Vinyl floor planks

If you're thinking of the same thing as I am, they may claim to be suitable for kitchens, so they'll survive the odd spill of water, but they're basically MDF with a vinyl wearing surface, so may not last well in the damp atmosphere of a boat.
 
Sailing Uma used laminate flooring, not even the nice vinyl stuff. I imagine their floor saw more use at the boat show than any of ours will in a year, and it's also survived basically all of the climates a boat is likely to see.

With adhesives I'd go for the one you'll be happiest cleaning off in 5 years or so. It's on the floor so doesn't need a lot of holding in place and it'll be stiff so unlikely to move sideways easily. I'd even consider a silicone sealant which will be very easy to remove and will last well while also sticking more than enough for the job. something like Evostick if you're paranoid might work well too. I'm assuming you're sticking to normal boat floor boards here?
 
lustyd said:
Sailing Uma used laminate flooring, not even the nice vinyl stuff. I imagine their floor saw more use at the boat show than any of ours will in a year, and it's also survived basically all of the climates a boat is likely to see.

With adhesives I'd go for the one you'll be happiest cleaning off in 5 years or so. It's on the floor so doesn't need a lot of holding in place and it'll be stiff so unlikely to move sideways easily. I'd even consider a silicone sealant which will be very easy to remove and will last well while also sticking more than enough for the job. something like Evostick if you're paranoid might work well too. I'm assuming you're sticking to normal boat floor boards here?
Click to expand...
Hi yes sticking to wooden painted floor, will obviously cut the access panel holes for the bilge hatches. They are vinyl planks not rigid like laminate flooring they are very hardwaring and used in commercial settings for flooring, designed to be able to be wet and mopped etc
 
Everyone else is talking about laminate, but I inherited a half-pack of vinyl "planks" from the previous owners of my house so I think I know what you mean.

Obviously no trouble with water given that they're just slabs of plastic, but I'd question the slipperiness underfoot of the ones I had. Maybe you have ones with more surface texture in mind.

I think I'd go with contact adhesive to stick them down. You can get it in 2.5l tins. Make sure you have reasonable ventilation in the cabin when using it.

Pete
 
Our daughter purchased vinyl plank flooring for her lounge, and replaced it very quickly as it was so easily scratched and marked, so may not be suitable for boat use.
Proper Amtico flooring is more durable, but much more expensive.
 
prv said:
Everyone else is talking about laminate
Click to expand...
To be fair, I only mentioned laminate because it's less suitable than luxury vinyl flooring and Uma have managed fine with that for many years. I knew what the OP was talking about, I was just countering Stemar's speculation that it might not be suitable, personally I think it's more suitable than the wood and thin veneer that manufacturers use. If the boat is wet enough that any flooring is a problem, up to and including '70's style fluffy fur carpets then the boat or skipper needs fixing rather than the flooring!

I agree contact adhesive would work well it will make an unholy mess of maintenance debt which will need a lot of work when the flooring is replaced. I'm not suggesting Pritt stick, but given it's not likely to move anyway then small amounts of the least sticky sticky stuff you can get away with will create less future work.
 
Sailing newbie selsey said:
This is the stuff it comes in planks made from vinyl no wood and semi flexible
New England 5261 | TLC Luxury Vinyl Tiles | Best at Flooring
Click to expand...

Not sure I like that personally, but I have been thinking about using the Karndean product - not in a herringbone layout but by laying the planks (18”x3”) lengthways with randomly staggered joints. Seems like a really handy sized plank to cut, lay and fit given all of the complexities to work around on a boat. I take on board the comments about the “slipperyness” factor and hope to see some samples prior to making a decision
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top