3400 Kitchen Floor

[rickfox]

For quite some time we have attempted to be very careful with regard to the kitchen linoleum on our 2006 3400. About 1 year into ownership, I noticed that the tile was pulling away from the kitchen side wall just to the right of the refrigerator, and was starting to pucker up around the floor vent. I took some time trying to push the pucker back toward the wall, and then put two small nails at the edge of the tile against the wall.

Since then, I always push on the upper portion of the kitchen slide as it comes in, thus tilting the slide top upward a small amount, which causes the bottom to also rise up slightly as the slide comes in.

Well, 2 years into ownership, and now it seems that the entire floor between the slide and the sink is now starting to pucker. It looks fairly obvious that the linoleum is not glued to the floor, and perhaps never was.

I'm thinking that sooner than later, the linoleum is going to tear, so I want to do something before its too late. But what?

[rubble express]

When we opened up the monty this past spring we where greated with the linoleum puckered up all over the place. My first thought was was a leak and water damage. I took it in and it was dry underneath. The dealer said for whatever reason they don't glue it in like in a house. It is held in with some tacky stuff and it puckers when it gets cold or damp (ie, winter storage). He glued it back down everywhere except by the stove. I went in it last week and it is puckering again by the stove. Imagine that! I'm not sure if I'll just fix it myself or replace it with something a little nicer. Some guys have put in wood floors I think. I'm not sure how you do that without raising the floor up to far and ruining it with the slide. Maybe someone will come along and give some insight. At any rate, the factory flooring/instalation leaves alot to be desired.

[SlickWillie]

Don't know why, but they sure don't glue the vinyl. We're looking at replacing the whole living area/kitchen flooring. We've looked at wood, vinyl wood-like strips, laminate, and vinyl flooring. I've considered cutting the vinyl, taking it up and using it for a pattern, but there sure are lots of little nooks and crannies to cut out and fit. I really liked the vinyl strips, but they told me I would need to put plywood over the OSB flooring. Too much weight and work to do that. We'll most likely us the laminate.

[jsmitfl]

Back when I use to build floors for rvs and dbl wides, we had a vinyl floor made by congoleum(?) and it was glueless. we would turn it upside down, pull the paper sheet off the back and the pull it back over to the room that we were putting it in. We would staple one side and then stretch it over to the other and staple it. Kind of like replacing screening. We had to water proof the floor first in case the flooring got cut or torn. I don't know if this is what they are using now but, I wouldn't want it.

[Exnavydiver]

Having spent 11 years as a flooring installer I noticed that our floor in our Big Sky kitchen acts like it was perimeter glued. Vinyl that is glued just around the perimeter will pucker if one of the edges comes loose. If it is perimeter glued it can be saved by getting some of the glue from a flooring store and re-gluing the loose edge. All vinyl shrinks always. That is why perimeter gluing works so well. In a house you cut the sheet goods to size and get your exact fit. Then you apply the adhesive around the edge of the floor and let it dry till tacky. Once it tacks you can carefully apply the vinyl and make minor adjustments and then leave it for a day with the heat on as this helps the shrink. I have seen floors that had several very apparent wrinkles lay down flat overnight. With our floor I get a bit of lift in the floor when vacuuming the center of the floor and none near the edges. The floor has to be pretty flat though for a perimeter glue, as the floor ends up being like a drum head, attached around the edges and floating in the center. If the floor isn't flat and you have a dip in the center area it will bag in that area and you will here and feel it when you step on it. Sorry I got long winded on this but that is how a perimeter glued floor works... Dave and Betsy

[Waynem]

I have no idea if this would work, but what about a frying turkey syringe and needle and fill it with glue, shoot it in where you want it. Just a dumb thought!