Flooring Questions

We put down vinyl plank flooring in our fiver. We replaced the carpet, because of a couple stains on our light colour carpet. The flooring we used came from HD, and each box has 3 plank widths. This gives it a more natural look, more like a hardwood. The colour we chose is very close to a reclaimed barn board. We found this colour to hide any joints as well as any potential mess. Whe we have friends over at our site we don't worry about anything that may get tracked in. The vinyl plank is floating floor so there are no glue joints to separate and show. Around the edges, I used the smalest cove molding that I could find to give it a finished look. The molding is pin-nailed to the cabinets and walls, not the flooring to allow for movement.of the floor. The flooring is very easy to install. I used a straight edge, a sharp utility knife to put down the floor itself in a single afternoon.

The vinyl plank is virtually waterproof in case of a spill. BIL has laminate in his camper and had a leak. The entire floor buckled and much of it may have to be replaced if the flooring does not return to its original position. It is also very easy to clean, a damp mop or broom is all thats needed to clean it.

I replaced the vinyl and carpet with stainmaster vinyl plank floating flooring.

Thank you for you help. Will look at pricing options when I head to Lowes

This might be too much information but I need to explain my rationale....

I had all carpet in my motorhome. A fuel problem created the need for cutting a hole in the floor in order to access the fuel tank. I cut out the carpet in that area (it was a hallway), put down new subflooring (after the fuel line repair) and then installed peel-n-stick vinyl. As someone else mentioned, the peel-n-stick vinyl slides around and the gaps get bigger revealing adhesive and all the junk that sticks to it.

After that - about 2 years ago - I put Pergo flooring throughout the rig. It has proven to be extremely durable and has weathered the extreme temperature changes without any hint of a problem. Naturally it's a bit more tedious to install but I think you'll be much happier with the results.

As far as water issues go, I've had the A/C leak a significant amount of water onto the new floor without a problem. The instructions say to get to it quickly. I had a leak at the entry door that went unnoticed and caused it to buckle, but it was just on a step and easy to replace.

I've done extensive ceramic (with appropriate mortar and grout) and vinyl flooring tiles on wood and concrete surfaces. My preferred method is to use the self-sicking tiles AND vinyl glue on the floor. Spread the glue, lay down the tile, or a couple tiles, spread the glue, lay down some more. And this has always been on house floors.

If in a camper, I'd do it the same way, and hope and pray I'd never have to take the tiles up, because they will be next to impossible to get up!

Other folks have successfully done laminate flooring in RV's. I've never done that myself. I know it's not hard, just time consuming.

Edit: Why the glue under a self-sticking tile? Simple, it seals the floor under the tile. Water spills can seep under a vinyl tile between the cracks cause it to loosen up. On a wood floor, that water can sit under the tile and take a long time before it dries. Spill enough, like in a bathroom, and it won't be long before the floor begins to rot under the tile. However, if you put the glue down first, and spread it evenly, no water will penetrate to the wood. In an RV, this would also help with water intrusion, spills in the shower, or kids just being kids spilling stuff. (Think about it).

A floating laminate might do best in extreme temp swings. It can move and shift with the temps. Use trim around the edges, but DON'T nail the trim to the laminate. It should just sit on top of the laminate.

Don't recommend self stick. I tried that once and the movement of the floor when towing made the adhesive show between the tiles after about a year.