Flooring

[Jack Wasmuth]

I am thinking about replacing the carpet in my MH with a laminate with a backing. I am told that this type of flooring is called "floating", and I was told that it may not be good for a MH .

What are your thoughts? 

[Lakota Wolf]

Jack,,, I removed my carpet out of my 85 model 5tth wheel and put in hardwood flooring which has to have the foam backing,, hence being called a floating floor, and it was recommended this way with the flexing of the RV when traveling. I had to put *rubber BB type spacers along the outer walls and where the flooring met up to the cabinet bases, to keep the wood from buckling under flex... Hope this helps you a little.

[Jack Wasmuth]

Thanks. In the instruction it said to leave a 5/16 gap on all side for expansion. I assume (ass-out-of-you-and-me) not you Lakota, this is for expansion. 

[Lakota Wolf]

Yea,,, expansion of the flooring,, Thats basic instruction for general construction, mostly for a house,, and hard wood flooring is becomming more and more readily available for RV's,, Thats why they have those rubber BB looking wedges to place around the edges,, keeps everything snug till it settles and still gives for flexing.

[Jack Wasmuth]

Thank You again Sir.

[Terry H]

Hello, Jack.

Having gone through and done the same thing a few years ago using laminate flooring, having a water heater leak, and ending up having to remove the laminate and replace with vinyl planks, a few questions:

Have you bought and installed the flooring yet?

Do you have a dog?

Do you intend in the future to remodel - dinette, couch, floor mounted cabinets etc.?

If so, are you running the planks front to back or side to side?

If you wish I can explain the trials and tribulations I had (particularly leak wise) and have a few photos.

As I have hay fever, replacing the carpet was one of the best things I did.

[Jack Wasmuth]

Hi Terry, I will take all of the advice I can get. Yes I have purchased the flooring with the attached backing. I have a friend who has install it in his home and a couple of others. Yes we have a small 5 lb dog. No future remodels planned.

I think front to back. 21 ft class C. I REFUSE to have a water leak. LOL I have all new pluming.

So all the help is GREATLY appreciated. 

[Terry H]

Hello, Jack. This may be somewhat convoluted, but here goes:

I originally replaced my carpet with LAMINATE flooring. It is basically laminated planks with an embossed finish. Not much more than sawdust and glue. First exposure to water means swelling.

Engineered flooring is 'quality' plywood with a very thin layer of the desired hardwood/finish wood glued to the top.

Hardwood is just that.

I had a slow leak from my water heater - slow enough that I did not realize it for a few days - and my water heater was under the couch. By the time  I realized and repaired it, as it was somewhat hidden, water had migrated under the laminate. Four weeks later - major swelling. Sawdust and water.

I ended up having to remove all of the laminate. I did replace it with vinyl planking - looks the same and impervious to water - and am extremely happy with it.

Cleans well.

Has no trouble with water.

Is very friendly to dog claws.

Warmth factor compared to laminate is equal.

Benefits:

Very easy to cut and install.

Very compliant to road travel shifting, moving etc.

Cleans with normal floor maintenance.

Very difficult to damage - dog claws, dropping a knife etc.

Very easy to replace a plank, should it be necessary.

Cons:

May be slightly more expensive. Based on the square footage required, not a lot.

Nowhere near as warm to the feet as carpet. Consider area carpets for areas often used.

When I first replaced mine I weighed the carpet and underlay I remove. I also weighed the flooring and underlay installed. I added 22 pounds with the replacement. However, I removed 150 pounds by deleting the dinette and couch (I full time alone and found them superfluous).

When I changed from laminate to vinyl I added 30 pounds. All in all, I figure I'm ahead.

Reason I asked about front to back and future remodelling is:

Front to back is aesthetically pleasing and works best for future changes.

Most coaches have the entry door, etc. on the passenger side. Changes are easier (floor finish wise) away from the starting point.

Removing/adding works best if you follow the original installation direction.

The foam on the back is intended to be noise reduction for your downstairs neighbors.

For my installation I used 1/4" cork sheets, 30" x 40" under the flooring. Reasons being, I had a fair amount left over from a previous installation, it is very beneficial to heat retention, and it is a great sound barrier.

Hope this helps.

[Jack Wasmuth]

Thank You Terry, I have not picked up the laminate so I will check into the vinyl planking. I really appreciate the info.

I will keep you posted on the progress if I have any questions.

Jack

[Terry H]

I also REFUSE to have a water leak.

I also INTEND to win the lottery.

Wonder which will happen first???

[Russell E Johnson]

I was going to put down Bamboo flooring in the MMP, but after reading Terry H's reply about vinyl, I am going to look into it. Hope all is going well for everyone.