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Old 12-26-2019, 09:33 PM   #1
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What gauge for metal flooring

Hello everyone, I am down to my metal floor and ready to buy some metal to patch it. What gauge is ideal? I have foot size holes and plan on cutting out from wheel well to wheel well. I’ve read threads and some people say 15g and some say 20g, etc. I just want to be sure before I spend money on it. Thanks everybody!

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Old 12-27-2019, 07:17 AM   #2
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If you click on "User CP" up top you can edit your details including make of bus and where you are in the country (sometimes that info is needed to answer questions).

Most buses seem to use 16ga for the original floor, but they also never have an unsupported span wider than about 8-10" thanks to the hat-channel stiffeners that are attached to the underside in between the sort-of i-beams that are formed from the bent edges of the floor panels (see this helpful video for how International bus floors are built: - the floor starts at 3:05).

So you might find a 16ga patch that is 1'x1' to be slightly "soft" compared to the rest of the floor, although if you're putting an insulated subfloor including 3/4" (ish) plywood over the metal floor you wouldn't feel this (and it's why really anything will work).

I'm also rebuilding the entire floor section around my wheel wells and I'm using 14ga, but that's only because the alleged welder I originally hired to do the job bought a bunch of 14ga instead of the 16ga I wanted him to use. I can still cut it with my $30 Harbor Freight shears so it's no problem.

Use whatever you can get cheap and can weld easily (14ga is also a bit easier to weld than 16ga or 22ga).

Edit: it occurs to me that by "foot sized hole" you might mean the size of your own foot rather than 1'x1'.
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Old 12-27-2019, 08:22 AM   #3
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I've got two holes in my bus about the size of my foot. I'm going to use a panel from the back wall of my bus. Not sure the thickness but it should work.

I have to tear apart my stairs too, because of rust. I'm still undecided about that fix.
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Old 12-27-2019, 08:33 AM   #4
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I'm tearing my stairs apart soon too. I'm planning to use ceiling metal for that and for patching the floor....
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Old 12-27-2019, 09:35 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brokedown View Post
I'm tearing my stairs apart soon too. I'm planning to use ceiling metal for that and for patching the floor....
I bought a bus with a perforated ceiling and rust.
I really haven't had an issue with the rust but I miss having all that extra spare metal. I can't imagine it being strong enough for stairs but I guess once you bend it and it's not a big 4by 10 sheet flapping around it's a little stronger.
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Old 12-27-2019, 10:01 AM   #6
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I've got one step that's beyond help but the others I'm just "skinning". I can stick some reinforcing steel under it so it should be plenty. The sheet metal mostly just needs top be a flat surface that doesn't let water in.
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Old 12-27-2019, 12:29 PM   #7
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FWIW after I cut a hole in the floor I measured the metal with my go-no go gauge and it's 14g.
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Old 12-27-2019, 04:17 PM   #8
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Thanks that was a huge help. I think I’m going to go with 14 or 16 whichever I can get cheapest.
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