Community Forums

dwarfracer1 · 10-10-2016, 07:16 AM

anybody that has put down laminate flooring, did you use glue to hold it down or allow it to "float" if it's floating how does the slide affect it? Thanks, Bill

jacwjames · 10-10-2016, 07:39 AM

I installed laminate flooring in both a Class C with no slides and a Class A with slides.

In both cases I essentially let the floor float except in the front area of the coaches where there a lot of room I wanted the laminate to stay centered so when I got about ~half done laying it I put a liberal amount of "Gorilla" glue in the center layes some more flooring and then weighted the area down with several heavy objects to let it dry. I figured by doing this the floor could still expand and contract but it would stay in place.

The laminate I laid was a snap lock type but I still used a water proof glue on the joints thinking this would help in case of water on the floor. We travel with dogs and when it rains they carry a lot of water on there coats.

My slide is a raised floor type so I didn't have a problem putting laminate underneath.

imob · 10-10-2016, 07:22 PM

We just started our flooring project this weekend. We went with a plank style. I went under the dinette and stapled the hidden edges while leaving the main floor floating.

imob · 10-10-2016, 07:25 PM

Still have to get back the hallway and do the bathroom

jcgribks · 10-10-2016, 08:00 PM

You need to let it float due to the wide range of temperatures that a motorhome goes through depending on where you live. Here in Kansas City we go from below 0 to over 100 degrees. The floor is going to contract and expand. You only need to leave about a 1/4 inch space around the outside/wall edges. Then to cover the space up you put down quarter round molding.

imob · 10-10-2016, 08:22 PM

Actually expansion and contraction is a product of moisture content in the material and it's reaction to temperature. As vinyl is largely a petroleum product and as such not porous it largely does not have that problem. It will become softer or harder but not really shrink or expand. That is why they use vinyl for seals. Wood products on the other hand, including laminate flooring, will expand greatly on moisture content and then let it freeze and it expands even more. The concept of a "floating" floor is for ease and cost of installation reasons not for expansion and contraction. If anything a floating wood based floor products makes those issues much worse.

imob · 10-10-2016, 08:36 PM

Oh and as a foot note... use shoe molding not quarter round (shoe is thinner). Using quarter in such a small place looks really awkward. It tends to have scale forced perceptive problem because you are much closer to it in an RV then you are in a home.

Ernie Ekberg · 10-11-2016, 05:15 AM

or install engineered and adhere it with urethane adhesive and cut it tight against the walls and cabinets- no molding required

Ernie Ekberg · 10-11-2016, 05:20 AM

or install engineered wood and adhere it with urethane adhesive- won't move and you don't need any molding

imob · 10-11-2016, 06:14 AM

To make it look good you always need moulding. You can do tricks to minimize the amount of places you need it but you will always need it.

Ernie Ekberg · 10-11-2016, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imob

To make it look good you always need moulding. You can do tricks to minimize the amount of places you need it but you will always need it.

for laminate, yes, for engineered, only molding required is stair nose or T molding

imob · 10-11-2016, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie Ekberg

for laminate, yes, for engineered, only molding required is stair nose or T molding

Having owned a property restoration company for many years, and flooring being one of most often damaged and replaced things... I would respectfully disagree. If you are laying any wood based flooring product you must leave a gap on 2 sides of the room. Not doing so and putting in the product too tight will result in "floor pop" regardless of how much glue or edge nails you put in. Now in areas with extreme low humidity the expansion/contraction effect will be much less. Also it depends on what is the sq ft of the area in question as the bigger the space the greater the effect.

Or are you more referring to the idea of using the base board molding to hide the edges and not needing quarter/shoe? Because yes, if you have a fresh clean room with no trim, you can simply use that to hide the edge without the added need of "round". But you are still hiding the edge.

In a coach you can lift or disassemble furniture so you will have blind edge, but on the built in cabinets and kitchen it would be very difficult and much more work then its worth to do it with out "round".

purrin along · 10-11-2016, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imob

We just started our flooring project this weekend. We went with a plank style. I went under the dinette and stapled the hidden edges while leaving the main floor floating.

Please send pics when finished.I want to see how you
finish out the stair area.

imob · 10-11-2016, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purrin along

Please send pics when finished.I want to see how you finish out the stair area.

I will, though with my grandsons 4th birthday party this weekend, it may take another week. My wife and I were at odds of how to transition and finish the stairs... So we went and toured several new RV lots in the area to see the current trends. Mostly they came in 2 flavors... one was to have the horizontal surfaces carpeted, rubber matting on the step treads, and rubber edge transition. The other was usually solid black painted one piece steel insert that lipped over the flooring and had rubber on the step treads.

As ours does not have the design for #2 we went with the first option. I will trim the carpet edge just below the top of he plywood and put some spray glue down as well as staple the carpet that will be hidden by the transition. Then cut and install rubber edge transition. I am still on the fence of how to secure the rubber but leaning towards contact glue and round head trim nails.

TrafficMASTER 36 in. Vinyl Stair Edging, Black-18518 - The Home Depot