Allure Ultra Vinyl Laminate Install

[Catcoach]

Wow, I am planning on doing this same project next month, so your post is invaluable. Only thin better would be if you wanted to come visited beautiful S/W Colorado and do the job for me.LOL

[777Rich]

Thanks for making time for all the excellent documentation. I have been researching this very project for sometime and feel you have put together the facts I need to proceed.

Thanks
Rich

[aauummm]

Originally Posted by CJ7ole

The carpet in Wanda (our 2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32V) is 9 years old and looking pretty sad. We decided to rip it out and install some kind of wood plank look flooring. After pouring for hours over all of the related posts I could find on irv2.com we decided to go with the Allure Ultra vinyl plank product available at Home Depot. They have several Allure products, the Allure Ultra is the most current, and it is a snap lock product and appears to be a significant improvement over the less expensive Allure product joined with the adhesive strips. I was concerned with the 95 degree heat limitation of the previous product, as I know interior temperatures an MH in summer storage well exceeds 100 degrees. I was disappointed to see that Allure Ultra still has the same temperature limitation; I am hoping it was left over from the adhesive temp limitations of the previous Allure product. I like the texture of the vinyl product as opposed to the smooth surface of most engineered or laminate products. Being waterproof and having a lifetime warranty (questionable if installed in a MH) were strong positives in its favor. I picked up 8 boxes, 160 sf, of the Allure Ultra in Clear Cherry, which was a stock item and matched the natural color of our Oak cabinets very well. The price is just under $3.00 per sf. I weighed a box and figure on about 2 pounds per square foot, pretty heavy stuff. I was looking at the darker rustic color of the Vintage Oak Cinnamon as a nice contrast, but my DW Anne seemed quite intent on the lighter matching color, and that worked for me too. The light cherry did not seem to be a problem against the light oak cabinets.
There are a lot of good posts on laminate installation, but they seem to be bits and pieces. I hope that this is a more comprehensive thread that will be useful to those undertaking a floating plank floor. Many ideas from others were incorporated here and they really helped; for instance the use of an air chisel. Please feel free to add your comments and suggestions. I am going to post this install all at once when I have it completed so you can read the whole thing and comment afterward if you want. More like a blog I guess. I did the text in Word as I went along, then just cut and pasted into the thread. Here is a link to my Picasa album which contains all of the photos that might be usefulas well of a few "before" pics, note the stain at the step that didn't want to come out:

(click on the thumbnails to make the pic bigger, and twice more if you want them really big )


https://picasaweb.google.com/1008916...COSTke38sNLDKQ#

Ole-Thanks for all your work on putting this thread together (and to all the others who added their expertise). I am in the planning stage of doing the same thing and your presentation has helped a great deal with some of the questions that I have. I will use the Allure Ultra Vinyl planks and in the Clear Cherry also.

I won't do the cockpit area above the steel floor. Mine had the sheet vinyl flooring from the factory that cracked in the cold weather we had last winter, so expansion-contraction will be a major concern of mine.

[aauummm]

Also Ole-how about an update on how the flooring is holding up? Any slideout problems, contraction-expansion problems , end joints, surface wear, buckling, etc. Is there anything that you would do differently, etc.? Thanks again for your efforts!

[Ed ke6bnl]

Originally Posted by aauummm

Also Ole-how about an update on how the flooring is holding up? Any slideout problems, contraction-expansion problems , end joints, surface wear, buckling, etc. Is there anything that you would do differently, etc.? Thanks again for your efforts!

A little over a year, looks like new cleans up well, small fat Chihuahua no damage even play ball with him, BUT I installed mine in over 100 degrees and now it does show a slight gap in cold weather I can see others do not even notice it. My wife is in love with the improvement, no slide action where at all showing. Almost put it in the remodel in the house bathroom but went with
wood like porcelain tile.

[aauummm]

Originally Posted by Ed ke6bnl

A little over a year, looks like new cleans up well, small fat Chihuahua no damage even play ball with him, BUT I installed mine in over 100 degrees and now it does show a slight gap in cold weather I can see others do not even notice it. My wife is in love with the improvement, no slide action where at all showing. Almost put it in the remodel in the house bathroom but went with
wood like porcelain tile.

Thanks for the update! Maybe Ole and others will update also!

[CJ7ole]

Originally Posted by aauummm

Maybe Ole and others will update also!

