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Old 05-13-2015, 08:35 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by captblarney View Post
What would you screw the galvanized metal floor to?
No mechanical fasteners needed.

Contact cement every layer down.

Rigid Styrofoam, metal sub floor, vinyl plank flooring.

Done, and no wood in the floor to hold moisture and rot.

Nat

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Old 05-13-2015, 02:35 PM   #22
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Interesting.

So screw your bottom wall plate directly into the galvanized mental and then vinyl plank around i? Also, if you were using metal studs, you'd probably want to put some rubber or something between the wall plate and the metal flooring so its not rattling no?

What gauge metal for the flooring do you think?
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Old 05-13-2015, 03:11 PM   #23
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I'll bet nat_ster would use Liquid Nails or PL Premium construction adhesive between the bottom track and the floor sheet. You'll learn soon he's a big proponent of adhesives! But yes, vibration could be avoided other ways too such as compressing rubber or maybe weatherstrip foam between the pieces.

If you have (or want) welding skill, you might look at what aaronsb is doing on his bus (The Broccoli Bus) with square tube for walls. It's much thinner than traditional wood or light steel framing.
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Old 05-13-2015, 08:58 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by captblarney View Post
Interesting.

So screw your bottom wall plate directly into the galvanized mental and then vinyl plank around i? Also, if you were using metal studs, you'd probably want to put some rubber or something between the wall plate and the metal flooring so its not rattling no?

What gauge metal for the flooring do you think?
I will be using 14 ga as my subfloor. Most people are used to using 3/4 plywood or OSB.

Because I'm installing heated water pex lines in my floor, I will be using automotive seam sealer between my bottom plates and the sub floor, and vary few short #14 self tapping screws carefully placed.

Yes my interior cabinets, walls, and all other interior dividers will be 14 ga galvanized sheet steel, sheered, and bent into the profiles I need.
This will make for a strong, light weight interior with good thermal mass.

All facings of cupboards and drawers will be a nice wood to give the warm feeling, and remove the industrial look. Steel will all get painted.

The lack of wood in my bus eliminates most bugs, all mold and rot, dimensional changes due to humidity, ect.

Family Wagon was close knowing my preference with using adhesives over mechanical fasteners. PL products are made for wood, I feel automotive seam sealer is a better choice, made for the metal, and will stay stuck with the changes in temperature and movement, that spot in the bus will be subjected too. This is due to the never drying, tar like consistency that seam sealer stays.

Nat
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Old 05-15-2015, 03:40 PM   #25
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I too am wondering about epoxy. I've asked on this forum before and either no one knows what I'm really talking about, or they just have never considered it an option!

I think its a great idea, personally. I would want to use something similar to what they coat the floors with for industrial kitchens--food safe, you can rinse 'em down, and I think they even have antibacterial qualities. However, I've yet to find a place where I can purchase it, as the companies I found do huge buildings. I sent them an inquiry about my project, but haven't heard back yet (its been about 3 months lol.)

You can check out my progress with the flooring on my blog. I stripped it down to bare metal, ground the rust, sprayed rust-inhibitor, two coats rustoleum, and of course did all my sealing and patching before the 2nd layer. More details here: https://splittingelm.wordpress.com/c...udget-skoolie/

My aim is to complete my projects on a budget, and with the idea of longevity and effectiveness in mind. Some people have a hard time doing things a different way than "traditional methods," i.e. framing in the floor and laying down plywood or something. Not that these methods are bad, but I believe the school bus is a unique platform and we can develop even better ways than what is used in a traditional household.

I'd be excited to hear about what you find out; I'll let you know how my search goes. Budget-wise, I won't be ready to do my floor until at least a couple more months, but as it is summer, and I don't yet need that insulation, I'm okay with that.

Good luck!
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Old 05-15-2015, 10:38 PM   #26
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emiholla

It's called Polyurea.





Great on the roof too.

Nat
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Old 05-16-2015, 01:00 PM   #27
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Nat, I was thinking of something that I can mix on hand and pour onto the floor, possibly using a roller to scoot it around. There are self-leveling epoxies as well.
The whole spraying set-up is not even feasible where I am.

I used "SnowRoof" reflective paint on the roof.

Also, I want something that I know is "food safe" because my doggies will be walking on it, and they tend to have an antimicrobial quality.

I've been looking at this company: Food Industry | UCoat It Epoxy Floor Coating
As well as this one: Commercial & Industrial Flooring | Food & Beverage Manufacturing | Epoxy Floors

They even mention using it in locker rooms and suchlike areas. Sounds pretty similar to my bus; I never, ever want to have to worry about water collecting under the floor.

My plans (draft-version, mind you), are to use the polyiso foam, probably 1", secured with adhesive, and then pour the epoxy over it. Simple, effective, just my style!

If you looked at the blog at all, you'll see how I've already prepared the floor with grinding, rust inhibitor, 2 coats rustoleum, and some sheet metal floor patches.

I used pennies to cover the holes in the floor from the seat bolts. (I tried displaying the pictures here, but they just won't show up, so they're links instead.)

