Waterproofing under trailer

[Dooner]

I apologize up front if this has already been answered.

Can you use a vinyl flooring to waterproof under the trailer floor? What are the cons of this method? How long would it last?

My thoughts were to glue it to the plywwod floor and before setting it into the angle iron trailer frame, use a caulk or silicone around the edge. And leaving the vinyl long to wrap up the sides about a couple of inches to seal that edge.
Thanks for any comments.


Another thing, would you guys mind going to campinglife.com and write to the editor that you would like to see an issue dedicated to teardrop trailers and the great people who own them? I was hoping that if they get flooded with this message, they would at least think about it.

[Boodro]

Dooner , I would imagine that over time the vinyl will brek down & crack! It would then leak & allow water to penetrate & start to rot the wood. I would suggest using the tryed method of roof coating to seal the bottom of the floor. It seems to be the most excepted & dependable method. Good luck on your build!

Just my 2 sense , ain't worth much!

[48Rob]

Dooner,

Yes, it would work, but...

The vinyl, or plastic, or metal, or whatever waterproof material you could use will do the job, the problem comes when the edge seal is broken, or a crack or hole develops.

Since the material is waterproof, once moisture finds a way in, for some odd reason it can't/won't leave again.
It just hangs out, happily soaking into the wood...and you probably won't notice until major damage has occurred.

With an applied coating, damage is pretty easy to see, and correct, but more importantly, if there is unnoticed damage, it is generally limited to a small area around the break in the protective coating.

Now RV. manufacturers have been using masonite, aluminum, and other materials for years to keep water out, and it does work, but I've had my share of rotten steel frames and bad wood from unnoticed leaks...

Rob

[Ira]

Vinyl flooring on the underside? No way.

That stuff is not designed for exterior use at ALL. Not even on your covered patio.

[IndyTom]

Do we hear the voice of experience Ira?

[Dooner]

Thanks guys. I was just trying to think of a way to seal the bottom that wasn't so messy. Well, I think it would be messy to use the roof coating. I've never really seen it up close.
Messy or not, if that is the best way, who am I to argue.


Thanks again guys.

[Ira]

Do we hear the voice of experience Ira?

Growing up in Brooklyn, during the HEYDAY of vinyl flooring, I've seen my share. The stuff sucks where water is concerned. A lot of us (well, my parents) used it for their finished basements, but a little water in the basement and the stuff was like rotten cardboard.

Dooner--the asphalt emulsion, the Gardners, is NOT hard or messy to work with at all. It doesn't even SMELL that bad.

You just brush it on (outside), and you're all sealed.

[Chris C]

I apologize up front if this has already been answered.

Can you use a vinyl flooring to waterproof under the trailer floor? What are the cons of this method? How long would it last?

My thoughts were to glue it to the plywwod floor and before setting it into the angle iron trailer frame, use a caulk or silicone around the edge. And leaving the vinyl long to wrap up the sides about a couple of inches to seal that edge.
Thanks for any comments.

Dooner,

It will just become a place for water to infiltrate and then wood rot will set in. Just be patient, Grasshopper......... .........and paint the bottom of your teardrop with da messy stuff!!!!! It will last practically forever!

[rainjer]

Let's clear a few things up.

Most vinyl has a paper back on it that is moisture resistant, not water proof. I would not use that in any way under your teardrop.

They do make a few vinyl's that are vinyl backed. The are designed not to be glued down or just glue on the edges. Once again I would say no.

The there are commercial solid vinyl that is made for hospital & medical applications. They use epoxy adhesives on them. I would say you could use them but they are very expensive.

Then there is Linoleum. It is a natural flooring made from cork, resins, wood dust, & linseed oil with a jute backing. It has been around for over 100 years. They used to use it on battleships. I would say you could use it but it would be very expensive.

The one factor you have to look at is tempter. Both vinyl & linoleum will become very brittle & crack in cold weather.

