The skoolie vinyl topic...floors, ceilings, walls, etc

[Oddball-SKO]

We started a good discussion about vinyl in the following topic about tongue and groove wood ceilings here:

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/tongue-and-groove-wood-ceilings-8796.html

I didn't want to clutter up that thread so I thought I would start one of my own.

 

[Oddball-SKO]

In the other topic, Rusty mentioned that vinyl would need something like luan as backing. I wondered why so I did a little research.

"Once installed, vinyl flooring forms tightly to the surface beneath it, showing uneven patches, bumps and depressions. Luan, a thin plywood underlayment material, is lightweight and easy to install."

Twigg mentioned in the other topic that luan is porous and suggested thinning down contact adhesive and letting that dry before applying the vinyl.

One thing not mentioned is that topic is that life in a skoolie means shaking things around and up and down. Any vinyl applied to the ceiling would have to have a good adhesive so it would lose contact and hang down.

Does anyone have any experience with vinyl in their skoolie either on the floor, ceiling or walls? Vinyl comes in some great looks and patterns so I would think it would make your skoolie look very nice if done right.

 

[PNW_Steve]

I agree, vinyl flooring material applied to the ceiling will certainly test the strength of the adhesive. Also, the set time on typical vinyl adhesive is long enough it would be tough to use in an overhead installation. I would look into a high strength contact adhesive such as 3M High Strength 90. You would want to test it (or any adhesive) on a scrap of vinyl to make sure that they are compatible.

I did see an interesting application of sheet vinyl flooring recently. I stayed in a motel that had a big walk in shower and the entire shower surround was a single sheet of vinyl. It really looked nice.

 

[Oddball-SKO]

I agree, vinyl flooring material applied to the ceiling will certainly test the strength of the adhesive. Also, the set time on typical vinyl adhesive is long enough it would be tough to use in an overhead installation. I would look into a high strength contact adhesive such as 3M High Strength 90. You would want to test it (or any adhesive) on a scrap of vinyl to make sure that they are compatible.

I did see an interesting application of sheet vinyl flooring recently. I stayed in a motel that had a big walk in shower and the entire shower surround was a single sheet of vinyl. It really looked nice.

I'll have to do some more research to find some examples of what can be done with vinyl. In the other thread I posted a Youtube video of a couple installing vinyl on their RV ceiling but it looked messy and a lot of work. I'll continue looking if not just for ceiling vinyl but for any applications of vinyl.

 

[Twigg-SKO]

If you go with vinyl, or some kind of linoleum, make sure it will take a bend.

Most will, but some will crack if you bend them too far.

 

[Rusty-SKO]

If you go with vinyl, or some kind of linoleum, make sure it will take a bend.

Most will, but some will crack if you bend them too far.

Anybody look at the rigid thick, non-bending stuff I posted pictures of ? LifeProof at HD??

You could hang that like wood plank without using adhesive.

You could eliminate thermal transfer from ribs easily.

Absorbs zero water.

 

[Oddball-SKO]

I agree, vinyl flooring material applied to the ceiling will certainly test the strength of the adhesive. Also, the set time on typical vinyl adhesive is long enough it would be tough to use in an overhead installation. I would look into a high strength contact adhesive such as 3M High Strength 90. You would want to test it (or any adhesive) on a scrap of vinyl to make sure that they are compatible.

I did see an interesting application of sheet vinyl flooring recently. I stayed in a motel that had a big walk in shower and the entire shower surround was a single sheet of vinyl. It really looked nice.

OK, I've been doing some more digging around and also talking to coworkers also interested in the RV/Skoolie lifestyle. Boy am I getting an education and I have to say I am rather enjoying it.

As mentioned before, vinyl has a tendency to eventually conform to the material it is stuck to. Of course, that depends upon how thick the vinyl is. Thicker vinyl will keep its original shape better. So someone mentioned putting luan on the ceiling first and attaching the vinyl to that.

