Community Forums

Sky_Boss · 03-18-2014, 01:35 PM

Radar...thanks for the info. It says it is for laminate/floating floor. Is that what you have?

Ernie...your thoughts on adding this to our project?

radar · 03-18-2014, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sky_Boss

Radar...thanks for the info. It says it is for laminate/floating floor. Is that what you have?

Ernie...your thoughts on adding this to our project?

Yes. We have the Pergo brand, laminate floating type floor. The snap lock kinda thing. (not sure if thats the right description). Seems fairly bullet proof and we are happy with the product. We use to own an apartment building and used it frequently on renos. Tough stuff.

Ernie Ekberg · 03-18-2014, 04:11 PM

The heat mats are great for the floating floors. I received my new radiant guide trade publication. It did not list any items for glued down engineered wood. I'm trying to do some research on this.

Ernie Ekberg · 03-18-2014, 04:12 PM

I use laquer thinner to clean my hands along with a bundle of white cotton rags

Sky_Boss · 03-18-2014, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie Ekberg

The heat mats are great for the floating floors. I received my new radiant guide trade publication. It did not list any items for glued down engineered wood. I'm trying to do some research on this.

Ya...after I posted the question I kinda went DUH! How do you glue down a floor with a mat in-between? That sounds rather difficult at best.

akeyzoo · 03-19-2014, 12:46 PM

Am tinkering with cleanup, t-minus 3 days to install time. There are a few minor headscratchers I will need to deal with in terms of finished product that carpet masked nicely.

Around the seat base plates for example. Were carpeted over, but now will be exposed. Perhaps I trim out a wood frame, but for now will wait until I install seats to see how "visible" they are. They are painted black and such, but may be an eyesore. Also, on the two slides in the front of the coach there are a serios of bolts (6 on driver and 3 on passenger) that are on the outside edge of the slide and the heads are exposed. May need to think of a creative way to cover them. Also, the steering column, where it goes through floor, may take some creativity.

All solvable problems, and I promise lots of pics.

Chris.

Ernie Ekberg · 03-19-2014, 03:45 PM

Chris- do you have a plastic cover around steering column? Or do you have a rubber boot? Either way remove the cover or raise the frame the boot is on to install your wood. I usually cut up around seat bases with the wood. Spray paint the bases a flat black- flat won't reflect light. I also use a marks a lot on the cut pieces of wood around the bases so that you don't see the white cut of the wood.
If you are decking the slide with plywood, you can just cut the plywood around the bolt heads and put your new wood right over that. If you are extending your plywood, don't forget to extend it past the edge of the main floor where the slide ramps up. The slide should be the last item to be covered. Ernie

akeyzoo · 03-19-2014, 05:03 PM

Ernie,
Not redecking the slides. The bolt heads would be completely concealed behind couch on passenger side. On the drivers side 3 would be concealed behind couch and 3 would be visible in the dinette area. Since they are against the outside wall of the slide, some trim over them would be pretty inconspicuous.

Good advice on seats.

Steering column has rubber boot at bottom but also has a bunch of sealant on it. I will need to figure out what to do there. If I can lift the boot up cleanly I like your idea of attaching it to the new flooring.

As always, thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie Ekberg

Chris- do you have a plastic cover around steering column? Or do you have a rubber boot? Either way remove the cover or raise the frame the boot is on to install your wood. I usually cut up around seat bases with the wood. Spray paint the bases a flat black- flat won't reflect light. I also use a marks a lot on the cut pieces of wood around the bases so that you don't see the white cut of the wood.
If you are decking the slide with plywood, you can just cut the plywood around the bolt heads and put your new wood right over that. If you are extending your plywood, don't forget to extend it past the edge of the main floor where the slide ramps up. The slide should be the last item to be covered. Ernie

akeyzoo · 03-24-2014, 10:44 AM

OK. So let me start by saying this is the first time I have glued down flooring. If you are working in a wide open room, no problem, DUMP the glue from the bucket and trowel away. In an RV? Mess ensues. I got that crap everywhere. Arms, face, hair, clothes and especially on the floor. Thank god I remembered to pick up a bottle of glue remover when I picked up flooring.