Well, it has been over three years since the install. Not too much more to report since my last update in post #45 on page 4. I really thought I had done another update, but maybe I had forgotten to hit the Post button, or maybe it was in another thread. The biggest issue I have is that a few end joints have opened up at least 1/8" and are now permanently open. Too lazy to take it up and relay it. As previously stated, doing it again with the vinyl Allure I would superglue the end joints. These planks don't snap together nearly as easily as Pergo (which I have laid in my son's home and my entire basement) and that is part of the problem. Also I forgot to lay my protective strips down in the bedroom once so when I retracted the slide, with some beach sand on the floor, I now have some scratches. Other than that I am real happy with the product. If I were doing it again, I might look at some other products like cork planks (which we have in our bedroom and really like) or possibly some engineered real wood, as long as it had the super hard aluminum oxide finish. Oh, I would also consider something like the stranded bamboo we laid in our kitchen. It is bulletproof.

[aauummm]

Thanks for the update Ole! I am researching the newest innovation in vinyl planking, loose lay luxury vinyl planking. Some of the manufacturers are Karndean, Earthwerks, Freefit, Armstrong, etc. A big advantage for me is the dimensional stability. The loose lay does not expand or contract and that is important because I have to deal with temperatures from -20 F to 105 F. The wear layer is usually ceramic and one manufacturer I ran across had a 50 yr. warranty. Some adhesive may have to be used around the edges of the floor.

If I can't get the loose lay to work for some reason, I will try the Allure Ultra. Thanks again for your excellent presentation!

[Old Grape]

Hello. My 2006 Tour has a long metal strip extending the full length of each front slide. Currently I have the original carpet and vinyl tile. I have read on several blogs that a lot of folks love the Allure and a lot don't. So first is there any other products similar that may be better for a coach installation. I will store it here in the Hampton Roads area and we get down below freezing in the winter and up in the high 90s in the summer here. Also if I don't have those metal strips replaced with carpeted ones, will putting a carpet runner just in front of the slide when I retract them so they rest on the runners when they first raise up and start moving inward an adequate remedy?

Also does any one know someone in Virginia (preferably the eastern area)?

[aauummm]

Originally Posted by Old Grape

Hello. My 2006 Tour has a long metal strip extending the full length of each front slide. Currently I have the original carpet and vinyl tile. I have read on several blogs that a lot of folks love the Allure and a lot don't. So first is there any other products similar that may be better for a coach installation. I will store it here in the Hampton Roads area and we get down below freezing in the winter and up in the high 90s in the summer here. Also if I don't have those metal strips replaced with carpeted ones, will putting a carpet runner just in front of the slide when I retract them so they rest on the runners when they first raise up and start moving inward an adequate remedy?

Also does any one know someone in Virginia (preferably the eastern area)?

I'm finding that the luxury vinyl plank market is really hot and taking off. The scene is rapidly changing as manufacturers are bringing out new products right and left. On a visit to one of our flooring companies here, the owner pointed me to a new product that would be more suitable for motorhomes because of it's dimensional stability in varying temperatures. At that time he hadn't even gotten samples in yet it was so new. It is called the CORtec Plus Vinyl Plank from USFloors. It is loose lay but may be a bit too thick unless I can figure out how to ramp the slideout up and over it.

I currently have sheet vinyl for the flooring between two of my slideouts where I will install vinyl plank so my metal strip is already covered with a carpet like material.

I am holding off on a vinyl plank selection until I can get the COREtec samples and evaluate them for my application.

COREtec Plus | USFloors

[jeffwit]

Originally Posted by Old Grape

Hello. My 2006 Tour has a long metal strip extending the full length of each front slide. Currently I have the original carpet and vinyl tile. I have read on several blogs that a lot of folks love the Allure and a lot don't. So first is there any other products similar that may be better for a coach installation. I will store it here in the Hampton Roads area and we get down below freezing in the winter and up in the high 90s in the summer here. Also if I don't have those metal strips replaced with carpeted ones, will putting a carpet runner just in front of the slide when I retract them so they rest on the runners when they first raise up and start moving inward an adequate remedy?

Also does any one know someone in Virginia (preferably the eastern area)?

I just had my 06 Tour done. We wound up putting carpet down where the driver's side slide comes in. The passenger side slide on ours comes in on rollers, so we could place the vinyl all the way over on that side. We lay down some extra planks before we pull it in. My initial thought was to use Allure, but after the advice of several folks on here (including Ernie Ekberg, who does this for a living), I decided to go with a glue-in product.
My post is titled Replacing Carpet With Allure. Ouch! You can search for it on here if you would like to see pictures. Or PM me if you have any specific questions.

[Old Grape]

Thanks Jeff. I had actually read that but originally missed the product you chose. So you used Adura by Maddington and glued it down? The pics look great. I googled it and they have various types including the resilient type. Which one did you actually use? I'm like you and work full time and only have about 2 days a week to work on projects. I am not real handy with renovations in my house so I know I won't be any better in the coach. I do ok with Plug-&-Play and peel & stick.
Since you already had everything removed and old flooring out, your installer only had to mess with the floor, correct?