All that being said, I would say go with what is proven, roofing tar.

[Gary T]

I used ice and water shield on the bottom of mine.
But I exterior stained the bottom then insulated it with styrofoam, then I use the ice and water shield.
It comes in 3 foot rolls and I used a haet gun to seal the seam(4 foot trailer).
I dont know if this will work any better than the vinyl but it is made to be used outside.
And most of all there was no mess!

[Classic Finn]

This is what we used here in Finland to build the floor of our teardrop.
http://w3.upm-kymmene.com/upm/internet/ ... le=Plywood

With the face down. It is used for other various purposes as well.

WISA plywoods. Continuously on the road.
WISA wood product range offers hard-wearing and cost-efficient solutions for various needs of vehicle building industry. Products have been developed for specific end uses - for floors, structures or interior lining - and their technical properties are tested and well-known.

The high-quality raw materials as well as the thin-veneer construction make WISA plywood extremely strong and homogeneous. Panel structures have been designed to optimise the best properties of wood: lightness and durability.

Ready-to-install flooring solutions
An extensive range of thicknesses and sizes, along with cut-size CNC and/or edge-machined components enable easy and quick installation.

Safety and comfort for passengers
Excellent noise reductions achieved by special constructions of the plywood. Our improved fire resistance properties fulfil the strictest requirements of the European standards.

On the ground, at sea, in the air
In addition to road vehicles, the WISA product range includes special panels for other transport industry applications such as trains, ships, and airplanes.

For more detailed information, see drop-down menu above.

Download files
Brochure: WISA plywoods for vehicle building industry. (pdf) »




Main end uses Hard-wearing flooring in the vehicle industry
Surface Face: phenolic resin laminate with a hot pressed high friction pattern.
Colours: brown. Grey colour is available on request.
Reverse: phenolic resin moisture barrier.
Edge protection: acryl-based paint.

No water proofing needed..

Classic Finn

[misu55]

After much consideration (and drawing on my engineering degree and 10+ years experience in commercial construction) I have decided to leave the underside of my plywood floor bare and cover it with 2" rigid polystyrene insulation glued to the underside of the plywood and covered with 22 GA galvanized sheet metal.

My original plan was to paint the underside of the plywood before applying the insulation (which tucks in between the 2" tube steel which the frame is made from). However I have decided that painting the plywood could possibly trap moisture in the plywood and cause it to rot.

Here's my explaination. During the night we expel several quarts of moisture into the cab through our exhaled breath and through the skin which can be absorbed by the plywood (even if covered by flooring). When the outside air is cooler than the temperature in the cab, a condensation point will be formed beween the inside and outside. This point could be in the plywood and any trapped water vapor within the plywood (even kiln dried plywood has 5-10% water content) could condense and wet the plywood. If there is a coating on the underside of the plywood, this poisture would have nowhere to go and could become trapped in the plywood causing damage. If the plywood is allowed to "breathe", it can dry out and reduce the possibility of it rotting.

Trapped moisture is a big concern when determining the proper drainage and ventilation of exterior enclosures of all types and many studies have been done to determine the best way to allow trapped moisture to escape from building materials. Much of this has come way from the concern over "toxic mold" litigation and has garnered much debate in the construction industry.

My experience and what I have read with regards to trapped moisture has led me to beleive that it would be better to allow the plywood to breathe than to coat it and possibly trap moisture. Obviously I could not leave the plywood exposed to the elements on the underside so I have chosen to protect it by covering the entire bottom of the trailer with sheet metal.

[Chris C]

That's exactly why most people sleep with ventilation. (window open, or ceiling fan lid open, etc., etc.) Simple solution to moisture condensation. I'm not an engineer, so I just KISS.

[Dewayne_Mellen]

Just out of curiosity would coating both sides of the plywwod keep the condensation from becoming a problem?

[Dewayne_Mellen]

I meant to say coating both sides with CPES.