First, never use a glue type of laminate floor. The key is that it MUST be allowed to free-float. If it can't freely move from thermal expansion and contraction, one or more joints can/will pull apart. Making it fully floating in an RV takes some effort. Cabinets and walls are very likely wonky or not parallel and you need to scribe the pieces before cutting them so that there is an even expansion gap all around. Where screws penetrate the flooring like at pedestal table flanges and door entry sills, you should make a hole large enough so the flooring can move around and not get "hung up". Same with toilet flange.
Sheet vinyl flooring and plastic based laminate planks have a high coefficient of thermal expansion. If you were to put your finger anywhere on the floor, as it shrinks, it will be pulling towards your finger in a 360 degree pattern. Put your finger in another spot and the two spots want to pull together. Same as what happens to concrete as it shrinks, leading to cracks. Because sheet flooring in RVs is stapled down around the perimeter and also has cabinetry screwed into the subfloor, when it's cold enough and shrinks, it pulls itself apart - especially at high stress points like floor vents where there are 90 degree corners in the material.
Westend mentioned a 1/4" expansion gap. Slightly less will probably be fine except it may be difficult to create an even gap (say 3/16") all around. Don't use caulk to fill the gap, as I've seen photos of online. A strip of 3/8" wood will work but may need to be run through a table saw. Note that flooring thickness may be an issue with the toilet gasket and you may need to use a wax one.
I installed 1/8" thick laminate flooring in our first TT that had an ABS core. Sold the TT to my BIL who's had it for 5 or so years in the interior of BC where it gets very cold in winter and hot in the summer. No planks have separated and he says it still looks like new. The cabinet doors where about 1/8" from above the sheet flooring and I had to raise all of them. Hardest part was getting an even expansion gap all around plus working on the hands and knees in a small trailer was painful... I used 3/8" oak as a baseboard and stained it to match the cabinetry under them and painted it biege against luan walls. Photos below. Original floor that looked like a 70s kitchen reno turned into a high-end looking TT. ๐
Sheet vinyl flooring and plastic based laminate planks have a high coefficient of thermal expansion. If you were to put your finger anywhere on the floor, as it shrinks, it will be pulling towards your finger in a 360 degree pattern. Put your finger in another spot and the two spots want to pull together. Same as what happens to concrete as it shrinks, leading to cracks. Because sheet flooring in RVs is stapled down around the perimeter and also has cabinetry screwed into the subfloor, when it's cold enough and shrinks, it pulls itself apart - especially at high stress points like floor vents where there are 90 degree corners in the material.
Westend mentioned a 1/4" expansion gap. Slightly less will probably be fine except it may be difficult to create an even gap (say 3/16") all around. Don't use caulk to fill the gap, as I've seen photos of online. A strip of 3/8" wood will work but may need to be run through a table saw. Note that flooring thickness may be an issue with the toilet gasket and you may need to use a wax one.
I installed 1/8" thick laminate flooring in our first TT that had an ABS core. Sold the TT to my BIL who's had it for 5 or so years in the interior of BC where it gets very cold in winter and hot in the summer. No planks have separated and he says it still looks like new. The cabinet doors where about 1/8" from above the sheet flooring and I had to raise all of them. Hardest part was getting an even expansion gap all around plus working on the hands and knees in a small trailer was painful... I used 3/8" oak as a baseboard and stained it to match the cabinetry under them and painted it biege against luan walls. Photos below. Original floor that looked like a 70s kitchen reno turned into a high-end looking TT. ๐
jplante4 wrote:
I've had Allure in the coach for 3 seasons now, stored outside in New England and it hasn't moved. It looks as good now as it did when I put it down in April. We've already been down into the 20s which is as cold as it gets here.
IMHO, you have problems with Allure or any vinyl when you don't let it float. I made sure there was an 1/8th inch space all the way around and I didn't nail or screw anything through the vinyl into the subfloor. I cut around things like the TV cabinet, the copilot seat and the couch legs and mounting brackets, and I used double stick tape to stick down the molding. I put red rosin paper between the subfloor and the vinyl as well.
This is what it looked like right after installation. Looks the same now. You can see the space inder the TV cabinet on the right where I put it up on 1X2s and cut around them.
Looks great. I know to let a space for expansion and thought to use 1/4" round above it to hide the gap. Did you consider this or is the gap just not noticeable enough to be an issue? Thanks wg
