know it was a DIY project and might worry whether the flooring was installed right.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There is no need to go under fixed cabinets, but you will want to go under dinette and probably at least some other furniture.

As Mark said, good quality vinyl doesn't expand/contract as much as many laminates, mostly because it is moisture resistant. I've seen some low-priced stuff buckle up from expansion, though. Hard to know whether it was poorly laid or simply expanded too much, or maybe the floor suffered more temp/humidity change than most. There is a lot of variation in RV floor construction and insulation.

RV flooring pros like Ernie Eckberg recommend gluing it down rather than floating, probably because there is a lot of movement in an RV hurtling down a highway. I've done a couploe RV flooring projects and have glued vinyl in larger areas in an RV, but floated it in small spaces, e.g. around a bed or in a bath. No problems with either one.

Once you screw something through the flooring, it is no longer truly floating but that's not necessarily an issue. One techniq is to predrill a larger hole in the vinyl than the screw needs, thus allowing the vinyl to shift a bit under the furniture leg.

 

[Ernie Ekberg]

Thank you for mentioning my name