And a shot of the patches, seals, and pennies:

The finished look after the second coat of Rustoleum:


I dunno, maybe the stuff I'm looking at IS polyurea. All I know is I do NOT want to have to spray that crap on. Plus, I want it to be a bit thicker; like an industrial kitchen floor. Perhaps a strip down the middle that is a little grittier for non-slip attributes.

My aim is for DIY, not just specialized mechanic guys who have shops, years of time, and access to all kinds of tools. I think if one is creative, committed, and willing to do their research, one can achieve the desired results without making it overly complicated or expensive.

For me, this bus was freedom from the money-trap and corporate slavery. Its working out well so far! Now, will my bus be featured on Pinterest? Probably not. However, I will be living comfortable, affordable, warm + dry, and that's all I really wanted in the first place.

Anyway, thanks for replying. Maybe you could tell me a little about what you did? Did you use polyurea?
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Old 05-16-2015, 01:53 PM   #28
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I will be using polyurea to coat the outside of my bus. I'm not that far along yet.

Did you watch the video's?

Polyurea is food safe. One of the videos I posted mentions they line potable water tanks and food processing equipment with it.

You also mention needing a thicker coating. Polyurea can be sprayed to what ever thickness needed in one shot. They also have a expanding version that offers insulation values.

I will using a vinyl plank flooring glued directly to my 14 ga galvanized steel subfloor. Steel subfloor sits on top of 1/2 inch pex hot water lines sitting in aluminum heat plates in grooves cut into the 4 inches of Rigid Styrofoam base. All layers glue together with a roll on contact cement. The steel subfloor and the aluminum heat plates will have a layer of a "Blue Skin" between them to prevent the dissimilar metals from attacking and corroding each other.

Blue Skin
http://www.globalwindows.ca/webcura/...o_blueskin.pdf

I keep forgetting to grab a pic of the contact cement I will be using.

I would not have used penny to seal holes in the floor. IMO the dissimilar metals might corrode each other. However if you used epoxy, it should keep the two metals apart.

For the record, I like DIY also.
However, it has been demonstrated over and over again here, how spending a bit more, getting a professional with the right equipment to do the job gives a better product that will last far longer with better end value.

Every one of us DIY people can't have $50,000 worth of equipment to install a floor, or some spray foam. That equitment is what it takes to get that end result.

Nat
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Old 05-16-2015, 04:05 PM   #29
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I patched all the little holes with NP-1 that I got free but it is nothing but a heavy duty silicone based sealant and then we did rust oleum primer.
Then construction of walls and everything else.
Along the way I made a new friend that owned a flooring business and was moving shop and office? So I brought a truck from work and helped him move and he gave me a lot of heavy duty acoustical floor underlament with plastic(vapor barrier) on one side and all the flooring I needed. They call it engineered or floating floors but I ended up with mostly two different engineer's bamboo, some teak and some Brazilian cherry I ended up using the cherry on the dash.
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Old 05-16-2015, 09:34 PM   #30
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Polyurea looks like neat stuff. I've seen it online several times but never seen it in person. If I recall correctly it can't be done DIY economically because the stuff literally sets in seconds. It's a two-part compound, much like sprayed-in polyurethane foam or epoxy, but it sets lightning fast. EDIT: I meant to say here that it's not a good DIY because of the specialized spray equipment that is required to mix the material in the spray gun since there are just seconds to go before it sets.

I've used epoxy floor paints several times. I've always bought it from Valley Paint Manufacturing in Woods Cross, Utah in quarts or gallons, but surely it must be widely available. I've seen a Rustoleum epoxy paint product sold in home centers (Home Depot, Lowe's) for garage floors.

When shopping for epoxy paints remember that the ratio of solids to solvents can vary. Cheap paints will often have less solids; I think this results in a thinner coating after cure. (this is one reason why I've purchased from Valley Paint, which is an industrial supplier, rather than the consumer/homeowner grade Rustoleum product.)

Is paint applied directly to foam really going to work out..? I would think that the paint layer would tear when the foam dents etc.
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Old 05-17-2015, 12:06 AM   #31
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Is paint applied directly to foam really going to work out..? I would think that the paint layer would tear when the foam dents etc.
I agree.

I think a layer of fiberglass may be needed?

Tankswap, what are your thoughts.

Nat
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Old 05-17-2015, 06:06 AM   #32
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it will stick to t&g ply properly screwed down , fill all voids for a smooth finish
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Old 05-18-2015, 09:11 PM   #33
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I bought rubber flooring for my bus. Glued it to the plywood. I bought it from homedepot online sales. Its for garage floors for a parking mat. It looks like "diamond plate" although they had "coin" style also.
would you happen to have a picture of the flooring in your bus? i seen this stuff and it comes in 7 1/2 foot wide rolls which is perfect for buses
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Old 05-18-2015, 10:53 PM   #34
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When we evicted our tenants from our mobile home, we had to remove all of the carpeting through out. Due to the damage caused by them, we had no choice at the time (financially) but to move in while repairing all the damage that had occurred before we could even think of selling the place .

I do not plan to go into details as I am only writing to talk about what we did about the flooring only because the outcome has led us to decide that we were going to do the same in our bus.

