New vinyl on the floor of a caravan

[NigelDonnelly]

Hi kids.

I'm going to lay new vinyl on the floor of our project Elddis this weekend. It is currently sat in my driveway as the picture below shows and you can see how I got on whipping out the nasty old carpet in the blog here
/sites/practicalcaravan.com/files/images/IMGP9871.JPG

Just before I start work, wanted to canvas a bit of opinion as to the best way to lay the vinyl. Asking in my local carpet shop, they suggested double-sided carpet tape would do the job. Is there any chance of it showing through though? The other option is a contact adhesive but I'm worried I'll never get the fumes out of the van.

Any thoughts / advice would be very welcome!
Cheers

 

[Parksy]

I've never laid vinyl floor covering in a caravan myself but I think that you can get solvent free odourless adhesive that would do the job Nigel
Have a look Here

 

[Damian]

Evo Stick do a non smelly contact adhesive, either liquid in a tin or spray.
If you loose lay the vinyl then lift the edges and use the spray along the floor, drop the vinyl back,,job done.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Cheers chaps.

So Damian, you're saying to just stick down the edges once I've got the vinyl cut to size?

 

[graham_somersham]

I've found it easier to lay the vinyl on a warm day as it is softer and can be moved into place without kinking. I would be inclined to glue it in areas of high wear as if it stretches in use it will bubble up if not fixed down. Are you taking the bunks out before you lay the vinyl as it will make a neater job if you can.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Graham,

Good info, thanks

The bunks have a gap under them where the carpet used to go, so I can thread the vinyl underneath. May strip out the kitchen units though...

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hi Nigel. In a small area like a caravan I would only glue around the eges but still try and lay it on a warm day.(Certainly not cold)
I have recently Vynil floored kitchen diner at home in old money 21ft x9ft parimeter glued only.
I hope this helps.
By the way I posted to get my name in for the one of the stickers and found next day post had gone so I hope you have a couple of spare as I would love to display one when on site .
Sir Roger

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Thought I was going to do the vinyl flooring in the van but got sidetracked with a step-removal project instead. Click here for the latest info...

http://practicalcaravan.com/blog/project-elddis-out-step/sites/practicalcaravan.com/files/images/SL700367.jpg

 

[emmerson]

Nigel, we've recently had our bathroom re - done in vynil by professionals. They used double - sided tape, and they've been back three times now to re-lay it because it keeps "bubbling up" round the walls. It appears to be cut too big, as once again it is bubbling. If the pros can't get it right, I hope you have more luck!
(and if you do, will you come and do mine???)

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Emmerson,
I was hoping it was easy! Will send pictures when it is done...

 

[emmerson]

it took about three weeks before it first bubbled.

Good luck, mate!

 

[Gafferbill]

......go upmarket and lay carpet it is easier and warmer on the tootsies

 

[Mel]

Call me a philistine, but is all this caravan renovation worth it? I get that in magazine terms it makes good copy and good photos, and it may well help someone doing one or two of the jobs you undertake; but in terms of effort, does the finished product make you feel good enough to compensate for all the hours you spent extracting tufts of synthetic carpet out from underneath furniture. Hours of your life that you will never see again. Also in financial terms, does the overall spend mean that you even break even when you eventually sell the beast. Lets face it Nigel the van isn't even a design icon.
mystified
mel

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Mel.
How many hours of my life would I spend at work to pay for a new one? A lot more than I'd spend clearing up the carpet...

I enjoy the work, and while most people would maybe attempt one or two of these jobs, we get good value out of doing them all on one or two older vans. That way, if we muck something up, it is only a relatively cheap van. The van is usable as it is, but Mrs Donnelly and I are going to be spending two weeks in it in May, so I'd like to make it as comfortable as possible to protect my marriage

 

[Sproket]

......go upmarket and lay carpet it is easier and warmer on the tootsies

You are right there Gaffer !!

I made up some new throw in carpets out of Flotex from a offcut from e-bay a few years ago
When it want's a good wash, I throw it on the concreat & power wash it, then hang them on the fence to dry, & it always looks like new again, no sticking down required ....
We have a sort of laminate / vinyl as standard in the van, but its cold underfoot this time of year & this just sit's on top

We have a length of this as a runner over the tiled floor in the concervatory & it get's powerwashed the same.......
Another e-bay bargain

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Good advice!

All being well, I'm planning on fitting an offcut of vinyl and then cutting loose carpet to put on top. The carpet in the van was rank following a leaking rooflight last winter, hence the need to whip it out.

