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Bondad · 08-13-2012, 04:36 PM

I recently replaced the faucet on my outdoor shower. I checked for leaks and all semed fine so I buttoned everything up. Four days into our trip the floor was soaked in the morning (half carpet, half lanolium) - the hot water line had sprung a leak at the connection sometime in the middle of the night. I went and bought a shop vac and dried the carpet as best I could but the water got under the lanolium floor. After I dried everything out with fans and the RV sitting in 90 degree dry colorado weather, the lanolium floor has a bubble. It compresses when stepped on but obviously the underlayment seperated and is now damaged.

So how to fix this? My guess is I need to pull up the lanolium (how do I do this since it's also under the kitchen cabinets?????) and either repair the seperation with glue or remove and replace.

What have other done in similar situations? Do I file a claim with insurance? Should I just try to live with the bubble?

Comments are greatly encouraged!

baraff · 08-13-2012, 04:47 PM

How big is the bubble? You might be able to poke a very small hole in it, place a weight over it to flatten it and maybe the glue will take hold again.
Or you may be able to make a small slit in the bubble and inject some glue, weight it down for a few days.
I hate plumbing problems, the collateral damage is always worse than the problem itself.
Good luck and let us know what happens.

djbmsu · 08-13-2012, 04:52 PM

The key will be to insure that you have it dried completely before you attempt to repair the damage. I have made a slit to open up the damaged area and using a leveler product and a good adhesive then put the lineolum back in place with a weight. If that does not work you may be in for a tear off of the old and installation of new.

baraff · 08-13-2012, 04:56 PM

If the underlayment is damaged and the plys have seperated, you could maybe remove an area of the vinyl a bit larger than the bubble, (carefully cut a neat square) remove the delaminated plys and build up or patch the area with a good floor leveling compound, then lay the vinyl back down. It might be worth a try.

Bondad · 08-13-2012, 05:10 PM

Thanks for the ideas. I just remembered the flooring also goes under the couch - right next the damage - and is not "finished" under there. I think I can unbolt the couch and get to the bubble through the unfinished section of the flooring. I'm almost positive I can get some adhesive in there this way. I don’t have anything to lose I guess.

But keep the idea coming, please!

Dutch Star Don · 08-13-2012, 05:15 PM

Bondad......If you're not fultiming, relax, enjoy your trip and let the unit dry out. Give it a few weeks and see how things look. You might be able to pull some of the linoleum up and reglue it.

Bondad · 08-13-2012, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diplomat Don

Bondad......If you're not fultiming, relax, enjoy your trip and let the unit dry out. Give it a few weeks and see how things look. You might be able to pull some of the linoleum up and reglue it.

Don - no, I'm not fulltiming and we did enjoy the rest of the trip but relaxing is not something I'm good at

. I think I will take your advise and take a wait and see attitude. THANKS for your post!

Dutch Star Don · 08-13-2012, 07:47 PM

Bondad....If you're like me, its probably killing you not to jump in and do something. It really needs to dry out and do what its going to do. If you work on it too soon, the wood could continue to dry and ruin your repair work.

If you can't get to the bubble, a fishing hypodermic, used to inflate worms, works well to insert glue without ruining the vinyl.

Tired-old · 10-16-2012, 10:36 AM

Please check and make sure you do not have a split grey water drain. We just spent a week trying to find out why our front carpet was wet along the edge of the drivers side sofa. One of our kids removed an access panel in the galley and found the main junction for the grey water from all sinks, shower, washer was broken in half. It appears the cords and hoses that move in and out with the slide had gotten behind this hard black PVC piece and had caused it to snap. Read as about $600.00.

jmugsshow · 10-16-2012, 10:54 AM

Dry is the keyword here. I think you are taking the right tack by letting it sit a while. should you need to slit the lino be sure to use a seam sealer after it is glued back in place. Seam sealer sorta melts the vinyl together and makes ther repair almost disappear.

jmugsshow · 10-16-2012, 11:10 AM

Also...recently I re-did our flooring and found a spot that had been wet at one time. The underflooring was sloid, but had a low place. I mixed some latex liquid into my floor fill so it would have a flexable property. The previous owner had used some fill, but it was brittle and all in loose chips. Two days of "set-up" time and it was good to go when I tapped on it with a small hammer and felt just fine under foot. We love our new floors.

Cougarkid · 10-16-2012, 12:11 PM

After it is dry, the "rot doctor" makes some really good stuff for repairing water damaged wood. Google it. Layup and laminating resin.

Had a leak and some delam on the rear corner. Luan was separated.

Have to be able to get to the plywood. Inject it or pour it in. Press wood to shape and let it dry.

Creates a bond that is semi-flexible resin. Works really good.

Another option.