Since I can't add comments to pics "inline", I will do a couple updates this morning.

I started with the stairwell. This is where the line down the coach is established. Now, seems easy enough, but there are a few hours here of scribing and fitting. Notice the stairwell cover track has a curved end? Thanks stairwell covering track manufacturer. A compass and trial and error and good to go.

Once this was in I did the stairnose moulding on the top of the stairs and the few short pieces of flooring "forward" of the entry stairnose (just a few inches, but lots of small pieces. Per Ernie's suggestion I sanded the backside of the stairnose.

The next section I did was the passenger side slide. This slide was a small self contained rectangular area AND I needed it done to move the sofa back out of the way.

The face of the bottom of the slide was first covered in 2" strips of flooring I ripped on the tablesaw, then the stairnose was installed and flooring from there. Pretty easy. Only real trick here was making sure I had holes in the floor for the seatbelts (measure twice

) Also, there were some bolts and a bracket on the outside wall of the slide. I was worried about covering them, but with my 1/2" material I just cut out the back of the flooring to accommodate them. I took a pic of the floor before I added the last thin row with the bracket and bolts still showing.Looks great.

Also, notice on the slide floor I used some painters tape to hold floor in place. I quickly gave up on that later and used my brad nailer to hold flooring in place to prevent shifting. MUCH easer to do a couple rows and just drop a few brands in (on the tongue, not top of flooring of course).

Here are pics of the above. I think first stairwell pic does not yet have stairnose trim.

Chris

akeyzoo · 03-24-2014, 10:51 AM

Nest I started the main floor "from there". Noticed I used this construction paper to mask the finished floor area. Highly necessary as inevitably you step in glue and track it all over. Some cutting here to get it under the center console, but honestly no biggie. From here it was just moving down the coach and then out to the drivers side wall.

Thanks to Ernie's advice I was able to spend some time with the steering column book and after cleaning up the silicone pull it up to mount on the wood. Also, lots of annoying cuts to get around the center console and drivers foot area.

Oh, and the drivers side slide has ramps and drops down a bit. TO fit the floor under the sides I "clearanced" the aluminum a bit as shown.

I will double check for potential water intrusion areas as a result of moving the boot above the wood, and may seal from below better so water cant get up under the wood there. Many it sure looks great up front now!

Chris

to be continued...

akeyzoo · 03-24-2014, 10:57 AM

Did I mention my brother was helping me (thank god)? So we wouldn't trip over each other TOO much, I sent him back to the bedroom.

The section next to the bed where the engine compartment is has two steps and a compartment door. After a lot of head scratching, he came up with a great solution. The first step area was partially removable and odd shaped. To prevent having an unnecessary seam what he did was cut a piece of 1/2" ply to cover the entire first step area and mount it to the engine access panel. He then laid the flooring over the entire panel. He then drilled holes for the panel screws and I will buy some furniture plugs to fill those holes. Pictures do not do it justice. Some loving care and stairnose later, it looks AMAZING!

He then did the passenger bedroom slide floor... (didn't have interim pic so this is bedroom floor and slide completed)

to be continued...

Tomtall · 03-24-2014, 10:58 AM

Chris - Looks great! I just have make sure the DW doesn't see your thread or else ours will be getting done.

Sky_Boss · 03-24-2014, 11:05 AM

Simply put...LOOKING GOOD!

akeyzoo · 03-24-2014, 11:19 AM

OK. Remember I got lucky on this rig and the big drivers side slide has rollers and ramps that are accessible by removing the leading edge. I then loosened the ramps and either butted the floor up to or under the ramps. All turned out excellently. I have not tested slide yet, but should work better then with the carpet. Very happy with the results. I need to clean the heck out of the roller ramps and rollers so they do not bring construction debris onto the floor. I then brought the floor all the way down the room and hallway. Next was bathroom, nothing tricky here (except a hole in the ground).

One note, it really tight or awkward areas, I used construction adhesive INSTEAD of the Bostik flooring. Just WAY less mess. Lets suffice to say, I will not ever be removing this floor!!!