Community Forums

BINGHAMD · 11-03-2015, 05:51 AM

We have a 2005 Fleetwood Revolution and are planning on getting rid of all carpeting and putting new floor down. We have 2 dogs and one 5 year old son. Does anyone have any input or experience on what type of floor to consider. Obviously it needs to be durable and wear well while looking good doing it! We will have it professionally installed. We've had people tell us that certain types of flooring are " louder" when walked on. So many factors to consider. Thanks.

jacwjames · 11-03-2015, 06:54 AM

In our previous coach, a Class C, it had carpeting from front to back. I replaced the carpeting with a laminate which held up well. We also had/have dogs.

When we bought our current coach, a Class A with 2 slides, it had carpeting in the LR & BR. I replaced the carpeting again with laminate flooring. It has held up well.

On thing that I did was actually use a small bead of water proof glue between each piece of laminate to try and prevent any water intrusion and keep the joints tight.

Also, a laminate floor is suppose to float, not necessarily a good thing. To keep the floor from moving I used a liberal amount of gorilla glue in the center of the LR Floor and then weighted it down until cured. This keeps the laminate centered but will let it expand or contract.

I was able to loosen and lift up both the drivers side & passenger side dashes and slide the laminate underneath. Same with the protruding portion of the front dash that has the radio & AC controls. The captain chairs had a heavy mount around the base that I laid the laminate up to and then added a piece of trim that I made out of oak and stained to match the laminate. I also used this at the transition of the tile flooring of the kitchen and bathroom.

BINGHAMD · 11-03-2015, 07:33 PM

Laminate was one of our considerations. Originally we were going to go with hardwood floors but have pretty much decided not to.....more expensive and worried that it will not wear well: scratches, etc. Thanks for the input! We are getting the estimate soon so will talk with them about laminate.

Ernie Ekberg · 11-04-2015, 05:18 AM

Every material will scratch-
engineered wood, adhered with urethane adhesive will be rock solid and not hollow sounding like the floating stuff

BINGHAMD · 11-04-2015, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie Ekberg

Every material will scratch-
engineered wood, adhered with urethane adhesive will be rock solid and not hollow sounding like the floating stuff

I read a comment about your skills and knowledge on some forum somewhere but not sure where exactly. Do you feel engineered wood will is a safe choice as far as wear and tear long term? As I mentioned prior, we have dogs and a child so we want to get what is best so we're not looking at a floor covering with regret when it starts looking rough. Thank you!

Ernie Ekberg · 11-04-2015, 07:40 AM

When engineered wood came out, initially, there were two finishes: gloss and matte. Since that material has been manufactured the designers are moving to the hand scraped look. This look enables any scratches to be corrected with a little stain or Old English scratch cover. Engineered wood is dimensionally stable- thus when adhered with urethane adhesive it won't cup on the edges or expand when exposed to varying humidity conditions.
We have 4 poodles and a Siamese cat that travel with us. Sometimes our 8 year old grandson goes with us, also. These floors are meant to take a beating and to be enjoyed and not to fret over. We have some oriental runner rugs we put down so that the dogs and cat and us old people can have some traction. Hope this helps.

alvo · 11-05-2015, 01:05 PM

The "loudness" of laminate flooring is largely dependent on the underlayment that is used, with more sound deadening coming from pricier material. The actual noise level is of more importance in a house or apartment where there may be someone on the floor below you. The noise isn't really much of an issue in an RV.

Most "click-together" laminate floors are designed to float, but that doesn't mean they will be moving around as you drive. They generally have about a 1/4" gap around the outside edges to allow for expansion with weather changes. The friction with underlayment and the weight of the flooring itself preclude it moving, it doesn't need to be glued or otherwise fastened down.

jrs · 11-07-2015, 04:21 PM

Quality laminate flooring wears extremely well and is easy to clean. Gluing the snap on type mentioned above probably a good move/

ronandsue74 · 11-07-2015, 06:09 PM

I installed new distressed engineered hardwood flooring in my motor home two years ago. Although we do not have animals, we do have grandchildren.
The floor has held up very well.
As Ernie has stated it touches up very easily and is not noticeable.
This option has worked well for us.
Photo attached. "I think".
RJ
2005 CC Inspire #51264