Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 21:37:23 -0400
Reply-To: pyjme@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Peter Young <pyjme@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: mystery floor attatchment
In-Reply-To: <5a099d980804020800j736f4368m6fe26ffe02c9030b@mail.gmail.com>
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Neil,
My subfloor had no mold - in fact it looked almost like brand new plywood! I knew it was the original, however, because it still
extends under the cabinets and rear seat that I know for a fact have never been removed (including by me). Because there was no mold,
I didn't put anything under the floor because I wasn't worried about moisture. Here are the layers of my floor: Metal body, then the OEM plywood, then the
Ikea flooring. That's all there is to it! I also plan to eventually remove my flooring and possibly all the cabinets to do what you are talking about with the
Dynamat, so the Ikea flooring not being glued down will hopefully mean that I can reinstall it when I am done. My van is a little louder now than when it was
carpeted, but not by much. I think the floating floor design is better at attenuating sound than if I had glued or otherwise attached the floor.
My front area is still carpeted with the GoWesty floor mats over it- the double stick tape is really only holding against the metal passenger heat duct face
plate on that wall, which is fine because it is pretty firmly stuck to the flooring itself.
Another thing I have heard is that there is an inexpensive alternative to Dynamat that is just as effective. The product is called "Peel & Seal" and is intended
to be used as a roof membrane repair material. It costs many many times less than Dynamat, and is of similar construction: a mylar type material on top of
a rubber layer with an adhesive backing. It is available in rolls that are as small as 6" wide to as big as 36" wide. As a bonus, the mylar covering would
probably aid the insulation just a little by reflecting the little heat energy that gets through the insulation back into the van. I got the idea for this from this link:
http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/campingart/vanagon/hacks.htm
Here is a current price for the material - $43.95 for a 12"x33.5' roll! (found at this link)
http://mobilehomepartsstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=540122
The website I got the idea from also said that the membrane is available at home improvement stores like Lowes or HDepot.
Good luck! And if you use the Peel & Seal, let me know how it turns out...
Peter
From: Neil Crawford <vidublu@gmail.com>
To: pyjme@aol.com
Sent: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 8:00 am
Subject: Re: mystery floor attatchment
Wow, I was just at HDepot y'day and I ran across some vinyl for $20.? A bunch of 6x8 remnants and had decided to do that because of the cost savings.? Your's is a better idea since I'll have to buy some tools either way.? I just read benny boy's long rant on a previous thread and saw he used Dynamat to absorb sound.? How's your road noise now?? Before?? I've recently been told DMat is a good investment but expensive.
?
So, you didn't remove your rear seat to install it.? Hmmm.? I'm thinking of doing that so I can easily install some kind of sound dampening material behind and below it.? Can't believe they used carpet padding originally.? What a joke.? Also, I suspect my entire subfloor is full of mold and possibly even wet, in places.
?
Have you ever removed your cabinets?? Sounds like you did just about what I plan to do.
?
Do you still have carpet in the fwd area?? I assume you mean the fwd wall is not carpeted if you stuck tape to it to affix the trim, correct?? Is that wall rubber?
?
What do you have under the lam if you don't have the undelayments?? Subfloor of 3/8" plywood?? Please tell me what is underneath from the metal upward.
?
Looks like IKEA is out of everything but one shade of the stock you used.? We just got a new store here and I'll go check it out.
?
Thanks!
?
On 4/1/08, Peter Young <pyjme@aol.com> wrote:
Neil,
? Have you considered the composite laminate wood flooring from Ikea? Costs just over $30 for enough to do the whole passenger compartment!
Also, it's only a quarter of an inch thick so it will actually slide underneath the lip under the back seat and kitchen area that the carpet used to fit
under - you only have the edge towards the front of the van to contend with. I just installed this flooring in my van in January and it has been very
durable. I probably should have waited to do it until I did some other things inside the van but I was a bit impatient. On the upside, however, it really
?showed how durable the floor is. I have dropped hammers, nails, screws, car parts, etc on it and walked on it when it was covered in dirt, dust and
gravel. The laminate has held up to this incredibly well; I have yet to find a single blemish on the surface! The instructions say to avoid high moisture
applications like bathrooms, etc, but I have gotten this floor wet and it hasn't buckled or warped at all.
Installation notes:
1.) I installed it with the "grain" going side to side, using a hammer and block to push the flooring under the cabinet lip. You have to do this because i
t is "click" flooring so you need to be able to tilt the piece up to engage the lip and then swing it down to lock it, which you can't do under the lip.
2.) I didn't glue or nail the flooring to the plywood sub-floor at all, as they recommend. The only firm attachments are the screws that go through the
sliding door strip. In spite of this setup, the floor has no bounce when walked on and feels like it is solidly glued in place. This also allows for minor
seasonal expansion/contraction of the floor.
3.) I used a 3/8 inch quarter round to finish off the forward edge. I double-stick taped it on to the floor and wall as a temporary installation measure,
but probably won't change it unless it fails.
4.) I didn't use any of the recommended under layments that Ikea sells. I figured that they wouldn't do anything for this application so why waste the
money/time dealing with it.
Sorry for taking the thread in a different direction, I just couldn't let a fellow vanagon owner spend $100 on a floor without at least advising them of
the $30 option! I hope this helps you and Slloth (and others). Here is the Ikea flooring website - I used "Tundra" in "Maple effect":
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/range/10373/10748/
Peter
'81 Westy from Germany
--
Neil Crawford
'82 Diesel Westy
Me other car is Swedish
