Flooring feedback

[Billsman]

I've seen wooden floors, linoleum, tile, rubber and carpeting in pics here. What do you guys recommend for high traffic flooring? The tailgating lot where we go is in bad shape, lots of tiny pebbles and tore up black top not to mention many of my friends can't keep their beers/drinks in their cans,bottles and cups when they entered my last bus, which had carpeting, ugh. I've had chilli,soup, mud, shots of just about every kind and snow tracked in or spilled on the old bus floor so I need something durable and easily cleaned. I also have two dogs that lord only knows what they walked in and have tracked it through the old bus.

So my options are get rid of my friends and dogs or find something that will work

I though about a wood floor with a carpet runner down the middle, that way I can wash it with a hose or throw it away after it gets too nasty. http://www.carpetsaver.com/

Has anyone tried the garage floor epoxy? http://www.garagefloorcoating.com/ From what I've read it's only installed on concrete. I really don't want to do the ceramic tile thing either, they'd probably end up broken after a year knowing my friends.

It would be great to be able to clean off the floor with a garden hose every now and then too but not a necessity as the wife errr I can just as easily mop it. ;)

Thanks!

[lapeer20m]

why not the stock bus floor with long rugs on top? This way you can spray the bus out with a garden hose if necessary.

[Billsman]

I need to pull up the original floor and address the rust, if any. Then I'm going to lay down the insulation and plywood, then..... I haven't decided yet.
What did you use?

[timbuk]

i used laminate extra from my house i dont know about the hose but mopping works great and takes a beating plus no holes just kliks in

[Billsman]

Originally Posted by timbuk

i used laminate extra from my house i dont know about the hose but mopping works great and takes a beating plus no holes just kliks in

I've been leaning that direction after reading things. Did you just lay it over your plywood / osb sub flooring?

[timbuk]

i put down a vapor barrier right over the metal floor and layed in the floor have insul under the floor saves headroom

[Billsman]

Originally Posted by timbuk

i put down a vapor barrier right over the metal floor and layed in the floor have insul under the floor saves headroom

My head room is great, thank God. I'm 6'1" and have plenty of head room as it sits which I'm very thankful for.
Well, time to get out and do some damage......1st day with the bus home.. woot!

[Billsman]

Looks like Laminate for me on top of OSB.

[timbuk]

sounds good but id put a vap barrior between wood and steel like lam underlay for cement i used it no stink like tap paper and not much monry timbuk

[Billsman]

Thanks. Should I put a vapor barrier under my insulation and on top of it too? My metal bus floor is getting a coating of anti rust paint followed by insulation and then plywood where does the vapor barrier normally go on a RV?

[timbuk]

im thinking between the metal floor and whatever you put on it metal will sweat....

[Billsman]

So.. Metal flooring -> Vapor Barrier -> Insulation -> OSB/Plywood -> Laminate flooring or what ever.
Tomorrow I coat the metal floor with the rustoleum, I patched and caulked all the tiny holes in the floor left by the chairs and screws that held down the rubber and flooring, wow fun! ;)

[Billsman]

I got my floor coated with a gallon of the rustolem heavy rust paint and all the holes patched. I cut and screwed my 1x4's and today I'm cutting insulation and maybe OSB. I also used 30# felt paper under my 1x4s.

Short bus, how's that paint working on the OSB board? I wanted to coat mine with something to help with any possible future water problems from people tracking in snow and possible water spillage from drinks. I thought about using some marine grade water proofer on the OSB then my laminate flooring on top of that.

[Billsman]

Thats great! Glad is working for you.

I got all my insulation cut and 1/2 of the taping done before I ran out of tape. Today the OSB goes on, yeah! I also got 4 tubes of liquid nails for the edges. The insulation was a pain because I used a lot of 1x4's and created several areas where insulation had to be cut down. I used the 1x4s on the high traffic walk ways for additional support of the OSB.

[thecrabshomestead]

What did you use to patch the floor holes? I have heard polyurethane is the best way to go other than welding. I just don't know which to choose. The kind for windows, cement/masonry, or what not. Suggestions? I am on page 15 of 18 for the conversion thread with no luck on what people used, other than one guy who said he used aluminum rivots. THanks!

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by thecrabshomestead

What did you use to patch the floor holes? I have heard polyurethane is the best way to go other than welding. I just don't know which to choose. The kind for windows, cement/masonry, or what not. Suggestions? I am on page 15 of 18 for the conversion thread with no luck on what people used, other than one guy who said he used aluminum rivots. THanks!

Welding is about the worst method to use for patching holes. Alumunum rivets are the next worst due to galvanic corrosion.

Vinyl plank flooring is best in a bus. Laminate flooring is the worst flooring to use in a bus.

Galvanized metal sheets are the best to use for sub floor over your insulation, under the vinyl plank flooring.

Rigid Styrofoam sheets are best for insulating the floor.

Wood is the last thing you should be putting back into the floor. look what the original plywood did to the metal. It soaked up moisture, and held it, causing the metal floor to rust.

Nat

[captblarney]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

Wood is the last thing you should be putting back into the floor. look what the original plywood did to the metal. It soaked up moisture, and held it, causing the metal floor to rust.

Nat

What would you screw the galvanized metal floor to?

[superdave]

whatever you use just screw it to the metel floor, self tappers work great

[HolyBus]

I bought stress mats that interlock like a puzzle. That way, if a piece gets damaged, stained, worn, or I need access under it for any reason, no problem. I can lift out one piece at a time. I got them in packs at Harbour Freight. There are also places to order them online if you want to spend more and have a custom print put on them. I went with all grey.

[leadsled01]

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.