chametzoo
Full Member
Posts: 585 
Likes: 128
1960 Mobile Scout
Currently Offline
|
Post by chametzoo on Mar 26, 2015 21:06:47 GMT -8
Does engineered wood flooring perform well, over time in travel trailer? This is the kind of plank flooring which consists of about 2-3 mm of hardwood on top of a fiber/wood material, as a tongue & groove type of plank flooring installation. Are humidity and temperature swings a problem which may cause warping/cupping and splitting/checking of this product. Does anyone have any long term experience with the performance of this type of product in travel trailers?
Thanks!
|
|
John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 577
Currently Offline
|
Post by John Palmer on Mar 26, 2015 21:59:28 GMT -8
Does engineered wood flooring perform well, over time in travel trailer? This is the kind of plank flooring which consists of about 2-3 mm of hardwood on top of a fiber/wood material, as a tongue & groove type of plank flooring installation. Are humidity and temperature swings a problem which may cause warping/cupping and splitting/checking of this product. Does anyone have any long term experience with the performance of this type of product in travel trailers? Thanks! I would think that you would want to stay far away from engineered flooring until all the federal investigation heat is resolved with Lumber Liquidators, and their high formaldehyde issue. Most of these engineered floors are interior house floors and "float on a plastic pad". They grow and move with temperature change, not sure that would be good in a trailer.
I recently installed a real 3/4" Oak tongue and groove plank floor in a 1953 Silver Streak. It was glued, and nailed to a 1 1/2" plywood subfloor. The trailer will be going to Montana as a guest room, so it will see lots of temperature changes, and time will tell how it holds up.
|
|
chametzoo
Full Member
Posts: 585
Likes: 128
1960 Mobile Scout
Currently Offline
|
Post by chametzoo on Mar 27, 2015 7:22:20 GMT -8
Thanks John. What would be a better wood option? I'd like to stay away from the laminate 'wood' products, since I don't think they look or feel at all like wood. Am I doomed to have to live with Marmoleum?
|
|
|
|
Post by bigbill on Mar 27, 2015 11:28:20 GMT -8
Thanks John. What would be a better wood option? I'd like to stay away from the laminate 'wood' products, since I don't think they look or feel at all like wood. Am I doomed to have to live with Marmoleum? There is a non wood flooring available that looks and feels like wood but is not. I can't remember the name but it was designed for restaurants and such with high traffic and water being tracked in and spilled. We installed on our kitchen floor four years ago and it still looks like new. You don't polish or wax it you just clean it with a shark steam cleaner or a clean wet mop. Check your local flooring providers. If I can find a name I will post it |
|
John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 577
Currently Offline
|
Post by John Palmer on Mar 27, 2015 15:20:58 GMT -8
I think many of our material choices are controlled by price. But if you look at the small amount of square footage required in a trailer, you can use almost anything expensive, and it still does not cost that much based on the small footage needed for the project.
|
|
Hamlet
2K Member
Posts: 2,820
Likes: 925
Currently Offline
|
Post by Hamlet on Mar 28, 2015 9:29:20 GMT -8
Thanks John. What would be a better wood option? I'd like to stay away from the laminate 'wood' products, since I don't think they look or feel at all like wood. Am I doomed to have to live with Marmoleum? I don't know what year your trailer is, but I can say for certain that in the 50s, nobody was putting hardwood floors in camping trailers. True linoleum went the way of the dinosaur in the early 60s (probably as stocks ran out), and was replaced by vinyl tiles or sheet vinyl. Lots of folks use VCT tiles these days. They're less expensive than true linoleum, but also thicker and heavier. They have a similar look, though. I wonder if VCT comes in something that looks like wood? I guess it depends what you're using it for. If, Like John, it's going to stay in one place and get used as a guest room or studio, a wood floor will work fine. I wouldn't want to take it camping, though, unless the only place I camped was at a KOA. And like John said, there are so few square feet in most of these little trailers, that you could probably do some exotic, endangered Brazilian hardwood and still spend only a couple hundred bucks. Good luck! |
|
chametzoo
Full Member
Posts: 585
Likes: 128
1960 Mobile Scout
Currently Offline
|
Post by chametzoo on Apr 12, 2015 9:18:49 GMT -8
I would think that you would want to stay far away from engineered flooring until all the federal investigation heat is resolved with Lumber Liquidators, and their high formaldehyde issue. Most of these engineered floors are interior house floors and "float on a plastic pad". They grow and move with temperature change, not sure that would be good in a trailer.
