FLOORING
Tools:
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Power Drill
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Chop Saw
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Measuring Tape
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Circular Saw
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Chaulk Line
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Jig Saw
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Drill & Drive Bits
Materials:
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3/4" Plywood
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Screws
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Flooring Material
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Flooring Underlay
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Rigid Insulation
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2x2 Dimensional Lumber
Demo and preparation takes the most work. Get ready to work hard in kicking off your build. Now, depending whether your doing a bus or van, your sub floor will be different. If there is flooring installed you will need to rip up the top layer to expose the sub floor (plywood). Inspect the subfloor for any rotting wood or water damage. If you have rot, we would suggest ripping up the subfloor and replacing.
Now that your metal base is exposed, it's time to do some damage control. You will first want to check for rust and resulting damage.
No Damage: Awesome, just clean up your floor, vaccum it, and plug any bolt holes from the seats with silicone. This will prevent water from splashing up. We also would recommend a rust check paint if it is in your budget.
Damage: Fairly common with old buses. Don't panic! You can use a rust stripper to remove as much rust as possible. An organic solution is VINEGAR! Another option is using a grinding wheel and using THIS attachment. After your get your rust dealt with, vaccuum everything up. We also would recommend a rust check paint if it is in your budget. Remember to plug your bolt holes with silicone.
*Remember to wear a mask to protect against breathing in rust.
This would be an example of a sub floor in rough shape... time to pull it up!
Your metal base is now clean! It's time to lay your subfloor:
No Insulation: If your bus/van is only for spring/summer/fall use, you won't need floor insulation. Purchase 3/4" playwood for your subfloor. You will also want to lay down a moisture barrier under your subfloor just to be safe! Now, lay your subfloor by starting at the back. Cut and dry fit before using either tapping 1" metal screws or predrill and use 1" coated wood screws.
Insulation: There are few options for insulation. (RECOMMENDED)
1. Spray foam
This guarentees an air tight finish, but can be quite pricey to have professionally done. In this method you would use 2 x 2 dimensional lumber and frame out your flooring studs. Space them 16" apart and then glue + screw to the metal floor. Now, spray the foam between the framing, let dry, and cover with poly vapour barrier. You are now ready to lay your plywood subfloor (screwing to your framing).
2. Foam board (Our Favourite Choice)
Frame out your floor just as described above using 2 x 2 studs. Now use your rigid insulation and cut to fit between your framing. You can glue to the metal base. Once complete, cover with poly vapour barrier.
3. Insulation + SubFloor Tiles
This can be quite pricey, but is a simple way to get your insulation and subfloor in all at once! These are tiles that are held together with clips and then also glued down. Make sure to talk to a Home Depot rep to ensure you buy the right clips.
STOP! You will need to frame your walls now, then come back to this section to lay your flooring! (this will save your some material)
Time to install the flooring you chose! We recommend using laminate flooring as it's affordable and can withstand more movement, water, and wear and tear than natural hardwood. Remember, your flooring will get pushed to its limits in a mobile home.
To lay Laminate floor, all you need to remember is the foam underlay.
Start at the back of your bus and lay one whole row to the front of your bus. Next, start on your second row, but use a smaller piece to start (common trick is to use your cutoff peice from the first row). This is to ensure your connection lines don't all line up. Continue this process and ensure that your lines don't line up! You will start getting a bit of stair case effect until you finally reach the finish line!
