Finch Flock's Foamie

[FinchFlock]

It's not the perfect wood floor I had dreamed about , but in reality it's much nicer than plywood (IMHO) and it does look pretty nice . After HH got home he approved of it and we all sat on it to check it out.

We were looking for something to seal/fill the gaps, and considered many suggestions. We decided to try Durham's rock hard water putty. It didn't sound like the perfect solution, but the best one that I found. I think that as long as I seal it well, it will work well enough.

I'm open to suggestions, if you know of something that would work better

[KCStudly]

I'm not familiar with that product, but IIRC it sets up hard like thickened epoxy?

If so it is probably okay. My gut would have said to use thickened epoxy (bonding it together so it can't move relative to each other), or something flexible that can move yet still stay stuck.

[GPW]

D’s water putty would dry too hard and crack with trailer flexing and vibration ( unless you have perfect roads ... ) Since it’s Inside , don’t know why you’d have to seal it at all ... whatever, it will have to be flexible so it can expand and contract with the wood ... The board floor in my All Steel Cargo Trailer has some vinyl flooring loose over it , just plain boards underneath ... The trailer has got to be over 20 years old , and everything is still in fine shape ...

[ghcoe]

I would just leave it alone. Adds character to the build.

[FinchFlock]

I had planned on just finishing the floor boards (with varnish? ). But when the best boards available were warped and left some gaps here and there, I decided to seal it. I want to be able to sweep /mop without sending any of it between the cracks to accumulate under the boards.
Somehow despite my ban on shoes and requirement of dusting off before entering our tent, I still have to sweep it every couple of days . I want cleaning to be easy.
Handsome Husband and I both like the look and feel of the wood floors, so we don't want to cover them.

We tried the water putty (before reading GPW's advice on it) I agree it is solid, and likely to crack and crumble I don't think I'll use any more of it.

[GPW]

I got a rug for my floor ... Quick Hoover and we’re done ...

If you want to fill the grooves , you’re going to need something silicone rubber -like , because those boards will literally move with the changes in temperature ...

[FinchFlock]

HH said he liked the idea of using a clear caulking. We found one that was clear, and paintable. I hope it doesn't make it look too funny when I varnish the wood, I'm thinking that any bits of wood that have the caulking on them won't look the same as the rest after being varnished.
This is definitely a learning process.
I checked the parts that had the water putty on them, and they already have cracks just from the temperature changes.

[GPW]

Finch, JMHO , I’d let those floor boards remain unjoined chemically ... a trailer floor will move and flex likely a whole lot more than a floor in the house , and it may be impossible to keep the floor “perfect” as you dreamed about . Seriously , we were watching a TV show of someone towing a trailer (like we build, but of wood) , on an off road course ( an extreme situation) , and the trailer Fail , The video was replayed in slow motion and you could see the flexing and wracking of the trailer and frame , before shaking itself apart ...
Worried about dirt getting in the grooves in the floor ... Hey, it’s CAMPING .... Dirt happens !!! That’s why soap and water were invented .... and vacuum cleaners ..
Thing is , do what You think is best , and if it works well then please tell us .... or if it doesn’t work too .

[KCStudly]

Why not varnish the wood first then seal it with the clear caulk? ... or is that not advised?

Another option would be to just seal the underside and let the top stay natural.

Like GPW says, maybe best just to keep things simple. Whatever you do it will last a long time, even if it does get wet or dirty.

[FinchFlock]

Worried about dirt getting in the grooves in the floor ... Hey, it’s CAMPING .... Dirt happens !!! That’s why soap and water were invented .... and vacuum cleaners ..

Unfortunately, my husband feels the same way ... except for the soap, water, and vacuum part(that's my job ) So, an easy to clean floor is a much higher priority to me than a pretty floor.

Why not varnish the wood first then seal it with the clear caulk? ... or is that not advised?

Another option would be to just seal the underside and let the top stay natural.

I didn't think ahead. The floor boards are already installed and under them is insulation. After filling the first gap, I saw some bits smudged on either side and immediately knew I should have tested it on a scrap first .

Thankfully the varnish is not tinted. I painted some on over a part that had the smudges, and it doesn't show at all.

[FinchFlock]

This is a part that has the putty. I used the caulk over it, then varnish. It looks good enough to me.

[GPW]

Finch , I can always recall my Military training where we learned how to clean Floors better than anything else ... An important job I would not entrust to the wife .

[FinchFlock]

We were blessed with lots of sunshine and plenty of wind. It made the varnish dry quickly enough to put on a second coat.
I can see where the putty was used. I sanded it so that it only shows in the grooves, but it surely shows. It doesn't bother me enough to cover the floor though. It will just have to be evidence of a lesson learned.

I hope to move on to walls tomorrow... or maybe tonight, it's much nicer working in the evening with a shop light, than in the sun when it's so warm out.

[FinchFlock]

An important job I would not entrust to the wife .

certainly not the case around here.

[TheOtherSean]

You're making pretty good time, all things considered. It only about a month ago you posted about wanting to build a foamie, and now you've got the trailer and floor in place. Nice work.