How to glue down a floor

[MsNomer]

I have bought Marmoleum flooring for my van. It must be glued down. For the life of me, I can't figure how we're going to maneuver this large heavy roll onto a floor of adhesive in that small space. Any suggestions appreciated.

[markopolo]

I measured the floor space in my van and drew a rough sketch as a guide. Then I used those measurements to draw the layout on the fiber flooring. I double and triple check measurements as I went along. Then I cut the Tarkett fiber flooring and dry fitted it in the van. Some trimming was necessary. Too big is easy to fix, too small would not be good

I took my time and it is a really good fit. Fiber flooring lays flat even at the edges so I haven't glued it yet. Link: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...=12550&#p12579

I have glued fiber flooring down in small bathrooms. One was odd shaped. The glue I used (recommended for the flooring) allowed for a wet glue or nearly dry glue install. The nearly dry glue install allowed for lifting and repositioning the flooring material if needed. I did half the room at a time (one continuous sheet) working back to the exit.

If / when I glued the flooring down in my van I'll do it the same way. I'll glue down a portion and then unroll and glue as I go.

A quick check seems to indicate a nearly wet glue install for Marmoleum. That would be harder to do. I think I'd still cut and fit the sheet dry as I am hopeless at cutting flooring once it is down as I always seem to mess it up. That might be difficult also if the flooring edges curl. Warm temperatures will help with flexibility. The Marmoleum instructions I looked at indicate that the floor, Marmoleum and adhesive need to be at kept at the same temperature for 48hrs prior to installing.

[Bruceper]

Don't do it in sections unless you have to. The less seams you have the better.

This way will work fine, but you have to make sure you're going perfectly straight! 1/4 of an inch at one end could mean you are out by 4 inches at the other end and it will look silly.

Some tips before you start
- Make sure the floor is clean. No dust or small rocks
- Don't do this on a windy day
- Take your time
- Glue can stink, it can also cause issues in an enclosed space. Open up windows and doors for ventilation
- You can also check Youtube for how to videos

1) Roll it out
2) Measure
3) Measure again
4) Mark the roll for cutting
5) Measure it again
6) Preliminary cut, leave an inch or so extra as a rough cut
7) Double check it all fits and trim the excess
Practice a dry run by rolling it out with no glue first
9) Roll it up so that you can start at either the front or the back. You want to finish where it will be easier to get out of the vehicle
10) Begin by putting some glue on the floor and place the roll on it.
11) Then begin slowly backing up and either putting glue on the floor or on the roll itself (floor is easier) and slowly back up

Your alternative is to find someone with experience laying down linoleum flooring or take it to an RV shop and pay for them to do it but these ways can get expensive.

[booster]

It can be very handy sometimes to make a heavy craft paper template of the area. You can use multiple pieces of paper and tape them to a main one as you fit any little section and trim it exactly to finish size. When you are done, you trace it to the flooring and cut to exactly what you need. Some flooring guys are amazingly good at the template use. I have seen it done on some really intricate floors with lots of cutouts and even area where the flooring goes behind an obstruction where you could never trim it once installed. It has always amazed me how skilled some of those guys are.

[AK49er]

x2 on the craft paper method.

[MsNomer]

I'm not concerned about cutting to fit. My concern is the actual laying when there's no extra room to move around.

[markopolo]

Is it too thick or not flexible enough to unroll as you work?

[MsNomer]

It is flexible but very heavy.