What I've been reading is that luan is rather inflexible. Yes, there are ways to get it to bend but I also read there are other solutions to this. One solution would be to use bendable MDF (1/4" medium-density fibreboard) and then attach the vinyl to this.

But this goes back to making sure the vinyl would stick in a vehicle that has frequent bumps and sways:

• One solution to this would be to have ribs spanning across the roof supporting the vinyl.
• Another solution would be to staple or screw the vinyl to the MDF which would already be screwed into the ceiling of the bus.

The vision I have of my bus ceiling does not include support ribs although I will look to see if I can find anything like that and perhaps my vision will be changed. The other consideration of staples or screws would be how to make the staples and screws unnoticeable to the casual observer.

But this all begs the question I have and that is if you have to put up a board before putting up vinyl, why not just go with real wood in the first place?

<sigh>

I will research a bit more. I know I promised more examples of others who have done this so I will report back when I am able to find some.

 

[miscrms]

Another crazy thought that could be worth some small scale experiments:

Is there a combination of vinyl, adhesive and backer that would remain flexible after gluing and curing? If so you could glue the vinyl to the backer while it’s flat and right side up, let it cure, then bend and mount it. To screw the backer into the ribs you might be able to use a punch to cut circles out of the vinyl where you want the screws to go and pry them off. Then screw in the backer and cover the heads with the vinyl caps.

Would probably be almost invisible if you could get the caps off the adhesive without destroying. Maybe even leave a strip along each rib with no adhesive?




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[Oddball-SKO]

Another crazy thought that could be worth some small scale experiments:

Is there a combination of vinyl, adhesive and backer that would remain flexible after gluing and curing? If so you could glue the vinyl to the backer while it’s flat and right side up, let it cure, then bend and mount it. To screw the backer into the ribs you might be able to use a punch to cut circles out of the vinyl where you want the screws to go and pry them off. Then screw in the backer and cover the heads with the vinyl caps.

Would probably be almost invisible if you could get the caps off the adhesive without destroying. Maybe even leave a strip along each rib with no adhesive?

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That seems like a possibility.

After all this thinking, I think I will just ask my coworker's dad who will be helping me with the woodwork. He's been a carpenter all his life so he should know what works the best and what doesn't work at all.

I'm thinking he will be a bit one-sided toward just putting up a wood ceiling but maybe he has some experience with vinyl as well.

 

[Drop out]

I've seen an RV with cork board on the ceiling and walls.

The idea was to create a surface that is easy to decorate with pinned in Polaroid pictures.

The reality is that the adhesive didn't work very well and there is a lot of sagging.

If you have any issues with water or humidity in your roof, I wouldn't try MDF for a ceiling. If it gets wet bad things happen.

I've also seen situations where gluing two flexible things together results in something stiff. If you glue vinyl to a wood backing before install, it might ruin the flexibility.

I love the idea of a Schoolie that can be cleaned out with a hose but that would be hard to pull off.

 

[Twigg-SKO]

I've also seen situations where gluing two flexible things together results in something stiff. If you glue vinyl to a wood backing before install, it might ruin the flexibility.

This ^^^

When you place two sheets together, and bend them, the edges no longer align.

The surfaces have to be free to slide against each other or the material simply become stiffer.

You would have to attach the first sheet to the ribs, then glue the vinyl to it. I can see no reason why contact adhesive wouldn't hold the vinyl permanently.

 

[PNW_Steve]

Another crazy thought that could be worth some small scale experiments:

Is there a combination of vinyl, adhesive and backer that would remain flexible after gluing and curing? If so you could glue the vinyl to the backer while it’s flat and right side up, let it cure, then bend and mount it. To screw the backer into the ribs you might be able to use a punch to cut circles out of the vinyl where you want the screws to go and pry them off. Then screw in the backer and cover the heads with the vinyl caps.

Would probably be almost invisible if you could get the caps off the adhesive without destroying. Maybe even leave a strip along each rib with no adhesive?




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I did something similar with luan plywood and carpet in a van I converted many years ago. Cut and dry fit the plywood pieces then took them out, glued the carpet on and then put them back in. Worked great.