I recently installed a real 3/4" Oak tongue and groove plank floor in a 1953 Silver Streak. It was glued, and nailed to a 1 1/2" plywood subfloor. The trailer will be going to Montana as a guest room, so it will see lots of temperature changes, and time will tell how it holds up.
John: agreed regarding off gassing of this product. I wouldn't want to be in a small enclosed space with it, especially right after installation. The small sample pieces I had at my desk were almost hard to be around! From what I learned since making this post, my confidence level is low regarding 'performance' of either engineered or solid wood in the long run especially with the large swings we have in temperature and humidity every single day here in northern New Mexico. With that said, I've chosen a dark Marmoleum shade (volcanic ash) for the flooring, which will set off the rich honey colored cabinetry and interior very nicely. The Marmoleum is a sheet product and has zero VOC off gassing.... And it has a great track record for durability on vintage trailers. Pictures in the coming weeks when complete. |
|
John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 577
Currently Offline
|
Post by John Palmer on Apr 12, 2015 13:12:39 GMT -8
I would think that you would want to stay far away from engineered flooring until all the federal investigation heat is resolved with Lumber Liquidators, and their high formaldehyde issue. Most of these engineered floors are interior house floors and "float on a plastic pad". They grow and move with temperature change, not sure that would be good in a trailer.
I recently installed a real 3/4" Oak tongue and groove plank floor in a 1953 Silver Streak. It was glued, and nailed to a 1 1/2" plywood subfloor. The trailer will be going to Montana as a guest room, so it will see lots of temperature changes, and time will tell how it holds up.
John: agreed regarding off gassing of this product. I wouldn't want to be in a small enclosed space with it, especially right after installation. The small sample pieces I had at my desk were almost hard to be around! From what I learned since making this post, my confidence level is low regarding 'performance' of either engineered or solid wood in the long run especially with the large swings we have in temperature and humidity every single day here in northern New Mexico. With that said, I've chosen a dark Marmoleum shade (volcanic ash) for the flooring, which will set off the rich honey colored cabinetry and interior very nicely. The Marmoleum is a sheet product and has zero VOC off gassing.... And it has a great track record for durability on vintage trailers. Pictures in the coming weeks when complete. Marmoleum type sheet flooring has only been used in travel trailers for the past 60 to 70 years, so time will tell how well it holds up. (LOL)
The one thing that I have found is that it needs a flat, completely smooth sub surface to adhere. Even the smallest bump or crack will quickly show through the flooring surface. I sand, then prime all of my sub floor, then use a Bondo type body filler to repair any screw holes, cracks, or knots in the wood. Make sure you get the correct adhesive from a flooring dealer. It would seem logical that you would want to get the flooring material hot/warm before you install it. However it's easy to tear at the cut corners.
I had one new Marmoleum floor (no walls yet installed) that I let sit in the sun after the flooring was laid, and it developed a huge air bubble from the hot air trapped under the solid flooring. My suggestion is to not install in the direct sun, and try to minimize the temperature and humidity changes as much as possible for a few days after the install to let the glue fully dry. For example just toss a blanket over the new floor to kept the direct sun off it.
|
|
chametzoo
Full Member
Posts: 585
Likes: 128
1960 Mobile Scout
Currently Offline
|
Post by chametzoo on Apr 13, 2015 6:03:25 GMT -8
[/quote] Marmoleum type sheet flooring has only been used in travel trailers for the past 60 to 70 years, so time will tell how well it holds up. (LOL)
Good one, John!
I'm going with what works and marmoleum comes in many, many nice colors and graphic textures. Floor is being prepped exactly as you describe and inside of a garage. It should adhere just right. Thanks.
|
|