[jeffwit]

Originally Posted by Old Grape

Thanks Jeff. I had actually read that but originally missed the product you chose. So you used Adura by Maddington and glued it down? The pics look great. I googled it and they have various types including the resilient type. Which one did you actually use? I'm like you and work full time and only have about 2 days a week to work on projects. I am not real handy with renovations in my house so I know I won't be any better in the coach. I do ok with Plug-&-Play and peel & stick.
Since you already had everything removed and old flooring out, your installer only had to mess with the floor, correct?

It wound up being something different from the Adura, but a similar concept. My installer had quite a few samples that we could pick from. We went with the wider size, but I don't remember the exact brand or color. Sorry.
I had the vast majority of the old stuff out, but there was still some carpet under the couches and a bunch of fibers stuck to the "lake of glue" in the cockpit area. My installer laid luan down to level everything up and glued down the vinyl on top of that. We redid the vinyl all the way back to the bedroom, including the bathroom and replaced the carpet in the bedroom. Total cost was around $3000.
We love it. Feels like a new coach every time we get in it.

[Old Grape]

Thanks for the info. Now just need to find someone around here willing and able to do it at a price I can afford. :0)

[CJ7ole]

Originally Posted by jeffwit

Total cost was around $3000.
We love it. Feels like a new coach every time we get in it.

That is what motivates me to being a DIY kind of a guy. Not everyone's thing, I understand that.

[Old Grape]

Originally Posted by Floor It

Hello old grape


try us in north Carolina

Thanks for the response. What materials do you use? The pictures on your website show that you all remove the carpet under the slides. I will contact you via your website with more questions.

[Baddad53]

We have a 2000 Monaco Diplomat with slide rollers. Does anyone think Allure could be laid and let the rollers roll on and support the Kit. slide with out problems? Thanks.[/QUOTE]
I did the flooring in my DP with STAINMASTER 18-in x 18-in Luxury Vinyl Tile...FYI the sub-flooring under the tile is double the thickness of the carpeted areas. They did it to keep it the tile from breaking from flexing. Slide Rollers should be fine.

[joedunlap]

Maybe i've missed it but how do you keet the edges between the sideouts and main floors ? does it leave a large gap? Mine is a flat floor when slide is in. T should i plann to leave a gap and drop in a Tee moulding in the gap when the room is out?

Thanks Joe

[nerdofparadise]

Thank you very much for such a great report.
We have been considering Allure as we have some of the tiles in front of the sink going back to the shower. After reading your piece we have decided to remove them and put the new Allure Ultra straight through.
Like everyone I'm concerned about the slides, but this carpet has to go.
How has your choice of Light Cherry worked out?

[aauummm]

Originally Posted by CJ7ole

Well, it has been over three years since the install. Not too much more to report since my last update in post #45 on page 4. I really thought I had done another update, but maybe I had forgotten to hit the Post button, or maybe it was in another thread. The biggest issue I have is that a few end joints have opened up at least 1/8" and are now permanently open. Too lazy to take it up and relay it. As previously stated, doing it again with the vinyl Allure I would superglue the end joints. These planks don't snap together nearly as easily as Pergo (which I have laid in my son's home and my entire basement) and that is part of the problem. Also I forgot to lay my protective strips down in the bedroom once so when I retracted the slide, with some beach sand on the floor, I now have some scratches. Other than that I am real happy with the product. If I were doing it again, I might look at some other products like cork planks (which we have in our bedroom and really like) or possibly some engineered real wood, as long as it had the super hard aluminum oxide finish. Oh, I would also consider something like the stranded bamboo we laid in our kitchen. It is bulletproof.

OK, I went ahead and jumped in. I went with the Allure Ultra Resilient Vinyl Planks, Sawcut Dakota. At first I was only going to do the portion in front of the sofa and over to the entry. I did that, stood back and looked at it and knew that I was in trouble.

If the wife saw that, she would love it and want the whole thing done and sure enough that's what she said. I had to agree though, the part that I had done looked so good that I knew that I'd have to do the rest. The first picture is where I was originally going to stop and and leave the existing sheet vinyl. The second is where I went ahead and did everything except the bedroom and the cab area.

The third picture is when it was partially done. I'm glad that Winnebago uses the high quality plywood (and 3/4" thick) for the flooring and not the cheaper particle strand board.

I was very careful with the joints, I got the tapping block from Allure and that really helped. I inspected every inch of every joint as I laid the plank, using a hand held spot light on the joints to make sure they were tight. Total cost of all materials was $500. That included the planks, tapping block, reducing strip and Allure cleaner/polish.

So far it looks great and I don't think that there will be any problems with expansion/contraction. I left about a 1/4" space next to all of the walls.