As mentioned, we removed carpeting, padding & staples and put down 2 coats of Kilz to the subfloor.

We then masked off the floors in 12X12 squares and applied a soft green exterior porch and deck enamel with a sea sponge in a daubing motion. When we removed the tape we were left with "tiles" through out.

Not one person that came in realized that we had not tiled the place after we told them.

What has led us to do the same in our bus is the fact that we have been here now 10 years, with 3 large dogs and 2 adults walking on our fake tiles and can honestly admit that it has taken 8 of those years before we can honestly say that the wear is starting to show.

Because of this experience, we will be doing the same in our bus, once all else is done except possibly 4X4 or even 2X2 squares. Also, by doing our floors this way we can easily paint under any changes to the layout should we have to pull out and furniture or cabinets without worrying about covering up the floor underneath or keep any replacement the same dimensions as what may be removed.
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Old 05-19-2015, 06:40 AM   #35
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Someone here has posted pics of their bus with painted floors. It looks great. The pattern is unique and colors go great together. I don't remember who but maybe they will chime in.
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Old 05-19-2015, 10:08 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohanabus View Post
would you happen to have a picture of the flooring in your bus? i seen this stuff and it comes in 7 1/2 foot wide rolls which is perfect for buses
check it out. I don't have pic from the bus. NewAge Products 9 ft. x 20 ft. Gray VersaRoll PVC Flooring-10190 - The Home Depot
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Old 05-19-2015, 11:06 AM   #37
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No paint I know of is even close to tough enough for a floor.

I my self need something that can take a rock in a work boot without needing to be repainted or replaced.

The nice thick rubber diamond mat in the 7.5 feet wide by 20 foot rolls are more realistic.

Vinyl plank will also handle the abuse. Walmart demonstrated that for us by installing it in their clothing section.

No wood in a floor to rot for me. Did you all not learn from the plywood you pulled out of the bus?

Nat
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Old 05-19-2015, 10:33 PM   #38
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No wood in a floor to rot for me. Did you all not learn from the plywood you pulled out of the bus?

I understand the point your trying to make....but then again how many years has that plywood been down. Ours was down for 23 years before we pulled it up and there wasn't any that was rotted.

Chances are good that we will either be dead or no longer in the bus in 2038 and if history repeats itself the wood we be still good when the next owner pulls it up to look for rust.
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Old 05-20-2015, 12:20 AM   #39
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No wood in a floor to rot for me. Did you all not learn from the plywood you pulled out of the bus?

I understand the point your trying to make....but then again how many years has that plywood been down. Ours was down for 23 years before we pulled it up and there wasn't any that was rotted.

Chances are good that we will either be dead or no longer in the bus in 2038 and if history repeats itself the wood we be still good when the next owner pulls it up to look for rust.
True, in your case.

This is again a case of we all have different needs.

However, around 90% of the floors pulled on this site are rotted, have have held moisture that has caused damage to the steel floor.

Now, around 80% of you may treat you bus as a sock feet environment, the other 20% of us need real tough flooring, and a subfloor base that is not affected by the continuous introduction of moisture from our boots.

Now with the thought that the bus may only be a sock feet environment may give the impression that no water will enter on feet. Unfortunately there is a good chance water will still leak into your bus from the outside, the internal plumbing, or spillage from the shower, ect.

In my life style, I don't take my boots off all day once I put them on in the morning. My home must be able to take that harsh wear and tear.

In a house, this would be porcelain tile. In a bus like this, that's not practical, so my vinyl plank is next best.

Rotted wood in kitchens and bathrooms of places I have rented for insane amounts of money is one of the leading factors that drove me to building a bus.

IMO wood does not belong in wet environments.

Nat
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Old 09-14-2021, 03:55 AM   #40
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I too am wondering about epoxy. I've asked on this forum before and either no one knows what I'm really talking about, or they just have never considered it an option!

I think its a great idea, personally. I would want to use something similar to what they coat the floors with for industrial kitchens--food safe, you can rinse 'em down, and I think they even have antibacterial qualities. However, I've yet to find a place where I can purchase it, as the companies I found do huge buildings. I sent them an inquiry about my project, but haven't heard back yet (its been about 3 months lol.)

You can check out my progress with the flooring on my blog. I stripped it down to bare metal, ground the rust, sprayed rust-inhibitor, two coats rustoleum, and of course did all my sealing and patching before the 2nd layer. More details here: https://splittingelm.wordpress.com/c...udget-skoolie/

My aim is to complete my projects on a budget, and with the idea of longevity and effectiveness in mind. Some people have a hard time doing things a different way than "traditional methods," i.e. framing in the floor and laying down plywood or something. Not that these methods are bad, but I believe the school bus is a unique platform and we can develop even better ways than what is used in a traditional household.

I'd be excited to hear about what you find out; I'll let you know how my search goes. Budget-wise, I won't be ready to do my floor until at least a couple more months, but as it is summer, and I don't yet need that insulation, I'm okay with that.

Good luck!

Epoxy flooring is resistant to scratches and various damages. Now there are many companies that make epoxy flooring. I plan to order myself such a floor too, then I will share the contacts.
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