 

[ValA.]

We have vinyl in our caravan, with a removeable carpet on top - and this can be power-washed, though it isn't the Flotex sort, just looks like a 'Berber' carpet.
We've now bought another very cheap and cheerful caravan to keep on a very local site, which we can use year round, and we're thinking of removing the carpet and fitting vinyl and the same type of removeable carpet we have in the other van! So I'm interested in how Nigel gets on with this job! I did hear that the best way to make it look neat around the edges was to use a strip of beading to cover any 'miss-cuts' or bits missing!

 

[emmerson]

Mel, leave him be! It's good to see a magazine paying some attention to older vans, rather than page after page of £20,000 caravans and £60,000 motorhomes.Keep up the good work, Nigel, it is called Practical .Caravan after all!

 

[NigelDonnelly]

We have vinyl in our caravan, with a removeable carpet on top - and this can be power-washed, though it isn't the Flotex sort, just looks like a 'Berber' carpet.
We've now bought another very cheap and cheerful caravan to keep on a very local site, which we can use year round, and we're thinking of removing the carpet and fitting vinyl and the same type of removeable carpet we have in the other van! So I'm interested in how Nigel gets on with this job! I did hear that the best way to make it look neat around the edges was to use a strip of beading to cover any 'miss-cuts' or bits missing!

Beading would work, providing you haven't got too many rounded corners. I have a couple. I'm planning on pushing the vinyl under the cabinets where possible to give a good edge, but will probably seal edges with a bead of brown sealant if required. As long as it looks neat and tidy, I'll be happy!

 

[Dustydog]

Go for it Nigel,
Sir Mucky Pup did his last year. Make sure you have plenty and I mean plenty of sharp blades of varying designs. The sharper the blade the better the finish.
That said every new caravan we have bought ,the carpets go in the loft and we buy end of rolls of carpet from the National carpet firms. With two Springers these cheap carpets do the job. The last lot last year cost me £25.00 and ther're still going strong!
Meanwhile the originals in the loft are like new and help with selling at a later date.

 

[Mel]

Mel, leave him be! It's good to see a magazine paying some attention to older vans, rather than page after page of £20,000 caravans and £60,000 motorhomes.Keep up the good work, Nigel, it is called Practical .Caravan after all!

OK, I will. Someone just has to ask the question. The thrill of the task may get in the way of the object of the exercise. Process versus outcome and all that. I should know better than to question the activity of men in sheds.

mel

 

[NigelDonnelly]

OK, I will. Someone just has to ask the question. The thrill of the task may get in the way of the object of the exercise. Process versus outcome and all that. I should know better than to question the activity of men in sheds.

mel

Mel,
Mrs Donnelly often asks we can't have one of the new ones from work. Where's the fun in that....

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi Mel,
It's just an observation, but being practical not every one can afford a new £20.000 van while Nigel is doing up a old one and showing the jobs and results through the mag it is possible that seeing what can be achieved we may get more older vans back on the road, plus and I fully understand where Nigel is commig from the sheer pleasure it gives just doing the work is more than payment enough, so at the end of the project the van might be worth "no extra money" but it is worth the effort putting it back into service.
and when you think about it, it is just an extension of our hobby? a past time like fishing or golf you don't think about the hours, days, weeks, spent doing something you love,
I spent 8 months completely refurbishing the motor home starting with the mechanicals then body work then interior in the end it felt and drove like new but it was still 18years old and worth not much more than I paid for it but and this is the big but every part of it had been built with my own hands,sitting there on the foreshore of Loch "wherever" watching the sun go down, next to the new camper that cost the owner upwards of £40.000 gave me a warm feeling inside, not to mention the big smile on my face.
colin

 

[LADA]

Hi Nigel - have you laid the vinyl yet? I'm planning the very same job on my caravan as we fell the carpet does date the van even though it's only 8 years old.
Like you I'm hoping the vinyl will stay flat as I can't get it under every piece of furniture without a total strip out so seeing your results and blog may well help.
Keep us posted!

 

[emmerson]

Colin, that's exactly what I mean. I have a 25 year old B&D workmate and the wooden "jaws" were fubar'd. Herself suggested that we buy a new Workmate. Instead, I bought 4ft of 6"x1" hardwood and made new ones. Much better than the originals, and will last me and probably my son as long we'll need it. Plus the great satisfaction of having REPAIRED rather than REPLACE